The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-31
SUNDAY, JANUARY 81, 1904.
The Bible in the Public Schools

The Bible in the Public Schools
z q Il we print to-day communications from
heyeral we'll known ministers OF tno
Y rospcl in Richmond in which the n'u!e''
,,,ooted question, whether or not Tue
II r,ih1o should be read and taught IN inc
r,h,,o schools is discussed Tho tact
4hat thcrc is disa greement among 'no -
...;nistcrs themselves on this subject is
Il ..uffic,ent to show that to attempt 70
se.ch tho Bible In the public schools OF
Virginia would be to stir up discotu A.'>A
strife.
1 IsThere is general agreement among 'll PEG
q nIa Of all religious creeds that IN tralh-
ing a child, the moral and spiritual ma
sra should be educated as well as Inc
rental nature But when It comes 70
y t,e manner and method Of instruction,
trere the difficulty arises, and we 90
q lot sec how 1t Is practicable, under OUT
form Of government, to incorporate 2
ro,,rse of moral and religious instruc-
tjor: in the public school curriculum
zone of our correspondents, Baptist
II minister Fpertlnently asks the question,
r. religion Is to be taught in the public
schools. what form Of religion is 1t to
be? Another of our correspondents, an
Episcopal minister, answers that 1t must
I,a the Christian religion. He thinks
Il that the school exercises Should open
Il With a religious service, consisting OF
The Lords Prayer, the Apostles Creed
the Ten Commandments and the reading
Of selections from the Holy Scriptures.
He argues that no Christian would be
III opposed to this service, and that II Jew
ish parents should object, they coulc
All Lee.. their children out of the ,schoo
room until the religious services shoult
I 10 con luded But doesn't our frieno
sce that this would involve serious diff
ficulties? Under such rule every
teacher in the public school would ot
& compelled to conduct the prescribed re
lleious exercises and the rule would re
c,,ire a Jewish teacher to lead IN repeat
ing the Apostles Greed, although nj
orthodox Jew believes In that creed
Naturally the Jewish teachers would Oh
iect to conducting such service AM
Under the rule orthodox Jews would b
oenied the right to teach in the publ
schools of the State. Such a rule woui
FL clearly be In direct conflict with sectio
1G of the Virginia Bill Of Rights. Tha
A is only one of the many similar com
plications that would arise under TN
plan, but it is in itself a sufficient al
eument aganstA II.
For this and Cor .other reasons, whic
have been, time and again, stated,
x seems to us utterly impracticabe for tn
4 state government or the local govern
ment to undertake to make and enfort
hard and fast rules in this direction. II
6 deed, religion cannot be taught by rul
4g n'he State may mako all the rules
nleases. and teachers may conform
X the letter OF the rules, but II they {
.5 not believe, heart and soul, In what tho
@ teach, their teaching becomes mockel
and stumbling block The slip-sho
careless teacher cannot successfully tea'
II lessons OF system and order; the fra
n tlcus, irritable teacher cannot success
# fully teach lessons Of patience and ami
lility: the immoral teacher cannot su
~ cessfully teach morals, nor the irreg
ious teacher religion; and all the rule
IA which the State may make cannot alt
the fact.
on the contrary, a teacher cannot /
teach that In which he does belize
Every mans teaching Is the cxprcssi
81 Of his character, the expression of
principles in which he believes, and
which he regulates his ewn condu
And so 1t Is that the neat and pail
taking teacher cannot but teach lesst
of neatness. care and method; the
E5 tient teacher cannot but teach patien
the amiable teacher cannot but tel
n amiability; the moral teacher cannot
45 teach good morals and the religi
8 acher cannot but teach religion.
Therefore, 1t seems to US a matter
far greater Importance that our sche
93 be provided with the right sort Of tea
4l ers than that they be provided v
rules for moral and religious instruct
If a teacher Is thoroughly saturated '
the Bible. with the great moral and
@ lie.ous truths which tho Bible conta
II a teacher makes the Bible his ruiz
s corduct, that teacher is going TO te
&. the Bible to those who are fortul
enough TO sit at his feet. Give US e
men and women in our schools,
whether or not the State makes
rules on the subject, the children
& attend school will surely receive n,
snd religious instruction.
fS S--=-----------
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