The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-08-08
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or tneonsiderste

The days pass by with silent, steady speed, stir
ring despair in the hearts of the Boys-n a-Hurry who
have achieved supersonic velocity and dream of
achieving that which is supertemporal. What will
happen if some new missile beats the timelne round
the earth? Fired off Tuesday, it will reach its
destination during the previous Monday night What
a confusion for the mathematcians, the physicists
and the publishers of upto-theminute reviews!
But the point of immediate interest is that time
still ahead of the inventor of the jolly jets is rap
idly bringing us round again to a new schoolyear.
The afternoon sun begins to have that peculiar mel
ancholy glow, and the mornings show that special
haze which for young America, mean but one
thng-the bell and the books.
For young America? All yes; and for old Amer
lea If we have not overtaken time we have changed
its routnes. Now not only children but their elders
pod, not unwllngly, to school Little Jim and Jessie
20 off to kindergarten that great German institution
for getting small fry out of the way) big brother
and big sister (uncvilly called teen-agersa horrid
term go to high school for low grades; mother
takes Job so that papa can complete his college
course, such ii is; even grandpa matriculates in
a seminary for senile seniors to study social rela
tions or take course in leadership.
Education is a great thing if you can gel it.
Schools are wonderful if you easily stirred to
wonder. Technology triUmphs and cassicism col
anses. In 90 the candidates at end OF the Great
Educational Process; out at the other end, come the
bachelors the masters, the doctors magma cun
dude and stonma cum improbabihtate. And the
old world rolls on, still oustripping the whiz wiz
ards not much affected by the gut of school produc
ton; not much wiser, not much happier. not much
more comfortable not more peaceful. Hail to mod
ern education, the Great Ado About Nothing
Little Jim and little Jessie after mastering df
you don't what you say) all that kindergarten,
grade school and high school offers them, become
big Jim and big Jessie by the sure If questionable
process of time. They have reached the age Of
shorts and sophistcaon, and you could write their
whole store Of knowledge and culture the back
of postage stamp. Off they go TO the university for
their higher education on the lower plane Chances
they come out, four or five years later with
Just enough mental acumen 10 follow wrestling
match on TV, and just enough urgency of spirit TO
keep up with the rent and payments on the car
Technology is marvellous il has given us the
deepfreeze, AMI TV, and automatic washers and
driers II has given us home-permanents and anti
persplrants. II has perfected beer II has made the
bathroom chrome and porcelain temple IN tho
heart of the rented) home II has made adequate
the lethal implements of war. II has supplaned the
fogyism of classical learning with the sammerng
inarticulateness of experts who begin every sent
ence with "on the basis of or - Due to -"
But technology and the universities have not
changed the fogySh facts Of birth and death II is not
a manifest benefit that the journey of life may
be made by ietpropeed alrplane This Is the
same old journey however you make it. And de
spite chronological education, II is journey through
the unchanging human incidents of JOY and sorrow,
pleasure and pain peace and turmoil, health and
sickness, calm and worry devotion and treaehery,
fidelity and lithlessness sacrifice and selfshness
And the Journey has the same end II does not
~
tcian II does not alter the final fact to know that
the most skillful of technicans and the most com
plicated of therapeutic gadgetS surround the death
bed. The end is the same Man dies, And man faces
judgment.
Sanity suggests that technology is at best
pleasing incident in the significant human eXper
fence of living and dying 1t is pink lemonade at the
party But il meets no basic requirements Sanity
suggests that the educative process be eyaluated
"on the basis of" mans meaning and destiny. And
there goes education bang into the realm of religion
a thing of which technology knows nothing al all
But you can't keep il out. Education, if il means
anything, means training for life And training
for life cannot ignore the most tremendous and
significant moment of life which is the moment of
leaving il. Education which does not look on to
mans hereafter is not fit to direct mans here and
now. To sneer al Immortality or TO discount 1t
is TO offer a gratuitous insult to mortality. To pro
claim Supine ignorance of life beyond the grave
with its endless JOY or misery is not to enghten
minds to Sake the quenchlesS thirst of human
souls TO be blind to an issue is not to destroy
or dispace that issue.
Real education is, first of all training of the
minds eye to see, and training of the Wills power
to hold a way of life that will make life's journey
a successful trip to desired destination All else
is futile All else is ultimately meaningless, or
worse. And there is no such training of mind and
will without religion Education without religion is
shell without contents husk without grain. II
is no help to find the shell made of modern plas.
tic in artistic style or the husk turned out of mod
ern machines at the rate of millions daily
The school bell rings, Jim and Jessie, papa and
grandpa Take up your books and trot along to
classes Learn all about the little red hen listen
TO the fathead lecturer who mouths inanities
about the absence Of absolutes Hear The bell II
has an ominous ring '"ris the knef that sum
mons thee ct cetera. On your way Great is
Modern Education