Purely Secular Public Schools: an Address on the Bible and the Public Schools Delivered in Farwell Hall, Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 24, 1876

Purely Secular Public Schools: An Address On The Bible And The Public Schools Delivered In Farwell Hall, Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 24, 1876 by William Weston Patton. This address argues for the secularization of public education and the separation of church and state. Patton contends that the civil state should not decide religious doctrines or compel religious exercises in public schools, though he deeply respects the Bible's literary value. He critiques proposals to read or teach the Bible in schools, warning that such measures can alienate minorities, violate constitutional neutrality, and provoke social conflict. The speech analyzes historical and constitutional arguments, including the establishment clause, and compares the American approach to religious liberty with European models. It argues that the state should provide secular education accessible to all citizens and that religious instruction should be pursued by families and churches rather than through public schooling. The author concludes by urging evangelical Christians to withdraw from state-supported religious coercion and to focus on spiritual work within private religious institutions.