The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-01
THE RInININ TBE sCHooLs

to give them knowledge Of Hebrew
law, philosophy, life and genius.
1T do not advocate the reading Of the
Bible and the use Of prayer in the
schools" he says, ''if any one objects,
because the reading of the Bible and the
use of prayer in public schools is wor-
ship, and it is not the function Of the
state to conduct worship" He then con-
tinues: 'I do advocate the use Of the
Bible in the public schools as a means of
acquainting our pupils with the laws, the
literature, and the life of The ancient
Hebrews, because the genius Of the He
brew people perYading their laws and
their literature and their life was a spir-
itual genius" He defends the PROPOSE
tion on the further ground, that Eng
lish and American life and literature
have been closely associated with the
English Bible, and that a man is not
truly educated unless he is familiar with
the book which he looks upon as one Of
the prime Sources and fountains Of our
national life "
The practical question which arises in
connection with DR.. Abbott's new point
Of view is this: Would the advocates Of
the Bible in schools he satisfied to have
It treated as other books? Would they
consent to see 1t used as a piece Of lit
erature, rather than as a book of divine
authority-.to have it discussed, for ex-
ample, as the literary product Of Moses,
or Matthew, or Luke. or john, rather
than as the word of God? Would they
wish TO have it's records measured ac-
cordmg to their respective historical
value and placed side by side with other
more or less conflicting secular history?
Would they consent that the miracles
should be studied as Hebrew folklore,
on the same basis as the folklore Of
other ancient peoples? In other words,
would they like to see the Bible treated
as a human writing, and not as a Cos
pei; as a Hebrew record, and not as
voice of authority for all times and
men?
<AlAOli4tI pIdNliCdl COiISiuGL dLlOi - IAiiSA
Can the Bible be taught in schools with
out teaching religion? Can the idea Of
worship, of gospel, of authority be elm
mated In the teaching2 Dr.Abbott's reply
to this query is: mo one objects to
teaching religion in the public schools.
No one objects to teaching the public
school children what was the religion
of the ancient Greeks or the religion
of the ancient Romans. We cannot
read Homer or Virgil without learning
something of the religion of the Greeks
ject to teaching in the schools what was
the religion of the Hebrews? Is it so
dangerous a reltgion?"
It is to be feared that the Brooklyn d.
vine in the above clever argument
is guilty Of the fallacy of the "un-
distributed middle" Starting out with
teaching religion In the public Schools"
ne presents as proof that school children
are taught what was the religion of
the Greeks and Romans, and from that
argues that it would do no harm to teach
what was" the religion of the Hebrews
an entirely distinct and different propo-
have taught in their history classes and
philosophy courses what was" the reli-
gion of the Hebrews, as well as Of the
Hindoos, Chinese, Greeks, Romans and
even of the Aztecs and American IN
dams. But that is scarcely teaching
religion IN the schools" Would that
kind Of teaching satisfy church advo-
Gates in the way OF teaching religion?
The fact is that such method of teach
ing the Bible in the schools would suit
the agnostic, without doubt, much bet
would suit the agnostic because it would
put the Bible on a secular basis It
would suit the agnostic because it would
treat the Christian religion as what
was" the theology of an ancient people
1900 to 5000 years ago, rather than what
Is gospel today. Prof Huxley has never
been accused of orthodoxy; on the other
hand, he has been denounced IN orthodox
pulpits as a dangerous agnostic. He is
in favor of education without theology;
but he advocates the Bible in the schools,
on the same basis rs Shakespeare,
Homer, Gibbon, Macaulay, or Darwin,
and these are some OF the grounds: That
for three centuries this book has been
woven into the life of all that is best
and noblest in English history; that 1t
has become the national epic of Britain
aad is as familiar to noble and simple,
| from John-o-Groat House to Lands End,
as Dante and Tasso once were to the Ital-
ians: that it is written in the noblest
and purest English, and abounds in ex-
quisite beauties of mere literary form"
Can the Bible advocate in the churches
join with Huxley in preaching the use
| of the Bible in the schools on the same
secular basis? Would the orthodox
divine consent to see the Bible seculariz-
ed? If so, agnostic and churchman can
approach the issue on common ground,
and the Iong-mooted problem will solve
itself
There is another query which arises,
however, in connection with the prac-
teal side Of the Bible in the schools.