The herald., 1896-01-12
PUBLIC SCHOOLS and THE BIBLE
BY RABBI M. q. SOLOMON

Inc man WHO IS ever ready with his
sound advice; who, unsolicited, offers you
his good counsel, tells you to do this and to
omit that, who has always something to
suggest and something to correct-that
officious individual or busybody, who
minds everybody else's business but his
own, is indeed meddler of the worst kind,
and no desirable friend or associate under
any circumstances. The woman who does
anything and everything but her duty, who
attends to all sorts of things but her house,
home or family, who, of orthodox heart
and conservative mind, like Mother Eve is
always in a praying mood or OH SOUL
saving expedition, who, in behalf of infidel
sinners, invokes heavens aid and
grace, frequents prisons, searches for
criminals, has love for culprits,
sigh for feloI.s, a tear for con-
victs, and a salvation passport for the
doomed and damned, or who, of radical
tendency and mannish disposition, like her
modern sister, the new woman, prefers to
talk like man and to act like a man-to
don gentleman's apparel, to ride bicycle,
and to stump the country in behalf of pro-
hibtion or woman suffrage, This. the
manly, as we'll as the sen imental woman
is by no means useful member of society
or a credit to humanity. And the kind and
good people of this commonwealth, those
dear brothers and sisters of ours, those
self-appointed inspectors of human con-
duct, who pose as morality's detective
police, or religions bodyguard, who in
season and out of season declare this to be
q Christian land, the United States Chris
tian nation and our public schools hristian
institutions, who have stringent Sunday
laws enacted and enforced, who would be
pleased and feel happy, nay, more than
30 @t,asr i
corded a prominent place in the constitu-
ton, who. by hook or by crook, would force
the Bible into our public schools-these
over-zealous servants of the Lord, are, for
sooth. not the gardeners, but the foxes in
Gods vineyard.
subj ct have chosen for my present dis
course. Not that this zeal and over-anxiety
for Bible instruction in our public schools
is a matter of pas history or a thing of to-
dav or yesterday; II is a grievance of long
standing and vital question of the current
moment. Over and over again this me.
dieval spirit has ebeen exercised and con-
tured up anew by the magic spell. "The
church is the state and the state is the
church,"
Even if this were Christian land, the
United States Christian nation and our
public schools Christian institutions, as
those soul-saving apostles loudly claim and
want us to be persuaded, even if this were
true, as it is not, it would nevertheless be
hard for the just and fair minded to decide
which of the Bible revisions should be
taught in our schools; for the Christian de-
nominations are many, and each and every
one of them has the sacred and inalienable
right to read and to interpret the Scrip
lures according to the dictates of their own
conscience and the doctrines of their own
belief and to insist that their children do
the same.
Now, what about all the sons and
daughters of America who either by the
accident of their birth or by the difference
OF their convictions belong to none of the
Christian denominations? Have they no
right at all to insist that their childreH's
religious education be not meddled with
by strangers and outsiders? Our cons itu-
ton does not warrant such conclusion, for
1T is non-sectarian in spirit and principle,
and guarantees full liberty of conscience
to each and every citizen of this republic,
no matter what his faith or creed.
But bigots and fanatics have no rever-
rights, much less for the privileges, of their
fellow-men. Their only aim and object of
life is to further their own selfish interests.
10 establish national church and with it
ecclesiastic power. would suit very much
our zeaio's, wish and am will, and much more
their ambitions. What wonder that they
are persistent in their efforts, that they are
now, as ever, striving with all their might
and main to force the Bib into our public
schools. For once gained foothold in
our public institutions that mould and
make he character of the nation, it would
indeed be difficult, ii not altogether i'm
possible, for the liberal and broad minded
classes to drive these politico-religious
bosses from their vantaeg-ground.
In The east-in New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,. Maryland |
and the other neighborng states-they
have succeeded to certain extent; their |
hymns are sung and their prayers are read |
and their Bible is taught in the public !
schools. Now they are trying their good |
fortune in tho west. In Chicago, the rival |
metropolis of the United States, 10000 |
people have put their names to resolu.
ton that demands and commands Bible |
instruction in the public schools of the |
state of Illinois.
Say these would-be reformers of human |
ity: License and lawlessness, vice and |
crime are rampant in our land. Gamblers |
and drunkards. tramps and lunatics. out |
casts and suicides are on the increase. |
Fast and thick grow and multiply the |
thieves and thugs, the robbers and high |
waymen, the murderers and assassns in |
our large cities. The moral tone and tenor |
OF our people is sinking lower and lower |
every Fe''-'-~ is ridiculed. The |
church sauaaet theism is taking hold |
of the as-eH cry and corruption,
debaser nj and ei 'neracy stain the pri-