p. 2 | Note and Comment

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 12, 1915

Note and Comment

The Bible in the Public Schools

A GROWING effort has been in evidence for a number of years to bring the reading of the Bible into the public schools of this country. According to investigations made under the auspices of the National Reform Association and the International Reform Bureau, considerable progress has been made in securing amendments to State constitutions, making this compulsory upon teachers. The following facts, compiled from the reports of the bureau by the Northwestern Christian Advocate of May 13, will be of interest to those desiring information on this question:—

There are today twelve States in which the law of the State is favorable to the use of the Bible in the public schools. These are Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia.

In Mississippi, the provision is found in the State constitution. Kansas and Oklahoma have the same statute: “No sectarian doctrine shall be taught, . . . but the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, may be used.” The law of North Dakota declares that the Bible shall not be deemed a sectarian book, and shall not be excluded from any public school, but may be read at the option of the teacher, without sectarian comment, not to exceed ten minutes daily. A recent law in Pennsylvania requires the reading of at least ten verses daily, the penalty against the teacher for failure to comply with this provision being dismissal. The statement from Georgia, Indiana, and Iowa is, “The Bible shall not be excluded from the public schools.”

There are nine additional States in which the courts have decided in favor of the use of the Bible: namely, Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Nebraska, Texas, West Virginia, and Oregon (opinion of attorney-general).

The State court of appeals of Kentucky has declared that the Bible is not a sectarian book; that the reading of it in the common schools without note or comment by the teacher is not sectarian instruction; that the use of the Bible does not make the schoolhouse a house of religious worship; and that any particular edition of the Bible cannot be said to be sectarian because it has been adopted by any church.

In six other States a similar favorable decision has been rendered by the State superintendents of public instruction. They are Arkansas, Idaho, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and North Carolina.

In New York it seems that each superintendent has decided for himself, irrespective of the decisions of his predecessors. The by-laws of the board of education of New York City provide that all schools shall be opened with reading the Scriptures without note or comment.

Of the remaining States, there are eleven in which neither the State law nor court opinions decide the matter, but in which the practice is still largely in favor of the use of the Bible. This list includes Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

In Ohio the supreme court has decided that the question rests with the local school boards. In Delaware, the reading of the Bible is quite general. In Connecticut, South Carolina, and Virginia the same is true.

This makes a total of thirty-eight States concerning which it may be said that the use of the Bible is still common, and, on the whole, regarded favorably. It will be well to keep this fact in mind in our discussions of the larger question of religious education.

There are three States in which the laws and the court or official opinions are not decisive, but nevertheless the Bible is not read. These are Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Reports from these States indicate that it would be difficult to find a school in which Bible reading is a part of the regular daily program.

In Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, supreme court decisions have been rendered adverse to the practice of Bible reading in public schools.

In California, Minnesota, Missouri, and Washington similar adverse decisions have been rendered by the attorney-generals of the States.

In New York, Arizona, and Montana such adverse decisions have been rendered by the State superintendents of public instruction.

The decision of the supreme court of Nebraska is that the courts may interfere when the use of the Bible in a public school has degenerated into abuse, and where a teacher, instead of giving secular instruction, has violated the constitution by becoming a sectarian propagandist.

A State having no law on Bible reading in schools, but in which “credits” are given for outside Bible study, is Colorado.

States permitting Bible reading without comment, at option of local school boards, and in which Bible reading is customary, which also give credits for outside Bible study, are Indiana and North Dakota.

The North Dakota-Colorado plan of credits for outside studies, already copied by Indiana and the State of Washington, is under consideration in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas.

The only States in which Bible reading is required by law for the whole State are Massachusetts (since 1855) and Pennsylvania (since 1913).

In the District of Columbia a rule of the board of education requires that teachers shall not only read the Bible but “inculcate obedience to the laws of God.” An effort to have this law made effective by a textbook or syllabus on the commandments and other fundamentals of good citizenship, to be drawn by a union committee, failed in 1905.

For a number of months a vigorous campaign has been waged in New Zealand to introduce into the public schools of that colony what is called the New South Wales Bible Study Plan. This plan provides, according to the Continent of May 27,— for a series of Bible lessons to be taught in the public schools by the regular teachers to all children under their care. It also provides that to cover points of doctrine where the sects differ, the pupils shall at stated periods be divided according to denominations, and pastors of their respective churches shall be admitted to the schools to instruct them in denominational tenets. This latter feature is commonly designated in Australia as “the right of entry.”

The public schools of New Zealand are entirely secular, but a “Bible-in-Schools League” has carried forward an earnest campaign in favor of introducing into the schools the reading of the Scriptures.

The minister of education presented in the last parliament a bill providing for this. Opposition was brought against the bill. This opposition was so strong that in the recent election the government lost its majority, and elected precisely the same number of seats held by its opponents. This has caused an absolute deadlock in the New Zealand Parliament.

What the ultimate political result of this deadlock will mean is uncertain. It is evident, however, that legislation regarding Bible study in the schools has been sidetracked for the present. The Roman Catholic vote in the colony went solidly against the proposal. It will be interesting to watch the outcome of this agitation.