Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-23
HE GAVE IT'S CAUSE
The Rev. 6. j. T. Frincke on
Parochial Schools.
THEIR PURPOSES EXPLAINED
The German Luthefans Do Not Antag
onize the Public School System.
Secular and Religious Instruction.


. new parochial school building by the
German Lutheran church The Rev. c.
j. L. Fnnske, IN an address delivered
last Eight III the East Bridge street
Lutheran church, explained why paro-
chiai schools are maintained By tbs
German Lutherans. The board of
education aud the common council
were invited TO be present but only =
few members o; these bodies were IN
attendance. Mr.. Frincke said:
ave generally connect our work
work with the mission OF converting
those who are not religious TO the faith
OF the christian religion. In addition
TO this We associate with IL the instruc-
ton OF children III the branches of
secular education. For this purpose
the German Lutheran church has es-
tabllshed what Is called parochlal
schools. Several English Lutheran
churches have done the same thing.
st. Marks church of this city has a
private school wherein children are
gwen religious instruction.. There is
III Chicago q school attended by 200
pupils, and nearly every large
city in the United States
has its parochial school, We are often
asked why We maintain these schools.
We have no hostility to the public
school system, nor do We support these
schools for the purpose of preserving
tho German language. i will tell you
why We establish aud maintain paro-
chlal schools.
The Parents Duty Explained.
In the first place, children belong TO
their parents and not to the state. 1t
Is the parents right and duty to give
his child instruction In the elementary
branches. If the only duty of the
parent was to provide his child with
bodily comforts and to give it a secular
education, We would not take the
trouble ID erect parochisl school build
ings beside our public school buildings,
because our public school system is SUI
pericr to any on earth. We maintain
that God is the parent of our children
and that we are his agents TO provide
Jor them. God created children for q
DIVINE purpose, that they may learn
his ways, and we as parents should
teach them. Christ has provided the
food and We must administer It. The
porochial school IS one of the means
by which this food is administered. We
learn from the scriptures what this
food Is and We must feed them with
the bread of life. We endeavor to de-
velop their minds that they may APP
prehend the meaning Of Gods word.
The education enjoined by divine
power is a christian and religious in
structlOn. The public school system
does not do this. We do not antago-
nlze the public school system.
Public School System Commend>d.
We pay our public school tax with
out q murmur because we are aware
that if 1t were not for those schools the
public would grow up in ignorance. We
believe with you that The public school
money should be used for no other
purpose. We say keep your hands off
these funds Notwithstanding they are
not used for the purpose of giving
religious education. The German Luth-
Grams have been charged with accusing
public schools Of being atheistic and
lrreiigious, but We have never made
that charge. The doctrine that church
and state institutions are separate Is in
accord with Chrlst's precepts. Our
government is constltutlonaiy the best
under heaven. The government can
not introduce religion IN the public
schools. IL 1t should 1t would trans
cend Its powers and the schools would
no longer be common schools. The
idea OF Introducing religion in schools
| composed OF all classes and persons of
all beliefs is preposterous. Hence the
propriety OF supporting private schools
for the teaching OF religious principles.
Tue public schools are placed I'M
der good discipline and children
are taught the difference be-
tween right and wrong, but they
do not teach the whole man. They do
not furnish all intellectual Christian,
but an intellectually moral man. The
| public schools do not meet our wants
In this respect and the most honorable
way out of 1t is TO establish and main
| tain parochiai schools We believe in
giving q secular and religious educa-
ton at the came time. The English
language is not neglected rs is proven
by the fact that more English books
are used IN our schools than German
| We aim to give the best elementary
| education that can be obtained.
Mental and Religious Instruction.
To fill the mind and at the same time
neglect the wants of the soul is dan
gerous experiment. Mental education
without the religious fits our children
for the commission Of crime. The
| first hour of our schools each day - de-
voted 10 the religious instruction. A
child that has gone through our schools
| is well versed In the rudments of the
| Bible. Now, from what | have said,
you will understand that We want our
| children to have secular education as
/ we'll IA a religious one. The public
schools deal with the brain, but the pa
rochial schools instruct the brain aud
the heart, If the christian instruction
of children were left to their parents,
ninety-nine out Of 100 children would
get little or no instruction in religion.
/ The parents have not the time TO At
| tend TO these duties or they are Ignor-
ant of the principles Of religion. II is
said we antagonIze the sunday school.
| The Sunday school furnishes spiritual
| food but one dsy out Of seven. while
the parochial school supplies this food
| every day. The soul will not survive
| on food administered but once A wesk
any longer than the temporal body will
/ live On sucn scsuty rstions. some
say children should not be IN
! structed IN any form of re-
| Lyon until they arrive al an age
that will enable them % choose for
| themselves. I answer that the CIV
! ing Of religious instruction u euioiued
! upon NJ by the scripture. But says
another. tree = known by 20 fruts.
What are our fruts7 ! find cur stu
dents occupying the highest positions
IN life with morsi and intellectual re-
! inements equal 70 any student from
/ the public schools. They make better
/ citizens because thew have been trained
! IN the lfachlnzs OF the ord from m