Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-04-24
THE BIBLE AND THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL OR THE HEATHER
GOD, OR NO GOD

grade schools IS i've question Ia
West Virginia according to E. W.
Halpenny, General Superintendent of
the West Virginia Sunday School
Council of Religious Education. Some
are strong for making the reading of
the bible compulsory. Some favor
compulsory teaching. Many would
make its INTRODUCTION optional on
the part fthe community What
ever the outcome may be in the ia
ture, the present interest and dis
cussion is wholesome 1t signifies
a consciousness of need on the one
hand, and dsire to provide for the
need on the other.
Discussed in Magazines
Not month passes but what some
of leading magazines discuss this
William G. Shepherd in Good House
keeping" in a series of articles,
makes a stirring indictment of our
public school system. He tells us
the facts prove that there is no
place in America to which a par
ent can send his children-where they
will receive instruction in religion or
morals-within the limits Of demo-
crazy.
Literary Digest of March Is, 1924
states 'In school, it seems every
pagan God in history may be the
subject of the days lessons, but not
the God of the Bible A knowledge
of Greek or Roman Gods is often
one of the requirements in courses
necessary for graduation. Geo
grphy is taught along with the his
tory of pagan faiths, but the God
with whose handiwork geography is
concerned, the God of Christianity
and Judaism, is left out of the Of the
curriculum The child must learn
about Him and learn about religion
as best he can" 1t may be said
their is the Sunday School gives
over against the one thousand hours
per year in general education is evil
IDENTIFY hopelesslN inadequate. There
are millions upon millions of the
childhood and youth of the country
not in any Sunday School.
On Program at Sunday School Con
Convention
This whole situation, according to
the program, will be carefully stud
led, canvassed, and discussed at the
Regional Conventions of the West
Virginia Sunday School Council of
Religious Education. The most APP
proved organized efforts to supple
ment the efforts of the Sunday
School will be fully explained Such
topics as "a Comprehensive Pro-
gram of Christian Education"
''The Church Vacation Schools Doubl-
ing Vital Bible Study" will be pre-
scented, while several hours will be
given to detail study in Divisional
Conference.
1t seems warranted to prophesy
that in ten years, more religious in
struction will be given in connection
withour free schools, then will at
that time be given, or every have
been in the Sunday Schools alone.
There is suggestion that the at
tention of the Sunday School in that
day will be diverted more largely
to training and worship and for pur-
poses of evangelism. If this pro-
gram works out and it seems to pro-
mise such, our Young Peoples So
cieties will be magnifed more and
more as expressional activities.
Church Cooperating
John R. Mott, regarded by Theo-i
dore Roosevelt as the greatest Chris
ian statesman of today, once said
IAN unregenerated world is the price
we have paid for a divided church."
Within the pas two years thirty
five of the great Protestant Demon
have united in a cooperative
program of Christian education. This
is represented in West
Virginia by the "West Virginia Sun
day School Council of Religious Edu-
cation" with offices in the Moore
Building, Charleston, West Virginia.
This Council is the successor to the
West Virginia Sunday Schol Assoc
lation which has been at work in
the state for forty years. The re-
which was affected at
in June, 1923, gives Of
fetal representation on the Execu-
i've Committee to the various Pro-
1estant bodies.
The Regional Conventions referr-
ed to above will be held at Grafton
May z, Romney, May 9 II, Mont
gomery, May IS 49, Selection has