BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 83, 3 July 1928, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

LEAGUE'S AIMS EXPLAINED

ADDRESS BY HON. L. M. ISITT.

lhe Rev. J. MacGregor occupied the chair at the Town Hall l'ast night an address on the Bible-in-Schools question was given, by the Rev. L. M. Jsitt. Also ou the' platlorm were the Revs. E. (). Bbimues and H. J,. Blamires.

Mr. MacGregor said he had been called upon at, t he eleventh hour to preside, as the Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan,), who it was intended should preside, wa, s not liblo to he present. Mr. Mae Gregor said lie would have liked it somebody else had been askto preside rather than himself, as it was not desirable to have so' many clergymen on the stage. It made it •look a s if the BiWe~in-Schools movement was a clergymen's movement, which it was not—it was the ordinarv citizen's movement.

I A MODEST PROGRAMME. The, Hon. Isitt opened by saying that 1,060,000 church members were behind the Bible-in-Sehools movement, but, outside the Roman Cathlolic church there were less than 5000 church members who were ranked against it—lsoo Unitaries, 2600 Seventh Day Adventista and 648 Mormons. Leaders of the movement offered to abide by the result of a plebiscite of the parents of children attending the schools. The Taraiiid<i Board and one other Board refused permission for the plebiscite to be taken. The result of that plebiscite wag that 81 per cent, of those who voted were in favour of Bible-in-Schools. The Bill submitted provided a/ conscience clause for parents, and teachers'.were not to be asked to oversee Bible lessons if for any reason they desired' not to do. It was asked that on four days a week school children should open the day's work" with repeating the Lord's Prayer, while one of the most magnificent passages from the Scriptures— "The Lord is My Shepherd"—would be repeated. In addition a. suitable hymn would bo sung. It was said that it was not the province of the State to teach religion, but was it the province of the State to prevent the teaching of religion. When the Education Act was passed fifty yeans (ago the same objections were, made to Bible-in-Schools as were made today. In the secondary school there was now a fuller measure of religious teaching than the Bill asked for in the primary schools, but this had l not caused any sectarian strife-

HEATHENISH IGNORANCE. Those who deleted the clause from the originlal Education Bill providing for religious instruction did not foresee that their action would send out of existence the many small schools at which, children had previously been able to get religious as well assecular education, and' the result was that thousknds of children were growing up in heathenish ignorance. Tt must be common knowledge that within a radius of twenty miles of Stratford there were hundred's of children whose parents, from years end to year's end never mentioned religion to them. How, then, could they get knowledge of religion? Even those who had the advantage of godly training in their youth found it a hard struggle to resist the temptations of the world, and to-day thousands of children were being turned out on the world without that training, and there never was a time when temptation was so fierce as it is today. The Education Act had been passed to combat the menace of secular ignorance, but religious ignorance was surely a very much; mere dangerous menace. The leaders of the movement believed that the simple Bible lessons which the children received would have marvellous results in their future life. What was it that kept back Bible-in-sohools? Surely it was not the Unitarians, or the Seventh Day Ad'ventists— well-meaning bnt lacking judgment. It was the fear of the Catholic block vote- He had never spoken a bitter word against Catholics, who had every right to vote as they wished, but he blamed 1 rotesta.nl for giving way to that fear of the Catholic vote. Protestant people weve criminally weak in denying eligious instruction, to their children Icause of fear of the Catholic vote. Some Protestant people opposed Bible-in-Schools fos conscientious reasons, but n very great many opposed it merely for reason, of expediency. Christ called to be let into the schools, hut Protestants domed Tim entrance, because a handfn of M 110 Sties and the members rf thj l \ man Catholic Church £*»**% wns a criminal wrong- He appeal + his hearers to endeavour to cduiv as regards Bible-in-Schools.

ATM OF THE SCHOOLS. The Rev. B. 0- Bfemires, Dominion organiser of the Biblo-in-Scbools League said there were certain educational principles embodied Jn the LearaeN platform as well as religious principles. Religion should enter into everv part of life and education