October 1924
T H E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
624
of conforming our educational system with our national character this minority element of the people insist upon denying this common expression of loyalty and fidelity to our high national ideals. They would set up a program of education so devoid of these moral and religious principles, and so completely severed from God’s Treasury of counsel and wisdom, that our splendid government, after the pre sent generation, would fall into the control of a people who would ignore the claims of the Builder of our civilization. But as surely as “ coming events cast their shadows be fore,” this system of Godless, Bible-less education is paving a broad road to a yet further moral downgrade of the na tion. The law of accountability embraces nations and their governments as well as individuals. Since “ the powers that be are ordained of God,” such powers are answerable to God for a disregard of His laws. Under Divine judgments those nations that ignored His will were blotted out. Yet in the face of every warning of history, it is proposed that we leave God out of the school room. For to leave the Bible out is to shut God out. Such blind folly would open the way to America’s hopeless undoing. Our Christian civiliza tion cries out in protest. to speak freely about them. Cultivated men and women when they speak of them at all speak of1them in whispers and by themselves. Four Thousand Millions of Dollars I read in a paper the other day that we had spent for school buildings and properties in this country more than four thousand millions of dollars. The writer went on to say that we were expending every twelve months to main tain and extend this school system more than one thousând millions of dollars. These are vast sums. We think of them but we do not in any way comprehend them. They are beyond thé reach of human minds as practical things. It is, however, perfectly easy to estimate what kind of educa tion wé are procuring by this vast expenditure. The moment we raise' this' question, and examiné the facts we learn that in general our education is a pagan education. That' is to Say, it: is a training of body and intellect with neglect of the moral and spiritual powers. That there are occasional exceptions is true, and for this we should and do give thanks, but that the general situation is properly described by thé word “ pagan” is beyond all question. In many schools the reading of even a brief portion of the Bible and the repetition of the Lord’s Prayer is considered objectionable.1 In some casés it is actually forbidden. We are sending men to prison and hanging mèn every now and then in our country for committing Crimes against a law which has never been stated to them. We spend a thousand millions of dollars a year to educate boys and girls, young mén and women, and do not give them a Bible to read until they are sent to prison for crime. Christian Education Dismissing thought of the public school system and con fining our attention how to private education, what have wè a fight to demand of a Christian school? We have a right to demand: * 1st— That it should confess its faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Book which He has given.
founded on conviction formed by God’s Word, and is worth less and meaningless in one who does not believe in the God of Revelation. Thus do we see that the value and sacredriess of the oath are vital to any popular government; that it's value is in the religious quality, and nothing else! Yet it is proposed that the state trhin up a citizenship without knowledge of the source and authority for the sacred vow. The inevitable harvest to follow such neglect will make sure of a genera tion of what the Bible frankly calls liars. The conclusion is that truth is more than sentiment. It is invested with the highest moral quality. It is a positive virtue, finding ex pression in moral action; and when rooted in the principles of God’s moral teachings this element of man’s moral nature is developed to a degree that is impossible under other influences. In Conclusion To recapitulate, briefly, the school “ secularist” would proceed on the ground that this is not a Christian nation; (notwithstanding the memorable supreme court decision to that effect by the late Justice Brewer); that it is not amen able to God, and not subject to Divine judgments. Instead H BIBLE writer raises this question, “ ‘If the foun dations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psa. 11:3). No answer is given. Perhaps the reason is that when the foundations are destroyed thé righteous cannot do much of anything. If this is true it is obvious that wicked people will try to destroy the foun dations. That will be a short method of accomplishing their whole task. If the foundations of the Capitol building of Washington were destroyed the building would fall into ruins. And if the foundations o f the Church and a Christian civilization were destroyed the whole human race must suffer. What is an Education? An education is a development of all the powers of the living being so that he may accomplish most successfully the largest task.for which he is by nature fitted. We use the word generally respecting men and women; that is, human beings. Although animals may be trained they can never be said to be-educated in the full/sense:of that word, —but how about human beings? What is their education? As already said,— a development of their natural powers so that they may accomplish • successfully the largest work of which they are capable.- This involves a training for the body, a training for the intellect, and a training for the spiriti ' The bodies of men should be strong and well. The minds of men should be acute and powerful. The souls of men should be:pure and holy. A human being .who has this outfit for the work of life is fitted to do the things that a good father or mother wishes his child to do. Pagan Education The education of the heathen nations has beén the'train ing of the bodies and intellects of men along with a neglect of their spiritual interests. There will probably never be more beautiful statues or paintings made anywhere in the world than were created in old Greece. In architecture, oratory, and poetry, the works of those ancient people are still the models for thè world, but, the morals of those nations were so vile that no one dares in a mixed audience
U è jk JÉr Foundation Work By Charles A. Blanchard, President Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker