# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S660
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

76 ; ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

1. Social Service Program

In the social service program character-forming principles
are not consciously formulated, discussed, evaluated, and impl
mented, Neither do these services contribute consciously anc
directly to the building up, the integration, and implementation 9
a philosophy of life.

The social service program should in equity be available to all
children of school age irrespective of their school association, j
as in the case of public library service. The State can grant
children in church schools this program, since rendering this se
ice does not promote the religious tenets of the Church.
social service program can be granted by the State to chur
schools and all conditions germane to the program can be observ
without sacrifice of sovereignty on the part of the State or sacrifi %
of principle on the part of the Church. Hence, the Church ¢
accept this program as it is offered and may even be within ‘its 2
rights in demanding it.

2. Teaching Program

In the teaching program character-forming precepts, motives;
of action, and principles of life are necessarily in the foregroun
are formulated, analyzed, evaluated, and emotionalized to gi
them driving force in the underlying philosophy of educati
Hence the Church may not subject its teaching program to
supervision, control, and direction of the State.

The State, when authorized by law, has the right to subsi
the teaching program of church schools without prescribing
philosophy of education if all the churches are given equal P
ileges. When, however, the State contributes tax money, it
the right to control the expenditures, sanctioning both the purpo:
for which and the manner in which the money is expended. H i
ever, the Church should not ask the State for a subsidy for 1
teaching program of its schools, for it cannot, without becor
unfaithful to the charge and commission given it, permit its te;
ing program to be subjected to the supervision, direction,
control of the State, because this would inevitably open the
for demands that the teaching in the church schools accord with
the philosophy of education of the State. Here we would have all
the evils. which follow when the divine ordinance of the separati
of Church and State is violated.

If by law the authorities of the State would be empowered ‘to
offer and actually do offer such subsidy, and with it relinquishes
the rights of supervision, direction, and control, as is done,
instance, in the granting of a subsidy to churches and schools in
form of tax exemptions, the Church might under conditions accept