A PRECIOUS JEWEL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12587, 18 October 1911, Page 3

A PRECIOUS JEWEL.

SPEECH. BY BISHOP CLEARY.

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

In conducting the opening ceremony m connection with the Coronation Festival last night, His Lordship Bishop Cleary made an important reference to the «übject of religion m schools. THE -EDUCATION ACT. "In 1476," said the Bishop, "a great battle was fought at Oranson. Charles the Bold was defeated, his 'camp was (captured, and among the loot a soldier found a magnificent diamond. Not know ing the value of the gem, he threw it away But sobering knowledge soon came to him, x and he sought and sought for tin precious bit of carbon till he found it. And now 'it is an outstanding ornament m one of the most valuable collections of Crown jewels m Europe. Thirty- four years ago a parliamentary majority m New Zealand found the bright jewel of religion m the schools. Nt>t realising its value, they cast ■aside this precious heirloom of the ages. They adopted two new religious dogmas that were first introduced into human history by the French Revolution. These dogmas are (1) that • religion has too ■ necessary or useful connection with oducatior., and (2) that a political majority has the moral right to exclude religion from the schools. On these^ two sectarian dogmas or views of religion they based the Education Act that is still ir> force m this : Dominion. The law provides for the endowment of this State creed by giving free instruction to those whose /consciences accept these dogmas. It offers no such privilege to those whose consciences repudiate-, ' the articles of the State creed. The consciences of , Catholics, and of a considerable body of people of other faiths, dissent m various degrees of intensity . from the State dogma that, religion "is no necessary or useful parfe of education and that any political.- tnajority has* the moral' right to driyo religion out of its old and prescriptive place m education. CLAIM OF CATHOLICS. "We, Catholics, claim equal treatment for conscience; we claim as much consideration for the consciences that reject, as for the consciences that accept, the articles of this State creed. We do not know on what bed-rock principle uny Government can discard, m the school life of children, so powerful a moralising agency as, religion. We do not know on what educational or social principle, the faculties of a child should be treated as watertight compartments, or why the budding citizen should be subject to opposite influences m *the school and , m the home. We do not know on what principle of statecraft any political party should, m a Christian land, treat the life of a school child as something quite apart from the' life of a • Christian. Herbert Spencer defines education as a preparation for complete living. But no living can be complete which, leaves out of consideration the ultimate purpose of life, and no education really prepares for life which ignores or -thwarts life's ultimate purpose. We, Catholics,' like many others, do not know on what principle of statesmanship the religious view of life — and that view only —is excluded by law from the school preparationfor'ilfe, and from no other phase of our public or social life; for the principles of religion are. reflected yin v m our laws, and m our social and commercial, institutions — indeed, religious principles and religious ideals are the breath of life of all that is best m our Christian civilisation. APPEAL TO FRIENDLY HEARTS. • "Now, this is a bazaar m furtherance of the old, and even still almost universally accepted doctrine of the essential ' union of religion with education. It is an appeal to all friendly hearts on ( behalf of the principles that are as old as the family, that are older than the State, that are rooted m the very idea of true education. I believe the time will come when as much consideration will be extended "by the laws of this Dominion to , those, 'who believe in', as to those who do. not believe m, religious education; that as full a measure of justice will be j'/acdprded to the considerable body 'of people who cannot m conscience compromise'in tine matter of religious ,instruction and; training', 1 as to thY large jgvoupfc :" of various faiths, who m this Blatter, can m conscience meet upon a cojnmon platform 6$ •'^TJie jevrel of rtligion^ will then once more shine m the crown of education, ; In the meantime, we^ Catholics, will continue to tread, as we have so long trod, the ' path' of saorificei for the sake of the loved: "little ones" of -Christ. • We 'Know that, the future' is" for . those that secure the. children, and we feel confident that what we sow m tears and sacrifice tx>day. we shall to-morrow reap m joy." The Bishop then 'formally declared the bazaar open. - - ■