New-York tribune., 1885-03-09
THE FREEDOM or WORSHIP BILL.
PROFESSOR ADLER rAvoRs TIE EXCLUSION OF ALL

PROFESSOR ADLER FAYORS TIE ENCLUsloN W ALL
RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.
The interest which the public takes in the Freedom
of Worship bill was shown by the large audience which
gathered in Chickering Hal yesterday to hear Pro-
lessor Felix Adler. Every seat, both on the floor and
IN the spacious gallery was occupied, ana hundreos
were standing Mr. Adler sand:
"1be comparative merit or dcmerit of religious
opinions uot issue. IL is the question OF religious
~kberty-the equality before the law Of al Tehgioua
beliefs that is issue. The people OF NcN-l ork are
muc exercised at the attempt 10 introduce the ccle
bration of the Mass into the House of Refuge on
Randals Island Bitter and angry language has 9een
used by the advocates and opponents oi the project
and there is bitter out suppressed oeg III ihe COM
munity do wish to add one word To increase me
bitterness already engcndefed. shau tIy 10 ula,
charge the duty OF a religious teacher and good
citizen " urging moderation. Let me bcgn WIN
fundamental principles. In tho iaconc phrases OF the
New York complete religious freedom assured The
Church il separated from the state. IN matters OF
religious belief must be recognized that the majority
has right 10 dictate to the minority because that
majority holdH q certain belief. lhero Il no dispute a.
t. the right Of the majority to sovereignty IN the Jud
man nav be right and all the world wrong. Some
times 1t is said that although the young children IN
the House OF Refuge are competed TO atlchd u
religious service of which their parent. do not approve
stl the rights OF parents not thereby INJURED. But
in this mode of reasoning cannot concur: lie miEhs
of children peculiarly impressonabie IL i tho
right of parents 10 determine Ia what re- rsious III
0uence their child shall lie exposed Ana Hs no
child of Protestant parents should be compelled 10
attend Catholic service hold child Of Catholic
p.l ents should he compelled 10 attend Protestant
service as they are compelled 10 do every da! III our
public schools The House of Refuge, though founded
at the Instance of private phanthIophy. Is q state
iustitution The point in dispute Is this The Catholic
nnon claim that the children Of Catholic parentage In
that institution gare deprived OF Spiritual gs unless
the Sacrifice Of the Mass is celebrated"
Mr Adler recaptuated the points OF the statement
prepared by the Board of Managers and in connection
with its claim that dogma-n0 sectarian creed has
ever been taught favored by the Board, Iead eA-
tracts from the Manual OF Devotion 10 show that
il teaches the peculiar dOgmas OF Christianity sch As
the Fatherhood OF God, the Divinity and sonship OF
Christ the immaculate Conception, etc. Tic then
continued This Is an institution where ehhdreh are
| assembled Sunday only only to listen TO moral
truths Are these dOgmas are they not Are they
sectional cIeeds they nOtf They may 20 con-
mon 10 all Christian sects but there are fifteen or
twenty Jewish children there, and the managers ought
to know that their parents protest against nus Iht
mistake into which the managers have iaen is that
they have fixed their eyes only upon the Protestant
sects.
There is only a choice between two alternatives.
Either find a common platform which jew, Protest
apt Catholic Turk lniidel. stand, which Is in
possible, or exclude religious teaching altogether.
The State as such has religion. State institutions
have 40 right teach any religion. The only true
tie A of morality; the Commandments; teach
them morality by exbOrtAt0ns and by giving them
biographies to read teach them TO work and give them
trades. They need a readD groom and plays ground
Let sCathocs and Protcstants vie with each other 10
funds Tor these purposes hat is my position ia
protest against the passage OF the Freedom OF Worship
bill as il called. ask that new bill be Introduced
which shall forever solve the difficulty by ruling out
all sectafian teaching.