BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1858, 1 July 1887, Page 21

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

A number of members of. Parliament haveissued the following address to the electors of New Zealand :— " The provisions in 'The Education Act 1887 ' which prohibits the reading of the i Bible m publio schiools is, in our opinion, a stam on a community prof essing to be Ohrfetiang, Efforts have' been made in , nearly '"'every 'session of Parliament eincelo'77 to restore taVßiMi to

Its proper place in the schools, butso far without sudcess;*' When it 'is considered that to a large jnajorityr-to nearlyjß-10ths-~of thejpopu-, lation of the colony, the Bibleis ;an open book; regarded as 1 the otily standard of faith and •morals, iWcoritinued exclusion from thei schools can be accounted .for, only on the, supposition] that a considerable section, of the- community has 5 not given' the 'question ,' that serious consideration^ > which . its importance .demands. In; the meantime the' children are debarred from, its use in "the schools, the only place in which' many oHnem'canhaye'an opportunity of reading'arid becoming familiar with its promises and its precfepts. : The Christian, community has the remedy under its own control by taking heed that' at' the general election now, impending the electors should be largely influenced in the selection! of , a, .candidate for, a seat in the General Assembly ty the support which he will undertake to give to a measure which shall 1 provide: fofan alteration in the 'law soithat'thesßiblej may- be read, daily by. the scholars in .fhe public soho'ols under the provisions of a time-table and; « : cWcience clause." Theaddress is'signed byj 3. A.R.Menzies, Mathew Holmes, De; Renzie -Brett, Henry: Ghamberlin, J., W; Barnicpat, H.j 'William's, W. £eter^T. Fraaer, J. Barton Ackland,' W D H. Baillie,Wm.Robinßon,andJ. A.Bonar,: MLCV WvDownie-Stewart, John M'Kenzie,; James Fulton, Cuthbert Cowan, Richard Turn-; "bull, A. H. Ross,>nd J. H. SutterjM.H R's.