Explore "The Bible, should it be in the School Room?" by Franklin Steiner on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
_The Bible and the Sects -- Shall Any Version of the Book Be Placed in This Country's Common Schools? _
A STATEMENT OF THE CASE. A stupendous effort is now being nationally made by a particular and special class of our citizens, to place the Bible, the text book of the Christian religion, in the curriculum of our public schools. From the outset, there arises this curious fact: It is that many Christian sects, one of them being the largest in number of communicants, to say nothing of individual Christians, have strenuously opposed the measure. The Jews, "unto whom were committed the oracles of God" (Romans iii, 2) have also expressed their disapprobation. Then add to these about two-thirds of our population who profess no religion, and we find the movement limited to a small section of our people. The fact that advocates of enforced Bible reading are so enthusiastic, so intolerant of criticism and opposition, and that they would compel the use of the Bible by law causes us to inquire seriously into the question. Then the intense opposition of religionists as well as of those professing no religion in particular, causes us to conclude that the _propriety_ of such an inclusion in our public school instruction is the main issue to be considered.