RELIGION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
By Editor
JUDGE CARPENTER, a circuit court judge of Michigan, has decided that "Readings from the Bible" may not be read in the public schools of Michigan, as the reading of these selections are for a religious purpose, and hence contrary to the constitution of the State. These are the sections of the constitution of Michigan which are held to be against the reading of the Bible:— "SECTION 4. Every person has a right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of his own conscience; and no person can of right be compelled to attend, erect, or support against his will, any place of religious worship, or to pay tithes, taxes, or other rates for the support of any minister of the Gospel or teacher of religion." "SECTION 6. The civil and political rights, privileges, and capacities of no individual shall be diminished or enlarged on account of his opinion or belief concerning matters of religion." Judge Carpenter holds that one who pays taxes to support a school where the Bible is read as a religious book is "compelled" to "support," and, in case objection is made, "against his will," a "place of religious worship." The case may be appealed from his decision to the Supreme Court. The Independent, from which we get the above information, well remarks:— "We have long held and argued that the public schools are no place to teach religion, to the injury of Jew, Catholic, Protestant, or Atheist, and this decision seems to us to be in accordance with the principles of American religious freedom. Of course, this does not apply to localities in which no objection is made to the reading of the Bible or to prayer. In that case no one's rights are invaded. The church and the family are, however, the proper custodians of religious instruction. For a similar reason we heartily approve the late decision of the superintendent of public instruction for this State [New York] that a distinctively religious garb must not be worn by teachers in the public schools, in case any objection is made."