BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS BILL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 11

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS BILL

\'. -„■-... .■• ■1° THE EDITOR. Sir,—l hear it whispered on all hands that .ecclesiastics all over the country, are, in a clandestine way, bringing presI'sure to bear upon membßrs of. Parliament to pass, during the winding-up rush, Mr. Isitt's ludicrous Bible-reading Bill. Dr. Gibb recently asserted that the Premier had entered into some secret pact with certain ecclesiastics, over some strategical method 'oi getting a Bible-in-Schools. surprise sprung on tho country. . ', ■ . ■ Are the teachers of the Dominion going to submit to'the indignity of havj ing (even with a conscience clause) Thread, daily a portion of Scripture without comment'; Can that be anything other than an absolute farce from an educational point of view? Are pupiis ■not to be allowed to ask questions on the reading, and are teachers not to he allowed to tell pupils what modern criticism and scholarship have to say regarding such portions of Scripture as ] may be read? If not, the day of the

pupils' disillusionment will spell greater disaster for the Churches. Surely, members of Parliament are not going to agree to the passing of such a Bill until: (1) The proposed text-book is before them, and (2) a plebiscite, ofthe teachers of the Dominion has been taken on the proposal.—l am, etc., SQUARE-DEAL. 22nd August.