The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-06-13
THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

The management of the public
schools of New York has met with
knotty problem in the matter of intro
ducing any sort Of religious exercises
into the schools. An infidel father
objects to his children taking part IN
the preliminary devotional exercises
at the opening Of the schools and Is
causing no small amount OF annoyance,
and it seems that the only amicable
means of settling the question is to
Danish the Bible from the schools.
The religious exercises which are
objected to in this instance consist
simply of the reading of a short selec-
tion from the Bible and the repetition
of the Lords prayer, and they consume
only few minutes at the opening of
the session. They are mere acknowl-
edgment of the Of the Divine power.
and go far az they serve any purnoee at
all in the training of the little children.
it is in the cultivation of the spirit Of
reverence. But for that very reason
this infdel father protests against
them. He denies the right of the
principal to compel his boy of nine
years and his daughters of ten and six
years to pay even outward respect to the
devotional exercises. He does not want
them to go to any length, in the wor-
ship of an s'unseen phantom, "as he des-
cribes the Almighty. 1t seems that the
principal of the school, after she had
heen informed of his prejudices, took
care to respect them by requiring of
his children that they should bow
their heads only during the prayer, in
conformity with the prevalent and
necessary discipline. Tney were not
expected to join in the prayer; but he
continues to protest on the ground
that the city has 10 right to force his
children TO make even an inferential
acknowledgment of the existence of
I'D.
Doubtless, IF he were broader
minded man he would he glad to have
his children's sense of propricty thus
cultivated, and the obligations of
courtesy and of regard for the feelings
of their associates taught to them.
He would see that the very reasonable
requirement of the principal of the
school does not compel from them the
recognition of d Divine personality, to
which he SO much objects, but only
due respect for the sentiments of
others; and that Is a valuable lesson
for anybody to learn. Simply as a
matter Of civility, the very atheist pre-
serves suitable attitude Ia a church.
A Christian pays respect to the pro-
prieties Of pagan temple. That is
merely good manners, decency, and
good taste.
1t cannot be denied, however, that
the parent has q perfect right to object
to instructing his children in the
public schools in any religious
doctrines or worship implying a be-
lief which is rntolerable to him. The
of the simplest and briet-
est religious exercises into the schools
involves a recognition Of religious
faith which at once destroys their COM
plete secularity and arouses conflict
ing opinions. 1t raises the bitterly
question of religion, invites
unending controversy, though it satis-
6es no one. It is little less objections.
able to b. levers than unbelievers. 1t
does aot go far enough for the one,
and it goes too far for the other.
The Bible in public schools is con-
prolific cause of trouble,
for the teacher too often carries his
Or her peculiar beliefs or creeds into
the exercises, no matter how simple or
brief they may be, and in so doing in.
terferes with the beliefs of others, by
instructing their pupils in doctrines
which they do not accept. Thus it
would seen, in order that our public |
schools be strictly non sectarian, the
Bible and all devotional exercises be
leaving all religious in
to the churches and Sunday
IN oo1a