The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-08-28
CONFIRMATION OF CATHOLIC
VIEWPOINT OF EDUCATION
IN INTERcHURcH REPORT.
(By N. C. VIC News Service. }

ii 10y ~. ~. w. ". NEWS OCl VICE.
Eloquent confirmation of the Catho-
lie view that religious training is a
necessary part of education and in
dispensable in the molding Of Chris
tian citizenship, is contained in the
preliminary report of the survey made
by the Interchurch Movement, repre-
senting thirty Protestant denomina-
tions. The report has just been is
sued in two volumes, ....... ., :..a..
While corroborating the teaching,
practice and experience of the Catho-
lie Church with regard to religious
education, the authors of the Inter
church Movements report avoid ap-
prevail of the parochial school, but
recommend instead the establishment
(by Protestants) of "a system of re-
ligious schools paralleling and coop
Grating with the public schools ..
Safety of Nation Imperled.
After presenting the results and
problems of american Education" as
revealed by the survey, the report
says the facts picture "a dangerous
situation due to the neglect of the re-
ligious training of childhood and youth
by the American people, imperilling
the safety. of the nation, threatening
the future of the church and serious
ly impeding the Characterization of
the world"
SThn r,o1ioi oH11Hatinn 0f all tho
children of all the people demands
an adequate UNCONVENTIONAL Organiza-
ton and program" the report says,
and adds that unless this fundamen-
tai need of religious education be met,
the solution of the present situation
is hopeless"
In making these statements the re-
port is speaking only for the Prot
estant SectS, since the Catholic
Church in the United States and else
where, in this and all past ages, has
recognized the vital Importance Of re-
ligious training.
The authors of the report declare
i that their survey discloses that 69.3
/ per cent of the children and youth
/ (under 25 years of age) in this coun-
try are not in Sunday, parochial or
congregational schools.
How long can nation endure, 693
per cent of whose children and youth
are receiving no systematic instruc.
ton in the religious and moral sane
lions upon which our democratic in
situations rest?" they inquire.
Must Supplement Public Schools.
The national public school system
must be supplemented by unified
program of religious education which
will insure a cultured, efficient and
righteous citizenship, the report urges
and then adds a statement which, il
voiced by a Catholic, would provoke
criticism and charges of hostility to
the public schools: - -. 49,. J..
-. Unless: a program of religious
education can be created there is
great danger that system of public
schools will become naturalistic and
materialistic in theory and practice
and that the direction of social de-
velopment will be determined by the
secular influences within the state
rather than by the spiritual forces
represented by the church.
The deficiency in religious educa
ton on the part of the "evangelical
sects is called "Protestantism's weak
est spot" by the authors of the report
Their own statement Of the case is
this:
"If you would point to the weakest
spot in the Protestant church you
would put your finger on the army OF
twenty-seven million children ano
youth in our own land who are grow
ing up in spiritual illiteracy and six
teen million other American Protes
tant children whose religious instruc
ton is limited to brief hour once {
week, often sandwiched in between {
delayed preaching service and the
American Sunday dinner"
Conceding that ''the Protestant
churches have not considered
religious education as their fore
most task" and that "the impor
lance of the UNCONVENTIONAL and in
dependent secondary schools in the
program of Christian education has
not always been appreciated" the au
thors of the report commit themselves
to a definite and emphatic approva
of such institutions as will train botf
the minds and the consciences o.
youth. .., .ss> ..ss.
IF in spite Of it's defects and limita
tons a UNCONVENTIONAL school has 6
field of it's own and constituency