BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 138, 15 June 1927, Page 6

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

MR. ISITT'S BILL

PRESBYTERIAN SUPPORT

The Bible-in-Schools question -was referred to at yesterday's meeting of the "Wellington Presbytery.

The clerk read a circular regarding a referendum of parents to secure BibleTeading in schools.

Tho Boy. J. ll'Caw said.he had been brought up on tho Bible in schools, and no could not get away from the conviction that God should be acknowledge 4 m schools, and God was not acknowledged there to-day. All knew the I simplicity of the request, a hymn, & reading of the Scripture, and the Lord's. Prayer. It seemed extraordinary that whilo boys and girls in the secondary, schools had religious instruction in •' way, and while the Bible was put into prison cells, it should not be allowed in primary schools. The Word of God conveyed its own message. The question would never be settled until it was settled right, and the sooner God wa 3 acknowledged in the schools' the better. He moved:—"That the proposal contained in Mr. Isitt's. Bill be referred to congregations in every ciurch for favourable consideration." Mr. W. Hopkirk said that he remem. bered the days of the Bible-in-schools< and in his opinion it should neverhava gone out. Only a quarter of an how a day would be needed, and the atmps--phere of the school would be changed utterly. Could it be said that boys and girls had so little brains that they did not think a thing kept out of the schools must be worth a lot less than the multiplication table, or learning to read and write? At present the value of the greatest Book in the world was being minimised. Surely parents had the right to say what their children'! duty was, and if that responsibilits! were taken over by the State then the responsibility should be carried out. It was stated by a member that th«" referendum asked for in the circula? had been taken,in eight schools with 4500 children, and the result had bees a vote of 78 per cent, in favour of th» Bible-in-schools. The Bey. Mr. M'Caw pointed out that there was nothing in hii motion regarding a referendum. The motion was carried. ' j