Christian Education

Christian Education By Dr. F. S. Harris, President of the Brigham Young Unhwrsity The statement is sometimes made by the misinformed that education is a bad thing because it tends to make people less religious. Educators are accused of not having the religious welfare of the young people at heart, because religious instruc- tion is excluded from the public schools. My association with educators leads me to believe that as a class they do recognize the great value of religious training, but they are not at liberty to teach specific forms of religious belief in schools that are supported by the public made up of people having numerous types of worship. They realize that religious instruction would be a good thing in giving the child a complete and well balanced educa- tion, but no way has yet been devised by which this instruc- tion can be given without causing a conflict with beliefs of some of the parents. As a result, religious training is elimin- ated from all public institutions. Since this condition exists, parents are under obligations to make up this deficiency by seeing that their children re- ceive the needed spiritual enlightenment in some other way. The matter cannot in fairness to their children be dismissed by saying that the subject is not important, or it would be taught in schools. The following extracts from letters written by prominent university and college presidents to the council of Church Boards of Education show the regard in which these educators hold religious training: There is in every University, whether State or sectarian, a place for the vital and fundamental elements of religion, and we at the State Uni- versities, particularly, welcome the efforts being made by religious or- ganizations and agencies to unite upon an essential religious program in the Universities and elsewhere. I ven;ure to say that it is due most of all to the conflicts of the sects that Universities, and particularly the State Universities, have appeared in many instances to be neutral in the matter of religion. George Norlin, President. University of Colorado. February 15, 1921. There is no complete education without religion. Since education, up to a certain point, at any rate, is primarily the development of character, and since character is, after all, the training in moral standards, and since training in moral standards depends upon religious belief, it

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 635 follows that religious training is a necessary part of a complete education. David Kinley, President. University of Illinois. March 10, 1921. Nothing is of greater concern to administrative officers and faculty of the University of Iowa than providing wholesome religious and moral atmosphere which may influence tho young men and young women of Iowa. Walter A. Jessup, President. The State Utiiversity of Iowa. May 10, 1921. I regard religion as a vital part of the students' attitude toward life. It therefore receives every encouragement at the University of Kentucky. Frank L. McVey, President. University of Kentucky. May 9, 1921. No social or moral problem can ever be solved rightly without the aid of religion. The great majority of the men and women by whom such problems must be solved are educated in colleges and universities. Hence the religious training of college students is of vast importance, and any judicious movement to encourage and promote religion among col- lege or university students should receive the hearty support of every college or university president. Thos. D. Boyd, President. Louisiana State University. May 6, 1921. I believe that the greatest need of the world today is a sincere religious revival. Most certainly, then, I feel that in the University life of this country a greater interest in religion and a more reverent attitude toward sacred things are fundamental needs. The great church organizations can surely do no greater work than to unite in an effort to meet these great needs in our colleges and universities. I am sure that the authorities in all institutions of higher learning will welcome the cooperation and help of the religious bodies. Robert J. Alley, President. University of Maine. May 9, 1921. I do not believe that any man is- educated until he has developed and perfected, as far as possible, the powers of his body, mind and spirit. The three make up the man and if any one of them is neglected the man is to that extent deficient. The greatest of these is the personality within, which controls and directs the other agencies of life. The problem of bringing proper religious training into the life of the student is frequently a difficult one on account of sectarianism, but I believe there is developing a broader spirit in this respect, and an effort is being made to bring the young men of the University into touch with the denominations of their choice through the agency of student pastors. We have that system here. A. F. Woods, President. University of Maryland. May 13, 1921. I think that every effort should be made in our colleges and universities to encourage and to develop the religious motive in the lives of individual students, and to give them such opportunities for instruction as shall furnish them with both the material and the incentive for leadership in solving the many economic political and social problems of democracy.

636 IMPROVEMENT ERA The college man should be a leader in the effort to Christianize the so- cial order. Kenyon L. Butterfield, President. Massachusetts Agricultural College. May 6, 1921. I am greatly pleased to have a chance to express my feelings on this point. In the first place, unless we can get a religious background, I cannot see much value in education. It seems to me that an educated man or woman without the Spirit of Christ is of little use to the state. On the other hand, it is impossible for those of us in the state unversities to very actively develop the religious instruction beyond encouraging and promoting the work of the Y. W. and the Y. M. C. A. It is undoubtedly an obligation of the church and of the churches working together to try to meet this problem. R. M. Hughes, President. Miami University. It is often said that the chief function of a University is the training of the intellect; that is true; but it is also true that mental development is not the greatest thing for which young men and women go to the Uni- versities. They go to prepare for life work; and in this, character building is more important than mental discipline. Albert W. Smith, President. Cornell University. May 12, 1921. In every epoch of the world's history and especially at present when crime is so rampant and when world conditions are so chaotic, it is in- cumbent upon the Christians of every denomination to do everything in their power to inculcate sound principles of Christian morality in all of our colleges for the college men and women of today will be the leaders of the future and will mold the opinions of the coming generation. W. S. Currell, President. University of South Carolina. May 10, 1921. Knowledge may be power, but it is not always nor necessarily right- eousness, and even more than a nation well-informed and mentally alert, do we need strength of character and righteous conduct. I do not believe that this can be secured without the help of religion and we should, there- fore, set ourselves earnestly to work out a means of preserving religious freedom while building national life upon the foundation of religious truth. Robert E. Linson, President. The University of Texas. These statements are typical of the ideas of most of the prominent educators of the country. They see very clearly that young people need instruction in religious matters, and they regret that this instruction cannot be given in public schools. Parents must face this problem squarely and should see to it that this important phase in the development of their children is not neglected. They should be prepared to give a portion of their time in helping to make up this deficiency. Otherwise the religious training of the rising generation is likely to be neglected. Provo, Utah