New Britain herald., 1930-09-15
lrrelgion Worlds Supreme Peril,' e Pastor Says In Sermon Answering '. Query: Why Christian Education?'
Rev. William H. Barsch Ex- i plains Views On Need of
 Week Day Church
 Schools-Quotes Leaders
 On Necessity of Spiritual Guidance.


 his arguments; Rev. William H. ' Barsch. pastor of the Memorial Bap- tist church yesterday gave his an- swer to the question Why Christian Education in. an address on the weekday religious schools which open in this city this week.
 The minister pointed out two facts, the impossibility of the state giving religious education, and the universal feeling among men of prominence that some religious training is essential to a successful life.
 His sermon was as follows:
 This week the doors of our churches will be opened to all the children who care to attend religious instruction. There are any number of parents who raise the question: Why Christian education?' Does not the state educate our children? Let us frankly inquire about the schools under distinctively Christian auspices. Let us face the question with an open and fair mind. Among the many answers we have the an- swer of Dr. George W. Truett: Christian education is the only com- plete education. Man is tripartite being, possessed of body, mind and soul.'
 Tt is apparent that education by the state cannot be complete educa- ton. By the very genius of our gov- ernment, the state cannot teach re- <. ligion. What religion would the state teach? What would it say about the person and gospel of Christ? What would the state say about the church, the Bible, and church. history? To ask these ques- tions we see immediately that the state has no religious functions at all
 Through the long>centuries the Protestant people have been the con- sistent and historic advocates of ab- solute liberty of conscience in the realm of religion and of it's inevitable corollary, namely, the separation of church and state. Our Baptist fore fathers in Holland<thus stated the principle in 1911: The magistrate is not to meddle with religion or mat ters of conscience, nor compel men to this Or that form of religion, be- cause Christ is king and lawgiver of the conscience The state has ap- preciated this attitude and upon that view it has opened it's doors permit ting the children to attend Christian instruction in the churches of the various cities.
 T certainly would hastsnsto show my unreserved sympathy and cooper ation in this matter. We are the unfaltering friends of state educa- tion, from its primary grades in the little red schoolhouse to its senior classes in the highly developed state u 'versity. We respect the agencies of state education.
 But when all is 5said and done, we must, in all conscience as Chris tians build and maintain schools that shall be fundamentally and aggres- sively Christian. The supremely es- sential element of human life is the spiritual element. All the mechani- cal knowledge of the Egyptians could not save their civilization. All the culture of Greece couldn't save its civilization. Roman statesman ship. philosophy and mighty armies carried it's civilization to the grave. In the face of collapsing civilization is there any other door Of hope to the American people? To answer this question let us listen to the con- victions of world leaders. 5
 The late Henry Watterson said: The paramount question underlying democracy is the religion of Jesus Christ. Eliminate Christ and you leave the world to eternal war Earl Haig said: The church of Christ is the worlds only social Nope and the sole promise of world peace Lloyd George says: Now 1t is either Christ or chaos; either the Kingdom of God or world revolution Listen to these challenging words from George Bernard Shaw: Why not give Christianity a trial?' A noted leader among the laboring people says: This world must come back ; to Christ, the greatest revolutionary that history has known, a revolu- uonary who carries out the revolu- tion not by strikes, mobs, and law less slaughter. but by dying himself upon a cross The far-farned statis tician, Roger Babson says: The need Of the hour is not more fac tories or materials, not more rail roads or steamships, not more armies or navies, rather more edu- cation based on the plain teaching Of Jesus.s These men seek to put soul under the ribs of American civilization and they realize it can- not be done without the spiritual element of Christian religion.
 "1nJ the face of such testimonies, one can readily understand why the leaders of great !, institutions of learning would approve and urge the maintenance of Christian educa- tiop. Mark these wise words from President Thompson, of the State University of Ohio: I am in no way untrue to state institutions when I ! say that in our day a boy might be- come bachelor or master in almost any one of the best of them and be as ignorant of the Bible, the moral and spiritual truths which it repre- sents, and the fundamental princi- pies of religion, their nature and value to society, as if he had been educated in a non-Christian country. , Who is to supply this lack if it is not the Christian. church. Think of these telling words. of Presi- dent James, of the University of Illinois: Education without religion IS unnatural, abnormal and danger