Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-29
NON-SECTARIAN INTOLERANCE.

There are some timid souls who are so
over-fearful that religious corns will be
trod upon, that they would eliminate from
the curriculum of the common schools all
studies that in the slightest degree treat of
historically religious subjects. This is GER
tainly not what the Constitution means
when it directs that no sectarian or de
nominational doctrine" shall be taught, or
nstruction therein permitted in the public
schools Historical fact is not doctrinal
nor need it be twisted into instruction for
., or against another creed. 1t is essen
IL that history be taught, but we may
safely leave to influences outside the
schools, the applications and deductions
not necessarily involved in the sequence of
the recital. So far as religion forms a part
of the worlds history-and there is little
in which it is not factor-just to that ex-
ent religionists of disagreeinG Sects will
dispute Is 10 the motives of action, and the
logical results of certain historic activity
even as to what the real facts were. In
San Francisco, recently, teacher, in answer
to inquiries of scholars in class in his
tory, gave responses relative to the reforma-
ton and its chief events and figures, that he
believed to be accurate This aroused one
class Of r6ligionists who disagree with other
classes on those points. AS result there
was suspension of the preceptor, an in
yestigation, and, after great deal of
pitiful trimming and pother on the part of
the Board of Education, a sort of punish
ment was inflicted, although it was admit
ted on all hands that there was total want
of intent on the part Of the teacher to do
wrong. If the teacher projected into the
study in hand Sectarian doctrines, he should
be expelled from the department; if he did
not do so, he should be held harmless.
But the Board of Education does neither
the one thing nor the other He had no
right to introduce into the classroom mat
ter not in or supported by the text book,
calculated to incline his pupils for OF
against any creed or religious doctrine. But
it is a very difficult thing to determine how
far the recital of fact is doctrine. if we are
to be chary at all of the over-sen-
Sitiveness of religionists. There come
now, while the subject is uppermoSt, those
who propose to strike history from the
course of study entirely, and thus, at the
expense of the pupils, save the supersen-
sitive toes of all churches. 1t is the silliest
proposition out. On the same ground lei
us strike out mathematics, since the church
at one time denied some of the proofs OF
that science. To leach it now Is. therefore
4 reproach and an insult to the church, as
ii recalls painful memories Let us not
teach astronomy, since one who was un.
folding to human understanding the gran
deurs of the universe became the target OF
assault on the part Of the church because
of his teachings and suffered imprisonment
At its hands for announcing eternal truths
concerning the motions of the earth These
historical facts should not be taught pupils
in public schools, for fear of offending the
law against teaching sectarian or demon
national doctrines So too, let us have nc
reference made in the schools to early Amer
lean history in which Puritanism PLAYED
so large n part; nor TO those great historic
events in which religious ignorance and
superstition were so conspicuous for to
refer to them at all must offend those who
are so jealous of the past Of church history
and bring about us alike the wrath of Jew
Catholic, Mohammedan and Protestant The
truth is that there is altogether too much
sensitiveness relative to historic periods re-
lating to decayed ages, in which ignorance
superstition, craft and low tradition played
such conspicuous parts, and from all
which the world has moved away, and the
church has kept it company. No church
man, sincere in attachment to his creed
can recall the history of his church,
II OF long standing, without more or
less regret for the errors of its past,