The Bible in the Public Schools of Nebraska.
Some months ago the Supreme Court of Nebraska rendered a decision which was construed to mean the exclusion of the Bible from the public schools. The decision, as summarized by the court, was as follows:— Exercises by a teacher in a public school, in a school building in school hours and in the presence of the pupils, consisting of the reading of passages from the Bible, and singing of songs and hymns, and offering prayer to the Deity, in accordance with the doctrines, beliefs, customs, or usages of sectarian churches or religious organizations, is forbidden by the constitution of this State. Upon a petition for a rehearing, the court considered the arguments filed in support of the motion, and adhered to the original decision, but added:— This decision does not, however, go to the extent of entirely excluding the Bible from the public schools. It only goes to the extent of denying the right to use it for the purpose of imparting sectarian instruction. The gist of the later decision is found in the following paragraphs from a syllabus prepared by the court:— The law does not forbid the use of the Bible in the public schools; it is not prescribed either by the constitution or the statutes, and the courts have no right to declare its use to be unlawful because it is possible or probable that those who are privileged to use it will misuse the privilege by attempting to propagate their own peculiar theological or ecclesiastical views and opinions. The point where the courts may rightfully interfere to prevent the use of the Bible in a public school is where legitimate use has degenerated into abuse; where a teacher employed to give secular instruction has violated the constitution by becoming a sectarian propagandist. Whether it is prudent or politic to permit Bible reading in the public schools is a question for the school authorities; but whether the practice of Bible reading has taken the form of sectarian instruction is a question for the courts to determine in each instance, upon evidence. Here is an excerpt from the testimony of the lady teacher of whom complaint had been made of sectarian teaching:— Q. You read that book because you think it is the Word of God? Q. And you believe that sincerely? Q. And why do you consider it necessary to offer a prayer? A. I think we are taught to. Q. Yes, you think it is done as an act of worship, the whole thing? Q. Intended to worship God? The court decides that this constitutes sectarian instruction. But that it is not designed to rule out the Bible entirely from the schools, the chief justice says:— Certainly the Iliad may be read in the schools without inculcating a belief in the Olympic divinities, and the Koran may be read without inculcating the Moslem faith. Why may not the Bible be read without indoctrinating children in the creed or dogma of any sect? Its contents are largely historical and moral; its language is unequalled in purity and elegance; its style has never been surpassed; among the classics of our literature it stands preeminent. There is, therefore, an alternative left to the teacher, if the school authorities permit the reading of the Bible: He can pray earnestly in his closet; then he can read the Bible in the schoolroom, live its principles in the presence of his pupils, and then trust the Holy Spirit to impress the truth upon the hearts of those who are susceptible to its influence.