The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-09-22
SAYS RELIGION
IN SCHOOL IS GOOD
JAMES G.. BEtSSEL WRITES RE-
GARDING THE MATTER or RE-
L1GIOUS INSTRUCTION.

Religion IN the schools:
Under this heading the Star Septem-
Der q brings an editorial suggesting
and trying TO prove the undesira bility
of any kind of religious instruction in
the schools The motives alleged are
% the intangibleness of the principle
of the separation of church and state
and (2) the terrible consequences for
religion itself abundantly taught i'm the
public schools of Germany.
As to the first argument the separa-
ton of church and state is not more
the normal and ideal mode Of human
society than the separation of husband
and wife, which for reasons well known
to theselves conduct both a separate
household They are made to live to-
gether and the ideal life is founded on
their mutual love and respect of each
others rights. If they cannot agree to
this, then they may choose separation
as a lesser evil. Church and state, two
societies with different aim and
separate means to attain this aim, are
put together in this world to work on
the same subjects, men, to lead them
on to different but not to opposed
ends: temporal and eternal welfare,
Peace and harmony can and should
reign between them as much as be-
tween husband and wife and they would
reign if people were willing to give to
God and to Caesar each his due. There
fore divorce, although desirable under
certain circumstances, is and remains
an evil and never should be considered
or treated as a good and ideal situation.
Consequently by all means let us have
religion in schools
But look at Germany, this land of
thinkers which in it's common schools
gives one-sixth and in it's higher schools
one-twelfth of the school hours to the
study of religion. What is the result?
"The wide and growing estrangement
of all classes from the church and it's
whole life"
The author of this statement is
Protestant and does not know in Ger
many anything but Professionalism and
don't doubt that as far as this goes
his statement is correct. But if he was
acquainted also with things outside of
Professionalism, he would find them
quite different Besides the Protestant
Ollie and the Jewish religion. Now
those who are acquainted with German
conditions know that as far as Catholic
things are concerned, the public schools
with their religious lie. denominational-
ly religious instruction produces all you
can expect of religious men and wo-
men IAN ideal churchliness." The es-
arrangement from the church is found
only among those who under abnormal
circumstances did not receive their
sufficient amount of religious education.
The German Americans have trans
planted to the United States that reli-
gious vitality which is the main root,
the principal source and healthy
nourishment of American life that
forms together with the Irish element
the backbone of it's civilization
But how to explain the failure Of
similar success on the side of the pro-
testants who pass through the same
| schools and receive from the state
exactly the same Observation-Disclosures
instruction by their own teachers in
their own UNCONVENTIONAL religion? This
can only be accounted for by the nature
of Professionalism itself in its distinc-
| ton from Catholicism.
Professionalism reduced to it's most
simple expression is a negation. If
consequent with itself it applies this
principle of negation or private judg-
ment it will denounce all but it's own
private views. 1t denies authority of
teaching but self. 1t takes the Bible
and reads and interprets all to suit
self. The more it learns the worse It
becomes. Is it a wonder that Protes-
tantism must go to pieces on account
of it's own Unborn principle of protest.
ing, denouncing saying No-to all but
every individuals own fancies? Yes,
Professionalism if consequent, is bound to
lead either back to the Catholic church
or else to rank infidelity.
And now shall we be so charitable
as to save Professionalism from it's des-
truction from it's own natural dissolu-
ton, by keeping the dark shield of
ignorance on the eyes of it's members
by banishing from the school room the
first, the most important lesson, the
knowledge of religion, which is the
science of sciences, the solution of
mans life problem. the the teaching of
his origin and end, the reason of his
sojourn in this world? Shall We shut
our schools severely against this ms
truction? The prince of darkness who
shuns light. can alone inspire such a
proposition, can alone be benefited by
its application. There can be no edu-
cation-no true solid education, with
out religion The childhood is the
time, the school is the place to impart
it, The want of it is the curse of the
American school system, the source of
the well known social evils every body
complains of.
Better for society to have no schools
at all than schools without religion.
Let us devise means to open our
schools to religious instruction. II
mean denominational instruction.
Equal rights for all-privileges to no
body. The state being strictly I'M