AMERICAN LAWS CONCERNING BIBLE READING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3080, 26 May 1914, Page 5

AMERICAN LAWS CONCERNING BIBLE READING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

(To tha Editor.) Sir,—l visited America two years ago ail I noied that the Bible in pu'olic ■ ehools question was a very live ore there. In the majoritv or the Sta.es some provision is made fo a simple reading from the Bible by the school teacher. Last year (1913) the State of Pennsylvania, whose population numbers 000,000, passed a law "Requiring teachers in public schools to read every uiorninir ten (10) verses from the' Bible without comment." Any teacher objecting to lie dismissed. Catholic schools do not receive State aid.

The following are States in America where the Bible is read in the Public Schools.: The comments are supplied by the Superintendents of Public Instruction—Maine, ' Bible daily read in school lor 270 years"; NewYork, "Read daily for 2">o years"; New Hampshire, "Read daily since 1023"; Vermont, "We encourage Biblereading in schools"; District of Columbia, "Bible read and Lord's Prayer repeated"; Kentucky, "Generally read"; Tennessee, "The Bible t-ouV roek of public safety"; .Alabama, "Custom in our schools neither enjoins nor forbids": Illinois, ditto; Missis. sippi, "The Bible is no! excluded and is generally read"; Michigan, ditto; Arkansas, "Read in part of our schools"; Texas "Head in some schools'; Oregon, ditto; West Virginia, No law prohibiting Bible-read-ing" .-Florida, ditto; Delaware, Biblereading universal"; Pennsylvania. "The Scripture* must not be omitted"; New Jersey, "Head i::|ti early all schools"; Georgia, "The Bible cannot be excluded"; Connecticut, "The Bible has always been read"; Massachusetts, "Bible has been read in schools for 27S year-"; Maryland. "Read daily in our schools"; South Carolina. "Generally read": Rhode Island. "Universal custom to reel the Scriptures"; Indiana, "The Bible shall not lie excluded": South Dikota, "May le reel without -''Marian •omment"; Virginia. "Read in

nearly all schools"; Ohio. "We thoroughly believe in it, as it lias a goo i influence upon our children": Missour, "Optical: eharac'er-build-ing is an im|»ortant factor with us"; Nebraska. "I>o>urage moral culture; generally reel"; Kansas, "Head in part of our sclnols"; \Y\oming. "Left to local Bond- to decide; Colorado. "Head in some M 'hool-"; New York ( ;ty, 'Rule iiMM*r\ el be ne nly three enturies; in New York all schools are opened bv reading the Bible.'

.\s the Bible in ptnli ■ selmnls ipiesti i.i is looming large in the i olitical horizon T thought the above would be o! intere-t to my fellow New Zea!;i::der.-. 1 am, etc., S. PKAUSOX. Wellington, l.'.th May. P.HI.