The sun., 1890-11-17
RELIGION IN THE SCHOOLS.
A CONVENTION CALLED TO DISOUSS
THE QUESfION.


Deeiination IN strikine Resolutions-
The AtsatHds OF The Roman Catholies.
Delegates from twenty.three ecclesiastical
bodies. representing nine denominations, will
meet In convention to-day and tomorrow In
the council room Of the University Of New
York. In Washington square, to discuss the
question Of introducing religious and moral
instruction into the public schools. The move.
ment originated with the Presbyterian Synod.
which. i've years ago, appointed q committee
to consider the matter and report. This COM
mittee was continued from year to year. and
the movement at length eliminated In an in
vitation to all other denominations besides the
Presbyterian to send delegates to conference.
or tho fourteen denominations to which the
invitation was extended, the Disciples OF
Christ, CongreRationalists Episcopalians. In
dependents, Luthernns. Methodists Presby-
teriana. Reformed Dutch. Reformed Episoo-
palians and Reformed Presbyterians replied
that they would send delegates; the Unitarl-
ans, United Presbyterians and Universalists
have made no reply. and the Baptists. through
their New York State Pastors Conference. held
at Lockport on Oct as and 90. unanimously
decided by rising vote not to take any part In
the movement.
Two Presbyterian ministers appeared before
the body rs representatives Of the Synod to In
vite the Baptists to meet with the Committee
on Religion and Public Education. The Bap.
lists referred the natter to committee.
The committee reported series OF resolu-
tions thanking the Synod for the invitation.
and setting forth these reasons for declining
I'VE believe that It is manifest injustice to
the mainten ence Of schools in which are taught
their children 10 learn: and further, that the
Inauguration OF such system OF RELIGIOUS
srsument Tor The division ss of he % school funds
With those who might net relish such teaching:
seSSos III thu aead sa 81
Buddhism, ,Confucianism. Judaism, or Roman
Ism n IN might ,,t be taught; M
religion. because this would mean. In our age.
| religious instruction BY unregenerate per-
and whose INSTRUCTION would In q large degree
be marked by hyGSessy fGr%aism
should tench only that on which all are agreed.
and should not invade matters At 81 consoiencs
ehurches sop of her ."s own % estaSiisS%ent 4 Is
On wod sng Sc
the creed OF Agnosticism into our public In
I'VE thus reat9rm the grand old Baptist doc
| ourselves. and Of the non -interference OF the
stats tate With the he @ Church In her peculiar function
,,"TheSe resolutions" said tho Rev. DR.; RS
Baptist determination. The, Bsptists have
In tsr belief that
tSsy ssa SIR{pos; sossisSsatS the demand @
lie moneys. Many Baptists even az 60 $50 50
far as to oppose the law exemPting church
S1 re tenas senasn that Ss' ssss
might be prepared embodying instruction on
ta nd 80 sSsa h aBo i Tos ss sS
and Gentle. II. however. the Instruction con.
tanned in such a book were to be based upon q
ads besvs sad an
Just to tax M man f9r the promnlgation Of doc
fore Drew Would make tho teaching Of morality In
the public schools separate mater entirely
oeer rfH Wsms s sve sa hs asys S Ss
to do anythiEs which miaht be Construed as
TRe Rss dsoae asf Fssson pre.by
tsFan clergyman ga With Sh9m Il The
Ing to s send S dslesates II {o .hs GonyentiSn;
me Presby yterians are Decidedly against such
Rcd out but 70 confer with rsprssentatiyes s'o Of
in the PUBLIC schools. We have invited the
| committee who drew up the resolutions adopt
| cd by the Baptists to he present at the confer
au ana
The Catholic Wow OF this question will be in
BY to one sent By him to Archbishop Corrisan
early in the history Of the movement: Inviting
| ter bears the date Dec. ~. 1885. 1t reads:
The Most Rev. Archbishop desires me In his
| name to say in response to your letter, that
| the Catholic Church has always insisted. and
must always insistiupon the teaching OF re-
| liRion with education. For this reason We
| cannot patrontze the public schools, and are
forced to establis ish our own parochial schools.
| The question, where there are many different
| denominations. each with its own creed Is
| difficult one to settle. We could be satisfied
with nothing less than the teaching OF our
whole faith. Protestant denominations, II
| they value their own creeds. ought to feel as
we do Denomi national schools arc to our
| mind the only solution Of the question. This
plan should satisfy every one. and would save
| the State q vast outlay Of expense.
Tho points you propose. while better than
| none. would never satisfy us. and we think they
| ought not to satisfy many OF the Protestant
churches: while the in1ldels. who are now very
numerous would certainly reject them.
We believe that the country will yet see the
ligion has been excluded"