362 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



every one should be. The harm consists even more in that all through 

 their course of study they find general and religious education con- 

 stantly commingled, in direct contradiction to the assumption that 

 religious freedom exists in America. The student has no way out of 

 the dilemma but to assume that the freedom is simply a freedom as 

 to which particular denomination shall for him be united with the 

 state. The list of denominations from which he may choose is a limited 

 one, inasmuch as of the seventeen denominations represented among the 

 four hundred and seventeen avowedly sectarian colleges, almost three 

 fourths of them are under the control of but four denominations, as 

 will be shown from the following table, deduced from tables 29 and 32 

 of the XL S. Eeport. 



-J o 



H' ni 



a 



a 



'■3» M 



« + 

 to 



a o 



f ° 



2 c 

 "gft 



tO ID 



Ph 



+ 



ii- 



13 a'fl 



■^ £* 1 *« 



3 Pn J3 



h5 4. £> 



to 



« s 



ft s 

 ft ^ 



H> 



HH 1 



03 



13 

 O 



ts 



to 



P 

 o 

 o 



oj <J 



^ a 



-< O 



ft * 



HA 



a 



a 



a> 

 O 



' <- 



Ph 



a _ 



£ 



© 

 2 O 



« 



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o 



.a' 

 u 



(H 



3 

 J3 

 O 



'a, Ph 



a 

 e 



The stigma of " godless institution " used as an epithet of reproach, 

 is so often applied to the college of the state by zealous supporters of 

 the private college as to actually give the student the impression that 

 an institution which does not combine some form of religious teaching 

 or influence, some Sunday school work, with its general instruction, is 

 acting in opposition to the good of the country, rather than in con- 

 formity with one of its most cherished principles. 



It may be that the student does not wish to ally himself with any of 

 the religious denominations which maintain colleges, but attends one 

 of these colleges since there is no restriction announced as to the church 

 membership or religious affiliation of prospective students, but instead 

 a distinct effort made to win any and all students of general good 

 character. He will be subjected constantly to petty humiliations be- 

 cause he does not worship his God in the same formulas as do his fellow 

 students. If he fail to attend even the " voluntary " chapel and 

 Sunday services conducted by the college, not to mention the various 

 prayer services, he realizes that his absence is noted by classmates and 

 members of the faculty, even in the unlikely case that no comments 

 are made. In order to escape isolation and a greater or less degree of 



