Show THE nible BIBLE IX IV ede THE SCHOOLS THE vexed question whether the bible shall be excluded from the public schools is exciting considerable attention and discussion in various parts of the union it la Is a question that cannot be readily settled and threatens to grow to portentous dimensions on the part of the roman homan catholics the 11 system yil t em of af using the bible as a textbook textbook text look kook is s strongly opposed they object to king james translation being read by their th belr children childre nj and to their receiving a religious bias from protestant teachers besides they think that the system of reading the bible in schools is a tacit yielding of allegiance on their par partido tito the protestant malth maith they claim that 88 ss as 88 the school sLam either supported by taxation or from a common public fund it is but simple justice to exclude any text book which gives ond ence to the religious views of a large portion of those whose children are entitled to the course of instruction there are many protestants who are inclined to yield this point to them thinking that so far as justlee justice is concerned e d they claim to have the bible excluded ought to be granted yet the mass of the protestants feel like warring against such a decision they want the bible preserved as a text book for without it they contend the school room would be no better than a heathen nursery r the fear of god is tae beginning of wisdom they quote and from what book cau can children learn the fear of god goa so well they ask as from the bible the bible then they are determined to have in their schools the proposal has been made to have separate schools schools in which the bible is taught and others where it is excluded the opponents of this suggestion assert that such a school would destroy the unity of feeling which ought to exist among the rising generation gen bration and foster religious prejudices and feuds those who favor it argue that when people of various faiths agree to disagree they always come together closer than before this sounds exceedingly strange to ua us in this country but it Is gravely stated that Chriatian fians sare are more likely to live at peace when divided into different churches than they would if parti partially al ly divided ani tin 1 I yet belonging to one church for th ti rea reason 1 son sou it is urged that thoughtful christians favor the multiplication of sects aa as otreal of real christian unity in other words the christian world prospers more while divided than i t would if united the tho th heaven they expect to reach must be la a strange place how this discussion dicus sion sien will terminate is not noi t present very clear but it excites partisan feeling and sectarian bit berness ter ness and i threatens to involve the whole COU country n try in an unpleasant controversy tro versy veray |