BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume 304, Issue 304, 23 December 1926, Page 16

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

•a. isxtt's bux. CANON JAMES' REPLY TO DR. BUXTON. In the "Auckland Star 3 of Monday last there appeared a report oi a sermon preached in St. Patrick's Cathedral by the Rev. Dr. Buxton In reply to my recent comments on Bishop Cleary_ latest attack upon the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill. May I reter to two points in the sermon? (1) Dr. Buxton said that the bill would establish and endow a new State religion. What he meant is not easy to discover, for he emphasl_ed that it was '•utter nonsense" to say that the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, the reading of a passage from the Bib_- and the singing of a hymn would mean the creation of a State religion. But these are the only religious exercises that the bill contemplates or permits. I have no wish for the creation of a State religion in New Zealand. The thing is neither desirable nor possible. But I cannot understand why the idea of a State religion is so vehemently denounced by the Soman Catholic authorities in this counwy. Roman Catholics seem to like State religions ii they are of the Roman type. In Spain they regard it as quite the proper thing. A recent article in the "London Tablet" stated that in Spain "'the Catholic religion is the religion of the State, and until 1900 external signs of other forms of religious beliefs were proscribed." As to the separation of Church and State ad vocated by some people, the writer doubts "whether" the Holy See would wish to accept this idea, for in principle it is always opposed to such a separation."' Dr. Buxton's fierce condemnation of religious exercises in State schools appears to be another direct attack upon papal policy. According to a recent agreement between Poland and the Vatican, religious teaching is an obligation in all public schools, and is to be given to Roman Catholics by masters chosen by the school authorities, but only from a list of teachers approved for that purpose by the bishops. This goes much further than anything suggested by the Bible-in-Schools League. In Italy the Pope and Mussolini have been putting their heads together, and as a result religious instruction is now given in the Italian State schools. In January last the "Month" gave prominence to a contributed article, which declared that Mussolini has "proved himself a broadminded statesman, true to his conviction that religion is the solid foundation for the social needs of the people." Can Roman ethics make what is right in Italy and Poland wrong in New Zealand? I put this question in my previous statement, bnt Dr. Buxton forgot to answer it.

Dr. Buxton asks us to come into conference with the Roman Catholic authorities. I§ there any hope of the fruitfulness of suc-h a conference? 1 can assure Dr. Buxton that earnest religious men among his "separated Christian brethren" in New Zealand, who desire only to be at peace with their Roman Catholic fellow citizens, recall with sorrow that it is the Roman Catholic Church which has vigorously and, so far, successfully opposed, with every weapon in her formidable armoury, every attempt to bring religion into the State schools on fair terms all round. That Church opposed the measure of 1911-1914, which sought the "right of entry." That Church now opposes onr modest request for simple religious exercises. The opposition of a few secularists and others is negligible: it is the powerful Roman Catholic Church which has been able to block the way. On rha; Church the responsibility lies for the continuance of a system winch (to quote Bishop Cleary) has "barred God out of the schools as an undesirable alien." Have the Roman Catholic authorities any constructive proposal to make? If so, why not make it public. The League's cardare all on the table. But any sincere practicable proposal will meet with sympathetic consideration, in whatever way it is made. The League is utterly unwilling that our Roman Catholic fellow citizens shall suffer any real injustice or hardship.