The Penn's Grove record., 1923-02-02
Religious Teachings
In Day Schools
The Need of 1t And What Is
Being Done Elsewhere Told

Monday evening to hear an able adj
dress on where and how religious in
struction is given in the day schools
in several parts of the country and
the importance of introducing 1t else
where in order that the masses may
get a more moral instruction to hold
secure the body polite to the scrip
tural basis upon which u Nation was
founded.
Rev. Frank DePue, pastor of the
Presbyterian Church, Carneys Point,
was chairman.
The first speaker was Rev. Canon
Charles S. Lewis, of the Episcopal
Cathedral, Trenton, who is the reli-
gious head of the New Jersey
diocese. He said in part:
No one wants religion put in the
school course Of study nor to be
taught by State authority. There are
certain fundamentals which every
child should know about God and
what the religion of the Christian
Church is. 1t is essential that the
principals of the Christian should be
taught in order that the citizens may
live the Christ life and exert it in the
moral life of the State or our Nation
will be doomed.
One hour a week is given in some
places as a supplement to secular in
struction.
One plan is to have individual
schools where all the community was
practically Of the same Church faith.
Another was for each Church to
have a representative on a commu-
nifty board and each Church to take
a. 49,. oL5Ilrop F1p. M HON. flor.
school and give the instruction
Another is to have all the non
Roman and non-Hebrew into one
school and give the fundamentals of
the Protestant faith to others.
In New Jersey there are such
schools at Someryille, Gladstone, Ber-
gan and EngleWood.
Calvin Kendall, the late Commits
sioner of Education, decided that it
was for the local Board of Education
to decide. In Trenton and other
places children had been excused in
school hours to attend Church services
on certain days.
john Enright, the present State
Commissioner, had ruled there was no
right for the child to be excused from
the school for any cause requested by
the Church.
1t is for the people of the commu-
nifty to consult and cooperate as to
the best method and time to have re-
ligious instruction given on week
days. More is needed than half an
hour on Sunday, besides many do not
go to Sunday Schools.
The next speaker was Walter A.
Squires, B. D., of Philadelphia, who
is Director of Week Day Religious
instruction, Presbyterian Board of
Publication and Sabbath School Work.
He shows charts giving the value of
religious instruction. Churches ac-
quire 80 per cent of membership from
the Sunday School and II per cent
from other sources. The greatest
number are converted at the age of
16 years.
In the matter of securing an en-
during attachment to the Christian
faith, the educational method is more
than four times as efficient as the
revivalistic method.
The greatest number of crimes are
committed by girls at the age Of IA,
and four and a half times as many
are committed by boys at the age of
16 years.
The growth of the weekday Church
School movement has increased from
l in 1912 to as in 1921. In Gary, Ind,
the public schools enroll $3.50. The
weekday Church school has 5000, and
the Sunday Schools, 6 to 10, $500.
Gary has "A per cent of children in
weekday Church schools; Van Vert,
O., has 81 per cent, and Bavatia, n.
Y, 81 per cent.
Protestants give 25 hours instruc-
ton a year; Catholics, 200; Jewish,
1856; available in Gary, POT.
In Gary, nationalities are represent
ed as follows:
Creations, 1874; Italian, 113; Slavish,
Up; Polish, 100; American Negro,
"a; Russian, 80; Hungarian, 81; Ii
lithuanian, 80; Serbian, 81; German
SIS; Bohemian, 26; Swedish, 26; Eng
lish, 10; Rumanian, 10; Spanish, TO-;
Austrian, 10; Greek, 9; Hebrew, 4;
Persian, 8; Scotch, 2; Norwegian, 2;
Danish, 2; French, 2; Irish, 2; Bel
gian, 2; Armenian, 2; Slovak, |;
Ruthenian, /; Surlan, 1; Ukranian, 1.
The denominations are as follows:
1885,; Methodist, 255; no preference,
1910, CnrlSIldl, 49,, Greeh CdIIlollc,
118; United Presbyterian, 70; Baptist,
So; English Lutheran, A; Reformed,
SO; Swedish Lutheran, 81; Christian
Science, 27; German Lutheran, 49,;
Episcopal, 10; Congregational, 16;
Jewish, 5; Salvation Army, a; Mis-
sion Friends, 8; United Brethren, 2;
Christian Union, 2; Norwegian Lu-
theran, 2; Mormon, 2; African NJ. E.,
2; Seven Day Adventist, q; Free
Methodist, /; German NJ. E., 1; Wes-
leyan Methodist, /; Quaker, 1; Mora
Wan, 1.
Both addresses showed the need,
value and feasibility of weekday re-
ligious education. After an hours
general discussion, on motion of Rev.
J. BENZ. Meyers, it was voted to take
action and have such in Carneys
Point.