Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Bible, our founders and childrens education part 2

Outlined in the previous post were propositions and quotes by Dr. Benjamin Rush to outline his argument for the impotance of Bible in school. In this segment these arguments are explained.

1. "The memory is the first faculty which opens in the minds of children. Of how much consequence, then must it be to impress it with the GREAT TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY, "

2. "Their perculiar aptitude in the minds of children for religious knowledge, but more inquistive perhaps in religious subjects than any other." " It would be strange if it were otherwise, for God creates all His means to suit His ends. There must, of course, be a fitness between the human mind and the truths which are essential to it's happiness."

3. " The influence on early impressions in life is great; and in a world where false prejudices do so much mischeif, it would be wrong not to oppose what is true." "Man whom has been instructed in the truths of the Bible have been made wiser and better of these impressions early in his mind." "Voltaires writings were borrrowed from the Bible; and the morality of Deists which have been so much admired have been the effects produced by the principles of Christianity."

4. " We are subject by general law of our natures, to what we call habit. Now if the study of the scriptures be necessary to our happiness the sooner we begin to read the more we will become attached to them."

5. The knowledge of the Bible will be retained much longer if aquired in school by the aid of the eye and the ear, for children, after getting their lessons, read and repeat them to their instructors in an audiblke voice."

6. "The interesting events and characters recorded in the old and new testements are calculated, above all others, to seize upon all the faculties of the minsd of children. "To not be delighted with the Bible is to be devoid of every principle of pleasure that exists in a sound mind."

7. " There is in man a native preference for truth to fiction.The Bible contains more truth than any other book in the world; so true is the testimony that it bears of God in His works of creation, providence, and redemption that is called truth itself, by the way of preeminence above other things that are acknowledged to be true."

8. There is a wonderful property in the memory which enables it in old age to recover knowledgeaquired in earlier life after it has apparently been forgotten, Then how much consequence would it be to fill the child's mind with this species of knowledge."

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