offered to bring the next day in case I didn’t believe them. I believed them. What I didn’t — and don’t — believe is that any o f them learned anything while they were attending. Except how to color the lost sheep black and Esau’s beard brown in the color ing books, o f course, while mem orizing at a somewhat earlier age the words to “ Jesus Wants Me fo r a Sunbeam.” I get a considerable kick out o f some o f our fine parochial school people who rib me about alleged superficiality and some downright puerility in the public school cur riculum. What about the curriculum in their own Sunday schools? In nine cases out o f 10, it’s so inept, shallow and foolishly piddling that it makes even the most blith- eringly “ progressive” o f our pub lic schools look like Caltech by comparison. Its a shame, too, because Sun day school can be and should be an important fo rce in literary as well as religious education. The Ark o f the Covenant. Ruth in tears amid the alien corn. The sword o f the Lord and o f Gideon. The waters o f Babylon. The pa tience o f Job. Jonah and the whale. David and Goliath. I don’t care whether a child is destined to be a Jew, Catholic, Protestant, Black Muslim, Holy Roller or ranting atheist. I f he’s an educated man, he simply has to be intimately fam iliar with these and hundreds o f other sublime stories which are the legendary landmarks o f our whole western civilization. To go through life ignorant o f the great Bible tales is to hobble hamstrung down a d a rk e n e d course with blinders on. And i f a youngster doesn’t get this material in Sunday school, where is he going to get it? Not at home. Family reading is rapidly becoming a lo s t a r t, thanks to the boob tube and “ com munity recreation .” Not at school. The average teacher is scared stiff even to
mention the Bible in class, thanks to a Supreme Court which beams benevolently upon its own child- marrying mountain climbers but which consistently hands down decisions designed to nip in the bud any attempts to elevate moral and spiritual values in the public schools. Only in Sunday school can to morrow ’s generation be exposed systematically to the treasures embedded in the world’s greatest book. And I ’m not talking about religious treasures. I ’m talking about cultural treasures. Don’t take my word fo r what’s going on. T ry these questions on your own kids: Who denied he was his broth er’s keeper? What happened to Lot’s w ife? Who ate the original mess o f pottage? And why? What made J e r i c h o ’s walls come tumbling down? And so on and on. Make up your own questions. It won’t make any difference. The kids won’t know what you’re talking about. Thanks to our typical Sunday school, which goes all out fo r col oring books, paper dolls and gold stars on attendance charts in stead o f the great stories which are the mortar and the bricks o f our Judeo-Christian heritage. For what it’s worth, my own experience has b een that the Jews do better with their children in this respect than do most Christians. But neither group does very well. “ Copyright 1967 — Reprinted with the permission o f the Los Angeles Times.” BD CONFERENCE in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains between Scranton, Pa., and Binghamton, N .Y. JULY 1 - SEPTEMBER 4 Nationally known Bible teachers, mission aries, musicians. Special Pastors' week, youth conference, children's camp. Fam ily rates. Write today for program and information to: MONTROSE BIBLE
MOUNT HERMON CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE CENTER Mount Hermon, California 95041. Located in the Santa Cruz mountain redwoods, six miles from the Pacific. Conferences designed for all needs — Bible exposition, Church Music, Missions, Collegians, trie Family. Coun selor-centered camping for youth. 61st year providing a Christ-centered vacation for the entire family, June 19-September 15. 1967 Speakers include Dr. Stuart Briscoe, Dr. G. Allen Fleece, Dr. Ben Haden, Miss W etherell Johnson, Dr. Ralph Keiper, Dr. J . Vernon McGee, Dr. John M itchell, Dr. Paul Rees, M r. Ray Stedman, Rev. Henk Vigeveno. BOYS AND GIRLS! W E WELCOME YOU TO MT. LOU-SAN BIBLE CAMP 150 Acres of Blue Mountain — 10 Miles From Harrisburg, Penna. SEASON OPENS JULY 2 for SIX WEEKS BOYS' CAMPS BEGIN JU L Y 2 GIRLS' CAMPS BEGIN JU L Y 23 AGES 8-15 IN CLUSIVE JOYFUL, CHRIST-CENTERED ATMOSPHERE REV. W ILLIAM B. HAKEN , DIRECTOR Write for Folder to: Harrisburg Bible Forum, 2200 Blue M t. Parkway, Harrisburg, Pa. 17110 Phone: 545-2841 BIBLE CONFERENCES June 26-30 July 31-August 4 August 7-11 Educators' Conference August 14-18 Also children's camps, youth camps, mothers' camp on the scenic lakeshore grounds of OAK HILLS FELLOWSHIP R. 3, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601 What a Vacation Idea! EDUCATORS' BIBLE CONFERENCE (for elementary, secondary & college teachers) August 14-18 Speakers: Dr. Ivan J. Falls, Sociologist Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. Robert H. Thompson Oak Hills Bible Institute, Bemidji, Minn. Philip Armstrong Missionary, Far Eastern Gospel Crusade 3 other Bible Conferences W RITE: Oak Hills Fellowship, R. 3, Bemidij, Minnesota
A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE KING'S BUSINESS MAKES AN EXCELLENT P R I Z E F OR YOUR CAMP CONTESTS.
Walter J. Dick, Ex.Sec. Montrose Bible Conference Montrose, Penna. 18801
JUNE, 1967
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