SCIENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 351 



half-breeds, their protests availing nothing against the evidence of 

 their skins.* "Whether the crusade inaugurated and sanctioned by the 

 powers that constituted the Congo Free State will prove a more suc- 

 cessful civilizer than the Arab's mission remains to be seen. If it fails 

 to blanch the negro's skin, it may, and it is to be hoped that it will, 

 liberate his mind from superstition and prejudice by its higher teach- 

 ing and example. 



SCIENCE m KELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 



Br DANIEL GEEENLEAF THOMPSON. 



I. 



THE interest of the community that its growing youth become good 

 citizens, extending as it does almost to a necessity for self-preser- 

 vation, has developed a system of public education, supported by tax- 

 ation, like any other instrumentality of government. Besides this there 

 are a great many institutions, particularly of a higher grade, which are 

 of a private or perhaps semi-public character, maintained beyond tuition 

 fees chiefly by individual gifts and bequests, but sometimes also by 

 state aid in addition. Education in such schools of the one class and 

 the other, rather than family education, it is the present purpose to 

 consider with reference to the leading topic. 



The maintenance of the social order depends upon the needs of 

 mankind in this world ; not upon their desires, their wants, their specu- 

 lations regarding a life to come. To be sure the interests of men in 

 the latter do influence their conduct in the present life and thus affect 

 their character as citizens. Hence the religious creeds of its members 

 are not matters of indifference to the community. At the same time 

 the great heterogeneity of opinions and faiths makes it a perplexing 

 question how to legislate for the common weal in such personal con- 

 cerns as that of religion. But yet it may be urged with force that, if 

 we w r aited for universal agreement before we taught anything, the in- 

 struction given in every department would be very scanty. 



About all the higher studies, such as philosophy, psychology, po- 

 litical economy, and philosophy of history, would certainly have to be 

 excluded, while in the ordinary branches of science there would be 

 breaks wide enough to destroy continuity of teaching. Men, however, 

 will often submit calmly to having their children taught erroneously 

 in physics or psychology, while they are up in arms if heresies in relig- 

 ion are inculcated. Upon this latter subject there is extraordinary 

 bitterness. What ought to be done under such circumstances ? 



First, with regard to schools supported by public moneys. Every 

 one is taxed in this respect on equal principles of property-holding, 

 not in proportion to the amount of his political, economical, or religious 

 * " Life in Brazil," by Thomas Ewbank, p. 439. 



