THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS-THE QUESTION "IN A NUTSHELL."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15514, 22 January 1914, Page 9

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS-THE QUESTION "IN A NUTSHELL."

I ; Sir,—Kindly allow me; BDace to __ . , ' tts» r^ h^ ltlßglthe fMa «**2 tnereof. Constitution -,of A•- the '•• 'United' - States of America. And, again- »Tf£ aenne the Law of God, orpoint Out to the % gW<MM* duty, J nS equalhpropriety, : P^fc«f;l?ivine-reTelatldn?and^nfoice'teve religious obligation, evento the forms anT .Sffff* WnhiA-fte endoSt ol' clergy r .These Pnn«ples hold good when > applied, to any, nation,-- and when the - of Sew Zealand mikes law ß saying where the, Bible shall be taught, .what part of nY shall be-, taught, arid4ho «^th r ßibW*hen:it^^ : tait H»\ CVei ? member of Parliament s and every State scfiool tether be WdfeSSftia thus break another good rule:" Nb-reH- ci test shall ever be required as a' qualification to any office or public trust under'" the United States." If the people of this " Dominion set aside, these sound, principles, :; then .it iwilU mean that the ; Church has :i----gained control of the civil power, and the way would be open for misguided religion- V ists to say, "There shall be but one religion, .to.which all must conform or be fined, imprisoned/ tortured, 'or burned to death.'' These " Bible **■ Schools" and : Lords Day Alliance" people are.astirg . for religious laws like those in some parts of America, which forbid;, the doing of almost everything on the Sunday except going to church. But no one can be driven into the \ " Kingdom of God." They must be drawn-in by the power of love. "'-The warning given us to keep the Church from gaining „ governmental power !n must ba heeded, or our liberty will be lost. : * This strikes at the very root of the Bible in Schools and the Lord's Day • Alliance movements. To deal with this.Bible in Schools question in any temporary, roundabout, less direct manner is only loss of time- ; Our . members of Parliament have but one duty, to perform concerning ; religion, and that is to see that every man has what religion he likes, so long as he does not interfere with the rights of others. I Geo. Johnson. Parkhurst, Kaipara. / {' '''"••