The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-01
THE sEPARATHos or CHURCH AND
STATE

consideration OF the View ork c20sslsA-
tionaI convention that Is instinct with tne
sound doctrins Of absolute and compete
separation Of church and state and OF the
institutions that belong 10 each This
proposed amendment declares that neither
the state nor any coanty. Town. village or
other civil division shall use Us property
or credit, or sny money raised by tAxasson
or otherwise, or authorize either 10 De
used. for the purpose OF founding. main
tanning or aiding. By appropriation. pay
ment for services or expenses, or IN any
other manner. any church. religious de-
nomination, or religious society. or any
institution. society or undertaking which
is. wholly OF in part, under sectarlan or
ecclesiastical control"
The practical effect Of such an amend
ment would BE 20 prevent the use OF pub
lie meney not only for the schools OF any
religious denomination. bat fer any char
liable, reformatory or other institution
controlled By any ecclesiastical body. Un-
der our doctrine Of complete separation Of
church ana state we can provide 1t the
general expense for the care Of any class OF
people IN public institutions under public
control and supervision. making no dis
tinctions based upon differences Of relig-
i0us faith. So far Is provision Is made for
any class Of persons By religious organiza-
tons il should be st the expense Of those
composing such organizations and synpa-
timers sith their objects.
II has been settled in this country that
there shall be no state church or religion:
no creed supported oat Of the public treas
ury; no religious system interviewer with
the political Such an amendment de-
serves 10 be adopted in New York state,
where il has become the practice 20 grant
state and municipal aid 10 charitable insti-
tntions and schools controlled by religious
denomination. Indirect public aid TO
huch purposes as are enumerated in this
amendment would still be permitted If
this amendment became part Of the new
constitution Of New York Churches.
hospitals and other UNCONVENTIONAL insti-
tutions and property held by religious
bodies could still be exempted from taxa
ton and from assessments for local inn
proyements, and in so far could continue to
be public beneiciaries, but direct public
aud sectarian establishments Of any kind
would be absolutely cut off, 1t has been
the practice for . long time to pay from
the public fund for the care of children and
others in private and UNCONVENTIONAL in
stitutions. and for the pauper sick and
insane in similarly controlled hospitals,
bat this amendment forbids all such pay
ments as much as 1t does the gift of the
peoples money to these church establish
ments.
This amendment Is sound as IL COM
pietely separates public interests and
authority from ecclesiasticism Of any sort.
1t puts apart and keeps apart church and
state. II is not the function of the state
in any way TO maintain or support or
furnish financial assistance for the church.
II Is inconsistent with the principle Of the
separation of church and state TO appro-
pirate money for the care Of q public de-
pendent in ahospital or reformatory under
ecclesiastical control, because the public
money paid out in this way helps to sup
port tho institution and so strengthens
the church or ecclesiastical body which
controls il. The support OF state depend
entssn church institutions 10 forbidden as
completely as the support of such institu-
tions themselves.
The state can not constitutionally recog-
niEe any form of state religion, not even
Christianity. As good . Christian as
George Washington confessed this when
he signed our first treaty with Tripoii, In
which il Is affirmed on the part of the
United States that we have no state re-
ligion and are not . Christian nation In
this sense. This fundamental doctrine OF
the absolute separation OF church and
state Is not seldom violated. The late Rev.
Dr. Howard Crosby confessed this and
urged that the American common school
should be absolutely secularixed. He or
posed the use Of the Bible IN the schools.
because TO millions of our citizens the
Protestant Bible is sestarian book. The
Romanists use the Douay version, and.
under the fundamental American theory
of absolute separation of church and state,
the Bible has no more right in the Amer
| lean free school than the Koran or Tai.
mua. The late Rev. DIR. Howard Crosby
| confessed this and insisted that the 10.
man Catholics had just grounds of com.
/ plant not when they found our school.
/ goddess. (" for goddess" they ought to be,
but when they find them using Bible that
II a secgarisn book, not emily to those who
are not Christians. like the Jews, but &c
/ millions who are Christians bat not Prot.
/ estanf-.
The separation Of church aud state,
honestly defined and inaexibly executed
does not imply the non-teaehing OF any
religion. even Christianity in the schools
and il Is entirely defenslhle to teach
mora lity without any secsarian referenc.
10 Christ Chriss Is not the greatest mora
| figure. the one perfect man. 90 thousand,
| Of Hebrews-people Of high Intelligence
| character aud spiritual eultars-who place
the man Moses far above the man Jesus
and therefore in an absolutely seeulAr
public school. which are fundamentA
&C hools. there is no proper place for oul
Protestant bible nor our Protestant view.
| OF Christ.
Morality can and sheald be taught in
secular schools when Is can be taught or
common grounds. No sectsrlSn religion
which Is expressed in seesarian book Ia.
any piaes. in the schools. II il bat fAii
that instruction In the various rsligioui
Z