The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-30
Many Present at the
Corner Stone Laying


Corner Stone Laying
4 Continued from Page Two.)
markable statement Of a New York
Episeopalian minister. the Rev. w.
Montague Greer, that "if today Christ
were on earth and should enter al
most any public school house in the
country, the teacher, acting under in
struction, would show Him the door.
II. on the other hand, He were to en-
Ter any of the parochil schools, He
would be worshiped by teacher and
scholars on Bonded knee"
would ask you not to misunder-
stand my meaning. / am not attack
Ing the public school system, as such,
or disparaging its magnificent work
In the cause Of popular enlightenment.
] am merely reasoning against the
principle of non-religious education,
wherever 1t exists, and that that prfn-
ciple is not only faulty in conception
but characterless in results experience
amply proves. There are three periods
in the intellectual life of mankind that
have always struck me as affording
striking parallels, and these are pa
ganism, the renaissance, and modern
non-religious education. The effort Of
paganism was to produce the perfect
man, but notwithstanding the prestige
of powerful statecraft and the personal
influence Of such men as Plato and
the mighty Aristotle, It failed and
failed deplorably, sowing only the
seeds of national degeneracy. Pagan
ism was the last brilliant stand of I'M
aided reason to solve the perplexing
problems of existence, but. because it
was not informed with the authorita-
tive voice of God, it sank into the filth
of a degrading bectiality. The renats-
sance, too, much though 1t did to CEN
ter inquiring research upon the fasci-
mating classics Of the ancients, devel-
oped into q prurient curiosity and dis
gushing immortality in the exact pro-
portion that 1t eliminated God. And
what shall we say of the non-religious
education of this, our day? 1t Is a
delicate subject, my brethren-one that
! hesitate to handle. My attitude to-
wards It, would ask you to remem-
Der. is that of the surgeon with the
scalpel who cuts to heal. You your
selves will answer the question l have
propounded. If then the non-religfous
Educational theory be the much desired
beneficent panacea, why is II that crime
is every day alarmingly increasing?
Why is 1t, to be more precise, that, as
the latest statistics show, we have in
the United States, proportionately,
more murders than in any other civil
lied country, more suicides than In
any other civilized country, more d.
vorces and wrecked happiness than in
, any other civilized country, more dis
honesty and general corruption than
in any other civilized country, more
Illicit use of drugs than in any other
civilized country, not even excepting
China, the home Of the opium para
site, and that If we are not now
ahead we are fast forging to the
front, OF all other civilized countries
In drunkenness, race suicide and ille-
gitimacy. Startling statement" you
n8ay remark. Yes. but statements,
nevertheless, that are amply evidenced
from the dfspassionate study by
thoughtful men of every shade Of be-
lief of educational conditions as they
exist today. You can no more teach
an effectual morality without the all
pervading presence Of religion, than
you can teach science without
knowledge. Religion and morality go
hand In hand. All morality, all re-
source in God. 'Tt is He," says Holy
Writ, who. gfveth to all life and
breath, and all things: and hath made
of one all mankind to dwell upon the
whole face of the earth, determining
appointed times and the limits Of their
habitation. That they should seek
God" (Acts 1890. Man is made to
The blazing majesty Of the deity IS 50
to speak. impressed as a seal upon his
soul. Conscience Is the divine ex-
emp1ar. A copy Of particular photo
graph, If desired when no copies can
be found, Will never be obtained II the
negative has been destroyed. So con
science can never be faithfully and
delicately 1imned II God be set aside
IN education To form conscience is
the Nprovince OF religion and OF re-
1igiop only, for religion is nothing
more or less than the sum of our OBJ
legations towards Him from whom we
came and for whom we are destined.
The bending force of the moral law is
absolutely inseperable from religion,
and this conclusion is irresistible.
Now you may say, well that is all
very true, but might not the home and
Sunday school take the place of re-
Hgion in the school?" The home and
Sunday school can, and ought to, do
much, but neither can replace the fact
Of constant religious training during
difficulties of secular education.
How. to Meet the Enemy.
We meet the enemy everywhere, in
Ifterature, especially, in the school
room and in the very air we breathe.
The atmosphere we live in is black
with sophistry and error. The anti
dote must be as omnipresent as the
poison and consequently religion must
be the ever present vfvffyfng principle
of life. Moreover, the child is observ-
. ant. far more observant than we some
Atimes think, and II the child finds that
religious instruction is relegated to an
hour or so on Sunday and to an oc-
casional reference in the home while