El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-05-14
Religious instruction in American
Schools.

SCHOOLS.
Levi seeley, in the Educational Review, New
York. Condensed for Public Opinion.
A few wears ago state legislatures
We'd with each oJner in placing upon
the statute books laws regulating, II
not entirely forbidding, all use OF the
Bible in the public schools. w nile
MANY ministers and church people
earnestly resisted such action, many
others were content with the drift OF
public opinion, arguing that all demo-
limitations would be satisfied with such
a solution. No one will claim that the
anticipated result has been obtained
Young people are deplorably lrreV.
erent and careless concerning the
deeper things of life, to say nothing
of the prayer and more criminal ten
dencies. Then the dense lgnoraucs OF
sacred history and the teachings OF
the Bible is simply appalling In an
entrance examination OF one OF our
colleges, in 1896, % extracts from Ten
nyson were selected in which Bible
references were made. Such com mon
expressions as Mama IN the WIDER
ness Lots Wife" Jacobs Lad
DER "Jonah's Gourd, Gains
Mark etc., occurred. Thirty-four
candidates were examined, and 1t was
found that, out of possible 14S cor
rect answers, only 3S2, or less tnan oo
per cent, were given.
Feeling the Importance OF this ques-
ton, and desiring to OBTAIN data TO
show the drift of thought among the
leaders of our land. began an 1nVes-
tigation of the subj zct some two years
AGO. sent circulars to ABOUT 400 per-
sons in different parts of the United
States. l received replies from about
$50 persons: AZ clergymen, ~ college
presidents, 80 college professors, 40
state and city school superlntenoents:
81 principals, lawyers, editors, and
others from various ranks OF Ire. AS
to religious confession, 81 were Metho-
dists, II Baptists, 81 Presoyterlans,
IL Congregationalists, l Reformed,
Ii Friends, Episcopalians Catno-
lies, / Mora avian, A Disciples Unitarians
) Liberals" while quite number
did not give their church relation. In
most cases | knew nothing OF the rell-
gious preferences of those addressed.
SOU ht for an expression from all clas-
ses of representative men and women.
In response to the first question::
'Is religious education necessary to a
properly developed character" there
were 1876 answers in the affirmative,
one in the negative, and five modified.
subordinate to the first, sex to
discover if American youth are re-
ceiving such education through the
church, the Sunday-scb DOL, the home,
or any other agc" y. There are
thirteen affirmative answers to NO. z,
six to No. B, five to No. /, and six to
No. 5. All the rest OF the answers :!
have classified as mo" or" partially"
OF these about two-thirds are negative
and one-third, evidently having in
mind the work done in the church,
the Sunday-school, and the home, ex-
press the Union that the work Is par
TALLY done. For instance, DR.. John
Hall SAYS: 1.-The church is doing her
best in the Sunday school: but many
children are not in it President
Garfield takes an optimistic view, In
which ne says the church lis doing 1ts
part-not always wisely or well, but
better with passing years" An OPP
posite view ia taken by Bishop Vim
cent: The church does not do lts
share, nor does the Sunday school.
Home is not at it's best. In many cases
home is doing nothing"
The sixth question:: SIS religious
education necessary to good citizen:
ship" met with answers as follows.
Affirmative. 156: negative, II; modl-
fed, 26. The most of the answers were
an unqualified yes" Some of the
modified answers are practically affir-
native, as will appear. l quote few
Eyes. think so; it is certainly desir-
able. "-Presdent Draper. SIT is.
The safety of the repu bile depends on
individual character. DR.. Cuyler.
SIN the broadest sense o. citizenship,
YES Nicholas Murray Butler. Yes,
If of the righ. character-I mean if It Is
really religious and not merely theo-
logical. "-Super tendent Ballet. The
answers to No. are even more inter-
esting.
Question I is:"If so,ought the state to
provide il =" Affirmative, So: mega
tive: "a: modified, 40. 1t was a matter
of considerable snrprise to me. in ia
hulating the answers, to find that a
large number have come 20 the belief
that the state ought 10 assume some
responsibility in the work of religious
education. / expected a large pre-
ponderance of opinion in favor of the
states keeping ''hauds off, as Ca
tholic priest puts it. Another point is
apparent in the answers, and that is,
of those favoriug such education. the
larger part comes from the ranks of
teachers and professor Clergymen
quite generally seem to be Jealous of
Protestauts as we'll as Catholics. A
Catholic view is tersely put by Father
Kivelitl. by no means: for not the
state but the church has been commits
stoned by God to teach his word. u add
L. ,,sI Ii