The Religions Plebeseite League.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 4

T he Religions Plebeseite League.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, A correspondent in the Daily Tirneg, \rntirii? on the Bible- in- schools question, refois'to the fact, that some years ago I published a pamphlet in favour of the Bible in schools, and infers, apparently, for his meaning is not clear, that it would be "quite amusing" for me to be found an opponent of the present Bible-in-Sehools Referendum League. Will you permit me briefly to put that effort of mine and the present movement before your readers? No less than 13 years ago I was secretary of the North Otago Bible-in-Schcpls Association, the president of which was my honoured friend *he late Dr MacGregor. The objects and methods of that association and of the present league are as opposed to each other as light and darkness. . First, its object was stated an these words:— (l) "That in the national education system of this country there ought to be permitted the reading of the Bible in the common schools because it is desired by a majority of the people ot the country, on tho ground that the Bible is God's Word for mankind ; and (2) there ought to be permitted use of the Bible in schools, because the Bible is of singular value as an instrument of education, and is a creative influence in the modern civilisation, such that to grow up in ignorance of it is to be not educated in that civilisation." It will at once be seen the mighty contrast of the objects in view. (1) We sought " the permitted reading and use of the Bible." and not of mutilated selections from it. (2} We sought it as "God's Word for mankind," not as a " text-book of morality," which goes no further than to recogni.se the " Bible, as tkf^ basis of all moral teaching in Christian lands." This league easts ifc out as a divine book and divine law, and brings it in as a "text-book" for " morality." (3) We never made any separation of its doctrine from its morality, and never conceived that any of us would ever live to see a Christian church begging the State to permit it to place a non-religi-ous morality into its schools. We always thought that was the peculiar province of freethought associations. (4) We did, indeed, wish "to place the Bible in the schools, and let it speak for itself " : and we never believed any of us would live to see a league formed having the patronage, apparently, of- the entire Church, and claiming, in these very words (I quote its circular, lying before me. giving its platform), "to place the Bible in schools, and let it speak for itself." when, in point of fact, it is not the Bible,- but specific " selections " from the Bible that are in view. These " selections," on examination, prove to be mutilated portions -and scraps of* Scripture presented under a strong" dogmatic bias to the minds of the children. In no less than 60 or more " lessons " scraps and texts of Scripture are gathered" under as many sermon titles to indoctrinate the children of a nation in the religious views and " morality " of the compilers of the text-book, their views being in great measure a plain perversion of the historic faith of Christendom ; so that we have a league claiming "to place the Bible into the schools and let it speak for itself." when, in point of fact, it is to -olaee a collocation 'of Scripture "selections." scraps. and toxts. not only full of " doema," bufc i*i notable instances of anti-Christian dogma, and in the main, when it is not thus misleading, of unsuitable and unintelligible teaching to the child mind.

Second, as to the method, we never conceived the idea of overthrowing the office of the "civil magistrate" — i.e., of Parliament, — and introducing into that office the " roar of the masses." and never expeefcod to live to see a Christian church bombarding the statesmen of a- country to force them to fling into the political maelstrom a- new Bible and a new brand of religion to bo voted on by the adult population, including Maoris ; this new Bible and new "brand of Christianity to be thus imposed by a maiority vote on the schools and , young minds of a nation — all as " the Bible in schools speaking for itself !" i And lastly, though we did not deem it part of onr propaganda, we never believed"in being parties to the perpetration of an iniustico to our Roman Catholic fellowcolonists. I have never wavered one jot from the position we had at the beginning" , — that it would .be most unjust to make the 1 public schools religiously satisfactory to 'ourselves while declining to allow Parliament to give the Roman Catholics a reasoni able allowance on reasonable terms for their schools. And I would go further today, and say that reasonable aid on reasonable conditions even now ought to be given to such a lars?e section of our fellowcolonists, from whose packets we collect, money for schools they cannot conscientiously use.

In the future I am an out-and-out opponent of what is falsely called Bible in schools : and I throw their just share of responsibility on the shoulders of men who, by their culpable ignorance of -what is being done, and their utter Indifference, are guilty of betravmg the most sacred trust ever committed to man. Some professed Christians seem indifferent whether it is the religion of Mahomet or the religion of Christ that is thrust by a mob-vole on tho children of a nation. Call it " Bible in schools " and 't is all right, and get it in, by hook or by crook, though you should brinpr the nation under the heel of the most odious and terrible instrument of tyranny ever invented — the religious plebiscite. — I am, etc., P. B. Feaseh. Lovell's Flat. April IS. P.S. — I forgot to say that I was instrumental in circulating free over 4000 copies of Dr MacGregor's namphlef. and I circulated free nearly 5000 of my own. Bibfe in schools in these days did not apneal. as far as I conld find, to the men who have now tho monopoly of it. — P. B. F.

Let others sing of Prinoe and Xi ig. For mine's a therm? that--' greater : I sing that great, that wondious thi'ig! King Cough's Exterminator! No victor in triumphal car Shows conquests half aa sure. For gi eater far the triumphs are Of Woods" Cheat Peppermint Ccsa