The sun., 1916-08-27

perfects and cxalts nature must come
from the God OF nature. 1t Is O his
toric fact that in proportion as the
constituting power Of Christianity
loses Its hold upon n people the fabric
OF society Is In peril. Permit me to
quote from "a recent editorial in a New
York newepap per a striking corrobora-
ton Of this fact: The prevalence Of
perjury in the New York courts, as
disclosed in the interview with Dis
trict Attorney Swami, Is uch as to
astonish even those who have been
morally certain OF its wide extent.
Yes, the most sceptical were hardly
prepared for the statement that per-
jury Is committed in Il substantial pro-
portion OF the civil suits tried here
n in a large number OF the criminal
trials As confirming his w conclu-
sion. derived from an experience Of
eight years on the bench, Judge
Swami instances the opinion Of
Judges Of the City and Supreme
courts that fully half, II not more. Of
the cases coming up before them are
determined on false testimony.
This is an extraordinary showing
Va NoiiteiiptuOuS ulsTeSuTu Oh u solemn
oath. once the most sacred OF human
obligations. Perjurers OF old lived in
momentary expectation Of divine ven.
geance. In New York they enjoy Q
virtual immunity from punishment Of
any kind" How al We inculcate In
non-reliSious schools the duty Of OBJ
serving SACRED obligations? Gust
from the curriculum religious teaching
n we eviscerate the whole body Of
education.
Granting in the FIRST place that
reason alone. expressed by the voice Of
u common nature. demands the in
clusion Of the religious factor In any
proper" n adequate theory Of edu-
cation. and admitting In the second
place that tie historical fact OF Chris
tian!ty imparts concrete deflniteness
to the forms which that actor is to as
sumo. what are some Of the necessary
consequences which logically now
from that theory Of a Christian educa-
ton which these assumptions estab-
lish. and what light do they throw
upon the question what agencies In
society have the right to educate?
Once admit that a Christian edu-
cation Is the only theory hat absorbs
all the facts of the case and Is not in
conflict with the divine economy in
His providential care OF mankind two
main sequences inevitably follow:
1. The State has no right to teach
religion.
2. The State has no right to teach
irrcllgion. nor. to use n Greek prefix,
a-religion.
Tho GySf nrnnnsttiOn 10 norJilI,, -
mi,ted by all. The State officials are
not q theological faculty. Civil So
ciety concerns itself with temporal,
religion has to do with eternal interest.
Both the Federal and State constitu-
lion repudiate any claim in civil gov
ernmcnts to become religious preach
crs. We only mention this first propo-
sition to emphasize its universal ac-
%ceptance. Yet once accepted a. q
principle the second proposition b-
sues from 1t as n necessary conse-
qucnce. II the State claims no right
or duty to distribute to each citizen q
gift Of n thousand dollars neither has
II q right to hamper my honest efforts
In acquiring a thousand dollars. It Ia
the boast Of the country that II Ii a
land Of equal opportunity" for all.
Why should the religious training OF
the young. my more than tho acquisi-
ton Of wealth. DO ~ostracizcd from tho
principle Of equal opportunity?
Yet what has happened? The public
school system in the land Of equal
opportunity" Is. to use n Greek prefix,
not only a~-religious. that Is without
religion. but "irreligious." because II
indirectly at least teaches Indifference
to all religion. DR.. Manning of Trim
ity Church, New York. has recently
emphasized the fact that In our day
the struggle is not between one church
and another but between church and
no-church. No more effective means
exists among us to-day to propagate
among the people this no-church atti-
tude of mind than the public school
system. The fact that religious truth
ands no place in its curriculum Is OF
itself and apart from any open nega-
tion OF that truth sufficient ( warn
tho pupils mind in such a way, and
to such an extent, hat he will feel
little concern In his schooldays or after
for religion in any form; and this
result is more likely TO ensuc when the
curriculum is made to include every
AAtry that to xy.rth E1au, o~..A