Education and Religion

An educated head without an educated heart is a dangerous menace to society. According to columnist John R. Gunn, "the culture of the mind without the culture of the conscience offers no hope for the salvation of society."

It has been written, the fires that warm our dwellings, burn down our cities and the winds that waft the welcome odors of lake and mountain, hesitate not to mow down trees and crops and temples.

Vinegar and sugar are composed of the same ingredients, yet one is sweet, the other is sour. The same elements that produce tea, produce strychnine and the plant that furnishes food, not infrequently distills poison. So it may be said with regard to education, it may be a power for evil as well as for good. The most dangerous fool in the world is the educated fool.

This is something many of our educators seem to forget. They forget that Athens, Rome and Corinth, centers of art and literature, were also centers of iniquity. They remember Goethe as the most splendid specimen of culture ever presented to the world, but they forget how selfish, how unworthy to woman he was, how impure was the atmosphere of his study; so the story runs, in all ages and climbs.

Through education you may gain a great deal of knowledge and yet go wrong in life. To make the right use of your knowledge, you need that wisdom which begins in the fear of the Lord. You need religion as well as education. Religion teaches us to fear God and keep His commandments. When you have learned that, your education will be an asset to yourself and to society.