The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-06-04
BAR BIBLES FROM
SCHOOL, IS URGED
DR.. Pardieck Tells Luthern Pas
tors Holy Writ is for the
Church.

1HC DiOlS III the 1uDIlG SCHOOLS
was the subject of paper read by the
Rev. Prof. Pardieck, of Concordia
Seminary, st. Louis, yesterday at the
session Of the Lutheran Conference at
Trinity Church. The greater part of
the morning and afternoon sessions
was devoted to the subject.
Prof. L. Fuerbringer, the Rev. F.
Herzberger, the Rev G. Wangerin, and
others took part in the discussion.
Prof. Pardieck said in part:
State and church should, according
to the very Constitution of the United
States, be kept strictly and distinctly
separate. The Bible ard the Lutheran
confessions are III perfect agreement
with such an arrangement. The church
alone can by means of the gospel cs-
tablish right relation of man to-
wards God and towards ones neigh
Dor. The State secures TO its citizens
enjoyment of their civil rights and lib
critics. and must insist upon outward
civil righteousness on the part of its
citizens and therefore also teach it,
The States may do this to the cx-
tent which its purpose as a State de
mandS, using such means and meas
ures as are TigEtfulIy at its disposas
The State may exact such virtues only
as will insure its people peaceabIc to
live together and may punish such
misdemeanOrs only as disturb the
peace. Not only does the State expect
that its citizens obey its laws out of
fear and love of God, which can be
engcndercd by the gospel only, but
simply because the laws demand that
they be obeyed. Human reason, natur-
al knowledge of God, and corpus
mis- itself are the sources from
which the citizen may learn wha, Is
demanded of Him. The natural law
Will suffice to establish civil righteous
ness.
TIC law is not specifically Chris
tiar, while the gospel is. If the State
teaches the natural law as it is sum-
med up in the decalOguc and otherwise
circulated by vow and prccept in the
Bible, NC do not object. Christians arc
not honoring the Bible by introducing
It into the public school for the sake
of its literary or historical value. The
Bible has a much higher purpose.
Aside from this fact, it dare not be
overlooked that the religious views of
the individual teacher in the public
school would determine the treatment
accorded to the Bible, such as favor
and advocate the introduction of the
Bib into the public school are trying
TO introduce it because it is religious
book
a large number Of people cOnstitut-
ing the State arc not Christians andthc
church has neither right nor power to
force the Bible upon them. Even the
very .CIIlSIldilS tlCIiIStlFCo 0iiC 'i''
agreed as to their understanding Of
the Bible i'm all its parts, and there
fore, neither can nor should unite to
give Christian instruction to the
young. On the other hand, do ''fiX'
the teachings of the Bible in order that
the religious convictions of none will
be offended (so-callci undcnomina-
ttional Christianity, is neither right
nor possible.
The church by delcgating the moral
and Christian instruction to the state
disgraccs itself and declares its own
bankruptcy. We must, as members Of
the Lutheran Church and as AmcrI-
can citizens, oppose every demand
made upon the State to teach religion
We ore not opposed to the Bible, of
course, but wish to keep church and
State strictly separate, giving unto
Caesar the things which arc Caesars
and unto God the things which are
G0d's.
Our church-school would not become
supcrfluOus if the public school would
teach religion, but so much the more
necessary.