Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-16
SECTARIaNIsM IN SCHOOLS.

We have received a statement, Civ.
Ing specific Information as to persons,
time, place and subject, in which 1t IL
said that come teacher Ia one OF
the State schools has been imparting
instruction OF tectarian character
there. We do not intend expressing
an opinion as to this case on the ex
parte statement received, but cite the
fact OF complaint merely with View
to calling attention to the subject gen.
orally. A short time since, the NEWS
slructiou given in one OF the public
schools in this county; ami the com.
plants Of this kind that come In
should indicate to instructors the great
care necessary in touching upon any
question, historical or otherwise, that
has a uoctrinal bearing in the field OF
religion.
We telieve 1t 10 the earnest wish OF
mos, of the instructors engaged ip the
public schools, and OF ell the mansge.
menis thereof,t to avoid giving sectarian
instruction; certainly they should pos.
sees that desire, in view Of the positiye
inhibition in the law against anything
that savors OF sectsrianism. We also
know that some Of the teachers have
very pronounced views on docirinal
matters, and are 80 jealous in their
religious aims that 1t |. difficult to re.
strain themselves when an opportunity
comes to inject their ideas, "hsre a
little and theie little;" there are
others, too, whose irreligion presents
itself In the mosl Il ,nsive form Of an
adroit or soothing manner In referring
to things which others hold sacred +,
and which q repetition OF the bare
words used would not give evidence Of;
and sometimes, among hearers, there
10 captiousness which makes an
ofiense of words that had no such In.
tention in their utterance but migh,
be construed with effect. Having all
these conditions TO cope with, 1t is a
difficult task for school manage
mrnts to steer clear Of every
breaker. But the Constitution
and laws of the State have been
framed with g view to the peculiar
conditions here, and have forbidden
seciarian control Of, or instruction in,
the public schools throughout the
State. This being the case, no teach er
who wlltuliy disresards the legal inhi.
billion should be retained; no worthy
citizen would exhibit such disregard.
II ought not to be hard for we'll
balanced instructor to avoid real cause
OF complaint. He can depict tn,
events Of history, as history recoi d
them, and II he has doubts OF their
reliability as q religious matter he car
leave them alone. But he has no RICH
to give to Ais pupils his own opinion
or the opinion OF others who may eril
else, as to whether certain books In tn,
Bible are my thicsl or are not; he ha
no right to explain to pupils the mean
Ing OF Bible prophecies or expression,
when there 10 = difference OF opinion
among religionists as to the interpreta
ton that should be given; he hs
no right to present to his GLASS II
school his conception as Il
whether prominent lights In religious
circles in ancient or modern time
were true or ialee prophets; and he la
no right specially to impress cnildren b.
his manner OF treating lightly saore
things with the fact OF his assu med o
!. real disbelief In God. He has NO rig hit t
q do these things, because the law whic
!. directs his action in the public scheol
has forbidden them. Ii is not matte
z OF discussion as to W whether the a0senc
10 Of religious instruction In schools Ia O
g is not an injury to the children. Tn
o lawmakers have passed iudgmeu
r upon that, anu the duty Of the teache
| In public schools Is to obey the legs
0 mandate W hich forbids either atheist
: or sectarisn doctrines rs part OF
Q school training.
& There IL a further suggestion whic
4 the NEWS feels to make on this sui
VI Iect, anu that Is, that while wiliul G
e reckless disregard of the law on tn
q matter should be checked summary
j there should be q disposition TO svoi
g accusation wherever reasonable an
10 generous view OF the action notice
u | renders IL possible.