The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-12

The National Educational Associa-,
ton, which Is supposed to reflect the
educational sentiment of the country
49, faithfully as such an organization
can. has just adjourned. 1t suggests
iu It's platform many needed reforms
and il eloquent in its plea for the
rural public school, larger and better
school houses, identification of school
grounds. practical education and kin
dred hemeS but does not even make
mention of the religious life as at all
within the province of education. q
tcnipora! y morcs: H..
\ Study I'm Values Weigh Well.
Our various. State Constitutions and
our Congress by the creation Of the
Bureau Of Education in the Depart
nent of the Interior recognize that
education is the duty of the State.
These same Instruments, as well as
the Constitution Of the United States,
affirm that the church and State shall
be forever separate and distinct in
ibis country. In the popular thought
the church has been accepted as the
synonym of religion. and so the con-
ciusion has been drawn that there
must be no religious instruction in
the public schools or the State in
stitutions of higher learning. If it is
the duty of the State to educate that
its citizens may be intelligent and
provide livingS for themselves, is it
ItL dI~o Tx u " TX 1Dldlt " DIO-
vide moral and religious instruction
that the graduates OF its school sys-
tenn may be laW-abiding and upright?
Is il worth while to educate a mans
head and neglect his conscience?
Which is worth more to a State, an
intellectual prodigy without character
or an intelligent mar of character?
L. il any more the duty of the State
Ia provide for education than for re-
Iigion?
A Tremendous Biunder.
But this is not the end of it. Not
prayer. excluded from our public
schools. but we have seen something
positively hurtful to moral and
spiritual growth put in its place. In
the public school age the pupil is in
its own home when not in school
and SO the evil effect of the lack of
moral and religious instruction does
not appear. the parents admonition
and the home Influences acting as a
corrective to any neral or spiritual
laxness that may tend to develop from
the school, but even here teachers
whose moral character is low and
whose opposition to religion is out
spoken have their depressing effects
on their pupils. I would like to see
the time come when no man who
was questionable as to his moral life
and hostile in his opinions to thu
Christian religion should be permitted
to teach in our puplic schools, and thu
State runs a great risk OF immora
infection from this deadly source to
day. When will a free people in tn
wild clamor for a false liberty of re
ligious opinion see the fatal error the!
have committed in not protecting tn
fountain-head of our public schOO
system from moral pollution?
Even worse does the status Of re
Gsious instruction become in the in
stitutions Of higher learning, wOrs
intrinSically and worse also o
the lack of counteractins home in
tiuences which serve to nullify tn
direful effects Of irreligion in the pub
lie schools of secondary grade. Whe.
We send our sons and daughters o.
l" colleg they are on their own re
sponsibility. When deadly seeds Q
unbelief, Of infidelity, of skePtlclsr
are sown in their hearts. there are n
parental words to uproot them. ME
must be so Thoroughly grounded j
their religious life hat they will b
able Of their own power to questlo
and disprove to their own satlSfat
ton the destructive teachings or thos
they are supposed to accept as al
thorities, or they shall lose their re
spect for religion. This is not an ID
dream; it is a fact, sad fact. and thes
statements are made upon a bas
Of experience and observation. l n
cord with solemn affirmation that
have known many instances Whel
devout Christians have lost tneir o.
votion to their church and their &C
through "A false step in the choice
he place of their higher educatlo
They went away religious: they can
lack irreligious, %scoffers. There won
he no such objection to State lnstlt'
lions of higher learning. as we co
stantly hear, if they had not real
become divorce courts. divorcing the
students from religion and marryll
them to irreligion.
Religion or IrreligiOn-Which?
1t to just this: Snail o
sons n daughters &C to INSTITUTE
where religion or irreligion is tausn
There is 10 midway ground. Reigi
~ not a separate department or II
and cannot be set off from other vi
questions by strict lines Of divlslt
Religion enters into every relation
NC and must he provided Tor
I,, a- IL 80 ~ ~ CCIhID RI 9