THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1705, 24 March 1913, Page 5

THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS QUESTION.

LETTER BY THE BISHOP OF NELSON. .The Anglican-Bishop of Nelson (tho Right Kev. William C. Sadlicr) has issued the following letter to the'clergy of his dioccse:— .. "The two great topics of Temperance reform and the Bible in State schools are at tho present moment agitating the public mind, and there appears to be immiirent danger of imperilling both owing to the thoughtless course 6i action adopted by-some of the advocates of the former. I therefore desire to call your attention to the following resolution passed at the recent convention of the Women's Christian Tmn ra c. l U»:oii, held in Nelson, viz., "That the convention express its disapproval of the Bible-.in-State Schools' League-platform." "1. Tho. action of this convention has involved every branch of tho W.C.T.U. id. this disapproval. "2. The convention has been moat astutely misled into; passing a resolution which brings the union into direct con diet with the studied policy of religious education adopted by the highest courts of the Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches, and of tlie Salvation Army. These religious bodies embrace over 74 per cent, of' tho electors in the Dominion. "3. All Temperance reformers, Including the W.C.T.U., relying upon the aseistanco and moral- force of those chutclies, are at the present time endeavoring to persuade the electors to a otc- fol the reduction of the majority now required by law, in order to -carry Prohibition. They demand that the question shall ho decided by a majority on ■ -th« political principle that the majority shall "i. This right which tho W.C.T.U. is demanding for - the Temperance platfoTiu. it denies to the platform of tho uible-iu-State Schools' League. It says to Uio cluirchrs associated .in this latter movement, We depend on you to vote for the principle that the majority shall rule in Temperance reform.- hut to the Tiible-m-Stato Schools' platform, which you are advocating, we have decided that: you shall NOT have this right; tho majority must NOT rule in your case. "While I leavo it to your commonsenso and'to. the common-sense of your peoplo to make any further comments -you may think drsirablo, I feel the resnonsibilitv of asking you to seo to it that our Christian women, who are members of tho W.C.T.TJ., are not cajoled into selling tho principles of God, homo, and humanity at the dictation of lmsl-admg leadership. I venture.to .suggest that it may even he the duty of om Christian women to withdraw from tho union unices the branches to which they belong immediately repudiate the resolution carried at the convention, Mid to express their regret that tho convention was so misled as to pass ft ro>olution .which brings the union into conflict with the principles of volitions education adopted by tho majority of the Christian eleetms in tho Dominion, and which is calculated to bo the destruction of tho principles which all Temperance reformers are endeavouring to place before tho public.