Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-03-04
CLASH ON RE;FPEElAI al. OF STATE Blue LAWS
AND ADDRESSES ON SOCIAL UNREST AND
RELIGIOUS EDUC ALTON FEATURE SESSION
Speaker Charges Large PR
Centage Of Spiritual nlit-
eracy in North Dakota 7;
Statements Challenged ;
Churches Urged to Study
Causes of Discomfort.

A percentage Of spiritual litter
acy" in North Dakota 20 high that
the statement was challenged by del
egates to the pastors conference,
was alleged today at the First Bap-
tist church by DR.. J. Kirkwood Craig,
a member Of the department Of re-.
liStous education in the interchurch
world movement.
There are in North Dakota $685.
500 people under 25 who are receiy-
ing no religious instruction." was
Dr. Craig's announcement.
I'VE challenee that statement;
that's half the people in the state,'
audience.
-! shall be glad to reply to the
challenge after the meeting" said
DIR. Craig, ':and will furnish any of
you who will write to me or to my
office with an analysis Of the statis-
tical computation by which this fig
ure is arrived at. ~
that among statisticians it is held
that in work of this kind an error
Of five per cent is allowable and
that the young woman who COM
piled these figures has a record in
certain proved cases Of coming with
in one-sixth of one, per cent Of the
actually counted and verified fig
ures.'' u,
Mr.. Craig declared that there
should be cooperation between pub
! lie and religious schools for educa-
tional advantages. 1.-THE pioneer and
! yet the finest examples of such CO.
operation Is seen here in your own
great state Of North Dakota between
! the state university and Wesley col
llege," he said.
! nlitszacy Peril.
! Americas greatest peril was the
theme discussed by Chaplain ]. Kirk.
] wood Craig in his address on Ameri
can Religious Education given thi.
morning. He mentioned three vas
armies that threaten our national life
namely: S V million illiterates abov,
ten years of age, SO million of un
Jewish, Catholic or Protestant, and 2;
millions of children and youth under
Is years of age who are not receiving
any religious instruction whatever
From these. he said, come unrest
anarchy and crime He also citet
that in spite Of the splendid working,
Of the probation system, iuvenil,
in the last decade while the population
4 Of the U. s. has increased only abou
~ and two-thirds per cent. He; men
! toned the national emergency that 1
uppn US as seep. ffrRtStnsl lEnrn SSs s4dll
II "a taon and next iii .Ihla idt15s Rduuati0u
A He cited the dearth OF public sch0o
4 teachers due largely to economic con
4 .ditions and Inadequate facilities 70
preparation. He urged the clergyme1
to study and give their moral supper
to the Smith-Towner bill now befor
congress, which provides for an ade
\ quate educational program. mo chill,
should be damned to illiteracy be
cause he CHANGED to be born in on
Of the waste places of the national,
said the speaker, and also that "a re
ligious education should be the, herit
age of every child, spiritual illiterac.
is the greatest peril Of organized SO
/ ciety.'' He further showed quotin,
from the latest statistics-that two
/ thirds Of the children and youth o
the United States are receiving no in
struction in religious schools, Jewish
Catholic or Protestant; 270,970 boy
and girls in Protestant or nominall
Protestant homes in South Dakot;
/ are not enrolled in any Sunday schoo
or institution for religious instruction