Evening star., 1950-10-29
The Week in ReIiqion


Protestant leaders are now
stressing the need for a close link
between religion and education.
The conviction appears to be
growing among Protestants that
religion must play an increasing
role in both primary and secondary
education. Many seem to feel that
religion can be encouraged in the
public schools without infringing
/ on the principle of church-state
separation.
Two prominent Protestant
speakers at the National Confer
ence or Religion in Education in
Preparatory Schools. which met
in Atlantic City, N. j.. this week,
gave the reasons why they be-
lieve religion must become part
of general education.
Part of Cultural Life
Mrs. Douglas Horton of New
York. vice president of the Federal
Council of Churches, said the
schools need to recognize the
reality of religious experience as
part of cultural and personal
life"
ANY school, however secular
Gncluding the public SCHOOL, |
which purports to introduce the
child to the culture of American
society,"" Mrs. Horton said, loves
it to children to tell them of our
commitments to our jewish
Christian heritage. and to asso-
ciate their idealisms with the
dynamic of religious faith which
has moved mountains and men
throughout the ages"
In Mrs. Horizons opinion, schools
can create an atmosphere in
which the children can recognize
religion as normal, desirable
concern of educated people
Bishop DUN Gives Talk.
The second speaker was Bishop
Angus Dun of the Protestant
Episcopal Diocese of Washington,
who said private schools should
teach their students religion
around which they may rally toI
forestall the development of some
other faith. such as communism.
fascism, materialism or natural
ISM"
All human beings need a center
OF allegiance or devotion, Bishop
Dun asserted. He warned that in
today's world patriotism is not
enough" and said that children
must be taught religion so that in
later years they can direct their
energies and knowledge into paths
of endeavor which would aid man
kind"
A group of so educators at the
meeting of the conference, which
represents headmasters and fac
ulty members of 165 private
schools. pledged themselves "to
work to increase intelligent COM
mitment to God in the schools"
Statement by Group.
"As we survey the first so years
OF the Goth Century" a statement |
by the group declared, I'VE realize
that we have not come to grips
with the basic problems of ma
terialism and securalism.
Hence as we enter the second half
Of the century. we intend to work
to increase intelligent commit
ment to God and accomplishment
of His will in the schools. Our
simple and profound objective will
be to rethink, replan and restate
the religious program for inde-
pendent school education"
A statement issued last week by
the Philadelphia Council of
Churches affirmed that religion
cannot be separated from educa-
tion. and any attempt to do so
docs violence to both"
The statement was drafted by a
special committee of the councils
department of education, which
spent year studying the relation
of religion to public education.
I'VE believe - the statement
said. that education is weakened
and its usefulness impaired to the
extent that it is separated from
the disciplines and insights of
religious faith. The Christian
faith underlies the history and
philosophy of American life and
of its public education. Were we
to depart from this foundation, all |
our democratic institutions and
practices, including our public
school system. would be i'm
periled."
The Philadelphia committee
made it clear that. while it in
dorsed separation of church and
state, 1--WE do not hold to Separa-
ton of religion and education"
I'VE could not" the committee
declared. 'look with equanimity
upon deliberate attempt or an
unconscious tendency to eleminate
from the schools of the Nation the
faith in Gold held by the over
whelming majority of our Ameri-
can citizens. We must resist any
tendency to have the schools dis
play a lofty neutrality between re-
ligion and non-religion alike, as
If there were nothing to choose
between them"
"The Christian faith is embodied