BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1599, 16 November 1912, Page 2

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

DISCUSSED BY PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY. | SPEECH BY CANON GARLAND. THE NEW CAMPAIGN ENDORSED. - . REFERENDUM ADVOCATED. Th(* Bible-in-schools question was disLMisstd in tho Presbyterian General As> ssmbly yesterday. An address was delivered by Canon D. -!. Garland, organising secretary of tho Biblein State Schools .League. • Tho wport of tho Bible-in-Scliooli Comniltleo. (published in Monday's issue) was pre.si*uU>d by the Rov. R. J. 'porter (Oainnrii!, Tho Rov. R. .1, Porter moved the adop-' tiou ol' the report, Ho snid that lio and others were not at «ll satisfied with tho Nelson system, as under it ministers had to go ca-p-in-haiid to the school autliorities for liormission t(> enter tho schools for. hiilf an hour. What they wanted was liberty to outer the schools without coiisiillini? any of tho authorities to give their children proper religious instruction. (Item-, hear.) They should bo.nble to e/jiitn' l:liis as a right, and they should not lie at tho mercy of any person. Ho hoped that the time was not far distant, when such liberty would be available'to oil who desired it. (Hear, hear.) If they wanted to securo the introduction of the Now Month Wales system they would havo to work a little harder than hitherto., It wtts entirely the fault of the churches of New Zealand that tho Bible had not been reintroduced to tho public schools long ago. For many years tho cliurchcs had boon divided on tho question, but they were now united. Ho believed that tho people were with them in tho matter, but the exasperating thing was that. somo littio political consideration would come in to attract their. attention. Therefore, he asked people to back up the exccutivo of the Biblc-in-Sehools League, and bo thoroughly loyal to its- objective. They should not so niueh . blanio the , : men Who thirty-four years ago agreed to the exclusion ot the Bibie from the schools, but thoy!.'shmild blame themselves. It was most discreditable to the churches that for thirty-four years they had tolerated this exclusion. The Book, the study of which mn.de for good citizenship, they did not. allow their children to read as scholars. The introduction of the Bible into schools was Certainly an addition that ought to be made to our- otherwise fine system of education. The Rev. R. E. Davies (Dunedin) seconded the motion. '.The introduction of the feible into schools, he;held, would by no means impair the. efficiency of the instruction in s'eoulaV subjects, The report was adopted. THE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM. A FAVOURABLE REPORT. . V ; Tho Rev'-.- 'R, E... Davies;- of- 'linox Chnrch,- thy adoption-of the reports of- the.-'BibWin-Schools -Com-i mittee on tho Australian systetiv-,afo-,im-parting religious instru'frtion!.;.-in:Staje schools. The report stated.lit. Z, "The, system consists ofj(a) s'iihplelSjSlijljjjj, tural leswnS'toad!'during'school holirs by, -the. children frolr : a %wfc' ! »pwWHed K ;by' the Department "df Public Instruction ex-, chisiveiy for this pufpSse.. ;.The Work-. tho State school-: teacher is restricted ' to seeing that tho: child understands the lessons as-intelligently as any other lesson.,, The teacher does not give either Sectarian or dogmatic, teaching, (b) The churches havo tlio opportunity , afforded them of sending their, ■ ministers of religion or other accredited teachers into the schools during school hours to teach the children the ' faith 'of- their" fathers. in. their respective denominations.,. : In-the larger centres,. such: as -and-dtownstn-intaistefs of Teligiony. or accredited substitutes, ..would" have,an opportup.ity pf :instructing their, (iwn children, , lii inany. .cases, and especially in those of the smaller churches, mutual' 'arrangements are made between tfie .churches by 'which the children are grouped together, and, with the consent of the individual parent, attended the' class of a minister rot ef their'own church. .In the smaller ■schools' in ..the country, districts these --visits'. are , paid less frequently .than in. towns. Tho : exeeutiyo of the league, includes representatives.of the Anglican; Presbyterian, and .Methodist Churches;, .also the Salvation Army. Prominent individual members , 'pf tho Congregational, Baptist, and Primitive Methodist Churchcs are taking an active part in promoting the movement." To Settle Controversy. He moved that the report be adopted, that the committee be continued, . tjiat ministers and'-sessions be asked, to .assist..' .in the'organising "of ..lo'cal c'oinniitte'es, aild to use their influence 6 in furthering the cause of the Bible -in State Schools League, Ho sketched the.-;iii§tory of the rapid growth of. and.. New Zealand,^,,He! tas"-'dfi~0 j pii)i"on ! that the opposition ti); tliesntoveineftbiAvas a result of. prejudice, from the older: lands, wlicro'in 8000 parishes there were no schools, except Anglican schools. If lie wero in England ho would be in the front rank of passive resfeters, ' 'But here it whs not proposed, that teachers should bo required to - tench religion, but to teach the Bible as-.-'they might teach a play of Shakespeare. The introduction of the system .would settle the controversy concerning. "denominational, schools for Roman Catholics. Tho demand of tills Church for expensive • privileges was surely nonsense. The State did not re-, cognise,- and could not recognise, th.it . there was any obligation Cast uj»n the Roman Catholio Church to build its own schools. The State said to them: We will givo you an education system better than the one you have, and better in the interests of the nation. Under this proposed system tho Reman Catholic clergy, equally with others, would bo permitted to give a certain measuro of religious instruction to children of. their own faith. If this system were obtained, the ground on which tho Roman' Cathc-lic-s made their claim to denominational teaching would be. taken from -under tlleir feet,, it would ..end',ones and' for' all' what' was a most difficulty, problem, and one which must'of necessity, be solved if the' religion of Christ was to-be maintained in this land. '' If !they failed, in this, it was high ' time they wrapped tlieir heads' in shame' at' their own ;-apathy, . Tho Rev. I. Jolly seconded the motion.