The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-03-14
.TPYOUR
 CHILDREN
by OIive Roberts Rarton
olass sy N[z sisNeE: lNe

In spite of the fact that there is so much controversy over religion and a decided tendency among young people to think for them selves, I believe that littlffe chill dren should have some sort of re- ligious instructions I cannot put it in any better words than those of 8 famous educator who once said, Teach them the religion of their forefathers, whatever 1t is." There is a convincing truth un4 | derlying this statement. Sincerity must be the keynote of whatever creed they are taught and parents cannot be sincere, as a rule, in any creed but their own.
 | Later on, when a child is doing his own independent thinking he may change. He may do many | things, even to ,discarding 1t alto gether if there is such thing. But believe the early influence of spiritual training gives child something so valuable that it can- not be measured in words.
 Back-Sliding Not Surprising The anti-religious movement among certain parents is neither to be wondered at nor criticized. It was inevitable. Indeed after all that has happened it would have been far more astonishing if there had been no repercussion at all.
 The cause was quite obvious. These parents looked back on their own childhood and the tumble of heterogeneous things they were taught. The subjects were far be- yond their own ability to under stand and in many cases beyond the understanding of their instruc- tors. Big words, involved sentences, object lessons that even learned students in theology have found de- batable and unanswerable for cen- turies, were passed on to those tots in their entirety to be assimilated as best they might.
 1 Fear Was Instilled | But chiefly the trouble with these old Bible lessons was that subjects instilling fear seemed to be the fa- vorites. God was a God of love yet warning every lesson contained dire warning of punishment. After so many years of it myself got the idea that was the worst sinner on earth. Religion became a jail and God was waiting to think up some judgment for me. I was always on trial.
 | To-day church schools like pub lie schools are being reorganized to meet the needs of an increasingly intelligent world. There is a less and less of this frightening dogma passed on the children.
 | Not that God, Or anything spiri- | tual can ever be precisely ex- l plained. There are so many beauti- full things that cannot be explained, yet they can be loved and appreci- ated.
 | This is not dissertation on reli- zion itself, but merely an argument | for keeping it in a chlid's life. | Of course little child will not understand all we tell him, even if it is ever so simply, presented. But some day these little lessons will come back to him with a clearer meaning. If we let children wait until maturity to find out they have a spirit, am afraid reason will never replace the simple faith and acceptance that a small child learns so easily. Religion puts beauty into life. It is hard to explain, but take the spiritual 'out of art, music. or beauty or any sort and it becomes mechanical. without flames. Life can become just as mechanical.
 In this workaday age let us not desert God, the God of kindness, love and beauty. Let us pass him on to the children.