Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-11-01
EuucatiOn.-This subject was the

Rev. Father j. fSULiIvAN, of Western
port. He asserted the prevalence ola false
impression as to the position of the Catho-
lie Church with reference to the Free School
System of this country. Charges of its OPP
position to this system, to the reading of the
Bible in the Public Schools, etc, are errone-
Gus in the sense in which they are made
I he history of the Church shows it as the
original founder ofthc system centuries ago,
and the liberal patron ever since. The BIZ
bic is peculiarly monument of the care
and preservation of the Church. The init
nation of enmity to either or both are
therefore groundless.
Even Catholics in slight measure misun-
dcrstand the position of the Church re-
spectng the important questions no
shall educate our children, and what shall
they be taught?
Children may be instructed in secular
knowledge, viz: reading, writing, arith.ne-
tic, etc, without imparting to them any
knowledge of God or of His revelation to
man. This system is what is called secular
instruction, and is the system ostcnsibly
adopted by the State in the public schools.
Another system of education is to combine
religious and secular instruction so rs to
impart both at the same time and i'll the
same school In this system, which is that
enforced by the Catholic Church, the child
is taught to know and love God and save
his soul, as well as to read, write, and CT
pher The Church approves this system OF
education and makes it obligatory on her
children to Adopt it wherever it is possible.
Protestants, very generally agree with the
Church on this point, for they insist on
having the Bible read in the public schools,
and the Bible, without note or comment, is
the religion of Professionals
Catholics and Protcstants agree in this
that religion ought to be taught in the
schools They dieagrcc in this, that Cath
olics wish to have separate schools in which
their children may be taught their own re-
ligion, and are willing to grant the same
privilege to all other denominations, where
as Professionals, by insisting on til" reading
of the Protestant Bible in the public schools
seem to INSIST on having the children o
Catholics, Jews, and unbelieyers, taught
Professionalism. Put the Catholic Bible in
public schools and they will appear To be
Catholic; put the Protestant Bible in then
and they become Protestant schools. As
such it is wrong to tax Catholics for the
support of Protestant schools as it woult
be to tax Protcstants for the support o
Catholic schools.
f! If then the State continues its usurpcd
office of teacher, it ought to give us Catho
lie schools for Catholic children, and, o
course Protestant schools for Protcstan
children In the public schools the Sta
proposes to impart Il secular education
without teaching scctarianism, Or amy form
OF religion This is the least ohjectionnbl
| form in which the State can act as school
teacher, yet Catholics cannot, without com
hitting sin, patronize this system of cduca
ton. The Church teaches most distinCtl
that Catholic parents cannot send thci
children TO schools from which God is es
cluded wherever it is possible to have
Catholic school, and it is or duty as Cath
olics to follow il without hesitation or ques
;.oning 1t is with reason the Church con
dcnns this Goddess system of education q
far as regards Catholics Ufothels are sal
sfcd with this system, let them have it J.
Mems first duty is to know and love Go
and save his snal Now, by excluding re
der; YOU put the world before Goo; tim
before eternity earth above heaven. ThN
the child is imperccptibly taught to loo
on religion as a matter of little momcn
and to set it aside whenever it interfere
with his interests in this life: hence the in
di.frrentsm with which the world is no,
flooded The very best that can be said q
education without religion is that it ma
be useful in this life, but that it can be c
no profit IN the great hereafter. 1t may d
We well for the thirty Or forty years whic
what avail will it be for the nevcr-endn
ages of eternity? "What will it profit
man if he gain the whole world and los
his own sOul' or what shall Il man give j
exchange for his soul 2" Seek first til
Kingdom Of God and his justice, and al
things else shall be added thcreunto.
There is another reason why Catholic
cannot send their children to the publ
schools. 1t is a well known fact that mos
of non-Catholics find secret pleasure
saying hard things Of the Church, and thei
children form 10 exception to the rule
public school in which the Protestant
are in Il majority, The Catholic children III
continually tormented by the jibcs an
taunts Of their fellow pupils. so that the
sometimes deny their faith OF feel aslame
it. The teacher too, at times torgets h
duty, and turns aside to cast a slur on til
Catholic Church and Catholic nations. TIL
good and the bad, the innocent and the V
cious, are gathered togethc' III these school
and you know, or ought to know, that "ev
communications corrupt good morals. y
There is no place in which it is easier
spread vice than in a school IN spite {
the efforts of the most conscientious teacl
err one immoral boy in school can CORFU
many innocent children.