Evening star., 1945-09-26
Letters to The Star
Readers Oppose Teaching
Of RELIGION as Such

To the Editor Of The Star:
1t seems the persons, whose letter ap-
peared in The Star OF September 10,
signed A. F., advocating the teaching
of religion in all public schools, is con-
fusing religion and morals.
He says, IF people would obey the
Ten Commandments alone there would
be no theft, murder, deceit" This
fact would no doubt be recognized by
the worst or even the best moron But
here, also, A. F. seems to be confused.
While it is true that the Christian re-
ligion teaches the Ten Commandments,
and we'll that 1t does, the moral code
of the Commandments did not originate
with the Christian religion, but was
known and practiced long before the
time of Christ
Maybe if the churches would put
more stress on the teaching of the
Commandments, the Golden Rule,
morals and human fellowship, and less
on church dogma, the world that A. F.
and all Of us would like to see would
become reality.
Our country was founded on the
principle of separation of church and
state and has grown into the greatest
country in the world because it has ad-
hered to this principle. All peace and
freedom loving citizens, whether Prot
estant, Catholic, Jew or atheist, should
at all times keep this in mind and do
all in their power to see that church
and state are kept separate forever.
J. R. QUINN.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Whatever we may think of religious
training, one thing is sure: 1t should
be totally excluded from our public
schools. We have no state religion;
the United States is country of re-
igious freedom where citizen may be-
lieve in one or more gods or no gods
at ALL Religious training is of neces-
sity Sectarian, as we have not one re-
ligion, but multiplicity of sects with
all kinds Of belief or unbelief-even
atheism is religion, for like all other
religions it is based on mere belief,
unsupported by proof. When the spon-
sors Of religious training speak of
'nonsectarian" instruction, they really
mean multisectarian, for there is no
such thing as nonsectarian religion.
In The Star of September 10 your
correspondent A. F. tells us that re
ligion simply is Gods directions for
decent, orderly living" If that is so,
how are We to explain the multiplicity
Of religions? The fact, of course. is
that all religions are the work of mortal
men and women; we have no proof to
the contrary.
A. F. speaks of godlessness in Japan
where the Shintoists worship about
5000 nature gods and over 5000 other
gods and consider their Emperor as a
descendant of the Sun Goddess. Is
that godlessness? To clinch the argu-
ment about the results of godlessness,
A. F. adds emphatically that the worst
moron should need no further con-
vincing." That is doubtless true, for
moron will believe anything, while
intelligent men have to be convinced
by proofs.
IF people would only obey the Ten
Commandments alone there would be
no theft, murder, deceit" says A. F.
There would be no crime, either, if
people would obey the ordinary law of
the land, What the pupils need Is
not religious training but instruction
in ethics which will give them practical
rules, based on human experience, for
the proper conduct of their lives in
the community. J. J. KRAL.
To the Editor Of The star:
The men who laid the foundations oi
this country did so upon belief in God
If our country is to prosper, this belief
in God must be kept alive. Our legis-
lators, we are happy to say, remember
this when they take the oath of Office
and our coins with In God We Trust
testify to this belief.
Today our citizens are fast losing this
Idea, because our children are learning
nothing about their God. What our
forefathers built on belief in God, our
modern system of education is tearing
down by omitting religion from its
studies. A Godfearing people always
built up society. nation and civilization
A goddess nation destroyed all good In
society, in the nation and in civiliza-
ton. To keep our country from de.
stroying ITSELF we must teach our future
citizens something about God and His
laws and their obligations to Him
PAT.
Criticizes Commentator