Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-08
TIE MILE IN me SCHOOLS.


10, in almost every respect, admirable,
and in which citizens OF all oreeds ana
partIes take the greatest pride. Not
the least meritorious feature oil tue
system is the fact that teachers are |
selected without regard to their rellg-
ious or political views. The presump-
tion 10 that candidate for employ
ment as teacher will not bs asked
whether or not be or she believes IN |
the Bible or belongs to any creed or |
political party. All this is pursuant to
law. The statute iorbids religious
Issues or doctrinal instruction to be |
introd uced in the public schools, and
citizens almost II not quite unanimous
ly agree that this rule ought to be
observed.
Probably in no large city In the
Union are the peeuliaTities Of The
people In respect to religion go sharply
defined as In this. Here are iounh
eeversl OF the most widely diverging
systems OF religious thought, each OF
which has considerable number OF
representatives. They embrace agnos'
tics of varying types from tho mild
uDbeliever In to the pronounced oppo'
nent OF Christianity; the advo-
Gates OF Christian science; devout
believers in tho pope OF Rome, and
equally devout members OF various
Protestant sect,; while the preponder-
ating element OF our population accepts
the doctrines OF tho Church Of Jesus
Christ Of Lstter-dny 5aints.
Inevitably there lie, In community
made up Of suuh component parts,
more or less Jealousy respecting in'
struction In the public schools relative
to religious subjects; and this Jealousy
is reasonably certain to be aroused
whenever the law is violated which
prohibits euch instruction. Without
undertaking to say how generally the
law Is observed, or how frequently
1t is violated, We will take occasion to
refer to an instance which is reported
ss having occurred last Fridpy, In
which, II our Information 10 correct,
both it's letter and spirit were fragrant
ly departed from.
A lazy teacher in the sixth grade Ci
one OF the oi,yischuols who lie doubtless
we'll qualified educstionally for the
position she holds, but whose religious
training, from cur standpoint,
has been very much neglected,
undertook to address her clsas
ON Bible topics. She told the ohiidien
that the Bible was a book, parts OF
which 1t would bs proper for them to
believe, but other portions OF which
they need not receive rs true. She
told them that they need not believe
that the fish swallowed Jonah, or
that any miracle occurred to enable
the children OF Israel TO cross the Red
sea. She said that very likely az
unusual ebb tide caused the waters to
Ieceda SO as to enable the people to
walk over, etc.
How this teacher came to make
features Of the Bible the auliect Of
such an address, is not explained.
Her doing 20 WIS violation Of law,
and OF the wishes of the class Of
people whose children comprlse n large
majority Of the pupils IN Tire school,
and in the class she was addressing.
Most OF tho children she was talking
to had been taught by their par.
suls and Sabbath school and other
religious teachers that the fab did
swallow Jonah. In sense as literal as
that in which the Christ was cruclfiei;
the miraC,o OF Jonah being fore
shadowing CT the death, burial and
resurrection u Elm who had power to
lay down His life and take itup again;
in other words, to break the bands II
death and prepare way by which all
men could be redeemed theTeirOm.
Those children also had been taught
that the God OF Israel, in order to I'm
press His Almighty power upon all
nations aud future generations OF men,
and as an example OF His saving
mercy, did, In miraculous manner,
and by the exercise OF power TINT
has its source IN Him and Him only
cause the waters OF the Red sea ty
part, and to form a wall on
either eide OF a path along which the
children Of Israel walked to the land
OF promise and redemption; and that
their enemies, In an attempt to pursue
them along the same path, were ewaI.
lowed ny and destroyed.
The parents OF those children enter.
tain the most vital objections to the
sowing Of the seeds Of unbeliei in the
minds of their little ones respecting
either the statements or the promises
of Holy Writ. When the former are
dishelieved the latter cannot bs relied
upon, and 40 the support aud sOlace OF