New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-14
RELIGION IN THE SCHOOLS.
WEE, KNOWN CLERGYMEN DIFFER IN
THEIR VIEWS REGARDING IT

POSSIBLE USES FOR TWO CITY COL.
J., LEGEs-THE NEW PRESIDENT or
THE PRESBYTERIAN UNION.
The Presbyterian Union held its third social
meeting for the winter in the Assembly Rooms OF
the Metropolitan Opera House last evening.
Alexander p Ketchum was elected president, sue
cccdinc Warner Van Norden, who declined
election. Nearly all the Presbyterian pastors.
and manv.of the leading laymen of that denoni-
nation wrfc present accompanied by their wives
Scyerakmcmhers of the Board of Education and
teachers i'm the city colleges had been invited, AZ
the TOPIC to be discussed was Shall Religion be
Taught in the Public Schoos?' DR.. Josiah
Strong secretary of the Evangelical Alliance.
and author Of Our Country" and DR.. d. &.
Wyiir pastor of the Knox Presbyterian Church,
upheld the affirmative while DR.. ID. II. Greer, of
st. Bartholomew Church, and DR.. Howard
Crosby of the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian
Church. spoke in the negative.
Dr.. Strong first referred to the two theories
which threaten the wcll-being of the schools and
Of the State: ~ THAT OF the Roman Catholic
hierarchy. which holds that education must I've
distinctly religious, which, of course, means
Roman Catholic" o. That of the secularists,'
among whom are counted, as you are aware, many
Christian men, as well as all Jews and agnosticS.
After discussing the position held by the Roman
Catholic Church in regard to the pubic school
system Dr.. Strong took up the second theory anu
said in part:
The most striking defect Of young America
f.. the lack Of reverence. The spirit Of in.
dependence and sense Of equality unfenGly it, Our
Youth nave iiple reverence iof .,r nnorc Is noted
Tor law ior fH'ei'' our "''''''"'' 90
OF VITAL CONCERN TO THE STATE
All this most vital, concern, the s.a,c. Hero Is
evil which i and prophetic o. evil greater How
shall the state apply remedy me s'hoo' - ene pa
whore she may 'ou'h III. ADu"S "'.l ~ y',1.
Nv" | ,",',ro 4, Is..,rol Wsb one or two
n,a,tlcsI suggestion, viii release your attention.
Let the question Of RELIGION I'm the public schools be
Ii. b.. io.l ,r,borr,io. There 4, no reason why
'e'uei oy lo,' au,nor, ,an a. nominations diner.
I'-''' ' -, -. ,r ,I. whole coun.
i'"' , r .,doi. in tboir eve. The prac
IH WIN ""' "' 't ~ =, ,h mos, mart
urn dil uue' W h' ca. "' i'' 80. -,
confined TO the city schools ana 20 o"''-i ,t i,,
uaton The romainIn- thr'"-quaiie'' oI'''.' U'1 %
VIII generally prefer o. nave religious M's'."' " w..
schools In the cto, course should be s.ii between
-ecuiaiizinr tie schools on The one hA"i ana F.o'''
/ ling them on The other
> II 8, wei - remember that in moral a. in mental
training the teacher {, mo.t textbook or method
President garfield, saying to tina, Marx Hop
.s .o,.d on one end u d Jog in tn hackwooG- and
,,o mar, nj, the other would max, a COLLEGE, illustrates
the value Of the PERSONAL element in all trainn7 IS
the con'ac, WIN li' '"'' ."', '' .. ,n.trct'on
=,
acter and l.fe OF the teacher can be- "N."y e''''''
-, e,,-,,,. ~ THE vra,rrvr.
IN ~
After the orchestra Id" p''''' p'p~'"' 80
ton President hetchum introduced DI. "'eei'
,l erol,o or,inst the States teaching -iOn. or
""' -, p.,.f, ., Ia rosd il Ills sLoud
| even "lo"'"7 ,''' .i-, ,bo ,,.,,,,n -
become burning question: LIN ''' "''''' -
Coerdges acquaintance, Dr. S'r"h- coH'."'
sjons were good but DR.. Greer reached them
} H. ,o,ror y.,,. lo said some make 0ls-
;.o;ia,, ho,,,o,r church and rrl-ion. but how
'''''''. ~ -. ,,-..r.o,,t doom, What i,
/ can IeHeloh ~ ""-"' '''Y' ftt..
dogma but statement Oh ''c Ie'~-'''
! faith? II religion De introduce" IL 80
+ ie doctrnal perhaps not Caylnsm, bit
doo,rine nevertheless
mo sneaker next showed tie lmpOsslpllty 81
introducing a form OF religion accepi4'e ~ az
classes of people. Should IL 10 re 90 lIill 81. u
the Immaculate once H., % 60 " 1.t
cesSlon oI uod' pu' '' mn" U.-;,' p,;,,., an
Is the teachiH- n IN ,.,i :; mon -
Wn'cn 81. r-ie' 'n,'',ro1ior..i frc2 That lie
me- ven 49, .ir, 80 tLe bI,.2u race Tn,
f.nrLino of religion is the duty of tie Church
10Y - fa,,ilt. Not fle teNt-hOpk. bat tie
..' r T. H., ,,,,,,r,au, factor. not the prophet
rod but tie urGpact. gave the child LIE Ine
g,r.c that rho >rho'ls of fa-da, are goddess
ar.ciy rhetorical. The state las "lall''"
mission aad It must hold 60 that.
DR. wYLIE TNyoRs RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS
The second speech IN tie Affirmative was made
by Dr. Wylc Tie points made hy MN "e'c
these:
r,s,, moan. n,utr,litv IN the matter ~. religion and
r,,,ii,. a.. connected with tiucaton This 3 utterly
bypo,nlc ID Il j. unphuo-oph.ca and contrary 70 the
tr! idea OF education. % secuiarlsn i, rn''lentuc.
4 Il fail, md for which the stat establishes
school, which 70 prepare children TO become sofi
citizens. ~ Seculsrism carried I" IT, iu" ih-'" ~
prevent study % moral philosophy IN our s,Ioo anu
universities under STAT" control Il "ouc a'o "'''''
finest literature. ot II has totally i'e conc I'.V
N the state With consistent socuar.sts, the STATE %
athel>tic. and atheism IN The state l. an'f'hF III 10
+ outcome" ularism Is the worst los'Io" FORM Ok
,rcdrianlsm. 10 j. the most dan-eronN zoe o O"' -'
schools, II l. bAsHuh-' N''l''"'@ "''
/ eueryatinc In effects.