Dr.+A.+A.+Hodge

"Widespread with state schools is evidenced by the rapid increase of attendance in church-related schools during the past quarter century. The new fact in the situation in the last five or ten years is a marked increase in the number of elementary and secondary schools conducted by churches or by groups of Christians. The cause of this trend is the realization on the part of Christians of the fulfillment in history of the prophetic words uttered by Dr. A. A. Hodge, of Princeton Theological Semmmminary, in the midst of the movement to introduce state education:

'A comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social nihilistic ethics, individual, social, and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen....It is capable of exact demonstration that if every party in the state has the right of excluding from the public schools whatever he does not believe to be true, then he that believes most must give way to him that believes least, and then he that believes least must give way to him that believes absolutely nothing, no matter in how small a minority the atheists or agnostics may be. It is self-evident that on this scheme, if it is consistently and persistently carried out in all parts of the country, the United Sates system of national popular education will be the most efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism which the world has ever seen.' *

The Christian day school is a reaction against what has happened is consequence of the separation of education from religion. A non-religious state school may not be atheistic in its purpose, but it is so in its effect. The true Christian school instills the Christian faith. It is not just a school with an added class in religion but one in which the Bible is the center and core or every subject taught and learned, though the Bible itself may not always be used in class." Excerpt from //History of Christian Education// by C. B. Eavey


 * The __Engine of Atheism__ written in 1869.