BIBLE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 14

BIBLE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

Sir,—The letter of Mr. Parkinson in your lhursday's issue calls for somo comment. ]t contains a clear truth and also a huge error. The riots reveal both ignorance of life's duties and indifference to its responsibilities. But until there is brought to bear something higher, i.e., more searching, than educative, teachings, little or no improvement may be anticipated. 1 lie last week-end there touched our shores a young visiting missionary from New Guinea, who related before a meeting of the Auckland Missionary Association that ono of their major embarrassments is just the educated heathen. His sentiments are re-echoed around the world in heathen lands. Tho greatest lack of our education system is simply the lack of the high moral teaching of our English Bible. Let us learn, if needs be, from Mussolini, who has caused the New Testament to be taught throughout the schools of Italy and that by school teachers apart from priestly aid. This would help, almost without cost, Mr. Parkinson and his institute toward the second part of their declared aim of more and better education." B.C.H. Sir, —I read with great interest Archdeacon MacMarray's letter and the letter bv Dr. North. Very much in both are to tho point, but to my mind neither go deep enough. There "is never an effect without a cause. We consider ourselves a Christian nation. The laws of our country are founded on the Bible, and yet for about 50 years the Bible lias hcen banished from our primary schools So our children during that, time have been deprived of the only foundation on which to build their characters. What does the parable of the house built on the rock and the house built on the sand mean ? We are very proud of our educational system, but by keeping out the Bible wo have robbed our children of their birthright. Our secular education without the foundation the Bible alone can give has proved a foundation of sand. That is the cause of the brutality, dishonesty and lack of self-control exhibited that irght, some say, but we havo Sunday Schools, yes. one hour a week, and how many children never go to Sunday School '! I remember several years ago a meeting being held in East Street Mission Hall to form a branch of the Young Citizens' League. The pledges were read out to tho children. One sentence of it expressed belief in Jesus Christ. When the children were giving their names a bright, intelligent boy about 13 was noticed standing looking on. Someone asked if he would like to join. "I would," he replied, "but who i 6 Jesus Christ? I never heard of him before." The cause of all our trouble is that we have forgotten God, not given Him his proper place in our plane.

A GnEAT-GBANDaiOTHER..