RELIGIOUS TRAINING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6361, 8 November 1907, Page 5

RELIGIOUS TRAINING.

GtJIl PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

NEITHER. GODLESS NOR IRRELIGIOUS ADDRESS BY MR W. GRAY. A(ldr«ia:ig the Presbyterian General liu>t on tho subjoct nt tho religious training of the young, Mr William Gray, M.A., Principal of (2m Wellington Trabing College, naked what part did their school; contribute |/i the problem of religious imrfcruction r Borne of bis audience would answer, none at all. The charge had boon made that they wore- Godless and irroItgioua. That charge «roa untenable ami untrue. Snob was not tho fact. j Had ho time, ho should order a strong argument to .show that a ' rory largo rilofront r.contribute.! to tiro religious upbringing of the children of tho Dominion by t.hif.v., no-called, ooo'ahrr institution.; Ho heLi-arel that tiro greatest force for national rightoousr«n, and the gnvde.st form for puro ami undotiled religion. war. to bo found in tho teachers of tho Dominion. (Applause.) Tltorn was no greater force For tho true, permanent; and abiding triluencos in character. Ho made that fitt.ieraenfc absolutely, speaking as no did from an extensive knowledge ft tho teachers throughout the length and breadth of tho land, gained in an experience of twenty-four years. Ho, loffe ved that tho jute rest; of the children in that respect mo being safeguarded by tho tot Acts. Although they had not in the schools the textbook of religious instruction, the groat educational masterpiece, tho Bible, yet then; were those great moral elements, those groat firmlamw.liU elements, which nil art he lieid part of the religious question which hatl received very great prornii.ouco; and their scliools wero r.ot Godless. (A[tplauee.) The me-kera of tlio educational had no such intention ; and it was raising a fa 100 issue to say that they were secular in that tiny prescribed tho idea of God. of the higher life, of tho roligiouo element. He wished to make that emphatically eVar, A great many who i/.K>k up a position antagonistic to (hat wore religions people, and lisifl hlio best interests of religion at heart. Tho pToat bone of contention had been the Bible in schools. TK“ Bldo % vp .4 at tan prevent time, and must always ho, tho groat book of rofc.rw.co in their schools. They could never talk of its not being in tho schools, bo long as it permeated their literature, their science, music and art; and so long would it bo necessary as a book of reference. THE SCRIPTURES FOR RRFBRENCB. Ho wished to say that every tonchor had at his disposal tho wiso use of tho Soripturoa for reference. Ho had been toarhiivg for twenty-four years, and ho had noverr onoo hoc., questioned as to has right to refer to tho use of tho Scriptures for - explanation of passages in Scripture. Ho wished to emphasise tho point Hint thoir schools wore not irreligious—nay, Iso wished to put it positively, that their schools wore factors making for religions influences. They worn not organised for religious needs, definitely for that purpose. Ho would,' if it wore possible, that tho mind of the community favoured the Opening of the schools daily with tho herd’s Prayer and that they could lake into thoir toxt-hooka selections hom the Scriptures; and ho believed bat the day for that was not so far iff as Bomo people thought. But Ko lid not believe that Bihlo-roading or Hitting tho Bible into the schools, as ’part of tho ordinary programme of locular instruction, was a feasible proposition at tho present time. Ho did my that taking tho Bibio as one of tho groat text-hooka of religious instruction, tho present position in regard to the 'State schools—tho position at which they had arrived in common with all civilised countries in the world—constituted a call to tho Church to oomo forward with a held and aggrcisnvo educational policy in tho mattor' of religious instruction for tho young. (Applause.)