Untitled article | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · January 15, 1891

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 6, No. 3

Religion in Schools.

OUR friend, the Rev. Dr. Osborn, seems to have got into a newspaper controversy upon the above subject, with one Rev. George Shipman Payson. This crossing of steel (pens) by the reverend gentlemen, one a Baptist and one a Presbyterian, is in the columns of the Examiner, a Baptist paper. So far, Dr. Osborn has got the better of the argument. We quote the following from Dr. Osborn's letter:—

We profoundly believe that our brethren of other denominations are treading, in this movement, on dangerous ground; the most dangerous by far, because under the captious assumption of instruction in morals, and because put forward by so influential names as those of Howard Crosby and his associates, and so influential ecclesiastical bodies as the Synod of New York, and other organizations joining in the Conference.

If the State may teach religion in schools supported by general tax, the question at once and of necessity arises, What religion shall it be? The Protestant religion of the bodies composing this Conference, the pagan religion of the New York Chinamen, or the Roman Catholic religion, which, nearly, if not quite, controls the school boards of the City of New York? The answer to that question, under our system of Government by the majority, will depend simply upon which religion has a majority of adherents in the State.

As soon as religious doctrine is taught in schools, the word, which? becomes the most important in the vocabulary. Under our system of Government, those who espouse one doctrine have equal rights with those who are the followers of another. It would be no more than natural that the adherents of each doctrine would be pounding away at the school-house door demanding the admission of their especial theories. It would be necessary to comply with the demand of the advocates of one and leave out the advocates of the other doctrines. Now, which would it be?

If the Government should attempt to answer that question in favor of any one doctrine, there would be a cruel religious war upon its hands wherein the hand of brother would be raised against brother. Upon this question the views of the Baptist are far more broad, more liberal, and more sensible than the views of the Presbyterian brother. We believe that the Baptist people have been accused of being narrow-minded, close communion, and of trying to get into heaven with a row boat; but upon this question, under the lead of Dr. Osborn, the Baptists have taken that liberal position that is nobility itself. Their position is not only liberal but a position of patriotism, worthy of a great church people.

In our judgment it is not easy to legislate people into heaven or hell. Religion is a matter of conscientious convictions, and no law can assist one in the fulfillment of his duties to his Maker. Our schools are under the jurisdiction of the State, but the Christianity of the people of the State is not. Our schools are of too much importance, and far too sacred to be ruined by any religious quarrel. Dr. Osborn is right.—Orleans Herald.