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Beetledom Dying
Published in the Agnostic Journal London, England 24 December 1904 (page 414)
SIR,—Is not this fine? It is from The Daily Telegraph of December 17th, 1904:
UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN From our correspondent. BERLIN, Friday.
"The year book of the University of Berlin gives statistics which shew that this institute is the largest in the world. The number of matriculated students at present attending lectures is 7,774. The lectures on theological subjects are the worst attended of any. There are altogether only 335 divinity students in the university. The faculty of law has 2,756 students, that of medicine 1,111, and philosophy 3,572. In addition to students from every German state the Berlin University contains 413 Russians, 130 Austrians, 102 Swiss, 81 Hungarians, 39 British, 35 Roumanians, 25 Bulgarians, 24 French, and smaller numbers from every other European country, including Turkey and Montenegro. America sends 123 students, Asiatic lands 36, Africa 8, Australia 3. In addition to the matriculated students, 1,330 persons have received permission to attend the lectures. It is curious to note that the decline in the number of theological students is not confined to Berlin University, but is observed in every other German seat of learning. This decline has been so rapid during the past ten years as seriously to alarm the leaders of the Church. Since 1895 the decrease has been nearly fifty per cent. Two reasons are given for this: First, the superior attractions offered by commerce and industry since Germany became a great manufacturing country, and, secondly, the decay of belief, mainly owing to the destructive criticism of the Bible and religious dogmas by the professors of the modern liberal school."
I was immensely relieved on finding this after nearly three columns of "Do we believe?" Bravo, Haeckel.
—Yours truly,
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