Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-18
.FAVORS TEACHING OF
RELIGION IN SCHOOLS
Rev. William Horace Day Believes
Character Is Impossible With
out Faith In the Chris
tian Belief

At the First Congregational church
Yesterday morning Religious Educa-
ton" was the theme. Miss M. d.
Brockway spoke briefly on THE Better
Bible School," and the pastor, Rev.
William Horace Day, preached. He
said in part;
I'VE shall begin with this question:
What part has religious education in
making Christian character? Is con-
version or education the source? Do
we look to the evangelist or to the
teacher? Some repudiate evangelism
and rely wholly on education. The re-
suit is not infrequently knowledge
without self surrender; men who know
much about religion without possess
ing any experience of religion. Jesus
was talking one night with a scholar
and therefore one in danger of believ-
ing exclusively in the educative pro-
cess. To him he declared 'Ye must
be born again and from above Edu-
cation without conversion is lifeless.
"Fvangelism without education has
been tried. Great masses have been
drawn into the net of excitement and
crowd contagion. Enthusiasm has not
produced stability. The seed has large
iv fallen on stony or weedy ground
and the new shoots died, not having
root, which nothing but cultlvatlon
could give. Jesus told the multltude
four parables to impress it with the
fact the character of the kingdom is
alwavs a growth, the result Of deVel-
opment. In the story of the soWer we
see the seed matured only where the
cultural process had been employed.
at was in the prepared ground that
the harvest came. Christian character
is the Joint product of conversion ana
nurture of evangelism and education
Neither can be left out, yet the edu-
cative is the more extensive FACTOR
Conversion depends on the preparation
bv some kind of religious education, as
niowing comes before planting. The
harvest is not the same thing as the
sprouting, but waits on long process
of development which is also educa-
tional We shall never have nation
wide revival till we have had nation
wide religious education. We race no
more important work today than re-
ligious education.
Education In Schools
"I shall next ask the question: How
shall we provide for religious educa-
ton? The first place we think OF is
that highly developed system OF puplic
education which is the pride Of Amer
lea. At best it is non religious because
we have separated church and state
teaching morals, but anything that re
lates to religion is excluded. rms
teaching of morals without religion
cannot be effective. The sympathy OF
a host of people goes out to Barrie ana
the ruin of his home. That home was
NOT DESTROYED because his wife lacked
culture or genius but because with
thousands on both sides the Atlanuc
she failed to have developed rellg-
e-t, II n char
acter. This weakness of secular edu-
cation has led us to seek some way OF
moralizing public education. 1t is per
fectly proper to use those parts OF the
Rible which best illustrate the Htefa-
tura of the Hebrews and their ethlcs'
Even if that is carried out the pubic
schools can never teach religion. For
that service we must depend on the
church.
"How shall the church promote re,
ligious education? The modern well
organized Bible school and the well
prepared outlines of work by which
the parent can carry on the process
of religious education at home and can
co-Operata with the work so splendldly
planned for the Sunday school and the
church. Every Christian should be
carrying on the work of religious edu-
cation in his own life, Because the
Bible is above all books the record OF
religious growth, he must be Bible
student. For the man trying to cast
out one old bad habit, make definite
plans for this winter in your religious
education. Form a new habit to drive
out the old which overmasters you:
The new good habit will in time crowd
out the old bad one. 1t costs persls-
tent sacrifice and work, but you can
if you will obey st. Paul's injunction
to the young man who was to be a
great teacher of religion: Study to
shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that nedeth not to be