BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11191, 13 August 1898, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO THB EDITOE. Sir, —In your issue of to-day James Copland has a letter, whose concluding sentence is as follows :— The approval of the representative assemblies of the Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist Churches may weigh little with " Veritas," hut many others who are "susceptible 'to reason" will regard it as of greater weight thaii the mere dictum oi Dr Clifford.—l am. <fee. Does not the relative weight of tbe .rival estimates depend upon tbe knowledge of the subject upoD Svhich they are based ? Does James Copland wish us to believe that all the individual members of the " assemblies of the Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist Chnrche*" have studied the Irish Scripture Lesson Book, or eveu read it through ? Will he assure us that 75 per cent, of tbem have , done so P 50 per cent. ? 25 per cent. ? A declaration signed by the members of these various assemblies individually would go far to convince the graceless public that this " approval " is worth more than the paper it is written on. We know too well how resolutions are obtained on any subject under Heaven. A sub-committee of, say, three, of whom one does the work, reports' "Ay ! " to the general committee ; tbe Baid general committee reports "Ay" to its assembly ; lastly, the assembly reports " Ay ! " for the benefit of mankind iv general; and there you are ! But, Sir, there are so many clubs, societies, and _ associations nowadays that the great public is not so unsophisticated as it used to be ; most of us have been behind the scenes a bit, and evea pulled a string or two ourselves.—l am, &c, August 10. '- Fake.