OUE MONISTIC ETHICS. 369 



In the great cultur-kampf, which must go on as 

 long as these sad conditions exist, the first aim must 

 be the absolute separation of Church and State. 

 There shall be a " free Church in a free State " — that 

 is, every Church shall be free in the practice of its 

 special worship and ceremonies, and in the construc- 

 tion of its fantastic poetry and superstitious dogmas — 

 with the sole condition that they contain no danger 

 to social order or morality. Then there will be equal 

 rights for all. Free societies and monistic religious 

 bodies shall be equally tolerated, and just as free in 

 their movements as Liberal Protestant and orthodox 

 ultramontane congregations. But for all these 

 " faithful " of the most diverse sects religion will 

 have to be a private concern. The State shall super- 

 vise them and prevent excesses ; but it must neither 

 oppress nor support them. Above all, the ratepayers 

 shall not be compelled to contribute to the support 

 and spread of a " faith " which they honestly believe 

 to be a harmful superstition. In the United States 

 such a complete separation of Church and State has 

 long been accomplished, greatly to the satisfaction of 

 all parties. They have also the equally important 

 separation of the Church from the school ; that is, 

 undoubtedly, a powerful element in the great advance 

 which science and culture have recently made in 

 America. 



It goes without saying that this exclusion of the 

 Church from the school only refers to its sectarian 

 principles, the particular form of belief which each 

 Church has evolved in the course of its life. This 

 sectarian education is a purely private concern, and 

 should be left to parents and tutors, or to such priests 

 or teachers as may have the personal confidence of 



2b 



