Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1921-10-14

lilbN tlhDHE lI'NN a. nv llbtl "
and the pursuit Of happiness, in
that every man is entitled to
knowledge Of his Creator and
the manner and purpose OF
these His endowments, know.
ledge which is obtainable only
from the Bible and which is thus
excluded from being part of the
education Of the youth provided
to fit them for civil duties Of our
Christian nation"
Furthermore, according to this
Presbyterian prcsentment, Gun
der the Declaration Of lndepcn.
dencc, every child has para
mount civil and political right
to be given an education in the
truth and science Of the religion
set forth in the Bible, exclusive
of any personal and worshipful
element therein, in order that he
may intelIigently direct his soul
or eternal life, and understand
the foundations and functionine
Of our government"
Extensive arguments are pre-
scented to show that no state has
a right to exclude from it's Sys-
TEN of education instruction III
the science of religion as set
forth in the Bible, the only book
which sets forth the existence,
laws and other attributes of the
Divine Providence to which the
Declaration Of Independence is
committed, without this exclu.
sion being repugnant to the
Declaration and therefore void. y
The Synod continues: "Let it
never be forgotten or failed to
be taught to the youth that our
colonial fathers, when proclaim
ed rebels from, and outlaws Of,
their mother country, England,
and no other nation could give
aid, having no navy, no war
munitions nor victorious army,
appealed to and made a solemn
covenant with the Supreme
Judge of the World and that it
is the highest duty Of the people
of this state and nation to keep
this covenant and continue this
right Of appeal by educating all
the youth in the laws, wisdom
and providence of this Supreme
Judge Of the Declaration Of In.
dependence.
The Presbyterian presentment
points out that within a few
years after prohibiting the Bible
from the Washington public
schools lit became necessary to
create juvenile courts, jails and
correctional institutions, and so
great was the demand for their
use that good people Of town and
city began to make efforts to
supply Bible teachings and NOR.
al training to the youth attend,
ing state schools and colleges
and were knocking at the back
doors Of their schools to which
the law required their children
committed for education, seek
ing for the recognition of Bible
instruction. "
The Synod points out that
1.-The course and attitude taken
by the state toward religion and
the Bible will overcome all 9TH
ers; it took less than % years
during the reign of Ahab, by
favoring the teaching of Baal
rather than Of Jehovah, to re
duce the well established Jehov-
ah system to one prophet while
Baal's teaching had increased to
over $50 prophets"
Rather than adopt strenuous
measures as a single denomina-
ton, the Presbyterians Of Wash
ngton are first perfecting a fed
Grated organization representing
all denominations. to establish
the teaching of the Bible as a
part of the education the consti-
tuition requires the state to pro
vide for; and to obtain the opin-
ion of the highest courts there
on, including the opinion or de.
liverance of the supreme court
of the United States, and also a
plebiscite, if deemed necessary. "
Mr.. Edmiston, who is prepar-
ing the preliminary papers for
such court proceedings, speak
ng officially for the Synod Of
Washington, said;
1--WE are taking steps to
thoroughly test this question,
with a view Of getting a decision
in the United States supreme
court as to whether total sup