COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 18288, 30 May 1923, Page 5

COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS

SOCIALISTIC SUNDAY SCHOOLS. A special meeting of the council was held last night in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral. In the absence of the president, Mr H. H. Driver was appointed chairman. A report was, received from the Social Research Committee dealing with Socialistic Sunday schools. It stated that there wore only 'a few oi such schools established; that at their best they taught high morality without the Christian sanction which made obedience to it possible, and at their worst fomented class hatred, atheism, and anarchy. It expressed the conviction that but few parents would care to send their children to these travesties of the Christian Sunday schools, and that they would fail to attract scholars for any length of time. Any attempt to suppress them would bo an infringement of the right of free speech and the principles of religious intolerance. If they taught sedition and disloyalty it was for tho State to interfere with them, and not for the Church of Christ. Their formation was an additional call to the Church to carry on its work among the young with redoubled earnestness. BIBLE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS. On the motion of tho Rev. A. M. Dalrymple, seconded by Mr J. Inglis Wright, it was unanimously resolved to endorse the scheme for Bible teaching in the State schools which had been adopted by a representative committee which met in Wellington last year, and which Mr Massey and the Director of Education had received favorably. The scheme provides : The Council of Christian Congregations of Dunedin heartily endorses the effort now being made in Wellington to secure the passage through Parliament of a Bill securing (1) that a text book be prepared by representatives of the Christian churches for approval by tho Education Department, including (a) a passage of Scripture, and (b) a selection of hymns; (2) that this text book bo used in tho State schools for Scripture lessons to bo given _by tho teachers with simple explanations, for fifteen minutes daily, to be opened with the Lord’s Prayer; (3) that a conscience clause be allowed for teachers unwilling to giro Scripture instruction and for parents not desiring their children to attend such instruction; (4) in tho event of any teacher availing himself of the conscience clause, the school committee shah make suitable arrangement's for conducting tho Scripture lessons. GENERAL. A mmnto drafted by the chairman regarding the departure of tho Rev, Graham H. Balfour, M.A., 8.D., was adopted. Tho Secretary (Rev. R, H. Knowles Kempton) reported that tho Rev. F. B. Meyer, D.D., to whom he referred as ‘‘ tho St. Francis of British Protestantism,” hoped to spend August in the dominion, and it was resolved to accord Dr Meyer a hearty welcome and to arrange for such services and meetings as tho distinguished visitor found himself able to take. It was announced that the Rev. G. T. B. Davis, founder and organiser of tho Pocket Testament League-, would moot all interested in his work in the Y.M.O.A. Hall on Tuesday next. Members of tho council wore urged to attend. The question of social immorality, to which so much painful attention has been called of late, was remitted to tho Social Research' Committee for consideration and report at the next meeting of the council. The Rev-. A. M. Dalrymplo closed tho meeting with the Benediction.