BISHOP CLEARY ON BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15265, 1 April 1913, Page 4

BISHOP CLEARY ON BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

, V Sir,--The Jeagoo dareo not- face the facte. , How and whence. arises the 'sHegwd moral [ right and duty of the Government to-'teacjUi' .. rebgion; or, legal phr&~% to "imjmtt "*£* '■ ' ligkma instruction" pad general religious • teaching?" No proof. v IE- tb^rGor-onmcnk > has th© moral right to ; teach Ahe Biblo-ta- >. schools view of religion to-aev, luuj it not equally the right to teach the? Mention' or • Unitarian or; (as in France) the Agaoc&c or , ■ ' Atheistio -view of ; religion to-morrow? No '• reply. What moral right has the G-ivern- ? ment to compel conscientious' objociora to ' ; : piy for a form of State " roligiouii instruction," opposed to convictions held, not. on moro . grounds . of political ■ expediency- or ••• :.ocsa.l conveniences but of specific rftligioae ; faith? No reply. ■: • What mojfal right , has';; the Government to bribe by pay and pen-,. sion, or to cooroo bj" their withdrawal, the' , large body of unwilling New, Zealand v ' t teachers to impart ■" religious instruction " .' > unacceptable to their consciences? No re- ' a ply. Are not the conscientious scmp'es of r teachers as much to conscience , 9 clause •; "protection" a» the conscientious ' i r scruples of parents , and pupils? No • reply. : ' b If teachers werSifentitled bo a -Biblo-iiit-schools i conscience clause in 1801, why not in 1813 ? .• '• No explanation. "What- moral right "has the -"i '• Government to deny to teachers rights of-V: ; conscience - which ;it giants to convicted . - i. pickpockets, burglars, and .violator i; of little i ohildren?. No reply. \ ■=. : :.-v " Bribe objecting teachers; muzzle them (as. : V 'r;': ( in - New South Wales) ,: against political'?" . ' '_ action; make protests to officials danger- ' ous, at least useless; visit "disobedience with , ' dismissal. Then, if teachers do not so pro- : test, praise the Jjoijd! This was the argument of the "pious" Southern slave-holder, lash in hand, for slavery : . it is - the argument of .the " pious " .burglar, with , revolver •/> at your head. When did silence, tolerance, J or even consent of-» purchased or coerced: . teachers make . moral -turpitude a virtue? Xvs No reply. _If such objectors behove not the/)({s s league religion, :it is legalised- hvpoerisy in '•*/ - the service of the Lorfl of . Truth. This -is . :: i% > not denied. If they oojrie to" believe it, then r it is (in quoted standard dictionary. :: 1 legalised , proselytism. ; This is undeniable. I Oyer and over again ft have . cited positive' T: evidence of Australian! teachers'? Ob i / • .from Bishop _ Gallagher end others having fc intimate official knowledge, from ail author,' 3 tative statement in €10 Queensland Parlia- : ment, and from the iwhnifssion: of - so ardent - J a leaguer as .Dr. Toimtpnan'. rAn ounce of . c such" positive testimdny is worth .more than' s a ton of illogical negative inference. On ;- . specific religious grounds, no amount of 1 subsidy would will/; Catholic .acceptance of , , J majority, rule of conscience, : of the pro-: . I nosed : persecution 'of . teachers, or .of the *. league's Irish prosejytisirig conscience clause.: * r This legalised fafw pretence is not known ■ 3 in . the /eyttem. ': I have : . 5 beforeVme pronoYaeemehts. of the' British ," v Catholic bishops en religion in the schools, . ;. : and I hereby oner/a sold ' medal to any league official will show that .they accept .the leagiioJ; proposals against which X , protest. Tho dismissal of Miss Janet Mar- - a> shall, , M.A., f»m a Motherwell public • ' !-' school on April;so, 1912, imply because r she 'was* a Oatha ; p. rather upsets the illusion / • r that religion _ ana education are quite peace-. v. a ably united in Scotland- _ \ fe v,v a I have chafed the league with jwrsis-S' ■ : a tently shirkiiij the difficulties of their , \x schemed ThiaTis easily done in newspaper ;; a oorraspondenc where question and answer, r objection andfeeply. do not appear together. • ; 0 Let us have pro "creation nighto" m the , { y Town Hall,' t» meetings of the general pub- .i* : r l ; c, such jiß feline haw all been. : Let the .;.- a league puf forward its picked maji or menv. J I will t>97 aalf the ej:pensCß of . hire and ) ;;' a advertisijig, and will pat questions and ques- , tion ansWod. I will follow with, ft " ques- . tion night,'land, as .is" my invariable prac- . i:. tice, will give prompt, clear, and straight-, r forward replies 'to every question bf«aring . upon issues.' Then the publio will see ? who is evading difficulties. . 1■ ' /-• Ajwi W. Cisabt, D.D., & / / • Bishop of Auckland. March 2T. 1 I :: .. - ; ■ -. • 3/ . •