The Jewish outlook., 1908-01-03


are the never ceasing demands of the
old Hebrew legislators and prophets
The insignia emblazoned on liberty
bell 'proclaiming liberty throughout
the land and unto all the inhabitants
thereof is part of the old Hebrew
code of law The Pilgrims breathed
deeply of this spirit, and transplanted
it to America. They endeavored to
restore old Jewish ideals. Our Thanks
giving is a copy Of the Jewish feast
of tabernacles. The Fatherhood ot
God and the brotherhood of man is
voiced by the prophets. Malachai
says: Have we not all one Father?
Has not one God created us!' Micah
insists that all that God requires is to
do justice, to love mercy and to walk
humbly. Christianity adopted Jew
ish ethics and spread them over the
pagan world. The daughter religion
cannot deny the debt of gratitude she
owes to her mother. The Lord s
prayer, the sermon on the mount, the
golden rule, the Christmas carol of
Peace and good will. owe their Ori
gin to rabbinic sources, as every stu
dent knows. Jesus heard them from
the lips of the rabbis. He was born
IA Jew. lived Jew, and died "A
jew The great body of Jews
who heard Him gladly, and
who welcomed him with hosan-
nahs and palm branches. could not
have lusted for His blood ii few days
later. The student has no difficulty
in understanding the conflicting stor-
les concerning the crucifXiOn. Only
abject bigotry or childish Ignorance
will repeat the tale that the Jewish
people as such goaded on the unwil-
ling Romans to nail Him to the cross.
Streams of innocent blood and rivers
of tears are sadly eloquent of mans
inhumanity to man, to the kinsmen
of Him who was bone of their bone.
aesh OF their flesh. The fathers of
our republic fled from the religious
tyranny of the old world to find here
home of freedom. The founders
'ernment wisely decided that
"life. liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness" should fall to the lot of all
who live under the flag And yet
there are those who insist that the Bi-
BILE should be taught in the public
schools under the specious plea that
the Bible is not II sectarian book.
They define sectarianism according
to their petty bias. They would un-
derminc the bulwark of our republic.
uproot the common ground where all
creeds meet and mingle on terms of
equality and inject into our state the
deplorablc controversies that now
rage about us. The Bible is the sub
ject of an infinite variety of interprc-
'tions and this has divided mankind
into sects and creeds. The frantic cry
that any religion is unsectarian and
undenominationai will find no echo
where truth presides and justice
wields the sceptre. All interpreta-
of the Bible are dcnominational and
reject the views of their adherents.
The Catholics use the Douay version
Why do they not Use the King James
version or revised edition of the Pro-
testants! The Jew prefers his own
version. Shall the public schools be
disrupted by religions dissensions!
Mere mechanical reading of booK.
every teacher knows is waste of
time and therefore worse than useless.
Mere perfunctory repetition of
phrases however sublime. cannot mold
character. Shall the teacher be per-
mitted to interpret the Bible! Shall
she be permitted to infusc into the