The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-11-04
STATUS OF MORAL INSTRUCTION
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


The late meeting of teachers brought
to Denison one of the greatest educa-
tors of the middle west. President w.
o. Thompson of the University CT
Ohio, In view of the court decisions
in some states that the bile can not
be taught in the public schools.
many have in their weakness thought
that the cause of christianity had met
a back set, but the resources of such
men as President Thompson of Ohio
and President Seerley of Iowa are
not daunted by this seeming closing
of the public schools to the very source
OF the civilization which establishes
and maintains state schools and uni
versities. President Thompson de-
clared in the opening that 'moral
excellence is the true object of educa-
tion." In the early days of our coun-
try it was assumed as a matter of
course, that educators were we'll equip
ped along moral and religious grounds.
even if not possessing the highest
excellence in academic knowledge and
that the bible would be taught and
recognized. Later there has come
to our shores people who have had
other aims and ideals. and some of
these have objected to the teaching
of the bible in the schools They
have not Ia l,ed on the schools as a
help, but i place tog get the child away
from as 5000 as possible, SO as to begin
earning money. President Thompson
maintained that if the state gave free
education on the ground of making
good citizenship. it had the right to
teach truth and morals as it pleased.
Morality is more than living according
to law and custom. The appeals
must be made to heart educated to
know what true morality is. Chill
dren should be taught to desire to
obey the laws because acquainted with
fundamental principles on which law
is based. The mind should be SO edu-
Gated that it will do right morally.
Some parents hold that they alone
should direct the moral and religious
education of their children. This
protest has been courteously received,
but it can we'll be held that these
parents are themselves fringing.
The child has the right to freedom
from doing immoral things. and the
state has the right to give 1T moral
instruction. If we cannot teach the
bible. then we must look for some
way to teach morality. We can
teach of civic duties, of patriotism.
personal morality. as TO truth. honor,
justice, kindness and consideration for
others. Are not these based on the
bible? The commandments of the
Decalogue have never been improved
upon. and remain the perfect rule of
life. Thus, while the bible as such
chapter by chapter is not brought for
ward yet its vital teachings can be
put into the moral fibre of the chill
dren.
1t should never be forgotten that
it is not subjects we are teaching,
but boys and girls. The aim is to
build up that moral character which
will cause the boy or girl to resolve
like Joshua GAS for me and for my
house we will serve the Lord. /"
Environment is what we can build
into our character. and assimilate at
part of ourselves. Children must
not alone be told what they ought
to do but must be urged to ultimate
action in the right direction.
Morality cannot be forced on a
child, it must come from within. by
building that character which desires
to do right because the child knows
it is right. Our business is to help
boys and girls to grow up into the
beauty of holiness. If you as q
teacher cannot build the bible into
the character of the pupils under
your charge, there is something
wrong with you. your life must be
wrong. Hold up the heavenly vision
of the true life of mortality. right
eousness. make it the inspiration in
the lives of the boys and girls. and sc
drive home the necessity of living
up to these things, that like the great
Apostle Paul they will declare. 81
was not disobedient to the heavenly
vision. 1t will be seen from this
hurriedly caught condensation that tine
lecture of President Thompson was
a magnificent presentation of the
claims of vital christianity to be WOW
en- into the characters of the youth of
the l;ni.