The Irish standard., 1902-07-26
BIBLE NOT For CHILDREN


fore the Columbian Catholic Summer
School at st. Paul, Rev. =. Danehy,
pastor Of st. Stephens Church. Mime
apolis, delivered an interesting adj
dress on The Bible in the School,,
He WaS listened TO With rapt attention
by Il fAil-SiZcd audience, for nearly
an hour:
"Ille Bible is Il collection of books"
he said. Ito Which all Christians ap-
peal in proof Of their religious beliefs,
1t contains books that were written in
widely separated ages. 1t was adj
dressed to men differing as widely in
civilization as the semi-barbarous
Caananite and the men who adopted
the teachings of Jesus Christ. Not
only does the Bible contain teachings
OF greatest purity, but within it's pages
are found laws and us,ges that no
Christian court today would approve
or tolerate.
Much of it's legislation was en-
acted for Il sensuous Oriental people
ana to the needs of such Il people it
was well adapted. polygamy and
slavery and wars of determination are
recognized i'll its pages us not needing
apology OF excuse. Their standards
were relatively low and cannot now
be thought of since Christ has brought
us the more perfect law of love and
forgiveness. We cannot explain them
to the mind of an adult unless his
knowledge of the growth of human
institutions is very broad.
Mistaken notions that have long
been prevalent about the Bible make
facts like these stumbling blocks to
the unlearned and urwary. Such take
up the book with the idea that it
contains all the truth and godliness
of life; they find in it examples and
incidents such as these; they are
shocked and cast away the book and
their religion.
1.-THE fault is not so much With them
as with those who set them to reading
the Bible under the false principle
that the Bible was intended t. teach
us the whole law of God. Because
meat is good we do not make babes
eat OF it, The Bible must be inter-
preted by men who have made it q
life study We must teach them all
that can make for the e;lification of
their young souls; not put the book be-
fore their inexperienced eyes and tell
them to read and lay to heart all that
they find therein. In ancient times no
Hebrew man was permitted to read
the book until he was thirty.
"All Christian people should know
their Bible. The s,lb!imest things and
the profoulElest ever penned are writ
ten there. \ law of life is given so
perfect that in our highest dreams
nothing more perfect can be thought
Of. But along With this perfect law
is much that Christ declares to be i'll
complete: You have heard it said to
them OF Old. But l say unto
you.
II am profoundly convinced that the
Bible is not Il book to be used by the
child in school,
".To be properly read to the young,
the Bible must be explained, and the
teacher will naturally explain it ac-
cording to her form Of religious belief.
Therefore. | say. the Bible should not
he read in Il class which is composed
Of cne-tllird Jews. onc-third Protest.
ants and onc-thr,l Catholic. it is not
just to the Jewish or Protestant chill
dren that the Bible should be read and
explained to them by Il Catholic teach
er. and it is net just to the Catholic
children that the Bible should be read
and explained to them by either a
Jewish or Protestant teacher.
''The Bible should he read. as the
council at Baltimore directed. in tile
family every day by the head Of the
house. Even the man should read the
Bible advisedly"