The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-11
THE CRY FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE
NECESSITY OF SOUL
TRAINING.

"The necessity Of religious educa
toni" 1t is phrase which has a
singularly familiar sound, reminiscent
of the attitude of Catholics in this
country in the matter Of the training
of the young. But now it is not alone
from Catholic sources that it's iteration
comes. Others have learnt that there
must be training of the whole man,
| that there must be a Strengthening Of
his spiritual as we'll as his physical
and intellectual life. And so we hear
from many places at the present day
this demand for a religious education
of the nations youth.
| The New Church Review, "a Quar-
terly Journal of the Christian Thought
and Life Set Forth From the Scrip
lures by Emanuel SWedenborg,' as it
describes itself, is another recruit to
| the ranks of those who are asking that
| our education give some thought to
| the spiritual. In it's January issue
| there appears an article on Religious
| Education in the Public Schools"
which is most interesting contribu-
| ton Oh this subject, as much by reason
of what it incorrectly as well as that
which it correctly says. 1t empha-
sizes the necessity of "a training of
the heart" as well as "a training of
head and hand" "To complete the
| trinity of activities it remains to find
means for right training of the heart
| for that kind of training which results
| i'll character based on principle, actu
ated by love Of right. Without such
character the individual is like piece
of machinery out of gear, and society
made up of such individuals suffers
consequent disorders and discords."
To all of which hearty assent can
certainly be given. The spiritual fac
ulty of man does decidedly need train.
| ing and development. when all of
the faculties of the human being" we
are further informed, ARE in their
right adjustment, the life of the indi.
yidual runs smoothly; and society APP
proaches the ideal in proportion as
this adjustment in the individual lives
prevails. 1t is by the centra1izing of
all the motives Of conduct in ODE
dience to the Divine Commandments
that this adjustment is accomplished.
even as it is by the operation of the
| immutable law of gravitation that all
the forces of nature are held in eqni-
| librium' 1T is much to be desired"
we learn, that our public schools be
made effective in the development Of
character, as we'll as i'll the training
of the intellect, that character-build-
| ing take the place in the school CHR
riculum which its Importance dc,
| mands,"
1t is here that the stumbling in the
argument begins. Our religious edu-
cation is not to be the education that
we generally understand it to be in
| the use of that term 1t is to be that
deeper conception of personal re.
ligion which in the past has reference
to the whole human race, in its entire
range of interrelated necessities and
obligations, and that looks upon each
individual rs vitality related to Tie
whole. It is much to be desired that
there be prepared a book of selections
from the Scriptures, acceptable to
Protestant, Roman Catholics, and Jew;
as suitable for reading in the schools,
and that the daily reading Of portions
'of i Without comment, be prescribed.