The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-07-18

that departed faithful and loved ones
sometimes perform this high Office.
BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
From Denver Times.
The NationOl Educational associa-
ton has Endorsed the use Of the bible
in our schools and has urged the res
toration of that grand old work as a
subject of study by the young. The
educators do not make their plea on
religious grounds, but ask that the
bible be treated as a literary work
The action Of the association was no
doubt the result of a mastery address
delivered during the convention by
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, the veriIe
new president of the Columbia univer-
sity. "Quarreling among the religious
sects and churches about interpreta-
ton has stricken the bible from the
reading Of the American people," he
said "Sectarianism has brought about
such serious condition in this nation
that the English bible is no longer
known as literature, and consequently
tho people cannot understand the bas-
&c elements of our civilization"
Il am not talking about the bible
now in the sense of using it for reIig-
ious instruction or for the promotion
of theology" he continued. my thesis
is that the neglect of the bible caused
by sectarianism has incapacitated the
rising generation from knowing the
beauties of the greater writer's in the
English language from Chauser to
Browning, and from understanding as
well as placing them outside the pale
of knowledge Of their own civilization.
Without knowledge of the bible one
cannot read and understand the glOries
of Milton and Shakespeare and Tenny-
SON"
In many states the bible is kept out
of the public schools by mandate Of
the law, and in others by the fear of
antagOnizing a certain public senti-
ment. This prejudice does not come
entirely from agnostics. 1t exists
among liberal citizens, who feel that
bible teaching carries with it sectarian-
ism which has no place in public insti-
buttons. Another source Of opposition
is in the narrow-minded element that
demands that either its particular de-
nominationalism be expounded or else
there shall be no religious instruction.
Because a few non believers have pro
tested and because a greater number
of denominationalists have bickered
over various interpretations of the sa-
cred book, study of the bible has been
left entirely to the church, the Sunday
school and the Christian home, and
here it is considered only in its relig-
iOus aspect.
The bible as literature is covered
with dust. 1t has been so long neg
lected that the present generation
looks upon it as a @back number" As
DR.. Butler says: "We have been and
are impoverishing life and literature
by bUrying our treasure house under
the dust Of theological discussion. The
bible is the inspiration on which the
best English style has been built. Even
the non-Christian has to read the bible
in order to understand history. You
cannot understand Oriental history
without reading the Vedas, nor Grecian
history without knowing something Of
Greek mythology"
While a broad culture demands
familiarity with the bible, aud public
sentiment should be so aroused as to
accomplish a renaissance Of bible stu
! dy, it is nevertheless a doubtful policy
to bring the bible back to the primary
public schools. There would be the
danger Of its being presented to the
pupils as revelation rather than as lit
erature, and this would stir up the old
bitter controversy. But IN the higher
schools, certainly IN the universities, Il
should have q place with the ancient
and modern classics. It should be
studied as history, as poetry, as ethics,