Omaha daily bee., 1890-03-10
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE MONDAY, MARCH TO- 1890.


were perfectly aware OF the fact that difor
eut conditions involved a sacrifice OF and es
TEEN toward one or the other. All fathers
and mothers generally try to use their inilu-
ence In retaining their offspring In the fold
OF that creed TO which they themselves be-
them the doctrines peculiar 10 their faith IL
now the child was TO 20 into the school and
have the influence of tho teacher
brought upon IL, for tho PRONUNCIATION
OF a different denomination, the authority Of
either teacher or parent would be compelled
TO waue. just as soon us teachings clash III
our country wants to raise young men and
women, honorng their parents aud their
teachers, then let il keep religion out OF the
public schools.
Another reason for the separation of tho
government from religion Is the wish of the
first legislators OF our land to encourage in
dependence of thought and speculation A
union between the two would be adverse to
any such freedom of mind. The tutor IN
structing in fixed national religion would
be chained down to that, which is truth in
the eyes of tho majority, whereas he or she
would fail TO be able to regard 1t such. The
child. too, would be checked in its mental
development, not being permitted to doubt
or question If IL is the object
of our land to be recognized among
those encouraging freedom of speech,
and freedom of thought, then lot IL keep
religion out of the public schools.
Another reason why the fathers of our
country kept the government entirely
separate from religion, has its origin IN the
lesson they learned from the sad experience
OF those lands where such union was al
lowed. The terrible results that followed
upon the enforcement of the doctrines laid
down at the council of Utica in the year 325
of the Christian era seem to have been so
appalling that their remembrance. like
BanQus' ghost in Macbeth, can not ue
downed, but will continue to haunt humanity
until the very eud of time. Ask history for
the cause that polluted the streets of cities
with rivers of human gore and you will re-
church and state.n Ask history for the
with the light emitted by life-con-
suming pyres, and you will receive
answer, ut was the union of the church and
state" Ask history for the cause of the
and persecution that characterize the dark
and middle ages and you Will receive the
answer: ut was the union of church aud
state" III we desire none of these atrocities
and cruelties in our land of the free, then
we must not allow the church and the state
to unite under any circumstances, but keep
each in its respective sphere of entirety and
usefulness. The state must protect and
can protect the life, property and liberty of
it's citizens, while looking to the church for
assistance. The church must make and can
make men right.thlnking, right-actiug,
right-livlng without calling upon the state
for help.
What we have here remarked is
the sentiment Of the most cele-
brated statesmen. Macauley in his
criticism of Gladstone's Church ana State. "
remarks: 'rhat no government should
press upon the people religious instruction,
in as much as II might produce discomfort
dangerous to public order" General U. S.
Grant gives the advice ITO leave matters
of religion to the family altar, the church
and the private SCHOOL,
Let our public schools remain as they are,
imparting all branches of learning but relig-
ion, and you can rest assured that much of
that which Is to be feared from the lntroduc-
ton Of "non-sectarian Christianity" in cur
ricula can be avoided. Let all, irrespective
of creed take a firm stand against the two
bills by signing petitions to be circulated. in
oruer TO prevent their passage, and we are
certain that our country will be as glorious
as it has ever been, and will provo itself not
like the Aktaen of the fable, the van
pushed but the victor.