The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-24
The state and Religion.

The state and Religion.
We have printed letters from able and
distinguished Catholics who repudiate
with indignation and contempt the posi-
ton taken in a letter printed by us on
Wednesday concerning the question Of
religious education and the public
schools. That letter was admitted to
the columns Of The SUN only because it
came, undoubtedly, from Catholic
priest. It's satirioal tone and it, ridiculs
Of the parochial school education would
have prevented us from giving it heed
il it had come from any other source.
The provision and maintenance Of
these schools by the Catholic Church
afford incontestable evidence of its pre-
found conviction of the necessity Of such
education as an obligation imposed by
GOD. Consistently with tho Catholic
principle, and, We may say, with Chris
tan principle generally, the first great
need Of man is, unquestionably, religious
education-sd education which looks to his
souls salvation. II he can read his title
clear to mansions In tho skies as tho
familiar hymn Of WATTS puts it, all other
knowledge, under the Christian theory,
is Of relative insienihcance. For what
shall it profit 4 man, said the Founder
Of Christianity, If he shall gain tho whole
world and lose his own soul?'
The Catholic Church, u simply faithful
to the mission which, IL believes, has
been committed to it especially-the
mission to save tho souls Of men. It
makes no compromise with the world
and IL has no right to make any. unless
it abdicates it's claim as the authorita-
tive representative Of CHRIST and Chris
tianity. Its stout and consistent fidelity
to It's faith wins respect even from those
who are outside it's fold, whether they
be Protestants or people who are with
out Christian belief 1t stands by its
colors at time when fashionable new
theology Is surrendering every essential
position Of experimentation.
Tho theory that the Catholic Church
has no other purpose in its opposition
to tho secularization Of education than
tho purpose to get hold Of tho public
school system and control it for its own
benefit takes no account Of this sense Of
religious obligation, and it is unworthy,
at least Of Christians who profess like
belief that the salvation Of man by the
teaching Of Christianity is the first and
great and awful obligation of all Chris
tian believers. The only opponents Of
it's view Of duty who are consistent are
the men who deny that Christianity is of
supernatural origin and authority
These people are pantheists. They
may profess to admire Christianity,
but actually for them it has no other
foundation than pure superstition. They
may talk about COP, but it is not per-
sonal Con. 1t is force; it is Kosmos. II
they were as honest with themselves as
are Catholics, and as brave, they would
say fatty that they are atheists, at least
in Christian sense and that for them
Christianity has no more authority than
have the mythologies OF paganism; that
both are entitled TO consideration only
on tho intrinsic and comparative merits
of their moral PHILOSOPHERS
Mr.. HUXLEY coined the term agnostic
in a spirit not creditable to him, for by
it he sought to distinguish himself in
the English Philistine mind from unfash-
ionable infdelity, though he knew very
well that the two terms mean substan-
TALLY the same thing. express the same
state Of mind toward religion and super
He was afraid to appear in
his true colors and resortcd to disguise
of Technology easily penetrated by an
educated mind. Of course Don't Know
Is the very antithesis Of faith in things
unknown and unknowable, unseen and
unseeable.
II that faith is primarily essen.ia! to
az every orthodox Christian
Church teaches what other education is
Of any consequence as compared with
the teaching Of it?
The practical question Of the intro
duction OF religious education in the
public schools is another matter Be-
cause religious education ID q religious
obligation, is it not for that very reason
debarred from the public schools OF a
State which is forbidden by it's funda-
mental law to assume such an obi legation
"a State, too, in which The ma jOrity Of
the people are Of no definite religious
belief? II the State should provide for
the teaching Of religion according TO the
tenets Of each denomination, SO that all
may have fair play. az urge Catholics,
with the support Of the Episcopal Rev.
Mr. GEgR, shall Buddhist and Moham-
msdan instruction be allowed? Shall
there be teaching for the children Of in