The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-02
THE Bible and THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

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Icises. but must not explain IL, or
teach; therein. These children must
spend five hours Of the day, i've days
OF the week. studying. recitfng and
finally being examined on ali or part
q these other books, but he may pass
from primary department. through
Ian The schools. We, even up into The
largest universities In the land, and
come back with his an. AZ or many
other degrees, and not know the
Lords Prayer. let alone "The Ten
Commandments" What does all Of
this mean? Why If reason is reason,
1t means, that this vast system sup
ported by Bible believing people, for
the most part. says: This Book you
call the Bible, is not necessary as a
part OF education. All. but some one
will say: Where are the parents.
Sunday schools and churches?g Most
truly where? They ought to be in the
front and being heard from as to
what Is being done with the young
lives of those Almighty God. has en-.
trusted them to train for him AMI
humanity; but Alas, Alas, they are
not, aud therefore am speaking to.
day. They have but mere fragments
Of time left. say an hour or two per
week, against the % per week of the
public schools, and in these fractions
of time the church and Sunday school
have no power Of decipline, to en-.
force attendance, or attention, say
nothing of studiousness. These all
are dedicated to the public schools.
knowing they will not be used to put
the word OF God into the lives OF the
children. And as to parents? Why
this. system has been going on now
long enough to have most of the pa.
rents products of the public school
system: and 1t is hardly to be en-.
pected that its students after pass.
ing through system, which for ali
OF chfidhood's days, has been saying:
"The Bible is not worth while"-will
come forth eager to assert It is, and
go about teaching and studying the
very book that has been squeezed
out of ali school life, and culture?
Hence one cause OF the decline OF the
Family Affairs in our homes.
This land is reeling and staggering
like drunken man, beneath its bur.
dens for want of strength Of charac.
ter. Yet It squeezes this God sent
book, for character making out OF
its child life, and mind. The heather
man every where has some idea Of
a god; but IL you take this Bible
away from Christian land, 1t leaves
1t with no idea Of God. Truly and
sadly may It be asked: Where is now
their CODE" Nothing is left to live
before, for, or up to. AS we take
away child's idea Of God aud edu-
cate him for Itfe's race, It is like
pluckfng out the eyes, thrusting him
into a trackless crowded wild, fiIlei
with all manner of pitfalls, perils, and
deaths; and telling them to run for
| the prize. And what is the prize:
Mamrnon-M ammon- GotdGoid I With
passion growing, thirst for greed
bnrning-fear of want goading-mis.
trust lashing, and darkness wrapping
the terrified runners driven in every
direction, stumbling. graphing, wrest-
ling, crushing, maddehing they mix,
mess, mangle and die; despising "tne
fountains Of living waters" In their
blind desperation. This is no new
thing. From way back all down the
ages, a tremendous force has piled
aud played with Internal energy, and
tirelessness, TO take the word of God
from the children OF men-and time
and again has almost succeeded. With
what results? Ask any reader OF his
tory-the histories taught in these
same bibieiess schools. IL faithfully
done; should have long ago startled
all its pupils into terror. What mean.
ing lies back OF the expression: 1.-THE
dark ages?" First, an age wherein
the word Of God was hidden from the
mass of living souls: and wherein
walked and gloated all the horrors
known to the minds of men. That is
what it means. And that is what we
may expect every time Gods word
goes. What is the matter. with us.
that We SO soon forget these terri.
bic lessons. FIJI the lives OF all our
people with the Bible, and you drive
wrong out of the land. This and this
alone will make capital and labor
walk together as brothers in righte.
BUSINESS. This will make men every,
where Stand without hitching." i.
will make the maid sweep under the
mats" and drive graft from all the
halle NJ IapisIatfn,-