Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-12-12
Sccnlarism In Education.


Sccularism In Edueation.
As intimated at the clone of my
article in last weeks REPUBLICAN, the
discussion OF our teachers rcsol ton
opens the question Shall our leduca.
ton be purely secular, or shall 1t rest
on religious principles, and give OK.
preston TO religious thought! This
is question fundamental and lin.
portant, whose solution vii! have
important bearings on education and
| national life.
1t IL a noticeable fact in modern
civilization that the state assumes
the education OF her youth. Thus
a vast system Of primary and higher
education reaching from the district
school 10 the university, has been
inaugurated and kept IN operation.
Vast sums OF money have been OK.
pended in the different departments
OF educational labor. A complicat-
ed system OF laws is placed GU our
statutc-books, in carrying out their
provisions mighty army of school
officers and teachers, titled and un.
titled, find occupation. What does
all this mean? What right has the
state 20 enter every household aud
take the education of he youth into
her hands
The common right, we answer,
of organic beings TO pcrpetuate their
own existence. She has tho right to
prepare her citizens tor the highest
usefulness IN their civil relations
The state wants orderly, law.ablding
citizens; and wise statesmen have
long since decided that the school is
cheaper than the penitentiary. 1t is
the aim OF the state to give her child
rem such an education as will fit them
worthily to meet the duties that
society and tho government may lay
upon them. Has religious training
any place here. or is that system the
true ono that carefully provides
against tho medication OF any ideas
pertaining to God, religious duty
! and Immortality?
Let it be admitted without argu.
,nent that secularism Is right when
it protests against scctarian cduca.
ton by the state. 1t cannot be
shown that man is y better citizen
when taught to be q Methodist, than
when taught to be a Bxpt,st or Uni
tartan. W. may 20 farther, and adj
mil that the peculiar distinctions be-
tween Protestant and Catholics need
not be taught. We may rest rather
on common Christianity, in which,
and in reverence tor its doctrines
and duties, the great body OF our
citizens agres.
.Notlsver here does the teachers need
to take the place of the theologian
or the divine, Whether the teach.
ing Of the general system OF Christ.
ian doctrine may be allowed in any
portion Of a course OF education
under the state, may DC question.
There can be little question that it is
no part Of the duty Of state require
such teaching.
Moreover, we may properly grant
that the state is not to seek religious
character for religious sake; it Is no
part Ut it's duty to see that for re-.
ligious ends, any sect, or general
Christianity is promoted. All these
things are TO he promoted, il pro.
NOTED at all, for social and govern.
mental ends. Such is the theory Of
government maintained In tins nation
not that Of most Europe nations. In
our view it is improper to apply the
public funds 10 the building OF vast
cathcdrals for the lSomish Church.
it is as improper tor Protestant sects
te make their churches and educa.
tional institutions benefciarics OF the
state.
Admitting, these things. why shall
VIC not admit all that sccularlsin
claims? Why not, granting to tho
Jew, tho heather, the inf lei, what
we do to fellow Christians Of var.
,ous. names, Danish all religion from
our schools ? Why. insist on Bible
reading? Why not io'bid prayer
and sacred hymns? Why not bauisll
from our studies all reference to God