The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-23
The Bible and the Schools.

The Truth Seeker Of April 20 devotes
several columns to an editorial review
of the Waverly school controversy now
pending in the Lackawanna courts.
The burden of its contention Is that
the Bible should not be read in the
public schools because it is sectarian;
because it is impure, and because the
ethical truths it contains are found
in other books not open to these two
objections. These assertions-not yet
proved-were to have been expected
from publication that makes it's living
by fighting religion of all kinds, Chris
tianity most of all. More to the
ceding court decisions on the subject.
The first was by the Supreme court of
Ohio, which, in 1872, upon appeal from
the Superior court of Cincinnati, sus-
tained the school board of that city in
its exclusion OF the Bible from the
schools. The court, through Justice
Welch, then held:
1--WE are told that this word religion
must mean Christian religion because
christianity Is a part of the common law
of this country. lying behind and above
its constitutions. Those who make this
assertion can hardly be serious and IN
tend the real import Of their language.
Suppose the state should under
take to teach Christianity in the broad
sense In which counsel apply the term, or
the religion of the Bible so as to in
clude the Jewish faith-where would it
begin? how far would it go? and what
point Of disagreement would be omitted?
Government Is an organization for
particular purposes. 1t is not almighty,
and we are not to look to ii for everything
The great bulk of human affairs and hu-
man interests is left by any free govern
ment to individual enterprise and indi-
Vidual action. Religion Is emnently one
OF those interests lying outside the true
and legitimate province OF government"
Justice Welch, In the opinion he rem
dered for the court, said that the reading
of the Bible in the schools was state re-
liglon in embryo" that 1t involved levy
Ing tax for the propagation of religion,
and that no Christian would think of ask
ing for the teaching Of religion In the
public schools If Christianity were a mi
nority faith In this country. He said that
legal Christianity Is solecism, a con-
tradiction In terms" and argued that the
fact that our fundamental laws do not at
tempt to enforce Christian doctrines ia
"strong evidence that they are the laws
OF Christian people,"
The second decision presented by the
Truth Seeker was one in 1890 by the
Supreme court of Wisconsin, which
unanimously held that the reading of
the King James version of the Bible in
the common schools of the state was
sectarian instruction within the mean
ing Of the constitution; that such read
Ing was an act of worship and as such
was forbidden by the organic law Of
the state, and that it involved the tax
ing of the citizen for the support of re-
ligion.
The Truth Seeker concludes It's dis
cussion by quoting from an editorial in
this paper commencing the judicious
reading in the schools of selections
from the Bible, and by adding:
Win The Tribune be SO kind as to point
cut law Of the state of Pennsylvania,
intended to protect person. property, or
life, that is distinctively Christian In Its
origin? The state. 1t Is true, recognizes
the alleged restraining influence of the
Bible upon those who accept It as the
word Of God by putting 1t In it's court
rooms. II has been held that tho believer
will not perjure himself II he swear upon
the Bible, not because the Bible is
moral book. but because he thinks that
its author will send him to hell IL he does
not tell the truth. The ignorant
Christian is sworn on the Bible for the
same reason that the Chinese witness is
sworn in the presence of a decapitated
chlcken-to scare him into telling the
truth. The moral character Of the Bible