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Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 12:09:43 EDT
From:         Leo W <Leo_W@QM.CIRCA.UFL.EDU>
Subject:      SofT, Oct. 1894

Quoted from "Things to Come," a monthly periodical edited in the very late 19th
and early 20th centuries by E.W. Bullinger:

THE HOLY LAND AND ITS FUTURE PROSPECTS.

In The Jewish Chronicle for August 31, Mr. Hasket Smith, M.A. ...

"... in my humble opinion, a Jewish dominion, under the joint guarantee of
neutrality by the great European powers, seems the most practical solution of
the Syrian question.  It is a matter of common notoriety that the Ottoman rule
over Syria and Palestine would not continue for a single year, if it were not
for the mutual jealousies of the great European powers.  The Turk is allowed to
remain in possession, though everyone agrees that his government is corrupt and
effete to the last degree, simply because no European power would be allowed to
take his place.  England, France, Russia, and in a lesser degree Germany,
Austria, and Italy, have all cast longing eyes upon the country; and not one of
these would be permitted by any of the others to acquire possession of it.  Why
then should not all agree to constitute Syria and Palestine an independent
kingdom, under the joint guarantee of neutrality from all the European powers,
in very much the same way as Belgium at present exists?  And in order to secure
the homogeneity and stability of this kingdom, why not constitute it a Jewish
nationality with Jewish rulers, all the Jews from every country in the world
being invited and encouraged to settle in it?  Everywhere one hears the outcry
about the Jewish question.  In many countries no secret is made of the fact
that the departure of the Jews from those countries is desired.  What then is
to hinder a general migration of the Jews to Palestine, with the consent and
assistance of the European powers?"

FRENCH UNSECTARIAN EDUCATION.

The Daily Chronicle of July 30th contained the following paragraph on a French
Manual of Unsectarian Instruction:

"The French educational authorities, if we may accept as correct an extract
from the 'Manual of Unsectarian Instruction' sent us by a correspondent, have
not been inspired to greater religious toleration by Gambetta's later
reflection that he had probably been unwise to quarrel with 'le bon Dieu.'
This extraordinary handbook, which is, our correspondent assures us, in daily
use in the State-aided public elementary schools, contains in the form of a
lesson the following dialogue between teacher and pupil:

  Teacher: What is God?
  Pupil: We cannot tell.
  Teacher: Do you acknowledge a superior or controlling Being?
  Pupil: Why should we?  Prove to us the necessity, and show Him to us.
  Teacher: It cannot be proved that such a Being is indispensable.
  Pupil: Then it is a waste of time to talk about the matter.

  The term 'God' has no signification; it means nothing at all.

"To put such blatant infidelity in the mouths of children were surely a
shocking thing to do, and its inevitable result, supposing the absolute
correctness of the extract sent us, must be to drive the majority of French
parents into the camp of the clerical reactionaries."

We are very thankful to see that the Editor of the Daily Chronicle condemns
such "blatant infidelity."

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Leo
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