# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1880 11 15_S169
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.

God's Word and Luther's teaching shall not pass away, now or ever.

And I saw an angel fly through the midst of heaven, having an everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who dwell and live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe, and tongue, and people. And he said with a loud voice: Fear God, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the springs of water. Rev. 14:6-7.

Published by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States.

Temporarily edited by the faculty of the Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

Volume 36.

St. Louis, Mo., November 15, 1880.

No. 22.

(Submitted.)

Conversation between Peter and Heinrich about Christian Parish Schools.

(Continuation and Conclusion.)

Peter: I am glad to hear that you Lutherans have this goal in view as well; for the sciences, education, and knowledge are the things a child needs. A person who has learned something solid can make his way anywhere in the world. So on this point we have one and the same goal. Yet I seek to reach this goal by a completely different path than you do; for it is ridiculous to imagine that it can be achieved only in your Lutheran parish schools. Our free schools certainly have a great advantage over your Lutheran parish schools here. The results achieved in the free schools are truly brilliant. Indeed, our school system is so excellent that it causes a stir even in Europe, and with good reason people point to the successes achieved in our free schools.

Heinrich: Here our convictions diverge widely again. Our goals, too, are only partly the same; for all sorts of useful knowledge concerning this life ranks only second with us. Our first goal is to raise our children, in our parish schools too, as good Christians; so that they may remain citizens of the kingdom of grace of our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth, and that they may one day also become citizens of heaven. Besides this, our aim is to raise them to be good citizens of the state as well. Given how things stand, we can generally use the public schools for neither purpose. In reality, the public schools do not even serve to raise children into good citizens of the state; for in the first place they completely lack the true foundation of all true morality, namely sound instruction in religion. Secondly, they lack any kind of Christian discipline and upbringing. Such a degree of lawlessness, or else such a perverse and false discipline, often prevails in them that Christian parents must hesitate to hand their children over to them in order to have them taught otherwise useful knowledge. The true foundation of all morality is religion and a sincere fear of God. But our public schools are, as a matter of principle, schools without religion, and given the many religious confessions of the citizens of this country, it could hardly be otherwise; for all of them are entitled to send their children to the public schools. There the teacher may, to be sure, for example say to the children, "You must not steal." But he may not give the real reason why they must not steal — namely, that according to God's Word there is a holy and righteous God who hates sin, has forbidden it, and has threatened to punish it both in time and in eternity; for that would be religious instruction. If a teacher does so anyway, he acts against the laws of the state and comes into conflict with it and its officers. It is often claimed nowadays that no religion is needed for true morality; but that is folly, the same as if someone said that a building could well be erected without a foundation. Every sensible person knows that this is foolishness. If, in the public schools, one were to say to a child, "You must not steal," and it asked, why not? the answer would run something like: Because stealing is against morality, and a good citizen may not act against morality. Or: if the theft came to light, everyone would regard you as an immoral person; besides, you would be punishable under the laws of the state. But what is actually accomplished by such talk with regard to true morality? How easily the child might think: Oh, if that is all it is, there is already a remedy for it, and it goes, "Don't get caught." Whoever does not get caught suffers no shame, and need not fear the law of the state or its officers either. And as this example shows, so it goes in all other cases where morality has no true foundation. To speak of real morality without religion as its foundation is nothing but delusion, appearance, and deception. How altogether different it is, on the other hand, when children are raised in the fear of God and instructed in God's Word! For there it is said: the eyes of the all-knowing, holy, and righteous God see you everywhere, wherever you may be and whatever you may do. Beware of sin; for otherwise the holy and righteous God will punish you both in time and in eternity. There they are also pointed to the great love of God, who did not spare even his only Son but gave him up for the salvation of sinners, who grants every other good thing out of love alone, and that they should therefore love him in return, walk in his ways, and keep his commandments. If children are raised in this way in the fear of God and instructed in the Word of God, they will indeed learn to say from the heart with Joseph, "How then could I do such a great wickedness and sin against God?" Then there is also hope that they may one day become good citizens of the state. Anyone who is willing to see can readily observe the correctness of my claims in the young generation growing up in this country. The first immigrant inhabitants of this country were, for the most part, not orthodox in doctrine perhaps, but otherwise pious and God-fearing people. But what has become of many of their descendants, and surely to a great extent as a result of their upbringing? Not to speak here at all of sins against the first table of the holy Ten Commandments, how does it stand with regard to the other table? Is the fourth commandment not grossly and openly trampled underfoot by the great mass of American youth? Could it possibly look much more terrible among the heathen with regard to murder and suicide than among the generation of this time and this country? Was it at Sodom and Gomorrah, with regard to sexual immorality, really far more terrible than it is here in this country? Can the seventh commandment possibly be violated more grossly through fraud, swindling, and usury than it is here before the eyes of all the world? In what country under the sun are so many frivolous and false oaths sworn daily as in this one? What thoughtful and earnest Christian would not, seeing the consequences of our upbringing and our school system before his eyes, feel his hair stand on end, so to speak? And should we, to whom God has given the right understanding in this matter as well, seek to follow such an example of upbringing? Oh, then woe, and woe again, upon us! Yet also, as I said, with regard to discipline and upbringing, Lutheran parents can only ...