Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-05-27

of good tizenship-Catholics never ques-
ton mans creed or belief when run
ming for Office. America is the sole
issue before him, its veal for honor, the
best man for the Office. However, no
mans religion is ever discussed in poll
ties oh counted as an element of fitness
or unitness unless that man is "Caih-
Ollie" and then the cry of Rome at the
polls is heard.
We have no quarrel with the gentleman
as To what text or subject he wishes to
speak npon. lie is free TO choose from
"Mormonism" down to SINNERS
Dream" But suppoSing, for the sake of
argument, and in all charity and fair
mindedness, you insist on forcing the
Bible into our schools, remember that in
many counties Catholic voters may be in
the majority. The question will then
arise which Bible. the Catholic or the
Protestant? The Catholic believes his
Bible to he, from cover to cover the i'm
spired word of God, but that the mean
ing of the text must be interpreted Ia
the church to whom IL was entrusted
We alone preserved this Sacred Book
during the penurious fifteen hundred
years before the Reformation" More
over, the Catholic considers the Protes-
tant version of the Bible not only erron-
eous in the rendering of the texts, hut
incomplete in contents, since they lack
usually seven bOokS-those of Tobias,
Judith. Wisdom, Ecclesiastics, Baruch,
and first and second Maehabes, also
parts of Ester and Daniel. Not only do
Catholics and non-CathOlieS disagree, but
Protestants disagree among themselves
though all ground their religion upon the
Bible. The Lutheran proves by the Bible
that baptism is essential to salvation;
whereas. the Methodist holds just the re-
verse. The Presbyterian discipline favors
infant baptism, but the Baptist's brand
that as a heresy. The United Brethren
believe in everlasting punishment, but
the Universalist believes in the saliva
ton of all mankind. The Deist proves
by the Bible that Jesus Christ was only
a man. Though above the general aver
age. That to worship him is idolatry.
The Mormon with the Bible under his
arms, probably walks into the halls of
Congress and proves that he has Di-
vine right to marry as many wives as he
can support.
In the hands Of infdels and free think
erS the Bible is pack of lies We say,
therefore, that while the reading of the
Bible is praiseworthy and commendable,
it is not essential to the practice of
Christian religion, nor can it be the sole
rule of faith. To the Protestant the Bible
is what the Korean is to the Turk, the
sole rule and ground of his faith and
subject to his own individual interpreta-
ton of the text. The Jews reject both
versions, at least so far as the New Tes-
lament is concerned. All three, Catholic,
jew and Protestant, are equal in the priv
ilege before the law, all pay taxes in sup
port of public schools. You would have
no right, then, to force the Protestant
child to listen to lessons from the Cath
Ollie Bible, or the Catholic child to study
from the Protestant Bible, or the Hebrew
child to read or hear lessons from either
version. If you select the Protestant
Bible as a text book in our schools, you
to that extent make professionalism the
established religion of the United States.
+ If | were to go over to our High
School and make the Catholic version the
medium of religious instructions, howl
would be raised that the Pope and FIR.
Zindler had captured the city of Bedding.
Again, if applicants for teaching certif-
Gates must undergo course of Bible
study in order to teach il, who will com
pose the board of regents that will GER
tify to their proficiency? Will they be
Catholic priests or Episcopalians, Pres
byterian, Methodist or Baptist ministers?
You cannot expect mixed board to
pass on the competency of student,
when they harbor five different views
on the subject matter in which he is ex-
amined. A claim might be made that
nothing denominational would be taught
the children. Let me call your attention
to the fact, as there are different YER
sions of the Bible, so you will have diff
ferent views and doctrines, under private
Interpretation. Every Tom, Dick and
Harry would have the right to start
new church every morning before break
fast. Some do not believe in life be-
You'd the grave. We do. Others reject
the doctrine of eternal punishment.
Some of my good friends might think
that rheumatism is Hell enough, or have
some confused idea of it when their auto
goes wronk. The teaching of religion
and morals is part of the domain of the
church. We deplore the fact, with 9TH
ers, that the religious element must be
eliminated from our schools. Render TO
Caesar the things that are Caesars, and
TO God the things that are Gods" Ii
others want religion taught to their chill
dren, let them value il sufficiently to
make sacrifice for it as we are doing.
Respectfully,
REV. JOHN VI. ZINDLER,
Rector 81 JoSenh's Catholic Church Y