- 1 -
Produced by Zoran Stefanovic, Frank van Drogen and Distributed
Proofreaders Europe. This file was produced from images generously
made available by Project Rastko.
THE
NEW IDEAL IN EDUCATION
AN ADDRESS GIVEN BEFORE
THE LEAGUE OF THE EMPIRE
On July 16th, 1916.
BY
FR. NICHOLAI VELIMIROVIC, PH.D.
Reprinted from the "FEDERAL MAGAZINE."
LONDON
"THE ELECTRICIAN" PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO., LIMITED.
SALISBURY COURT, FLEET STREET, E.C.
THE NEW IDEAL IN EDUCATION.
By Father Nicholai Velimirovic, Ph.D.
"Nature takes sufficient care
of our individualistic sense,
leaving to Education the care
of our panhumanistic sense."
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If we do not want war we must look to the children. There is the only
hope and the only wise starting point. It is not without a deep
prophetic significance that Christ asked children to come unto Him. In
all the world-calamities, in all wars, strifes, religious inquisitions
and persecutions, in all the hours of human misery and helplessness, He
has been asking, through centuries, the children to come unto Him. I am
sure, if anybody has ears for His voice to-day, amidst the thunderings
of guns and passions and revenges, one would hear the same call: Let the
children come unto Me!--Not kings and politicians, not journalists and
generals, not the grown-up people, but children. And so to-day also,
when we ask for a way out of the present world-misery, when we in
profundis of darkness to-day ask for light, and in sorrow for to-morrow
ask for advice and comfort, we must look to the children and Christ.
WHY NOT KINGS?
Why does Christ not ask the kings to come to Him--the kings, and
politicians, and journalists, and generals? Because they are too much
engaged in a wrong state of things, and because they are greatly
responsible themselves for such a wrong state of things, and because
consequently it is difficult for them to change their ways, their hearts
and their minds. It would be very hard for Napoleon and Pitt to kneel
together down before Christ and to embrace each other. It would be
almost impossible for Bismarck and Gambetta to walk together. Not less
it would be impossible for the Pope and Monsieur Loisy or George Tyrrel
to pray in the same bench. Every generation is laden with sins and
prejudices. That is the reason why Christ goes only a little way with
every generation, and then He becomes tired and asks for a new
generation--He calls for children. Christ is always new and fresh as
children are. Every generation is spoiled and corrupted by long living
and struggling.
But for a new generation the world is quite a new wonder. God is shown
only to those for whom the world is a new thing, a wonder. No one, who
does not admire this world as a wonder, can find God. For the old Hęckel
no God exists, just because for him no wonder exists. He pretends to
know everything. Christ means for him nothing and he means for Christ
nothing. Every foolish child, believing in God and in this wonderful
world, has more wisdom than the materialistic professor from Germany.
Christ is getting tired of an old generation. Sadly He calls for a new
one--for children. In our distress to-day, I think, we should multiply
His voice, calling for Him, for a new generation and for a new
education.
THE EDUCATION WHICH MAKES FOR WAR.
It is called by a very attractive name, the individualistic education.
The true name of it is selfishness, or egotism. No religion of Asia ever
boasted of having been the birthplace of such an education. It is born
in the heart of Europe, in Germany. It was brought up by Schopenhauer
and Goethe. It was subsequently supported by the German biologists, by
the musicians, sculptors, philosophers, poets, soldiers, socialists and
priests, by the wisest and by the madmen beyond the Rhine. Unfortunately
France, Russia and even Great Britain have not been quite exempt from
this pernicious theory of individualistic education.
- 1 -
|
|
Velimirovic, Nikolai, 1880-1956 - The New Ideal in Education