New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-09
TytFDToGy IL SCHOOLS.


THEOLOGY IS SCHOOLS.
A duiet but Influential movement Is now II progress
lool ing to the infusion of specifically Theological teach
ing into tie regular routine Of our Common Schools
or more accurately the purpOseis to enga such teach
inc uron the Schools. Tne plan, as explained to Us,
runs thus: Let Friday afternoon Of each week be set
spalt for the religious instruction Of all pupils whose
parerts see fit to have their children taught and let
SO many persons as may choose attend teachers, hay
ing liberty aud opportunity to instruct iG Faith AMI
Morals all children whose parents respectively may have
chosen to confde TO them responsible duty. H1aere
be ally children whose parents escLew this public re-
leous teaching altogether, they are to 90 on with their
regular school lessons, under their ordinary teachers.
Perhaps we may be converted aud made to see the
feasibility or utility Of this project On mature consid.
GRAFTON As yet, However, we DO no. az AL Ike it,
Among the objections which seem to us most torcble
are these:
l. This plan assumes the iaadequacy if IT does not
ignore tie existence, Of our present nstUmeoall'es
for Religious Instruction Nov, il is a cheering fac.
that while almost everything else bat air and running
water costs money Religious Ins ructon Is IN this couo-
try abuudaDty to be had for nothing Any parent re-
siding il any reasonabypoPulous section Of these Stl'es
may have is children fully AID freely instructed in any
Religious Faith from the most ultramOntane R0maaism
to the ldest Destic RatOnaIism, not only without
cbarle bur he will be raher thanked aud
favored in business for dong By those 20
WHOM lie coDGdes the tr4niog Of his lttle ones
in what the teachers hold to be Divine Truth And this
instruction is mainly given the very day of al the
week when every child has leisure, and when eyemP-
ton from labor and the prevalence OF quiet inyite 20
meditation and reflection. If any children are now de-
pryed OF The advantages of Religious ms ru,ton, &c
mus be for the reason that their par as choose to
have II so AID these would Of derive no benefit
from the proposed innovation upon the routine o! our
Common Sci Oos.
Itwoud he found very difficult in practice to provide
suitable accommodations for the Religious Teaching now
proposed In The vestes and other apartments OF our
several Churches special AMI adequate provision has
been made for Sunday Schools AID these are rarely or
never found deficient There suitable books are depOs
ted and While one creed il taught place, the re-
cusite que. and deco,um is easily and naturally main
tanned But open our great Ward Schools on one af-
teIncon of each week Religious Teaching AMI invite
Catholic, Presbyterian Baptist, Methods, EPisc9pl-
Ian. Unitarian, Swedenborean Unyersalst, Rati0nal-
ist Adventist Deist Mateiial5t, SC. &c, 70 come IN
and teach the children whose parents respectively pre-
rheir several incucations and TO unfold 20 them their
ideas as 10 what ia 20 be believed whs. rejected what
done and what left undoBe, and should have little
Haben every hooh olse. Il would no be possible o
find separate apartment for each sect, ami We sho III
soon have pale rejection here Of those scenes OF con
tnton for precedence and possession between GfecAa
atns AID Arnenians, wherevth the Church az Jeru-
salem babituay scaudalizes Chfstehd0m Aud even Il
there should be- found in each schochouse separate
apartment for the teachings Of each SECT there would De
pulling and hauling tor this or that family Of children
whose parents favored different creeds or none ald
perpetual Indictment to theologic dipuaton and paFt
saup NEST unayorable to progress ia study Sndto he
harmony and discipline OF the school.
D. The liberty prohered to those children whose
parents desired no theOogc teaching in school TO go
on with their studies would prove ilasory Assuming
that large majority OF the pupils would HAufa'y
devote he Islfdsy a. is contemplated By 'he prge'
tols tue nexr days lessons would have ~ De taken
up where this shorty let OF and the few who mad
gone aLeadduring The hours consscrat9d 20 eaIesas W
must cane back AID begin again
T. Our people, large majority Of hem, have already
provided and paid for the Religious Instruction oil tle
children We believe there Is 10 other Part Of the
world where such instruction is so faithful 90 neral
so competent as t IS here II part Of or Clergy are
Poorly paid o. is ameu.sby the case the main cause Is
this very nultiocari,n Of secs AID e1a1geFaIoa oil
sectsrisn differences which this proposed teaching ~
creeds in Common Schools seems 20 Us emaeotiy cal
es,,ted 20 increase To ask then nov 70 reduce eacA
weeks schoo-hosrs devoted 70 sec4lar studies fron
thirty 10 tuenryseyen "a in effect 70 inPosa on then
rev AK for weich re can perceive NJ necessity.
Such are oar first Impressions Of the new pro.ecs
They nay Be modified, " possibly oyerbofne, b. igf
tier reflection, but Yet We cannot regard The Plaa
with sny degree Of favor.