Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-10-09
Religious and Secular Education.

The impossibility of excluding ed religious
teaching in common schools was foroibly
stated by the Rev. DR.. Bsgg in the Gsusral
Assembly of the Free Church Of Scotland:
at had been proposed that religious tsaeh.
Ing be excluded from the common schools,
fow, no one that looked at that proposal
but must see that apart from all other con-
alterations, it was quite impracticsbb. For
NO one had been able TO soy where seculas
instruction ended, and where religious in.
struction began. For example, how would
II do in connection with Scotch history 10
omit religious Instruction. How would 10
do to teach the history Of Scotland without
teaching about the Reformation, and all ths
events which had succeeded the Rsfoma-
tionf How was It possible for the teacher to
say to the children, l will tell you about
the history of Scotland as far as its secular
matters are concerned, and some ono else
will tell you everything about il 20 far % re-
Igious matters are concernedi' Il was i'm
possible; it had even never been sIperi-
mented upon. Could they suppose that
man was able TO teach geography, and tell
the children about Jerusalem, about Naza-
reth, without mentioning word about re
ugion2 How could child be taught even
tho phraseology which was employed in re-
gard 10 the days Of the year without speak
ing about religion When did the reckon
ing of years begin Why did they speak Of
1876, or the commencement of that period
Why, it was the Christian era What Is the
meaning of that?' child asks. "Oh! we
are not 10 tell you that; it must be excluded
from the schools Moreover, how are you
TO carry on the discipline Of the schooif A
is the teacher to say? Well, you say, It is
contrary to the fitness of things that you
should do so or, will tell you by-and-
by, but dare not tell you at present what
IL is The teacher must be able, In con
Quoting the ordinary business Of tbs school
& necessary, to speak of religion. And dit had
been proposed as a question of casuistry, to
whst category does the Queens Anthem be-
long God save the Queen Wss II reli-
zion os not religion Was 1t TO be excluded
or not excluded The truth was, that these
speoulations sound oil very vel, but the
grand peculiarly about the whole master
was that those persons who made the spscu-
Iation had made no experiment 10 show how
X could be done There was only one seia-
Lar school all over Scotland, and inasmuch as
the people of the country had all oonourred
In The statement that there should be religi-
ous teaching, they must not be driven from
~. position by mere speculations. Wss 1t
not O remarkable fact that In Edinburgh
60, 600 children were taught in ths Hsriot
Schools, and only two parents bad objected
70 their children receiving religious instzuc-
ton, one Of them Jew, another q Roman
Catholic? In the schools Of Paislsy-and If
there was place in the world where such
objections might be anticipated that vas the
yery place-there had been little or no op-
podtion, and he would ten them . more
wonderful fact than all that, namely, that In
the public schools of London there were
Ise, 900 children taught, aud there had been
only 1856 parents Chiefly Jews and Roman
Catholics objecting-one in thousand-to
the teaching of religion in schools"