The Catholic World, Vol. 17, April, 1873 to September, 1873: A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and ScienceVarious
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 17, April, 1873 to September, 1873: A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
(From the New Orleans Morning Star.)
We find the following in our San Francisco contemporary, the _Pacific
Churchman_, taken originally from the _London Church Review_, an organ
of the Church of England. The editor of the _Churchman_ remarks that
“with some changes it will equally apply to some of our _un_-sectarian
schools.” As far as the _Churchman_ goes against _un_-sectarian
schools in this country, we are with it. This seems to be one scene
taken from others. Considering that it conveys a good argument for us,
our readers will excuse the term “Romanism,” thrown in as a reproach.
We quote:
The schoolroom of a boarding-school. Time, the hour of religious
instruction. Bible to be read and explained without inculcating
the dogmas of any particular denomination. Teacher certificated,
unsectarian, highly conscientious. Class consisting of children from
thirteen down to six or seven, and of various grades, from respectable
poor to gutter children. Schoolroom and teacher span new. Teacher a
little nervous. Children—some looking curiously about them, some
disposed to loll and idle, some attentive. Teacher opens the great
Bible, and begins to read St. Matthew ii., as being a narrative likely
to interest the auditory, and easy to explain in an undenominational
sense. First, however, a little preliminary explanation is necessary.
_Teacher._ You must know, my dear children, that Joseph and Mary
were two very good people who lived a very great many years ago in a
country far away from London, and I am going to read to you about them
and their son (reads slowly verse 1. of the chapter).
_Ragged Arab_ (not accustomed to observe much ceremony). Please, sir,
who’s that?
_Teacher_ (aghast, and wishing to gain time). Whom do you mean, my boy?
_Arab._ That there Jesus.
_Teacher_ (aside). [How can this question be answered in an
undenominational sense? This is the religious difficulty, full blown.
If I say “a good man,” that will hardly do, for I know several of the
boys are the children of the church people and Romanists; and if I say
“the son of God,” that won’t do, for Tommy Markham is a Unitarian, or,
at any rate, his parents are; besides, such a dogmatic statement is
sectarian.] (Aloud.) I will explain all about him when I have finished
the chapter.
Continues to read. The class listens with various degrees of attention
until the 11th verse is finished, and then—
_A Boy._ Please, sir, who’s Mary? The mother of the little baby,
wasn’t she?
_Teacher._ Yes; she was his mother.
_Boy._ Oh! and what does “wusshupped” mean?
_Teacher._ It means paying great respect, kneeling down and bowing, as
we should to God.
_Another Boy_ (better taught than boy No. 1, and jumping at once to a
sectarian conclusion). Then, that there baby was God, sir?
_Tommy Markham_ (stoutly). No, that he wasn’t!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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