Actual excerpts from The Scopes Trial
Clarence Darrow – Defense lawyer and evolutionist
William Jennings Bryan – Prosecuting lawyer and fundamentalist
"The Court" – Judge
Policeman
The courtyard (laughter and applause)
Day 7
Darrow-You have given considerable study to the Bible, haven’t you, Mr. Bryan?
Bryan-Yes, sir, I have tried to…
Q-The Bible says Joshua commanded the sun to stand still for the purpose of lengthening the day, doesn’t it, and you believe it.
A-I do.
Q-Do you believe at that time the entire sun went around the earth?
A-No, I believe that the earth goes around the sun.
Q-Do you believe that the men who wrote it thought that the day could be lengthened or that the sun could be stopped?
A-I don’t know what they thought.
Q-You don’t know?
A-I think they wrote the fact without expressing their own thoughts…
Mr. Darrow- Can you answer my question directly? If the day was lengthened by stopping either the earth or the sun, it must have been the earth?
A-Well, I should say so.
Q- Now, Mr. Bryan, have you ever pondered what would have happened to the earth if it had stood still?
A-No.
Q-You have not?
A- No; the God I believe in could have taken care of that, Mr. Darrow.
Q- I see. Have you ever pondered what would naturally happen to the earth if it stood still suddenly?
A- No.
Q-Don’t you know it would have been converted into molten mass of matter?
A-You testify to that when you get on the stand, I will give you a chance.
Q-Don’t you believe it?
A-I would want to hear expert testimony on that.
Q-You have never investigated that subject?
A-I don’t think I have ever had the question asked.
Q-Or ever thought of it?
A-I have been too busy on thinks that I thought were of more importance than that.
Q-You believe the story of the flood to be a literal interpretation?
A-Yes, sir.
Q-When was that Flood?
A-I would not attempt to fix the date. The date is fixed, as suggested this morning.
Q-About 4004 B.C.?…
A-I do not think about things I don’t think about.
Q-Do you think about things you do think about?
A-Well, sometimes.
(Laughter in the courtyard.)
Policeman-Let us have order….
Bryan-These gentlemen have not had much chance-they did not come here to try this case. They came here to try revealed religion. I am here to defend it and they can ask me any question they please.
The Court-All right…
(Applause from the court yard.)
Darrow- Do you know anything about how many people there were in Egypt 3,500 years ago, or how many people there were in China 5,000 years ago?
Bryan-No.
Q-Have you ever tried to find out?
A-No, sir. You are the first man I ever heard of who has been in interested in it. (Laughter.)
Q-Mr. Bryan, am I the first man you ever heard of who has been interested in the age of human societies and primitive man?
A-You are the first man I ever heard speak of the number of people at those different periods.
Q-Where have you lived all your life?
A-Not near you. (Laughter and applause.)
Q-Nor near anybody of learning?
A-Oh, don’t assume you know it all.
Q-Do you know there are thousands of books in our libraries on all those subjects I have been asking you about?
A-I couldn’t say, but I will take your word for it….
Q-Have you any idea how old the earth is?
A-No.
Q-The Book you have introduced in evidence tells you, doesn’t it?
A-I don’t think it does, Mr. Darrow.
Q-Let’s see whether it does; is this the one?
A-That is the one, I think.
Q-It says B.C. 4004?
A-That is Bishop Usher’s calculation.
Q-That is printed in the Bible you introduced?
A-Yes, sir….
Q-Would you say that the earth was only 4,000 years old?
A-Oh, no; I think it is much older than that.
Q-How much?
A-I couldn’t say.
Q-Do you say whether the Bible itself says it is older than that?
A-I don’t think it is older or not.
Q-Do you think the earth was made in six days?
A-Not six days of twenty-four hours.
Q-Doesn’t it say so?
The Court-Are you about through, Mr. Darrow?
Darrow-I want to ask a few more questions about the creation.
The Court-I know. We are going to adjourn when Mr. Bryan comes off the stand for the day. Be very brief, Mr. Darrow.
Bryan-The reason I am answering is not for the benefit of the superior court. It is to keep these gentlemen from saying I was afraid to meet them and let them question me, and I want the Christian world to know that any atheist, agnostic, unbeliever, can question me anytime as to my belief in God, and I will answer him.
Darrow-I want to take an exception to this conduct of this witness. He may be very popular down here in the hills….
Bryan-Your honor, they have not asked a question legally and the only reason they have asked any question is for the purpose, as the question about Jonah was asked, for a chance to give this agnostic an opportunity to criticize a believer in the world of God; and I answered the question in order to shut his mouth so that he cannot go out and tell his atheistic friends that I would not answer his questions. That is the only reason, no more reason in the world.
Mr. Darrow:
Q-Mr. Bryan, do you believe that the first woman was Eve?
A-Yes.
Q-Do you believe she was literally made out of Adams’s rib?
A-I do.
Q-Did you ever discover where Cain got his wife?
A-No, sir; I leave the agnostics to hunt for her.
Q-You have never found out?
A-I have never tried to find
Q-You have never tried to find?
A-No.
Q-The Bible says he got one, doesn’t it? Were there other people on the earth at that time?
A-I cannot say.
Q-You cannot say. Did that ever enter your consideration?
A-Never bothered me.
Q-There were no others recorded, but Cain got a wife.
A-That is what the Bible says…
Q-I will read it to you from the Bible: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life." Do you think that is why the serpent is compelled to crawl upon its belly?
A-I believe that.
Q-Have you any idea how the snake went before that time?
A-No, sir.
Q-Do you know whether he walked on his tail or not?
A-No, sir. I have no way to know. (Laughter in audience).
Q–Now, you refer to the cloud that was put in heaven after the flood, the rainbow. Do you believe in that?
A-Read it.
Q-AII right, Mr. Bryan, I will read it for you.
Bryan-Your Honor, I think I can shorten this testimony. The only purpose Mr. Darrow has is to slur at the Bible, but I will answer his question. I will answer it all at once, and I have no objection in the world, I want the world to know that this man, who does not believe in a God, is trying to use a court in Tennessee–
Darrow-I object to that.
Bryan-(Continuing) to slur at it, and while it will require time, I am willing to take it.
Darrow–I object to your statement. I am exempting you on your fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes.
The Court-Court is adjourned until 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.
