BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12068, 11 September 1902, Page 6

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l was much interested in reading Tfniß report of lasi night's meeting. This « tainly a. burning question, sir, but as to whe<i ther it will burn itself out, or bum, sometiling up, remains to be seen. With, the pre*, of the colony almost solidly against the clerical agitation, he would bo a bold man wha would forecast an outcome to the issue fatvourable to the agitator.?. The point «» which I de-sire, briefly, to direct attention however, in ens that must hare struck, vtry forcibly, many of your readers. Evtry speaker at the meeting condemned what tier. term " denominationaUsm." The great thing bey fear is the possibility of a return to t&jjj, system! Now, sir, what are we to undir-s-*:4!i(i by this? We want to know just wb«r» we star.d before election time, and I therefore, invito any of the ministers to thwi»i seme light on the- question. For instancy iv wis to prevent children being brought «» under sich on evil system that the pre*fa| "free, secular, and compulsory" Act was «v troducec. And after a- quarter of a eontujy, trial of the Act tho present day minisdert ' of religiui agree that donominaitionalism is * bad t-luMf. Now, sir, what is worrying nunr of us is the attitude of these ministers. Because, if denominationalisni be such an evil thing, wnat makes the denominations themselves gcod? _ The various ministers who spoke sc against denominationalism are »\\ minister! of denominational churches. ]>> they, thai, believe that thoir various system* are bad? It seems to mo that no other eonelusion an bo possible. For, if we concetto that the* ministers consider tho teaching o(! their vajous denominations good, then how can it be bad for the children? Perhaps scm» one of tieir number will kindly remove, tb* fog from our minds that lias gathered around this point. And by the one effort they writ possibly ;lear up another and cognate difficuity. I; is this: All those ministers vrh* spoke so strongly against deoomioationadasioi advocated Bible reading in schools, which means, scne of us begin to think, that, after all, the lible doesn't countenance denominatkmalisre. If this be a wrong conclusion to. reach, wJI someone kindly put us right? $; r there is lrgent and imperative need for sow* of these zealous defenders of Bible in schools to give i little "more light." The difficulty is here : Do not these gentlemen believe and teach lint their various creeds aro taken frora the Rifle? Well, if they have taken ft»j teachint called " denaminationalism" frc-nxi the Bibe, will not restoring the Bible to the schools give the children the very teaching of which they all now seem to bo ashamed and witch they so heartily repudiate?—l ant etc., fused.