BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19959, 30 May 1928, Page 13

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

POPULAR DEMONSTRATION. "MENACE OF SECULARISM." NELSON SYSTEM INADEQUATE. The extent of the audience that went far to fill the Town Hall last evening, in defiance of the weather, was evidence that the question of the introduction of the Bible into State schools is a live one with a large section of the population. The occasion was a public demonstration, organised by the New Zealand Bible-in-State Schools' League. The principal speakers were Professor Richard Lawson, professor of education at Otago University, and the Hon. L. M. Isitt, M.L.C. At the close of the meeting the following resolution, moved by the Rev. Dr. H. Ranston, was carried, with three dissentient votes: "This meeting views as inadequate the present system of education because its entirely secular principle is a menace to moral and religious welfare, a danger to the State and an injustice to the child. It therefore demands from Parliament the restoration of the Bible to the primary schoqls. While prepared to grant to committees the right to continue the Nelson system, wherever it may be at present operating, it views as inadequa'e any system that does not place the Bible in the school currfcultim, and cannot be applied to all the primary schools of the Dominion." Eights o! the Children. Archbishop Averill, who presided, as president of the Bible-in-Schools League, said they were met to express their desire more strongly than they had done in the past that the system of teaching in the primary schools of this Dominion should be in accordance with the wishes of the majority of the parents of' the children who attended those schools. (Applause. ) They were there to ask, to demand, the rights of the children that they should be educated in body, mind and spirit, and so fitted, not only to make a living, but. also for living their full lives in the world. It was about 50 years since the Parliament of New Zealand, without any mandate from the people, had adopted a free, secular and compulsory system of education, and it was fitting that they should now press their claim strongly to improve that system. (Aplause.) They were more united now than ever before, and had at least 80 per cent, in favour of the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill. The Nelson system was not sufficient, and did not help the children in the back blocks at all. Were we in "■God's own country" to make the Lord Jesus Christ an outcast in our schools ? It was announced the Timaru School Committees' Assocaition had passed, without dissent, a resolution favouring Bible reading in schools, on the lines of Mr. Isitt's bill. A hearty reception was given to Mr. Isitt, who began by emphasising the fact that few of their sympathisers had any adequate conception of the huge evils that had been flourishing under the secular system, or any conception of the dire need of reform. The churches tended to become narrow and self-centred and unaware of the great menaces threatening the whole Christian system. " Serious Spiritual Slump." Whatever might be the reason, were passing through a serious spiritual slump. The churches were nofr even holding their own. The Methodist Conference of New Zealand had reported an addition of 500 for the year's activities and they were not the worst. There were various reasons for this, but one certainly was the secular system which they had had for the past 50 years. Under it there had grown up tens of thousands in heathen ignorance, with no knowledge of the great truths of Christianity. There was a great mass of youth growing up receiving no religious instruction either in the home or in the school, and as long as that was so organised Christianity was going to lose all along the line. He was no sectarian, but their boys and girls were being launched on the sea of life without chart or compass, without port or captain, unarmoured to face life's perils. This meant drift to a materialistic hell—honour and truth and honesty becoming matters of secondary importance, the one idea being that men and women should have a good time with no hope for the future. If there was no sense of responsibility to a Supreme Being there was no power in them to fight against the degrading tendencies of their own nature. Boman Catholic Opposition.

The clause making education secular in the original bill was carried by the fear of members of Parliament losing the vote of the Roman Catholicn and of those who represented the wish of the Roman Catholics. The same barrier that prevented the passing of the Bible-in-Schools clause 50 years ago was the one and only real barrier that prevented its passing today. (Applause.) They had narrowed their platform in a sincere and earnest effort to placate the Roman Catholic Church. In view of its opposition they had abandoned the request for Bible teaching.

Bishop Cleary had told him that no Roman Catholic ecclesiatic would ever accept any common denominator of an emasculated religion, but would be content with nothing less than their own teaching by their own teachers. That meant State aid of denominational schools which would never be given. "Was it not not only weak, but also wicked, to allow their children to be kept in ignorance because it was not possible for Parliament to grant the demands of a Church which was, after all. not the national Church? , (Applause.) There were men in Parliament just as sincere in their opposition to the bill as he was in supporting it, but others came to him and said they regretted they, could not support it because they had too many Roman Catholics in their constituency. He gave reasons for believing the introduction of the Bible would not lead to sectarian bitterness. There had been great misunderstanding over the Nelson system. It had been brought forward in Parliament simply with the desire to defeat the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill. Need of Immediate Reform. There was in ,that bill a clause providing that the Nelson system should take the place of the Bible reading where that was desired, and yet the Nelson system had been placed in opposition to his bill. He asked them to form an adequate conception of the tr imendous hurt this secular system was doing, and of the dire need for immediate reform. Were they going to deny to their children the help that came to those who had been given the teaching of the Bible ? The only hope for civilisation to-day was the teaching and the life of Christ. For 50 years He had knocked at the barred doors of our schools that Ho might bring His sacred influence to bear on the lives of the boys and girls; and in His name let them sweep away the time servers who stood in tne way and unbar the long closed door, thus ensuring the real happiness and true prosperity of the DominFor an hour prior to the meeting those who gathered were treated to an organ recital by Dr. .W. E. Thomas.