THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 34

THE BI BLE IN SCHOOLS.

THE ORGANISER AT LOVELL'S

THE REV. P. B. ERASER AND THE TEXT-BOOK. Air JZ.. A, Wright, the organising agent it the Bible-in-schools Referendum League, tonvened d meeting at Lovell's Flat on iWednesdav^evening., The Clutha Leader ttai.es that the attendance was larger than la usual at country meetings. There was » good sprinkling of ladies, all young, and the .majority of the male element was on ' the .youthful side. Mr Hall, who was pro•toossa as chairman, declined to act, and After a period of silence Mr Wright decided to go on without a chairman. After » prayer \Mr Wright went on to explain the cause' he advocated. He sa-id the league had adopted a Scripture text-bcok on the Victorian pattern. In Wellington the higher critics said the text-book was too orthodox. In Otago they said it was Jieterodoxy, and went in the direction of Unitarianism. He had given it careful Btudy, and it contained the fundamental truths of the Christian Churches. Nothing of vital importance was omitted frliich-rwpuld vitiate its Christian oharacter. 'AIL the "salient features of the New Testa1 ment were preserved and the condensation was done in such a way as not to do any violence to the Scripture narratives. After a collection .had been taken up to defray expenses questions .were invited, but - tv period of silencj, ensued. Ultimately Mr Urquhart complained , that too much ci the narrative had been left out of fcho text-book. Mr Wright desired to know --. what was left out. The Rev. P. B. Fraser then put a question or two, and some wordy sparring followed. Mr Fraser then rose. and criticised Mr Wright's arguments. He appealed to the audience to give no support to a party which' preached tyranny by means of a bare majority. The teachings of the textbook would be the endowed religion of the people. The league professed to find a religion for everyone in the text-book. He (Mr Fraser) could not find his; it wa=; carefully, stroked out. If they wanted the * Bible in schools let them put it all in. He pointed out that a child would have to be six years at school taking the lessons regularly befor3 it heard there was such f, period as the creation or fall. Mr iWright. replied that the Biblical events Were in chronological order. Mr Fraser went on to say there was not a date in - )t. Tl;e only place for the text-book was the fire. He would sooner see the Roman Catholic Bible Notes and all go into the tchosls. As Mx Fraser went on Mr Wright said he had some notes, and wished to liave a chance to reply, but time was going on. # Mr Fraser, proceeding, said he would like to know what the compilers of the - text-hook had dene to Jonah, and asked Mr Wright that question. Mr Wright i You are a Christian minister, and you ought to know. 'Mr, Fraser: Well, the usual impr«ssion about Jonah was that he was swallowed by a whale. But this precious book actually ■jilfcows him overboard and drowns him. — ■ {Laughter.) Here is the end of one lesson : "So they took up J&nah and cast him terth into the &oa ; ard the sea ceased jroin hex vagina." That finished Jonah,

' didn't it?— (Laughter.) Bint he comes alive again. A Voice. "He must have been a good swimmer."— (Laughter ) I Mr Fraser, quoting : Here he is again : I "And the Word of the Lord came unto 1 Jonah the second time saying." Not ono word about being swallowed by a great fish. Yet 'this is the book approved by the Outlook, the ink on which should turn red with shame. This is the book which this Wellington Conference wants yoxi to swallow. Mr Wright appealed to Mr Fraser not to make slanderous statements about the gentleroen who had approved of bhe book. Mr Fraser : I say that it has been stated that Bible narratives have not been tampered with, and yet this book can drown Jonah, and still you say it is the Bible. " The Days of Noah " have b&en struck out of the New Testament. Why? Because tho compilers don't want the authority of Christ to he given to the Old Testament. You know that hymn, " Dare to be a Daniel." Well, you'll have to go to gaol to get a Bible to find out about Daniel.— (Laughter.) He's not in this book, and Jonah's drowned.— (Laughter.) Mr Fraser concluded after speaking an hour and 10 minutes. Mr Wright, in his reply, referred to Mr T'raser's attitude on the prohibition question as inconsistent with his a.tfcituda now on this question. He went on to say the bare majority must rule. Has the majority no conscience? he asked. Why should it bs Tuled by a minority on a matter of conscience. Mr Fraser was evidently not 'in favour of the Bible -being read in the schools. Mr Fraser: I am in favour of the Bible in scshcols if you give the Roman Catholics a grant for their schools. Mr Wright then went on to say that tie clergymen who drew up the text-book for the league were just as t capable of forming a theological opinion a.s Mr Fraser. Instead of being false and traitorous, as Mr Praser inferred, they had given every consideration to every point, and their opinion was of just as much value as Mr Fraser's. After some further slight discussion Mr Fraser moved a vote of thanks to Mr Wright, and this was carried by acclamation, the meeting closing at 11.27 p.m.