American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-07-06
Educational department.
Christian Element in Education.

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and the State should, control the general
education of youth. 1t yetremains to in
dicate' how the latter may discharge this
duty, not only effectually in regard to its
own wants, but safely in reference to the
rights of the various christian denomina-
tions But before doing this, it will be
first necessary to consider the relation Of
the State to General Christianity
The phrase "Christian denominations"
was used advisedly in the preceding para
graph the idea being, that when the
various rights of the denominations have
been respected and all interference with
their sectarian differences avoided, by a
public system of education-all has been
done that can be, either conscientiously or
legally, required. And further, that, with
in these limits, it is the duty and Office of
the School System to enstamp upon the
character of the youth of the land the
same Christianity which stands imprinted
upon the nation.
This is a Christian nation. Its coloni-
cation was but an effort to provide for and
extend christian liberty, at various times
and under differing phases. 1t was not
an effort to escape from, but to purify and
elevate Christianity. Our laws are chris
tian laws, and their sanctions and obliga-
tions take their form and binding nature
from the christian system. Our public
sentiment is christian. Even our vices
are but departures from christian purity
and our sins violations of christian duties.
Our very crimes punishable in courts are
the wrongs which the christian code had
already denounced. Wherefore il is, that
while there certainly are amongst us those
who are not christians, s,-either negative
ly, by protesting no creed whatever, (and
those are the greater number of non-chris-
tians) or positively by protesting such as
are inconsistent with that Of christianity,
yet in all administrations of public au-
thority,-be it of the Nation or the State,
or be it exercised in the framing of law,
in the act of court of justice, in the in
stallation of public officer, in the organ
ization of an army, or the regulation of a
school system-the Christian Element is
alone primarily regarded and provided for.
This unquestionable state of affairs indi-
Gates the true meaning of that phrase
" freedom of conscience" so often repeat
ed, though so little understood, or rather
so frequently perverted. As no one will
contend that freedom of conscience es-
tablshes the point, that there shall be no
conscience at all, so no one can contend
that freedom in religion shall Danish all
religion Such violation of the relation
of man to God in the exercise of our So
cial and national rights, never was dream
ed of by those who first guarded the rights
of tender consciences.
The man who asserts his right not to
be christian, if he so will it, only as
serts power which both the State con-
stituton and the constitution of his own
nature guarantee to him. But when he
also asserts, that it is right for him and all
others not to be christians, and adduces, in
support of this position, the organic law
of the land the law of his own being, he
clearly manifests his ignorance of both
Just such is the ignorance exhibited by
the public authority, which, under pretext
of consulting the rights of conscience
blenches from the recognition of the spir.
it of christianity, as the predominant ele.
meut of our social orgacization.
As surely as it is true that no man may
be compelled to worship God, in this land
except according to the dictates of his
own conscience,so also, it is as surely true
that the christian system of belief and
worship, allowing for its various creed:
and notifications, is the religion of the
nation ;-tolerating, at the same time, moi
only all differences in the exhibition OF
this great national sentiment, but also all
who wholly deny its doctrines and prefer
some other. Nay, the tolerant spirit with
which dissent its treated, goes to the
length of recognizing and protecting al
creeds, so long as the practices of theil
professors do not disturb or prevent the
operation of the general christian senti
ment of all our institutions
Homecoming down to the education
al application of these principles, s,-twt
things seem necessary in the practica
working of a general school system, in {
Christian Republic -
l. That the Christian Element should
predominant in the course of Instruction
taking care always so to avoid Particular
of creed and observance, as to prevent
sectarian conflict.
2, That, while the Christian should al
Ways be maintained as the predominant