BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 9, 5 October 1927, Page 3

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Sir, —The ■ Bible as presented by ihoss who are most eager, apparently, for the Bible in schools has really been a la-® l * entable failure. It is true to say that through the hopeless contradiction implied and bred by “Private Interpretation,” the ministers of all churches, except the Roman Catholic Church, have lost their hold on most of those who were once their followers. Apart from sonio of the larger protestant churches (with good choirs) the churches are suffering from empty pews galore. I attended a fair sized protestant church recently in Wellington and in spite of the good weather the attendance was shocking. There seems to be a spiritual paralysis setting in. In a country church on a fine Sunday recently the Sunday congregation instead of being at least one hundred and fifty was the bell ringer and one strange gentleman—Alas! Bible lessons and reading will not mend this lethagy. There is something more fundamental to be fixed up. Tho spirit and that "private interpretation” is at fault. Protestantism is on the wane—especially in other countries. New Zealand is bad and growing worse in its lack of practical tegular religion. The ministers are cramped in their delivery 'of the word of God; through their fear of offending certain parts of their congregations. Ministers differ on essential points. Bishops also entirely disagree on elementarv doctrines. Chaos is almost come. It will soon be complete in the protestant churches. There is something more necessary than vague Bible lessons or unexplained Bible reading. How different is the' position among Catholics. They agree, on all essentials. Thev are guided distinctly hv their priests. They attend their church regularly in large numbers, fino or wet weather. There is health. There is vigor. It pains me .to come from a practically empty Anglican Church and see crowds coming from the Catholic Church. It is not, to my mind, and according to mv many friends, Bible reading in schools that' is necessary but a complete clean up on tenets and systems of the Protestant Churches which through vagueness and consequent disintegration, are quickly and surely fading away.—l am ’ ek ’" EMPTY CHURCHES. Hamua, October 1.