The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-11-21
Our Most Vital
National Asset

important place religion occupied
in the minds of the first Congress.
Certainly it was not their purpose
10 eliminate the influence of re-
ligion on public life. On the con-
trary it was their intention to guar
antee to religion its essential free
dom. In country of divided re-
ligiouS allegiance, the Federal
Government was indeed prohibited
from setting up any established re
liglon; but it was also prohibited
from interfering in any way with
any religious institution or with
the freedom of the individual in
the practice of the religion of his
conscientious choice That nothing
other than this was intended. that
the Federal Government was not
prevented from encouraging and
even aiding religion, so long as no
particular form of religion should
be established by the State, is
clear not only from the wording
OF the First Amendment but also
from the fact that from the be-
ginning, under the Constitution
and its Amendments, many prac.
tices have flourished which have
continued to give great help to
religion.
Apart from the record of deliber-
alton and the wording of the First
Amendment itself, there is abund-
ant evidence that this carefully
thought out solution was not in
dicative of indifference and still
less of hostility TO religion. Both
the Northwest and Southwest Or
dinances, passed by the very men
who were responsible for the
Amendment, speak o. religion and
morality as necessary for good
government and the happiness of
mankind" And even more pointed
are the words used by our first
President in his Farewell Ad-
dress: "Of all the dispositions and
habits which lead to political pros
perity, religion and morality are
indispensable supports Rea-
son and experience both forbid us
TO expect that national morality
can prevail in exclusion OF religious
principle"
Such were the prevailing con
victions OF the Founders of this
country. Such too were the tradi-
tions which have in large measure
determined the course of its de-
velopment. No one has better ex-
pressed American traditions or has
contributed more TO their devel.
opment than Abraham Lincoln.
Eight times during the term of his
presidency he issued proclama-
tions Of thanksgiving and of days
of prayer and fasting which strong
ly emphasize this nations need of
religion. The proclamation of
March 30, 1868, seems even more
. pertinent today than il was at the
time il was issued I'VE have been
the recipients of the choicest boun.
tie of Heaven; we have been pre-
served, these many years. in peace
and prosperity but we have
forgotten God We have forgotten
the gracious hand which preserved
us in peace, and multiplied and en-
riched and strengthened us; and
we have vainly imagined, in the
deceitfulneSS of our hearts. that
all these blessings were produced
by some superior wisdom and vir-
tue of our own Intoxicated with
unbroken success, we have become
too self-sufficient TO feel the neces-
sity Of redeeming and preserving
grace, too proud to pray to the
God that made us"
The Threat of Seeulsrism
These words of Lincoln not only
recall TO us our national traditions
relative TO the importance of re.
ligion: they also remind us of the
constant temptation for this Coun-
try TO turn away from God and to
become immersed i'm material pur.
suits In our own day widespread
yielding to this temptation has
given rise to an even greater dan
ger-the way of life we call Sec
ularism. Those who follow this
way of life distort and blot out our
religious traditions. and seek to
remove all influence of religion
from public life. Their main eff
forts are centered on the divorce
OF religion from education. Their
strategy seems to be; first to seoul.
ari2e completely the public school
and then to claim for il total
monopoly of education
To teach moral and spiritual val
ueS divorced from religion and
based solely on social convention
as these men claim TO do is not
enough. Unless mans conscience
is enlightened by the knowledge
OF principles that express Gods
law. there can be no firm and last
ing morality Without religion.
morality becomes simply matter
Of individual taste, of public opin-
ion or majority vote. The moral
law must derive its validity and
its binding force fr m the truths
OF religion. Without religious edu-
cation. moral education is impos-
/ slble.
In criticizing this secularist trend
in education. LET il not be said that
we are enemies of public educa-
ton We recognize that the State
has legitimate and even neces-
+ QarU rnpaarn R.tfth education PAT