Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-06-02

1H1 BIBLE IN COMMON SCHOOLS
That the Bible is the bulwark Of
every moral influence which seeks the
exaltation Of fallen Humanity to a
more perfect resemblance Of that ideal
man, which 10 the desire Of every ra-
tional being, we most freely confess.
That it u the most potent civillzer
known 70 the world has been abun
dainty demonstrated in the Nineteenth
century. That it is the only oracle Of
the true Deity we also confess. But
with all these admissions, we look
abroad upon the surface Of Society, and
behold mankind divided into numerous
sects and denominations; each founded
upon different Interpretation of
scriptural doctrines, and each sect
sdhering TO its own peculiar tenets,
dogmas and faith, with zeal and stead
fastness as impregnable as the ramparts
Of Gibralter. As soon as the individual
selects . religious denomination to
which he becomes allied, that moment
he changes into a partizan, so jealous,
that both logic and reason, are totally
lost npon him, when employed to
shake his faith. He clings to it in life,
in oil it, vicissitudes, in all its perils,
and when the eye grows dim and the
death rattle is heard in his throat, his
greatest joy-that which absorbs all
thought Of pain, all terrors and fears
is his abiding faith in the religion he
has learned TO reverence, and the hopes
he has built upon his creed. Prejudices
and passions, having their foundations
in religion, are more intense and IRA
tional than if produced by any other
influence. History abundantly proves
that this is true. The slaughter OF the
poor Hugucnots, the enthusiasm OF
CromwelI's psalm singing army, the
persecution OF the Quakers, the burning
Of Salem witches, the fire and faggot
and rack, employed by the Holy Office
10 convert sinners from the errors Of
sin and kill those who would not be
converted, was only the acme OF The
same slumbering prcjudiccs, now ex's-
ting among fferent religious sccts.
Each sect tries to gather into its
own fold Of safety more than any
othcr sect, catechisms, tracts, Mis-
sionarics, and PROSECUTING agents o.
each and all are busily engaged in the
work Of converting sinners to belle
in . particular creed. This is thu
natural result Of the fallibility of man
and the impossibility ofthinklng alike
upon the same subjects, or drawing the
same conclusions from the same state o.
facts. It's we'll that different religious
denominations do exist, that they labor
with carnestness and zeal, IN the cause
of religion. But when any one sect
insists upon monopoly Of the institu-
tons of Education, it has gone ont OF
its sphere Of duty, and should be re-
buked.
Our Common Schools are free and
open 10 the children Of high and low,
of Catholic, Romanist, Methodist, Inf
del, &c, where the intellectual may be
trained, strengthened, and prepared for
the stern conflict Of life. 1t is there
that science, philosophy, history, and
every branch of human knowledge is
obtained. Education is the object of
the institution. Every effort ought to
be made to bring in.o common schools
every child in the State old enough to
begin to learn. II this rule is not
adopted, then We shall have class
growing to Manhood, like an adder
in the bosom Of Society, that will be
ignorant, vicious, profane, vulgar, and
criminal. Crime thrives upon Ignorance.
Education is its deadliest foe. Such
being the case, our Common Schools
ought to be 80 conducted, that parents
can have no motive for preventing
their children from entering the school
room. II there are a large class SO
opposed to the reading of the bible in
the Common School, that they will not
send their children to schools where it
IL read, We think that this prejudice
ought to be respected, on account ofthe
good Of Society and the necessity for
general education. The bible can be read
and expounded by each parent and at
each Sabbath school and church Of each
religious Sect. Ono day in the week
i cot apart for religious instruction,
and every parent car gather his own
children around the evening fircside,f for
moral training. The Catholic can
teach his offspring the doctrine Of
Apostolical succession, and that there
can be mo church without . Bishop
the Romanist can teach his children
the doctrine Of tie Popc's infalhbility,
Virgin Aary's Immaculate conception,
Saints, Masses, Martyrs and Miracles;
the Presbyterian may teach that babies
dying unbaptized are lost in the regions
Of voc; Baptists that there is no bap-
tism except immersion; and In6dels that
religion 10 al . humbug and priestcraft,
and n the same time, all these children
II these antsgonistic sects can assemble