WILL CAUSE STRIFE?

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16464, 7 October 1927, Page 9

WILL CAUSE STRIFE?

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS BILL,

(Per Press Association) WELLINGTON, last night

Bishop Sadler, of Nelson, gave evidence before the Education Committee in support of the Bible in Schools Bill, which, he said, was approved by a majority of the Anglican clergy. The Nelson system was inadequate. It meant rcaliy not the Bible in the schools, but the Bible out of the schools. It was hardly qualified to be called a system, but its advent in Nelson caused a bitter controversy. At best it was only an heroic attempt to atone for the absence of the Bible from schools. Teachers were quite able to teach the facts regarding the life of Christ as required under the Bill. He could not see how the conscience clause would lead to victimisation. At present few children received religious instruction, but under the Bill it would be possible to reach all.

The Bov. Robert Wood, a retired Presb/tcrian minister, opposed the Bill, because it did not provide all adequate solution of the difficulty, lie was an advocate of the former Bible in Schools League, but he considered the Hon. L. M. Isitt’s Bill undemocratic, since it ignored tho referendum. The Scottish people by a referendum settled the presence of the Bible in schools by an overwhelming majority in favor, despite great press, Parliamentary, and clerical opposition. The Bill would result in secondary schools losing such religious teaching as they enjoyed now. It would cause strife, and the present position was preferable. It was incorrect to say our schools were godless.