PAGANISM IN NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 October 1908, Page 10

PAGANISM IN NEW ZEALAND.

Sir,—Kindly!: allow ; me.,'a.'few words ; re-; garding Canon Mac Murray's alleged' paganism in. New Zealand. It is amazing haw. he has been able to string togeth6r'so l ; fiiany: platitudes and contradictions. He admits that'with religious instruction in the schools every day, there is as much paganism in England aa' in New Zoaland without ■ such teaching. This,''reminds'me that i writer in the New York '" Forum " showed from the. United States census of 1890 that over 60 per cent, of "convictions: for: crimes :in that ( country were against members of a church, tho children of which get more religious instruction than those of' all other churches put/together.. The writer ;proved his contention that high moral character is not built up by memorising catechisms and bible texts, etc. The Canon claims that 50,000 children belonging to tho State schools in the Dominion have not the .privilege Christian , teaching. _ Now,an" ex-iea'cher, .'I hold ' that-is ft 'libel cin * tho teaching profession. For, what is ; Christianity? .Christianity' is righ't. living as taught by its founder, not manmade catechisms and theories. Everyono who does his, best to live the Golden liulo is a Christian.' There are scores of children in tho back-b'ldcks ; totally ignorant of: chisms,,..v;ho . could .give many clergymen's children,' fed''on'catechism,- valuable 'lessons in morals. .. Since Canoif MacMufray; has not charged' the teaching profession with immorality, it is fair to assumo that' ho admits that they live'.'upright , lives. • Then,' is it correct' to' say that children can be brought into hourly contact day by day, year in and year out, with tho lives of such people, and not learn the essentials of Christianity and Christian morals ? What, a pitiable spectacle, is a parson shouting catechism compared to. thia-'J-. More real Christianity is taught every hour by tho earnestj upright teacher than can ba taught by the. preacher armed, with''platitudes arid theories in" a thousand"' years. Howard ; was a successful missionary, not because 'he ran about ' shouting Christianity day aid night,'but becauso he : lived Christianity. It is a pity that clergymen, who have so much to'say about Godlessnesjs.and. paganism in New Zealand canInot'sm that' they are simply condemning themselves .and'. their, religious teachings. 4ft final spbo(men of tho Canon's (Christian," spirit', _ we-;hav'e only..to look at. ..his charge''.against' .those "three pagans" .for stealing'the Bib'io out of the State'schools.' Now,-''those "three pagans" did nothing of tho. kind. '.For, , previous to 1877, thero-were no State schools in New Zealand. .There iweje. a few miserablo provincial. schools and -also.,.a."few''fVeri''ihore miserablo. .church , school. 'Tho Bible formed no part of 'the State,school system, therefore it could' never have /been' 1 stolen by the "three pagans,.'' as the Canon asserts. Besides, had it been, the intention Parliament to includo the Bibla in the educational scheme, it is more . than.likely,> judging from its., well-known 'fondness;'for-/tinkering past. legislation, thirtyrons years would never , liayo 'been . al,lowed to pass without restoring what his > Reverence declares, the • , "threo pagans" '. stole.,. But.if hi?.:theory can Tie proved true, thgn,'.a. monument-, should be erected in . .'honour,of those "three pagans" in.the frqu't .yard of' .every State .school'in tho. Domin-iiori-.—l ainy. etc., • - - EX-TEACHER. , October 14. .. ' • ... : 1 pHys -'letterl'has'rbeen condensed].' '"\ ' .