Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-11-12
NIGHT SESSION
OF CONVENTION
RABBI h FkIS(H AND MRS. MIN
ME L. RUTHERFORD WERE ON
THE PROGRAM.
BIBLE IN SCHOOLS
Rev. Davidson Takes Issue Will, Dr.
FrfSch on the Subject and
Replies.

Lesr nights session of the thirty
third annual convention OF the W e..
r. T., at the First Methodist Churca
heard discussion as to whether or
not the Bible should be road in the
public schools The discussion fol
lowed after Rabbi Ephraim Friseh. II
this city. an invited speaker, had
spoken on The Duty of the Church
TO Society,""
After defining the terms i the sub
ject and pointing out that by
Church he meant to include syna-
gogue. mosque and every other or
g nization banded together for pur-
poses of worship and spirituality, the
speaker stated that the chief duty Of
the church was to the individual
rather than to society. This duty IS
of three fold nature; First, ethical
to champion right as over against
profit and goodness as over gainst
evil Second theological, to inter-
pref life in TIE light of providence
and God as over against chance and
arbritrariness. Third, spi1itual-to
point out avenues and present oppor-
tunities of communion with the Di-
vine
But" continued the speaker,
however interesting this phase Of the
subject may be it is not concerned
VI It'll the topic assigned. Our present
problem is not the duty of the church
TO the indiyidu |, but to society
by society. said Rabbi Frisch,
we do not mean the state as II IS
organized for political and economic
purposes. In our country there is a
complete separation between church
and state wisely ordained by the
founders of the Republic. Having
seen what disaster resulted from tho
union of church and state in ancient
Egypt, Judea, Rome and medieval ma
lions, the men who framed our fed
eli al and st te constitutions wisely
established divorce between the
state and any specific religion. This
separat on should be kept intact for
the good of all otherwise the peace
uri1l no a DOprn1 -
Heie the speaker paused to com
mend tie action of the sunreme cours
of Illinois in rendering decision a
year ago to the effect that the i'lbl2
should not be permitted t. be read
in the public schools of that state.
The court recognized the right oil
zach citizen to have his child brought
up according to the 18th OF his pa :
ents without having another faith as
Nv presented through its ilitefpreta-
ton of religion by its own versioa
of the Bible imposed upon Kim. IL
the Protestant insisted on having the
King James Version read in tlla
sci d Is every dhy the Catholic y
eouauv entitled to have the Douag
version read. while tie Jew might
Justly claim the right TO have ms
rendering of the Bible used. And
why not respect the rights OF the
free lsnce in religion or even TIN
at eists?" questioned the speake:'.
Are they not contributing taxes -
the public schools like the other Cit
liens? AS there was so much diff
Ference of opinion concerning the
Bible the best course to follow was
not to have ii read at all in the
schools. but to leave it to the churc1
and the Sunday schools for interpre-
tation."
Turning to society in the sense }
the unorganized public the speake
said tat the church owes gre
duty to it in the way of better.ng Goa
aitisns prevailing and furnishin;
deals and Inspirations Bus ness, pol
tiles land social life, everything TIA
has moral side to it, are piope
subjects for the pulpit. Il have Il
patience" sid the speaker. with
muzaled and muffled pulpit. l hav
no<respect for the mol'ycoddle preach
err who dares n5t express conviction
of his own but is a mere echo of tn
opinions Of his influential member
and have little esteem for tn
J church which holds that It's duty !