BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 85, 5 July 1928, Page 4

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOR ’ Sir,—at the conclusion of the Rev. L. M. Isitt’s address on the above on Monday night last, a resolution affirming its desirability whs carried almost unanimously. There were, however, three dissentients, I myself being one of them, and when our hands went up in opposition wfe were promptly dubbed “benighted” by the Rev. Mr- Isitt, Now, seeing that all through his address that, evening the Rev. gentleman had urged the importance of toleration, towards and belief in the sincerity of the convictions of those holding views in opposition to ones own, it came as something of a shock, to be described as ‘ involved in darkness, intellectual and moral, ignorant etc.” (for so my dictionary defines the word), because we. three, had had the—shall I say—temerity

to disclose our opinions. Surely, Sir, the Rev. Mr Isitt expects to have at his meetings a certain proportion of opponents; surely he hopes to have them there, so that his undeniable eloquence may perchance make a convert or two, or at least tend to modify some oj the objections, held by many against his Bill, so why discourage them in this way?

I myself, though strongly opposed to the movement, considered it a fair-minded and' sporting thing, to go along and hear the other feltow’a point of view, and when the resolution was put, might have done as I observed several others do, i.b*» not vote either way, but having definite views °n the subject, I voted with the “Noes," and was therefore “benighted.”

I think that in the case of a fairly evenly devided house, the Rev. gentleman would hardly have ventured so far,, so it is to be assumed-that it was a courage born of this knowledge of an overwhelming majority behind him that .prompted, him to betray that very spirit of intolerance that he kprofessed so much to deplore-, and I have only to say iA conclusion that if that exhibition 'of intolerance is the result of strong religious convictions, then the Rev, Mr Isitt has furnished me with just one more reason Why I should oppose the Bihle-in-Schools movement. Thanking you.—-I am, etc., G. D. HUNTER. Stratford, 5/7/28.