REV. MR. TEBBS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5996, 4 February 1881, Page 6

REV. MR. TEBBS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir, —In your issue of February 1, the Rev. Mr. Tebbs says in reference to "Bible in schools:" "One in a'crowd can be easily prominent if he only makes noise enough, but my conversations have been carried on with earnest, thinking men, who, though quiet now, yet can and will use their votes to good purpose when the time shall have come, and will prove themselves, I doubt not, far too unduly complaisant to please those who are' determined to make the rising generation of this colony a godless race." Allow me to say that this is a very disingenuous way of putting the question. I have been in this province between! 20 and 30 years, and have seen the various methods tried for educating the rising gene- | ration. And in my opinion the present one is the most perfect that has been tried. No one wishes to make the rising generation of this colony a godless race. And the Rev. Mr. Tebbs and his compeers are well paid to prevent such a calamity. They have access to churches, chapels, Sunday-schools, evening schools, meetings of every kind, and in fact everywhere except during the few hours the children are being taught reading, writing, geography, cyphering, &c. ; and it is a disgrace for them, with such a large staff as they have, to talk of the rising generation bein" , a godless one. What became of the earnest, thinking men's children when the Revs. Messrs. Bree and Runciman attended at the close of school hours, and tendered their services? Why did they not send their children to receive the Bible lessons offered j to them ? I can assure the Rev. Mr. Tebbs j that after a very long experience, I and many other earnest, thinking men have determined to have education purely secular. If the parsons can once get access to the schools during school hours, there will be no further peace there. Everyone will try to administer religion according, to his own light, and the. whole affair will be thrown into confusion.—l am, &c, H.Y.