The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-27
Ghe 9ailg Atgts.
The Bible in Schools.
From the Monmouth Reuiear.

The learned and eloquent Rabbi Eel
senthal, Of Chicago. transmitted few
days since to the board of education a very
abe protest against the restoration of the
bible in the public schools, asked for by
some Protestant clergymen and others.
He claims that it would be ''un-Ameri,
can tyrannizng by an accidental majority,
to force their religious views and practices
upon an unwilling minority" He denies
that this is "a Christian country" OR ours
Christian civilization. unless the term is
a meaningless expression, for the distin-
gushing feature of Christian ethics is love,
meekness, submission even to wrong, but
in real life this principle is not, cannot be,
and ought not to be carried out; that
the modern world regards it even as
moral duty for every man to battle for his
rights, for in standing up for his own
rights the individual assists in better Sc
curing, for human society, right and justice
in the atsract. He might have said that
the bible in schools teaches our children
that if any one should take their cloaks,
to give him their coats also, but if child
should do so, he would be very apt to get
a spanking when he got home, and 1.-THE
old man" would most certainly go for"
the other boy
The Rabbi insists that "a christian state"
means not only state whose institutions
and laws are permcated by the spirit OF
Christian ethics, but also one wherein the
Christian church, or a branch Of it is
acknowledged as the ruling state church,
as were the papal states under the Pope,
or Naples under the Bourbons. and as
England is to certain extent now, where
the bishops and archbishops sit in the
house of lords, er o6fcio, AMI help to enact
laws. The Rabbi recognizes fully not
oay the right but The duty of the state
ito train the future citizen in good
morals, and would make the schools a
medium for the systematic instruction of
pupils in und.nominational ethics. But
he holds that the bible, as whole, is
no fit textbook at all for our schools,
He says:
Much of its contents is of very little
value, or of no value at all, for educational
purposes. There are stories in the bible
Of such character that no father would
select them for the ediication of his
family. There is much in it which can
| only be of interest to the antiquarian, or
to the specialist in lsracls history, but
which can hardly be expected to be
great moral Influence upon the children,
and upon men IN general. Ii
is, for all these reasons therefore. not tc
be wondered at that there is scarcely q
head of household who does not. while
reading from the bible IN his family, wish
that there were expurgated editions OF
the book, as there are of Shakespeare.
And if We could have such editions Of ;
bible for the people, there would still re
main enough of the sublime moral laws
of inst ired rariOns of the prophets, of di
vine hymns of the psalmists, of proverbs
full of true wisdom, &c, that woald il
reality be edifying and of most wholesom,
influence Upon the formation OF character
in men. TO edit such a peoples bible
which would give satisfaction to all con
cerned, is, however, very difficult task
the solution of which can hardly De cx
pected in our days"
The Rabbi makes many other points t.
which we have not space for refer nee
and to which the bibiiolators will find re
ply difficult.