Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1921-10-20
GIVES A GOOD
EXPLANATION
THE BIBLE AND THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Editor Enterprise

= Editor Enterprise
- was asked last week by a good
= friend to state clearly, through the
= Enterprise, just why the Bible is not
= used in the Public Schools. l did
. not comply with mis- request last
week and my good friend was a
little peeved and hurt because he
; considers the question important.
, have no desire to indulge in contro-
! versy and will not. Perhaps | can
comply with his request by quoting
= copy of circular letter / sent out
: to all the ministers in Payette seven
years ago, including the Episcopal
/ Rector and the Catholic Priest. 1t
, contained, in part at least, the an
swer. The letter is as follows:
There is a widespread feeling
. among school men that we are fac
ing the very alarming fact that
/ knowledge of the Bible seems to be
passing out of the lives OF the com
ing generation, and with the passing
of that knowledge there is fast dis
appearing any acquaintance with
tie religious element which has
shaped our civilization from the
beginning.
EOOIIt tttGAl 4INOOll61N4O4iSs maui
by leaders in education, reveal the
astonishing fact that less than 12%
of the High School students of Amer
ica have any real knowledge of the
historical facts of the Bible and less
than SO have definite knowledge.
The purpose of these Investigations
was not to find ont what pupils
know about theology, nor what they
I, Oh A-,- - Es~l
out what they know about the Bible.
the greatest book published.
1t is fact we'll known to any per-
son informed in educational history
that in the beginning of our govern
ment all schools impaired religious
INSTRUCTION along with secular train
ing Purely sectarian schools were
established later as a compromise
seemingly rendered necessary to
maintain religious liberty in. Amer
lea. Then came non-sectarian
school. but it was never intended by
its originatoTs as a protest against
religious principles. nor to under
value religious instruction in educa-
ton. It was merely a protest against
creed instruction, but their purpose
has been so far misinterpreted as to
strike the religious element entirely
out of the system. The misconcep-
tion of the intentions of the founders
of the non-sectarian schools has be-
come so general that any formal con-
sideration of religious principles is
forbidden by statute or constitution
al provision or amendment in most
of the states. Idaho has constitu-
tiOn that expressly forbids the teach
ing of religious teHets in the public
schools. The Bible is out of the
public schools OF America solely be-
cause theological difference of opin-
ion among the churches has forced
it out. When ministers decry against
what they call Goddess schools"
they seem unmindful of the fact
that the church is to blame. The
Bible is out of the schools, not be-
cause the school men and wmen
want ii out, but because differences
of opinion among the churches bar
it out.
am well aware that there are, in
!a0- community, those who still be-
lieve that the school should confine
its efforts to intellectual develop
ment. leaving morals and religion to
the home and to the church, While
there may be those who deny that
religious training is an element in
any scheme of public education
surely no one will deny its import
arce as an element in human life
Religious. thought, sentiment and
purpose bear so important and vital
. relation in the outward life of man
kind that it is hardly conceivable
that any intelligent citizen, teacher
, or parent should deem it best for a
; child to grow to maturity without
, q knowledge of fundamental religi-
- Gus principles. But we are confront
ed with the question. where is the
: child to get this knowledge, and how
. under present restrictions, can re-
.ligious education be made to yield
the results that are desirable? So
: far as / can see there is but one an
swer. BY giving the religious ele-
ment its due share in education, if
e not in school, then by some arrange
| ment, outside of school. For the
/ ministers to recry against Goddess
schools. and for the school people
to blame the churches. will not ac-
:, complish anything in the matter of
r Agiving religious truth to the young
; ipeople.
, The child comes very quickly TO
look upon the school as the place
t where everything is taught that is
5 worth knowing. The absence of re-
= ligious instruction has for one its
effects ignorance of certain funda-
mental truths, but its more serious
effect is the detachment, in the
= child's appreciation of religion from
} practical life.
: Once we give the impression that
f religious ideas and duties are extras
for which ministers alone are re-
| sponsible, we make the work of the
church exceedingly difficult. Wheth-
. er we intend it or not, we are sure
ly making it quite clear to the pupils
that the schools provide all the es-
r