THE COMING ELECTIONS AND BIBLEREADING IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12394, 2 July 1902, Page 6

THE COMING ELECTIONS AND BIBLEREADING IN SCHOOLS.

* TO THE EDITOR. ' Sia,—The. elections will be coming on ir a few months' tirao, and I lake tins opportunity of strongly urging the electors tc insist on having the Education Act amended so that the Bible should be read at the commencement of school every morning, If this is not done you can never expeol this.colony to thrive: witness your leadei of a few days back, also one in our local paper, An'-tho young people taking tc drink. In my opinion this all comps from not having the Bible read in schools. \Y< must bear in mind that the present younj people of the colony are, you may say, th( third generation. The old settlers who cam* hero iiret and their sons and daughters, ] am sure, read their Bibles; but,. Sir, slit present young people know very little about the Bible, or else wo should not seo tlu very unseemly way in which they behave themselves. I' was much struck the othei day on reading a lotter to the editor ol tho London Times, the hiding of n-hici: was "Mr Rhodes on Religious Education,' It'read. thus:. " When so much is being said as to Hi Rhodes's attitude towards religion, it ii worth remembering what he did' and- saij with regard to education in Rhodesia. Hi: plan w»3 (and it had the llishop's full ap proval) that for half an hour every morniti; the ministers of each church or denomination (should come and teach their special dogmas to the children of the member! ot their congregation. Presiding at tin prize-giving of St. John's, Bulawayo, lasl autumn. Mr Rhodes said:—'ln Englnnd t Board School is not bound to have an) religion. I think it is a mistake, just as J think it is a mistake in Australia that tlioj have excluded history and religion frorr their schools. I think it is an absolute mis take, because, after all, the child at schoo! is at that period of its life when it is mosl pliable-to thoughts, and if you remove fron it all thought of religion I do not tliinl you make it a better human being. Then is 110' doubt but that it is during the perioi of .youth that you get- those impression! which afterwards dominate your whole life I am quite .clear that n, child brought \\\ with religious thoughts makes a bettoi human being. I am quite sure to couph {he-ordinary- school teaching with some thoughts of religion is bettor than dismissing religion- from within tho walls of tlu school.'" . Surely' these are remarkable wort's fron tho great empire-builder, as wo all know that at one timo he hardly believed in God: but wo all hope that in his last days a' wai well with luin in that respcct. S< important is the Holy Bible that ono wil bo 'presented to tho King on his Coronatior (which I hope will soon take place) as King " the most.vahiaolo thing this'wcrld affords wherein is wisdom, wherein is tho roya law,.wherein aro lovoly oracles of God.' J fool quite sure that if we only had tin Bible read every morning in tho schools in a year or,two we should soon,tee ai improvement, in tho young people; the; would have move respect for their parent" and more respect for themselves than ti do a, lot of .the .things which they do now I strongly urge both women and men eke tors to look after this one thing during thi coming, elections, as it is my opinion it i

mort important that tlio Biblo should b< read in every school in New Zealand.— T am, etc., •T. A. Kiuke. Markham, Tapanm, June 30. P.S.—I wish it to lie dearly understood lliat there should be a conscience clause in the act, so that the Unman Catholics canstay away, if they like, during tho time tha Bible is being read.—J. A. K.