Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-15
OLD-TINE RELIGION
BY BISHOP w. A. GAMBLER


as that speed of education without religion,
times"
Since these wise words written by the
great Scotchman the tendency to which he
referred has grown stronger and the results
of it have been such as he foretold would be
its consequences. Culture and crime have in
creased together. Eating the fruit Of the tree
of knowledge has not nourished moral life, but
has resulted in despoed Edens and lost Par
adises.
Education has not curbed corrupting COM
mercalsm, but it has often been corrupted
by it. Educational courses and methods are
too frequently bent toward the making of
monetary profits rather than to the enrich
ment of the mind ana the publication of the
heart. Eleyating and ennobling knowledge is
subordinated, if not set aside entirely to make
room for that which is considered more gain
full, and which can be more Immediately turn
ed into money. Observation of the beginning
Of these conditions in his day gave Sir Arch
ibald Alison occasion to express the fears
concerning education which he entertained.
Speaking of tendencies then, which were as
rivulets when compared with what has in our
time become Q flood, he said "The philioso-
piers stone is alone sought after by the al
chemists of modern days; nothing is studied
but what will render the human mind pro
life of dollars.
affections; to elevate the understanding and
dignity the manners; to provide not the
means of elevation in life, but the power
OF bearing elevation with proprlety; to con-
fer not the power Of producing others, but
the means of conquering ones self; to i'm
press love to God and good will towards
men, are deemed the useless and ant1quated
pursuits OF the monks OF former days Pfac-
teal chemistry and sulphurlc acld; decfepl-
tating salts and hydraulic engines; algeDralc
Il rjo1 a m
camille navigation and double and single.
bookkeeping have fairly driven Cicero and
Virgil off the field"
The final outcome of such education, he
predicted, would be to exclude from study
even the science which did not serve COM
mercial ends, saying amidst the shock of
so many contending interests, the calm pur-
suits of science, which lead not to wealth,
will be abandoned; the institutions which
as yet maintain it will be sacrificed to the
increasing clamor of democratic Jealousy;
literature will become a mere stlmulant TO
the passions or amusement of the hours;
religion separated from its property, Will
become a trade in which the prejudices and
passions of the congregations OF each MIN
lister will be inflamed instead OF being sub
dued; every generous and ennobling study
will be discarded for the mere pursuits or
sordid wealth. or animal enjoyment; eX-
element in all it's forms will become the
universal object, and in the highest state
of manufacturing skill, and in the latest
stages of social regeneration, our descend
ants may sink irrevocably into the degen-
eracy of Roman or Italian manners"
That foremost of the fruit of materials
tic education in Great Britain was publish
ed in 1885, and the history which has fol-
lowed it has fulfilled it in most striking
degree.
IN our country the commercialization of
education has run to even worse lengths.
1t has put material things above the moral.
law, and made eXpedients for achieving
monetary ends more controlling than the
Ten Commandments.
Even the games and sports Of high schools
and colleges have been commercalized.
Gate receipts and gambling gettings occupy
the most influential places in these
demic programs. The players play for
money and the ''rooters" root for bets.
And faculties permit what they do not
approve, because they regard the games as
good advertising for the institution from
which they receive their salaries
Thus the high ideals of Christian schol-
arship are pulled down and physical and
materialistic conceptions of life set up in
their room.