The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-01-25
COMMON SCHOOL EDUCATION.


There is to be no let up in the discus
sion OF what common school education
ought to be to make the system perfect.
Some time ago a committee of the Presby-
terrain Synod of New York was required to
consider the proprlety of incorporating
into the course of State and National in
struction the following religious truths
as groundwork of National morality"
l. The existence of personal God.
2. The responsibility Of every human
soul to God.
as made in the image of God, after the
power of an endless life.
4. The reality of future spiritual state
beyond the grave in which every soul
shall give account of itself before God, and
shall reap that which it has sown.
The New York Sun, in commenting upon
the foregoing, remarks that Gin country
like this, where there is no State Church,
and where not even Christianity is recog-
nized as State religion, it seems to be i'm
possible TO logically and justly enforce any
sort of religious teaching in schools sup
ported by general taxation. II, therefore,
the different churches regard snch teach
ing as an imperative necessity, apparently
the only course for them to take is to set
up schools Of their own. Bat then would
come up among Protestants also the ques-
ton which has been raised by the Catho.
lies, as to whether the State can rightly
compel people to contribute to the support
of schools of whose instruction they disap-
,nrova. opd tho poruananca 0f tho uhnIa
public school system would be endangered"
There ought to be an easy way out of such
a muddle. The religious objections to the
common school system never had any merit
in 1t. The common schools teach the truth
They do not antsgonizs the truth. No
textbook of the common schools, from a
B. G. to the Sixth Reader, seeks to incul-
cate falsehood. There is nothing unchris-
tisn in reading, riting and rithmetic."
The three RS are solid on moral questions.
There is no inidelity in grammar, arithme-
tic, natural philosophy, or any
study taught in the free schools
Of America. Manifestly the ground
work of national morality is to have
truth loving, truth speaking men and
women, honest men and women, and
in opposition to such things; on the con-
crary, the teaching is all In the direction
OF truthfulness and integrity of life and
character, and that is religious teaching.
1t might be well enough, however 10 have
text books on ly ing and stealing, and still
hrf ni int q 10
prominence the sublime precept:
Therefore, all things whatsoever We would
that men should do to you, do ye even so
to them; for this is the law and the
prophets" This done, the wrangle about
religion in the schools could be dismissed {.
A precept that teaches the law and the
prophets is enough. There ia not the
slightest probability that the comRon
schools will ever be made to teach any par
iulsr religious dogma. The moment that
is done the common school system disap-
pears. The glory of the Government of
the United States is that it don't dabble in
religious controversies. 1t don't belong to
spy sect. Church and State are absolutely
divorced and church and free school are
divorced. Men frequently deplore the ex-
istence of parties and sects. No greater
calamity could befall the State than to do
away with parties and sects. They watch
each other, and are therefore of incalcula-
bic service. The school should be kept
within the realm of the movable. The
unknowable, whatever may be said OF
it, is out of place in the free schools of the
country.