The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-14
THE SCHOOLS AND RELIGION.
4 Striking Argument by Roman Ca'ho.
lie Priest or New York.

theories and arguments aside. We ShtnoHcs
have been deeply impressed with two incon-
trovertible facts: First. when the public
school system was Protestant, quarter OF n
century back. Catholic pupils were Prot
estantized moro or less by attending 1t: and.
second, now that for ten years the public
school system has been made neutral or
c0lorless, the children suffer from the pre-
vnling indiferentism In religion. lndil-
ferentsm ia an influence OF the hour, ahect-
Ing all departments Of human activity: IL
may be called the current of the time, and the
public school system runs with the current.
not by Intention but simply because all
things run that way. and also by making no
stand against the prevailing error IL seems
the Constitution Of the State will not permit
the system either to oppose religious error
or to favor It, Therefore all true Christians
must sooner or later remove their children
from the public schools The Catholics are
leaving as fast rs possible. and would leave
in Il body tomorrow had they the proper
bank surplus: perhaps the religious schools
OF the sects already educate II million chill
dren; in time this number will grow TO lar
greater proportions. This exodus VIII theh
have created a situation with which the
State willy nilly. must deal. In spite OF Me
theorists. and their speeches and arguments.
when the State faces u condition, and not
theory. IL must act.
While Mr. Geer's interesting letter IL OF
moment to Christians. II fails TO touch ID"
core OF the Question II cannot interest
agnostics, for example. or the indifferent. or
such Christians as COnflnc religion 10 church
building and one day of the week. These
people do not believe in religious training
In TIE schools, some OF them do not believe
in il anywhere, and therefore they refuse
to credit the inournful conclusions OF Mr..
Geer Ms to the results Of excluding religious
training from all places except the home and
the Sunday school. Moreover, they are all
firm believers In the dissertation OF Church
and State. they are firmly persuaded that
1t would be IA union OF Church and state TO
teach religion to those that desire it: and,
II agnostics. they are happy in the conviction
that public school training is doing very
much to Danish the ancient superstition
called religion. Since Mr., Geer's letter does
not appeal to these people. it fails to handle
the question vitality. His opponents simply
deny his conclusions. refer him to the Con-
stitution, and ask pointedly: What are you
going to do about ltp
In this question is the very heart OF the
whole matter. What are all they who be-
lisve as Mr. deer does going 10 do about it!
The Catholics and some Lusherans and many
others have taken one method OF action-oy
public protest for the general benefit, and
by building their own schools for the chill
drens benefit. The vital point Is: How
many American citizens want religious train
ing for their children in the public schoos9
Let them stand UP and be counted. My own
opinion Is that one-third OF our population
are In favor Of that proposition: that Is. about
rs, 900, 600 Of believers would vote substan-
TALLY to rescue great system Of public edu-
hn ri NJ ipNi rAyti n ~ n
agnostlcism. II 30 many favor the propo-
slt!on. IL they can be organized TO make their
influence felt. then. all theories TO the con-
trary and in spite Of all opposition from any
source, the thing can be done. One-third
Of the population. acting In concert for
certain end. create a situation-a situation
which enables them to ask the other thirds
pointedly: What are ysu going to do about it,
This 10 the only way to present the matter
to the opposition. which will not accept Mr.
Geer's sound and forceful facts and reason
inCs. There are really no difficulties in the
way Of teaching religion In the schools except
the one which ! have suggested. namely.
that the proper numbers have not asked for
It. The difficulties put forward by the theo-
rists are purely artificial. Some declare that
the insuperable objection ia the unconstl-
tutionality of the matter. You can convince
no acute lawyer OF that fact personally. i
have never been able to see It; and. II it be
true, an organized minority OF one-third can
amend the Constitution quite easily. Others
maintain that with the different beliefs 1t
would be q sheer impossibility TO provide
the peculiar instruction needed by the various
denominations. Nothing Is impossible to
Americans and II 1t be necessary to convince
our educational authorities that the measure
can be easily and well done. let them be sent
IN IN n l,prmany
they will find working models; In Canada.
for example, any sect may nave us 9MIi
.fhGS e E
land: in Germany the government pays the
clergy to attend the schools after, school
hours and instruct the children in the faith
on European methods;
The most powerful, because the most popY-
lar dicplt 70 religion II the publIIs o sth2ois
dreaded union OF Church and state which
the Constitution, forbids and Just one man
IN seventy-hye. thoroughly understands: OF
wrathy on the subject OF this union, doubt
If ten Of them could describe what the union
means and upon what their fears are based
none would want it: least Of all they who
have suffered most from its modern forms.
the Catholics, to whom this union, as illus
France, Spain. Portugal, Brazil and some
South American republics. stands for the
base.t tyranny or the most . ins,dou Gus. d FORM
that no established Church can be fotsted
on Americans 1t Is equally certain that Amer
leans could not be driven into accepting the
European union Of Church and State. Where
then. is the force OF the objection ~
But while no one wants union OF Church
and State, every Christian citizen wants
harmony Of Church and state; or. to put I
in a fashion comprehensive ~ men OF az
conscience, II the state physician and The
patient in the city hospital; If the General
particular domains the soldier and the sailor,
why cannot the same thing be done IN the
public school for the state, pupil IL one
says that not even accidentally can the S'nte
not even accidentally can the state pay for
the turning out OF agnosticr There must
be harmony between the state and the in
dvldual ronseen1Sd' I tnat Sa n. ne
condition peculiar TO European countries
hoEtiity begott"n Of injustice and perscGu-
ton. More plainly, FRENCH rulers. under
ET gS out OF caboIie tsachers u'o
catholic schools and forced citizens to pay
for two systems OF education; In the nte9
States on the pie. OF keeping Church and
State apart. Catholics and other Chri stians
are forced ont OF the public schools and must
pay a double educational tax. Where is
The harmony between state and con science?
however. hi reply 70 objections. or lhis
The vital point for all parties, Tor the sup
portrrs OF Mr. Geer for his opponents for
educators and for statesmen. IA the number
of those who desire religious training In the
public schools, no matter what form the
srhem" might take the separate school
II CaAadn, payment by results, az IN Eng
lana the. adopting Of Church schools by the
mind such n reform, and organize crec-
tivay 10 Formulate their demand nothing