The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-11-08
BIBLE AS A TEXT BOOK.


BIBLE AS A TEXT BOOK.
Children Would Look Upon 1t as a
Literary Relic.
The use of the Bible as q regular
text book in the public schools is now
seriously advocated by educational
conventions, school superintendent
and individual teachers of prominence
in different parts of this country,
says the New York Sun.
For example, the superintendent Of
the public schools at Carthage, in Mis-
souri,, announces that in the present
school year the study of the Bible as
"the basis of all our moral life" and
as "a fine work of literature will be
made a special feature of the high
school curriculum at that town. The
parts of the Bible he hes selected for
specific study are the Gospel of St.
John, the Book of Isaiah, the Sermon
on the Mount, the Epistle of st. James
and st. Paul's address before Agrippa.
Among these, it will be seen, are some
of the very books of the canonical
Scriptures with which the Biblical
scholarship now fashionable in theo-
logical seminaries has dealt most
critically as to their title to SUPER
natural authority; but it may be con-
tended that if they are to be used in
schools, in the venerable English YER
sion of the Bible, simply as models Of
an English literary style and merely
as moral lessons, their source and re-
ligious authority are not Of conse-
quence
OF course, such manner Of treating
the Bible in schools would lead chill
dren to look on it as no more than a
literary relic, an obsolete history of
past phase Of religious evolution. 1t
would be taught and studied as art
teaches and studies the architecture
and sculpture of ancient Greece, that
is, as beautiful human construction
which intrinsically appeals to the Gull
tivation Of all times. The Bible would
simply be put in place with other lit
erary treasures handed down to us
from period when our English liter
allure was purest and most vigorous
in it's simple directness.
The generation of children before
whom the Bible was put in that light
would get very different impression
Of it from that made on their fore
fathers, with their awe-inspiring be-
lief that by supernatural inspiration
it conveyed to mankind the word and
will of God Himself. They would
approach the Bible in a critical spirit
to find in it literary beauty merely and
not to bow down before it as Gods
only Book, the one and only fountain
of Divine wisdom in the world.
They would find that it's language
is largely foreign to the speech which
they hear and read and is taught to
them as the true standard of language.
Take away from it the awful mystery
of supernatural authorship and the
Bible will be dull book for the
youthful mind; it's appeal to the mag
ination will be gone. By teaching to
children that God wrote it, that it is
absolute truth sent down out of
heaven, all it's stories are made to have
for them an awful fascination; but if
it is put before them as merely one
in the category Of human text books
they are forced to study, what charm
will the Bible have for them? They
can find even more wonderful stories
to read.
Children can understand and enjoy
as veritable occurrences the stories OF
Adam and Eve, the Serpent and the
Apple, the Garden of Eden, Cain and
Abel, Noah and the Flood, Abraham
and Isaac and the rest, but how much
will they be impressed by them when
told that after all, as the "Outlook,"
representing the New Theology" tells
an inquiring correspondent, these
Biblical stories are only concrete
way of illustrating an abstract
thought?