MORALITY v. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5938, 19 February 1881, Page 3

MORALITY v. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. TO THE EDITOR.

?'-"J ?L OUr corresPO"dent, "M.W.a," can only speak of the heathen morality with bated breath what shall we say of the Christian one ? According to some medical statistics, which it would be polluting to name, it is a fact that rice is to-day as rampant as in tho time of the ancients, and on such scale as to mako one "hang his head, and blush to be a man." For all unbiassed minds Christian morality is a failure How can it help it, when religious instruction with the world consists in the teaching of a tissue.of traditional dogmas and human opinions, which, instead of strengthening tbo mind it,paralysis.its efforts, and transforms the inquiring, truth-seeking intellect into the stultified head-piece of the fossilised bigot. : The" result is, that it makes man truly irrcligious,!by shut ting out from him all .form of spiritual lin-ht, and leaving him at the mercy of the lower elements of its' nature. . . ' ... ~ :. ' .." • ;

.-•' ;Thc Bible-in-scliobl sort of people want children to answer nonsensical and enigmatical questions from the Bible, such as "Who slept on a stone pillow?" ".When did Abraham kill a , calf r and other profound matters, of which these are specimens Thus our religious people degrade tho rniud of the "sing: generation, by '.'bending it down' to insipid ;puerelities, and unfit the youth of the country occupying a glorious position in the struggle of life. Pcoploare beginning lo see that practical religion— the rejigum of. love, and good works—is of far more importance, to; humanity at.large"than, a mere adherence to old belief or article of faith, wliich have served their day and generation, but which as man progresses in a knowledge of tho laws of his being and rises higher in -the scale of civilisation, are no longer adapted to either his aspirations or his circmn.stances. '- ..." ■. < ••■ : ~ .-..; let us, therefore, teach "charity," and no more, since, i although we have everything else'greatVand* .good and have not this, " we shall be as soundinfr brass and tinkling cymbil.'-lani,,&e./' ."". --*■ : ~ ...'... - ■'- ." . .--'■■. .1 .'■[.:, Spiritist.