The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-12-24
THE BIBLE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


This subject, which has caused much
controversy for several years past, is
destined to he bone of contention until
people generally see and acknowledge
the inexpediency, not to say impropri-
ETY., of using the Scriptures as text
book for children educated at public
cost, without regard to the religious
opinions of their parents. That part of
the Presidents message which refers to
the establishment of public schools, for
bidding therein the teaching of relig-
ious, atheistic or pagan texts, meets
general approval, and certainly CON-
mends itself for its justice and fairness.
That the reading of selected portions of
the Bible, as usually engaged in by
pupils in our common schools, is little
short of an "irreverent farce' not calcu-
lated to impress either reader or listener
with any sense of the dignity and sa-
credness of the Word, all will admit
who have witnessed these hurried and
garbled readings. Many children have
come, by this process, to regard the
Scriptures with irreverence, when
proper and careful teaching of the same
would have led to results directly oppo-
site. Many of the most eminent church.
men have come to consider long con-
tinuance of this forced Bible reading un-
wise, and have so expressed themselves.
The Church Congress of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, held at Philadelphia
in November, gave voice to the follow
ing sentiment relative to this matter,
which sentiment, from a slow-going,
intensely conservative church, is mark
of progress as unexpected rs significant:
We should abandon the irreverent farce and
desecration of perfunctory reading of the Bible
In our public schools. Thousands of our citi-
zens feel that this would be the right thing to
do, who are yet unwilling to yield the point
because it would seem like a surrender to Rom
ish dictation. Like Falstaff, they don't choose
to be virtuous by compulsiOn. But if it be our
conviction, however it may have been reached,
it will be true dignity to act on it. No good
cause loses by just concessions. Then, and
then only, can we place our public school sys-
tenn on an impregnable foundation. Then
only will all plausibility be taken away from
the claims for Roman and other sectarian
schools. Then also would churches be made to
feel anew and more deeply the duty of the Re-
Iigious education Of the children OF the re-
public.
The Chicago Board of Education
excluded the Bible as a textbook from
the public schools of that city on the
2Sth of September, and with but one
dissenting voice. The action has caused
very little comment. Hear the North
Western Christian Advocate Chicago,
relative to this matter:
! Now that the Bibles and Testaments are all
| to be brought home, and the children are to de
vote themselves to purely intellectual studies
religious people are beginning to look more
deeply into the subject. There is little dOub
but that the reading of the Bible was formal in
its character, and that its lesson made compar
! atiYely a weak impression upon the youth; bu
it made some impression, if no more than
general reverence for the Book and its teach
! ings, and Protestants everywhere will be 10th
to have an influence of that kind entirely re
moved from the schools.
With all due Difference to this opinion
we must, from our own observation
still declare our belief that a result di
rectly opposite the one here set forth
vix: ian impression of general rever
ence for the Book and it's teachings" i!
produced by this "formal reading
which is very mild expression of wha
is in reality hurried and ungraciou
discharge of what compulsion renders {
disagreeable duty. With this view o
the subject, we submit the following
resolution, presented by Rev. Mr.. Scher
merhorn, of Buffalo, New York, at tn,
close of a lecture entitled 'Five Reason
for Excluding the Bible from the Pub
lie Schools"
Inasmuch as the reading of the Protestant 70
any other known Bible TO the children in on
public schools without explanation or com
ment, must of necessity produce miscOnstruC
tiOns on the part of some, confusion, disrelish
and prejudice on the part of others; therefore
it is evident that such reading must, on tn
whole, result in moral harm instead of mora
good.