Year: 1859

The Bible in Public Schools.


In the Pacific Methodist, of May 18th we find an
able article from the pen of the Rev. DIR. Scott,
Of San Francisco, entitled, "The Sphere and
the Duties of the Government" We ere-publish
the following extract, at the request Of reli-
gious friend:


The government does not build church nor
educate nor support pastor. 1t says to the
people you may build house OF worship OF
any size or style you wish-furnish it after
your own taste, and any sort of priest or
minister you choose. All we will do is to pro-
tect you Just as we do our neighbors. 1t is not
our province to furnish you with Q rehgion,
nor to support it for you. Your religion Is an
individual matter between your soul and your
Creator. 1t is not our duty to teach it to you;
it is taught to you in your churches. Tbe state
cannot teach our children religion and If the
State should profess willingness to establish
the denomination to which / belong, aud to
teach its creed and catechism, l should oppose
it with all my might, and TO the last moment Of
my life If, then the meaning is, that it is the
duty of the State to give the children q liberal
education, without teaching them religion OF
any kind how and by what authority does 1t
become the duty of the State to cause the Bible
to be used in the Public Schools? What kind
of book is the Bible? Is it not religious
| book Is III not FeIlHlOu lbSeII AHu iS ~ uOt
Just because it is such boOk-just because 1t
is such book as Protestants believe in, that
so much zeal is manifested for forcing its use
| in our Public Schools? II not, confess l do
! not understand the subject at all. If it were
to teach the children how to read or how to
write, or even the geography of the holy land,
or the botany of the trees and fiowres of Mount
Lebanon. that the Bible is to be read or used
| in the Public Schools then could understand
something of the consistency of the argument /;
but this is not the object The professed object
is to teach religion. because religion is the
basis of all good morals, and is necessary to our
national existanee. And still more, the object
of those who are so strenuous in advocating the
use of the Bible in the Public Schools is to teach
not merely religion but Christianity, in contra
distinction TO Judaism or Mohammcdanism, aud
Protestant Christianity in cOntradistinction to
the faith Of the Greek Romish, or Armenian
Churches. Now if this be not taeir object, l
do not comprehend their purpose, nor under
stand their arguments at all. We must then
come TO this issue: Education must be secular.
or it is to be religious, or it is to be BOTH If tt
is to be both, then the State is only able to SUI
perintend one part of the work. And if it is to
be wholly secular, then the Bible is not to be
forced into the schools, for the moment that is
done the State takes cognizance of religion,
and undertakes TO teach it to our children.
But surely this cannot be done in our country.
The legislature has no more right to direct the
reading of the Bible in school, than it has to
direct its own members what church they must
worship in. Nor has the legislature any more
right to authorize the Board of Directors to
compel me to have my child listen to the read
ing of the Holy Scriptures in the Public Schools
or to require any teacher to read particular
version. than they have to authorize Board
of Visitors to compel such or such version OF
the Bible to be read in our churches. The pro-
position may be twisted around and around
and stated in many different ways; but in every
one of them, the meaning of it at the bottom
and unknown and unsupported it may be by
many who support it, is union of Church and
State 1t is a dangerous step, and should at
once be resisted in all proper ways for if per-
sisted in and allowed to prevail, is will lead in
evitably to much sectarian bitterness, aud in
the end to civil and religious wars. And just
10 the proportion that our laws allow us the
perfection of religious freedom, n the very
same measure should our religion make us for
bearing and charitable, and restrain us from
doing what is wrong, unjust, rash or Oppress
| i've. -.~ '-- >-