BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21879, 15 August 1934, Page 12

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

INSTITUTE'S ATTACK REPLY BY CLERGYMAN " SHAMELESS EFFRONTERY " BILL MISREPRESENTED A vigorous answer to a recently published statement by the New Zealand Educational Institute attacking the Religious Instruction in Public Schools Enabling Bill was made by the Rev. W. Lawson Marsh at the meeting of the Auckland Presbytery last evening. The matter was raised by a letter from, the Assembly's public questions committee appealing to Presbyteries and sessions to give their utmost support to the bill. Mr. Marsh said the bill was to come before the House of ! Representatives again on August 29, and a demonstration in support of it was being arranged to take place in the Town Hall on Sunday, August 26. Members of Presbytery must have been struck, he said, by the extraordinary statement issued by the New Zealand Educational Institute. That statement had not been answered, though there was outstanding and flagrant misrepresentation contained in it. In statement No. 11. it was said that Christianity "in its pristine and most potent form never was and never could be a State religion." "Of course, we most heartily agree/' said Mr. Marsh, "but we indignantly repudiate the suggestion that this bill provides for or allows of 'the enforcement ; of State ritual and observance.' It passes belief that the Educational Institute should make such statements with the hope of putting them over.

"Betrayal of Ignorance" "It is ludicrous to pretend that simple Bible teaching such as is carried on in Scotland, England and in Australia is the cloven hoof of medie-. val ecclesiastical tyranny. One rubs one's eyes at the publication of such nonsense by representatives of an educational institute. They betray not only an ignorance of history, but aji ignorance of the widespread and well-known custom of Bible teaching throughout the Empire.

"But worse follows," continued Mr. Marsh. "They go on with shameless' effrontery—l say that deliberately—to misrepresent the bill. The bill provides that teachers, may if they wish take part in these religious exercises, but only on their volunteering to do so. Yet the statement pretends that we are forcing upon the educationalists the unwilling and unwelcome task of teaching what they do not believe.

Damaging Standing of Bill

"The institute dares to say, 'Falsity does not creep in; it arrives by a frontal attack when the teacher is asked to pass on as personally true to himself a form of religion that has never had his personal adhesion.' That is a monstrous statement from a responsible body. It is false in fact, and we can only assume that it is malicious in purpose, meant to damage the standing of the bill in the eyes of the teachers of_ New Zealand. It is a matter of profound concern to all who value jn£tjtiutions that the liberty of free' speech should be so abused by a tiny'.minority who apparently rule the affairs of the institute." _' 1 - ' "' ' ' Mr. Marsh questioned whether the institute really represented the teachers, and said that from his own experience of teachers he could confidently affirm that it did not. Objection to Motion Mr. Marsh moved a resolution expressing . regret that the institute should have so misrepresented the purposes and provisions pf the bill, affirming the Presbytery's wholehearted support of it, and calling for support' of the demonstration on Sunday, August 26.

The Rev. R. E. Evans questioned whether any good would come of attacking the institute, and the Rev. E. J. Tipler also objected to the first part of the resolution.

After consultation, Mr. Marsh agreed to alter his motion for the sake of obtaining unanimity. A resolution was unanimously adopted, declaring the Presbytery's wholehearted support of the bill now before the House of Representatives, and welcoming the opportunity provided by the forthcoming demonstration in the Town Hall on Sunday, August 26, to give public support to the bill. The Presbytery urged all ministers to encourage their congregations to attend the demonstration.