University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-09-27
RELIGIOUS LIFE
At THE UNIVERSITY
Dean Sharpe Of the Bible
College Tells of Religious
Element in Students.
NOT A GODDESS SCHOOL
A Creed Must be Square
T With q Mans Thinking
He Says.
NOT A GODDESS SCHOOL

of Missouri at the Y. M. C. A. building
Sunday night.
There are several conceivable atti.
tudes that the University might sus'
tain toward religion considered as one
Of the important human interests.
Attitude Of the University To Religion.
1. It might be Indifferent toward
it holding like Gallo of old that it is
not called to care for any such things
It might assign religious matters
wholly to the Church and refuse to
have either part or lot in religious
education.
2. 1t might take up an attitude OF
opposition, holding that religion is
something irrational and delusive. In
asmuch as the mission Of the Univer-
sity is the discovery of truth and the
elimination of error. it might be con-
sidered as its duty to assist humanity
in throwing of the incubus Of religious
superstition which in common with all
superstition can be nothing but harm
full and dwarfing to human nature.
8. The University might good-na-
turedly tolerate religion as something
that does no harm even though it does
no particular good. 1t has large hold
upon the affection of the people and
perhaps after all illusions ara neces-
sary in the present undeveloped and
imperfect state of human life. It
would on the whole be unwise to an
|tagonize the people in what they re-
gard as the supreme concern. espec-
tally in view of the fact that the Uni
versity is dependent upon the good will
|of the people for its support in the
"mammon of unrighteousness."
4. Finally there is the attitude of
understanding and appreciation. Per-
haps, after all this is the only really
conceivable attitude. For, if we have
a right to expect anything from a
true university it is that all the actual
interests of humanity shall be properly
evaluated by it and given the consid.
Grafton which their value demands.
Strictly speaking, therefore. if relig'
| ion is an actual and real human in
terest and if nothing human is alien
to the ideal University spirit, we might
expect that religious history, literature
and life would be included in the cur.
riculum. And If religion is as funda'
mental and universal an interest as
its bulk in human history would seem
to indicate, the place accorded it in
the curriculum would be correspond.
ingly prominent.
No Religious Instruction.
Yet when we glance at the curricula
of our several universities and espec
tally the state schools, we find that
such provision is not made. From
perfectly definite historical causes for
which our public school system is not
Irresponsible it does not lie within the
province of the American State Uni
tversity to impart religious instruction
as such. State moneys can not be
employed to provide such courses a
are definitely and purposely religious
! University Not Non-Reiisious.
This does not mean, however, that
the University must be non-religious
or anti-religious. 1t is not merely the
fsubject matter of the curriculum that
determines the moral and religious
character of an institution. It is rather
the attitude sustained toward every
subject of inquiry-toward all aspects
of reality. It is the reverent serious
mess with which the instructors and
students face life and all its issues
It is easily possible to pursue the study
even of divinity in frivolous, irrev
erent way. am persuaded that many
linen have lost their religion and theil
morals in the theological arena. They
have sometimes contended for the su
premacy of their views about God In
a perfectly devilish way. In theil
efforts to logically vindicate a certain
conception Of God, they have some
times crucified Jesus Christ in the
spirit. DR.. Gordon tells Of Scottish
minister who when cornered in an ar
gument respecting the love of God a
Iconflicting with his action in the mat
ter of the arbitrary damnation Of sin
ners replied, "But you must under
stand my friends that the Almighty
in his judicial capacity, Is obleeged tt
do many things which in his private
and personal capacity he would b.
ashamed to do" Yet It must not bt
supposed that men have ever inten
tionally spoken evil on behalf Of God
In all times and in all theologies II
has been the aim to honor God.
Religious Element In University LIE
But- to return to the University at.