American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-08-24
Educational department.
The Christian Element in Common
School Education,

ement in Education" asserting that sucl
element should necessarily constitute q
portion of the education impaired by pub
lie authority in christian Republic. A
respected friend and correspondent asks
US to state how much and what parts Of
the christian system of religion may be
taught in the Common Schools, without
infringing on those rights of conscience
and of free opinion on the subject of re.
ligion, which are guaranteed to all by the
constitution and our social institutions.
A sufficient reply might be made to this
question by saying, that the Christian Ell
ement in State education comprises just
so much of the christian system of relig-
ion as the State constitution and the laws
as exponents of that constitution, recog-
nize and establish. For this is chris
| tlan nation, as was asserted in the former
article on this subject, and Pennsylvania
is Christian ate,-Christianity having
been declared, by one of her eminent ju-
rists many years ago, " to be a part of the
law of the land" We will not content
ourselves, however, with this compendi-
GUS mode Of disposing of the point, but
will go so much into detail as not only to
comply with herequest of our friend, but
meet, to the best Of our ability, all SINH
lar doubts and queries.
All men have a natural and indcfca-
sible right to worship Almighty God aG-
cording to the dictates of their own con
science; no man can, of right, be compel
led to attend, erect, or support any place
of worship, or maintain any minister
against his consent; no human authority
can, in any case whatever, control or in
terfere with the rights Of conscience; and
no preference shall ever be given, by law,
to any religious establishments or modes
of worship"
This portion ofthc Declaration of Rights
in the State Constitution is the starting
point in the discussion of this question
and the true understanding of it must
necessarily lead to some conclusion inref-
etence to, not only the rights of conscience,
but, the power and duty of the State in
reference thereto.
Who is almighty God" named in
this solemn declaration? Obviously, the
Deity of the christian system,-this be-
ing one of the titles by which that Being
is therein designated. But to set this
question at rest by legislative construc-
ton, a law was passed as early as 100
and is continued in force to this day, de-
claring that whoever ahall wilfully and
despitefully, blasphemc Or speak loosely
and profanely of Almighty God, Christ
Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the Scriptures
of Truth, and is legally convicted thereof,
shall forfeit and pay the sum of 10pounds,
for the use of the poor of the county
where such offence shall be committed, or
suffer three months imprisonment at hard
labor, for the use Of the poor" So also
by the same act, to profanely curse or
swear by the same names, is punishable
by fine or Imprisonment. These laws
the number of which might easily be in
creased-suficiently declare what Deity
is the God and what system is the relig-
ion, of our State. And it sno refutation
of this conclusion to adduce the fact that
these laws were passed before the adop-
tion either of the old or the prcsentamend-
ed constitution, and are therefore not its
exponent. On the contrary, it may be
more pertinently asserted that both those
constitutions are but the eexponents of the
social spirit which enacted these laws :
a proposition which would be speedily and
unmistakably established were any attempt
made to repeal them.
Here let us not be misunderstood. In
contending that the only true Deity whom
Christians worship is the Deity evidently
indicated by the terms Almighty God"
in the constitution, and no other,-we do
not mean to say that belief in or worship
of some other supposed God is prohibited
in this State. Neither is it asserted that
no form Of religion, except some one or
other Of those professed by Christians, is
to be allowed. Such would not be free
dom-christian freedom-of conscience.
But we do assert and contend, that while
our State institutions concede to every one
the right to worship any supposed deity
and practice any religion he may prefer,
SO long as the public peace and decency
are not disturbed thereby, yet, that all
those institutions do most evidently re-
gard and adopt christianity as thegeneral
rule, and only tolerate departures there
from az those exceptions which are indis-
pensablei in orderto secure freedom of con-
science.
Hence it is that in the section Of the