THE CLOSED BIBLE: A STATEMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2320, 18 August 1898, Page 12

THE CLOSED BIBLE: A STATEMENT.

Uiukr the ftb»va caption ftlr B. A. M 'Xi chnie, »n AucUUnd solicitor, has proe^uccd a little brochure which forms an important contribution t& th«B>nle-in school controversy. Mr M'Ktchnie hole's a brief for tho Bib!e-iu« Schools party, an 1 the pamphlet Uf.der consideration is au eloquent pit-ce of special pleading, v>bicb, peth-sps, has the greater force on account of the opinions expivs-ttd being those of aUymMJ. In his preface tho author fiaya : "Attentive observers of the working of our Education Act &re made aware of several difeeis in that measure which r quire to be remedied. One of the principM is, Übdoubtedly, tbe need of some provisii n bung wade for the ldwous and moral instruction of the young du'iug sch( ol houis. At; no other time c»n tbe attention of the children be eecured ; for, however attractive a. i-übjtct may Le, they want, naturally em ugh, to be eff bo play as socn as Bchool hours aro over." That, of course, is what the B ble- in -Schools party want ; but there are so niauy' difficul ics in the way that Wonder might be expressed at the claim beiug pit forth so assiduously. The children alk-tidii'g- one of the larger pubic schools represent a mixed Community, aa varied in religious tenets as they are in every otler re?pecfc, so that while the children of Piote*taut parents wculd be, receiving their BtbJe Ifs«ou during cchocl hours, orheru would have to be otherwise employed. The dorangemev.fi cf the school tiino tabla by such a course, any teacher b*%\ing public school experience will admi', wuu'd hamper tho work of the s hool veiy much. But ( u'eide of school hours there can be no objection bo Bible-reading in tbe ochool. Mr Brl'K» cbnie's reference to Me Stead's castigationof Chicago is hardly apposite lo the subject he estays to dit-cus* ; tor »uch a slate of society, evui if Stead's !u:id picture is true, may aiise frim oilier causes tb&n the wamb cf religioua teaching in schools. Tbe author states the grounds uj.oa which objections to Bible - reading in schools are forwarded, and sajs : " The opponents o£ readings from the Bible in our public rchools advance their objections with greab persistency, and contend that the State should not inculcate error, or what thty rogaid to be so. 7 ' Bui c-vfcn allowing th&t there is something in the objections of opponent to Bible-reading iv the public school)?, Mr M'Kechnie sajs : " A large portion of the Bock cau be read daily to the young with the greate«b advantpgd." Thab goes without sayir-g, but we doubt very much iE the advocates of Bible-reading iv Bchoola could agree amongst themselves &s to the seiect portions beßt adapted to a course of school Scriptural readings. The author contrasts the attitude of the heathen towards thtir religious books and that of the State in this colony ia barring tbe Bible from daily ÜBein the schools; but what of the children of Buddhists snd Confucians, it hoc genus homne, who may bo attending the New Zealand • schools ? Either some provision would have to be made for them ia the way of religious teaching, in common fairness, or the State schools would become wholebrlo proselytHing agencies. Wa only' point oats these difficulties in passing, and, while »dmifr« tii g that Mr M'Kechnie has made ft valuable contribution to the controversy, there is » good deal yet to be B&id before this burning question ia finally settled.