Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-07
MINISTERS URGE
BIBLE READING
INCUR SCHOOLS
PLAN OF DR.. CHARLES E. LOCKE
is INDORSED
Representatives Of All sects VIII Be
Asked TO Name Commission
Members In Interest
of Harmony

The Methodist ministers of Los An
geles and vicinity put themselves on
record yesterday as unanimously fav-
oring the reading of the Bible in the
public schools and enthusiastically
adopted the following preamble and
resolutions offered by DR.. Charles Ed
ward Locke, pastor of the First Meth
odist church. who prea ched a forceful
sermon on the subject Sunday even
ing:
Preamble-Some years ago the Bible
In some Of the states of the Union, in
Guiding California, was excluded from
the public schools. 1t is generally ac-
cepted that the chief purpose of the
public school system in this country
Is the formation of character and the
preparation of the youth for upright
and intelligent manhood and woman
hood. The public school is not an in
genious device for turning out poll
ticians prodigies and bigots, but a
place where reverence, veneration hon
esty, courtesy, sobriety, industry and
patriotism shall be daily inculcated.
President Butler Quoted
I'm the public school all resources
for the most refined and complete
education should be made available to
the youth of America. The Bible
should be restored to it's place in the
public schools Of California because of
It's unequaled educational value. In
this connection DR.. Nicholas Butler of
Columbia university, New York city,
said to an audience of 5000 teachers in
Minneapolis: The Bible should be re-
turned to its place In the public
schools because, without the Bible, the
rising generation is incapacltated from
knowing the beauties Of the greatest
writer's in the English language. The
condition ic no f,.I Nl,a
Bible is the inspiration upon which the
best English style has been built The
quarreling of the churches and sects,
each claiming the treasure-house of
English literature as solely their own,
has made the Bible inaccessible to the
pupil
"In harmony with this statement by
President Butler, it will be recalled
that Macaulay, Ruskin and Byron
each attributes his exquisite literary
style to a continuous study of the
Bible.
Cardinals Words Repeated
again. the Bible should be returned
to It's place in the public schools of
California because of it's Incompatible
oral quality. Cardinal Gibbons once
said, All the civilizations of the past,
and all existing civilizations, today,
worthy of the name. have been based
on the doctrinal and moral principles
of the Bible
General Grant declared, Hold fast
to the Bible as the sheet anchor Of our
liberties.
"Thomas Jefferson wrote, Il always
have said and always will say that a
studious perusal of the sacred volume
will make better citizens, fathers and
husbands
John Adams remarked, The Bible
is the best book in the world
1.-THE Bible furnishes the basis for
the laws of this nation and the other
nations of the world. Blackstone and
Kent acknowledge themselves to be
merely interpreters of systems of
ethics and Jurisprudence laid down in
the Holy Scriptures The standard of
morals accepted in its ideals by the
American republic is the standard
furnished by the Bible.
"These foregoing considerations lead
us to the conclusion that the time has
come in the state of California and in
the city of Los Angeles for the restora-
ton of the Bible to its revered and
time-honored place in our common
school system; therefore, be it
Commission Is Urged
Resolved, That we, the members of
the Methodist Ministers meeting of
Los Angeles. believe that a commits
sion should be formed, of which, per-
haps, Judge Curtis d. Wilbur, our
eminent townsman and jurist, who has
publicly expressed himself as believ-
ing that the primary function of the
public school is the formation of char
acter, shall be the chairman; and this
commission shall be composed of lead
ing citizens of Los Angeles, and shall
include representatives of all the sects,
denominations and religious organ
izations of our city; and that this
commission be requested to care
fully consider the expediency of
introducing for reading in the public
schools of this state a volume which
shall contain excerpts from the Holy
Bible, such excerpts to be wholly
without any sectarian or denomina-
tional trend or bias; further, be it
"Resolved That the Federation of
Churches of Los Angeles be requested
to present the names of the public
spirited citizens who shall serve on
this commission"