RELIGIOUS TEACHING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 272, 21 October 1912, Page 3

RELIGIOUS TEACHING.

j TO THE EDITOR. 1 Sir. —Your correspondents "Stick J to Your Guns and "Mohio,’’ in your issues of Oct. 9th and 10th. take exception to Mr. McCarthy’s advocacy of religious teaching in schools, and go so far as to utterly condemn Christianity as a source of wickedness and corruption. Now. sir, if such writings were read only by norI mal and mature minded persons i they would do no harm, except to the writers themselves, but in this age of strenuous competition many adults do not allow themselves time for thoughtful reading or observation. And then there are the young who are seeking truth. To these I would say read for yourselves the whole teachings and doings of the man "Jesus” as given by all the sources of reliable information, and then judge how utterly foolish and | untrue are such writings as those of the above-named. —I am, etc., "SEEKING WHOLE TRUTHS.” Hastings, 11 10 12.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of 9th inst. you published a letter over the signature of “Mohio.” After carefully reading this I conclude that the writer from behind the hedge either docs not believe the New Testament to be a revelation from God or he is very much mixed up. He makes the usual mistake of confounding the present day churches with the Church of God, present day churches being miles away from the Divine order. Being governed by human wisdom they teach for doctrine the commandments of men, and the greater the drift from the New Testament model the greater the intolerance anti bigotry. To be a fol. lower of the meek and lowly One is to obey His teaching, resist evil and do good unto all men.' If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. To do this and at the same time manifest an intolerant spirit is unthinkable. ‘‘Think not that I have come to send peace on earth.” “Mohio” asserts that this is the only prophecy in the whole Book which has been fulfilled. How very superficial his knowledge of the Book must be. Is it not true that Jesus predicted His own death upon the cross, resurrection and ascension, and the fulfilment of this prophecy is attested by great and conclusive proofs. Jesus also predicted the destruction of that great and populous city Jerusalem, with its wonderful temple. There can be no possible doubt as to the full and complete fulfillment of this prophecy. I beg to suggest to “Mohio” a more careful reading of his New Testament in order to acquire a more perfect knowledge of what the Book really does present as Christianity, and also remind him that the Book is not responsible for the gross departures from its teaching which is seen in the faith and practice of present-day churches. — I am, etc., H. BATT. Havelock North, Oct. 11th, 1912.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —May 1 crave a little of your space to reply to thfe letter of Frank A. E. Gordon. Mr. Gordon says I know that I am safe in challenging Mr. McCarthy to read certain portions of the Bible from a public platform. Yes, Ido know that lam perfectly safe, but why should I feel safe, if the Bible is a fit book to put into the hands of school children. Mr. Gordon says the portions I -would select are in the historical portions of the Bible. To that I reply that Bible history is no more history than Gulliver’s Travels or Robinson Crusoe. I would advise Mr. Gordon to read Thomas Paine’s “Age of Reason,” Eric Palmer’s “Principles of Nature.” and other books dealing with the subject. I shall be pleased to lend him any book I have if he chooses to place himself in communication with me. Mr. Gordon must know there are passages in ths Bible that would get anyone a term of imprisonment if he read it in public. Mr. Gordon says the children’s attention is not drawn to those parts. My experience as a Sunday School scholar is that the boys and girls find out these passages themselves and show them to their companions. Mr. Gordon says he is not in favour of Bible reading in schools. If Mr. Gordon would not have his own children taught the Bible in school why should other people’s children have it crammed down their throats 1 Workmen's children have to leave school with only a smattering of education, and these Bible-in-schools neopie would make their chances still less. Mr. Gordon trots out the old bogey about the French revolution. The French people for over a thousand years had been guided and cared for by a Bible religion. The men and women of the French revolution were what religion had made them. There is one more passage in Mr. Gordon’s letter. He says, “but if there are others who arc weak enough to believe them selves above the level of dogs.” What does Mr. Gordon's God say about the matter. The last verse of the second chapter of Genesis says f hat GotVs conception of man was that he was no better than the “beast of the field.’’ —I am. etc.. “ STICK TO YOUR GUNS.”

[The above correspondence was considerably delayed in publication. Further correspondence on this subject must be concise as space cannot be afforded for lengthv letters.— Ed. H.B.T.]