The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-11-29
THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL,

per. The public school by performing
its legitimate work properly, developes
character, and by strengthening good
purpose and teaching recognition and
performance of duty gives moral tone to
character which cannot be impaired by
dabbling with precepts. The trouble
with our clergy generally is that they
do not understand child nature. The
child is incapable of reasoning and never
directs his conduct by the religious teach
ing he receives He is guided largely
by direction OF others until habit comes
in as second nature to give trend to his
actions. The true teacher sees that the
child does promptly and in an orderly
manner what it is proper he should do.
The discipline of the school teaches him
that certain amount of self-denial on
his part is made obligatory for the good
of the little community in which he lives
for certain number of hours each day.
HIS moral nature is strengthened by do
ing those things which constitute the
basis of moral principle. Action is al
| ways antecedent to the formulation OF
the principle which is but an express
| ion of what has been done. The public
school teaches the thing by practiclng 1t,
both in its moral and intellectual features
one fortifying the other and making 1t
| complementary.
The public school recognizes the fact
| that the child's powers are undeveloped
and doss not require him to pretend to
| learn what is beyond his capacity or to
| give reasons for conduct which would
| require the training of skilled casuist.
| The child can be taught to act conform
ably with principles the wording of
which is beyond his comprehension.
The moral force of school work is not
sufficiently appreciated by the religious
| theorist who argues that the child can
be improved by going through meaning
| less forms. The Catholics favorable to
the establishment of parochial schools
want religious instruction in the schools
| but want it to be in accordance
with their creed, and hence want their
own schools. The Protestants in favor
Of bible reading, want religious instruc-
ton and want the Protestant bible In the
| public schools. Neither can give moral
| training at all approximating that which
| the purely nonsectarian schools can give.
| Both are now engaged in a warfare which
bodies no good to the public school. Ii
| either should succeed,-the Catholic IN
abolishing the public school or the Pro-
testant in sectarianizing it-there would
be abundant cause for sorrow. There is
no child to be pitied more than he who
is not treated as common sense would
dictate but stuffed with religious pre-
cepts which do not appeal in the slight
est to his understanding.
The writer has in mind an opening ex-
ercise in a school in this state which he
witnessed some years ago. 1t consisted
of reading portion of the bible to a
number of children whose average age
was about ten years. Oh, the degree Of
intelligence which sought to thus stir the
|
moral nature OF these infant minds! 1t
was not the absurdity of the proceeding
SO much as the criminal ignorance of
| that teacher as evidenced by the effort to
inculcate a sense of duty by scriptural
reading to a number of children to whom
| she might as well have talked Choctaw.
In a majority of cases when bible read
ing in the schools is insisted upon it is
| because of obstinate contention rather
than the hope of any good resulting.
| There is far more reason in demanding
| that school be opened with singing. The
singing of one song at the opening of
school will put pupils in a more chris
tian spirit than can the sum of all the
bible reading done in schools. And yet,
who has heard of a school district at
swords points because of insistance upon
singing as school exercise? Physiology
and Hygiene are now rquired to be taught
in the public schools. The value of study
of these branches is admitted by all. But
is their study insisted upon with SO
much emphasis as to produce discord in
school districts? The contention, ill-will
and trouble arising from the reading of
the bible in schools should suggest to
| it's advocates that it cannot be in a chris
| tian' spirit they urge its continuance.
There is not public school in the
county in which the bible is read. Pre-
sumably, there is religious instruction in
| all the UNCONVENTIONAL schools. Judge
of the effects of the different systems
of training from the conduct of the
pupils of what may be called the oppos-
ing schools Public school teachers re-
port that as a rule the pupils who have
spent some time in UNCONVENTIONAL
schools are more addicted 20 bad habits,
| are less truthful, less prompt in acknow-
Lodging faults. less reliable in every way
than those who received all their train
ing in public schools. 1t is because the
stituted for the common sense training
suited to the child's nature.
Throw the bible out of the schools and
let the teacher treat children as his
knowledge of child nature viii direct.
The attacks of the Catholic clergy on the
public schools is much to be deplored,
but there is an atom of reason In it while
the folly of bible reading is persisted in.
Throw out the bible which has been
Truthful of trouble, and let US see wheth-
er any denomination viii dare to continue
its opposition to the dearest institution
the people have.
IT was rumored that George III. Brick
ner, the congressman elect from this dis
trict, was in eligible to congress because