The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-14
nelisass = Hu1ass ssAesls.

Oo08Ioxoxao00 e00fCu 70 - mummy
large sudisnea In substance hs said:
Tho declaration Of eur Casheiie people
thas the public schools ars Godlsss II con.
issssd 70 % trus to great extent Granted
and bsiisvs that God II movable. it b.
comes 20 them . matter Of the greatest im-
portance. from IN educational standpoint
that religion b taught hrst Of all IL there
b personal God, ruling the affairs Of
men. and IL 10 possible to know His laws.
every rational educator must admit that .
children ehouid b dsvotod 10 Studying ~
Ision- The reading Of few verses Of the
Bible and the Lords prayer st the open-
ing Of the days school, under the conduct
Of teacher Who may or may not believe
in God, u certainly . pttiful apology tor
the teaohing Of religion. II II h good
thing 70 have any religious exercises ct
Quoted always By peopia Who believe In
them and NOS leave the matter % chance.
again, II God h movable and His laws
binding, and the beiisf Of the great major
ity Of the people we'll founded. the Sunday
school b IN utterly inadequate tnssitution
for the teachinR Of rslIei0n. IL lasts, %
far = tsaching - concerned. half hour
weak; the teachers are not supposed to be
trained for their work, but are selected
from among those church members who
are willing ana presumably bsttsr able
than others 10 teach. The toachsru, how
ever devout their spirit. have he'd no ad-
vantage Of ysars Of study. In . connected
way. Of their subject. II II only within .
very short time that normal classes have
bssn widely attempted. Teachers have no
authority TO enforce discipiins. Il 10 gem
orally agreed that children should b
taught aS home, but Il i not done. Il ID
not practical TO gather the children ct
some placs other than their school rooms
daily for religious teaching. The only
manner Of teaching them adequately 10 In
public school II there 10 anything In
religion the children Of the careless, whose
parents cannot or will not teach them,
need training most and IL 10 for the good
Of the state that they shall b taught
"In proposing . modification Of the
German system do nos mention e -
something nsv, but - ALTOGETHER new to
religious teaching In the schools daily By
religious teachers in regular courses win
b the outcome Of the present agitation II
anything good Il the outcome. Il 10 per-
fectly practical In our city schools 20
separate the children into Protestant,
Catholic and non-rsligious--to make great
general divisions, without attempting TO
Who does not wish his children taught
anything. Let cisreymsn Of recognised
capacity or othsr persons chosen. after
due preparation, by the Protestant pso-
pie. teach part Of the children. Let the
same method Be- followed b. the Catholics.
and let those chtidrsn whose parents
expressly forbade that thsir children
b taught any religious truth b taught
morals at least Such . method would,
Of courss. exclude Jesuit instruction. or
anything immoral or contrary to the state,
which should have . knowledge Of what
was taught II such . System 70 contrary
to the constitution the constitution
has often been amended, and may
Be again: Anything !. better than
most Of the parents of the children
believe Such . system would probably
put an end TO the parochial school system,
aud would insure On enlightened course OF
instruction in general branches Of knowi-
edge, for 1t would not allow children TO be
deprived Of whatever private school sees
1t to leave out Of its curriculum. It would
give room for laws providing for the strict
overnight Of oil private schools, and for the
closing Of such - did not include morals
and patriotism and history among the
branches taught
"That We cannot Jet agree upon the
same things a. true 10 only 70 say that the
millennium ha: not dswnsd. But there y
better vay than to refuse to teach ct al
until oil be agreed. II Protestants leave
out Of their teaching the advocacy Of the
tenets Of . particular branch Of the church
and emphasize only the truth about God
and Christ and the doctrines held by
evangelical churches alike, IL Catholics
omit what 20 many Of them desire to
omit, and II children not included In these
categories have the privilege Of eiecting
only moral teaching, everybody ought TO
be content and the UNCONVENTIONAL teach.
ing could be left TO the churches them
selves. Quits enough Of that could b. put
in . hall hour . week. Whatever our
faith, there II something better than the
present irresponsible mortal who 10 reared
without sense of duty or . look heaven
ward by parent who 10 afraid 20 prsiu-
dice him. As We do not fear TO prsjudics
children in favor Of mathematical truth
or history or philosophy, 20 We must have
poor sort Of religious faith ii We fear to
teach IL to the children. IL will soon be
dominant Christianity or dominant
heatheHism. Which, The answer lies
with Protestant America"
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