The Jewish outlook., 1908-01-03
DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED.

eral, prohibit discrimination against
teachers because of their religious
views Article g. section 8, of our
Colorado constitution reads: ''No
teacher or student of any public edu-
catiOnal institution shall ever be re-
quired to attend or participate in any
religious service whatever. No see
tartan tenets or doctrines shall ever
be brought in the public schools, nor
shall any distinction or classification
of pupils be made on account of race
or color On March Is, 1890, the
supreme court of Wisconsin wisely
decided eve cannot doubt that the
use of the Bible as text book in the
public schools has a tendency to in
culcate sectarian ideas and is sectar-
ian instruction prohibited by the con-
stitution.' 1t would be well for every
state of the Union to adopt similar
provision and forever eliminate dis
cussion of this subject and inevitable
discOrd.
Shall the Catholic teacher be com
PEELED to read IA Protestant version of
the Bible translation? Shall the in
tidel be permitted to ridicule the
scriptures? Shall we examine teach
ers along secular lines only or also
along religious lines Our public
schools necessarily assume religious
aspect by introducing the Bible.
''We justly tax all citizens for the
support of the public schools. and it
is tyranny to make them pay for in
struction which outrages the liberty
of their consciences. No taxation
without representation is basic to our
republic. The public school is for all
the children of our commonwealth
Their guidance should not be gov
erned by the fluctuations of the ma
jority vote. They should not be
conducted on the principle that might
makes right, as Stanley Mathews has
IL: If the conscience of the ma .iority
is the standard. there is no such thing
as conscience at all. 1t is against the
predominance of the majoritics that
the rights of conscience need to he
protected To deny a single soul his
right is to deny the principle of right
altogether. 1t is evident those who
insist upon introducing the Bible in
the public schools are much more in
terested in propagating their particu-
lar Interpretation of religion than in
teaching the general principles of
morality which are basic to all relig-
ions. The goal of all education is the
training of character. Had | the time
| could show you that competent
teacher has ample opportunity in our
secular branches to develop manhood
and womanhood. Physiology may be
utilized to show that the body is the
temple of the soul. Arithmetic may
be made to teach the necessity of
truth. Manual training impresses the
universally of the laws of nature
and the simple deed well done will
bring the satisfaction that all worthy
work is worth while. Nature studies
may lead to sympathy with field and
forest and the dumb animal. Gaog-
raphy in the hands of trained
teacher will convince the child that
the whole world is neighborhood.
that humanity is one. History. with
its examples of fine character. may he
drawn upon to illustrate the elevating
influences of nobler lives.
WE LOVE OUR SCHOOLS
1--WE love our Bible and we low,
our public schools and because we
love them we would keep them from
conflict. | am firmly convinced of
the necessity of religious education
but religious education belongs to the