SHAKESPEARE PLAYS AND THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 254, 23 July 1927, Page 11

SHAKESPEARE PLAYS AND THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Sir,—l attended one of Mr. Allan Wikie s recitals, of Shakespeare’s plays, when he last visited here, and I intend to attend this week, if time permits, M it is truly as an education, but what struck me was the scriptural phrases Shakespeare makes his characters use now and again. The'evening I attended a phrase was used (with great effect) kneeling after the English vicory over the French, viz.: "Not until us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto tHy name give glory." That senterice appeared in the Book of Common Prayer (if the bishops has not cat. it out),! and is from David’s Psalm 115, in the Bible. My point, sir, Is this, as Shakespeare's plays are shot with several hundred Bible extracts (500 I believe), or sentences, it is regretable that the boys and girls of this new Country aro prohibited; in school hours, from learning the Bible. If they did they would be able to more fully appreciate Shakespeare and other great works, and speeches, for most contain Bible phrases—in fact'in your columns lately I was amused to read in a letter written by a Rationalist, opposing Bible in schools, a Bible; phrase used by him to make his meaning, apt and clear. I admire a real Rationalist, whose world’s leaders believe -in the use of the Bible in schools, as a great classic, and ! believe as Burbank the "plant wizard’* elates, viz.: "Christ was an infidel of His day, because He rebelled against tho prevailing religion and government.” Mr. Burbank goes on: "I am a lover of Christ as a man and His works and all things that help humanity, , but, nevertheless, just as He was an infidel then, I am an infidel to-day." Sir, Christ was a Bible student, and emphasised the need of keeping the ten commandments. Huxley, agnostic and evolutionist, wrote strongly urging Bible reading in Izindon board (day schools. Haeckel, the evolutionist, stressed the need of the Bible in schools h Lecky, the rationalist historian, urged the use of the Bible in schools, as it had a refining effect; Osborne, curator of New York Natural Historv Museum, who has just been attending a conference of evolutionists, desires a book of Bible extracts, including the Ten Commandmeats, to be placed in' American day schools. With H. G. Wells stating Christ was ,the greatest man known to history, it seems monstrous that New Zealand laws should not allow the Bible (containing Christ s life) to be in the day (or workers) schools, but yet allow it to bo read in the colleges. Russia, France, America and New Zealand prohibit religious instruction in schools. The opposing forces of the Bible in schools appear to be one or two halfbaked Socialists and rationalists, and an ex-Direrior of Education, an ardent Seventh Day Adventist and a sincere Roman Catholic Bishop, whose day schools here and abroad use a Scripture lesson book, or selections from the Bible, including tho Ten Commandments. The new Bible in Schools Bill Srovidcs for a similar book to what ie Catholics use in their day schools, only the new one will be built from the Protestant version. I presume surely the 80 per cent, of parents of this country who have voted for Bible in schools are not going, to let the above peculiar combination stop the English Bible being read in schools by boys and girls of English Stock. My

name can bo given to any. Sir, as I liKe to ba frame.—l am, etc., A COLONIAL. Wellington, Juno 20.