The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-26
FARGO DEBATES
CHURCH SCHOOL
ON WEEK DAYS
Division of Opinion Express.
ed Over Proposed Bible
Teaching Plan
IS DECLARED ILLEGAL

Fargo, y. D., Feb % The week
day church school would lead logical
~ to some form of Il state church,
directly in opposition to one of the
foundation principles of the Amer
lean constitution and system of gov
eminent, Rev. T.. 2. Baker, pastor
OF the Plymouth Congregational
church declared in talk on the sub
jcct at his church.
He suggested that the church
should make use OF the li0 l-2 hours
per week when the children are not
in school rather than the u l2 hours
when they are, to give them their
religious education.
Prof. c. l. Nelson, who also dis
cussed the subject, pointed out that
the schools are already struggling
under heavy burden without the
addition of complications from a
week day church school schedule
which he said would cut the choicest
hours out of the school day for the
children concerned.
Hold School Illegal
Both speakers pointed out that
week day church school is illegal UNI
under North Dakota laws; both
speakers put the problem OF giving
the child its religious education
squarely up to the churches.
The other system, Prot. Nelson
said, amounts to parisitism on the
public schools, and he named numcr-
Gus difficulties and complications to
which the plan would be subject
Rev Baker address follows in
part as it is less technical than that
of Prof Nelson:
If the church cannot teach re-
ligion effectively during the time it
has at its disposal-that is during
the l4O l2 hours per week children
are not in school as opposed to the
y ID hours they are--what reason
have we to suppose that it can and
will teach it effectively during the
time that at present belongs to the
public schools
Demond Demonstration
Let the church first demonstrate
that it can do this work properly on
Sunday before it asks the public
schools to give up some Of their
time on Thursday.
The speaker then declared it rca
sonablc to believe that first there
would be week day religious lnstruc-
ton in the churches by teachers
supplied by the churches; then the
same instruction IN the public
schools; and last the instruction in
the public schools and taught By
public school teachers.
The religion taught would be that
of the teacher. he added.
Scores Lawbrcaking
1t is Il strange political philosophy
which any man must have who would
contend that because the law on this
matter is being ignored or wilfully
violated in 10 separated places in th $
state, that Fargo should do likewise
continued the pastor. Are we to be
law abiding only as the law is suta-
Bile to us?'
The whole proposition savors too
strongly of the union of church and
state-a distinct contra Giction to the
first amendment to our national con-
stitution.
How any church that has been
emancipated from SO despicable a
principle as the union Of the church
and the state could support such
measure is quite uncomfortable.
Both speakers declared that the
plan would be unfair to children of
parents who did not desire to have
them attend any Of the religious
schools. Their time. during the per-
iod spent by the others in religious
Instruction.. would be wasted, Rev
Baker said
Both speakers put the problem of
more and better religious education
the need for which they freely ad-
mitted-up to the churches and made
a plea for better Sunday schools.
The present lack of more truly
moving and effective religious teach
ing is The fault of the very church.
es which are so anxious to PARASITIC
the best in our public schools" Mr.
Nelson said