SCHOOLS AND THE BIBLE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 147, 28 July 1914, Page 2

SCHOOLS AND THE BIBLE.

MEETING IK W£LLs£fc)H.

'.''■'' ' Tress J.ti\iciafC6n. ' ' "'' '' . WELLINGTON,. J lily 27. . s The Bible-in-State-Schools. League, ItfcJd a big demonstration in..support of the Referendum Bill in the Town 'Hall last night. There was a crowded audience, and the platforih : was occupied by a number of those 'prominent' iii the movement. The ( Hon.. .!.,,!&. W..Aitken presided., j.The . proceedings were, interh].ei'sed.;with prayer .and the sihgmg of hymns. The Hon. J. G. W. Aitlceii f.pologise'd ifor his state of health 'which prevented hiito- from addressing : the meeting of;.supporters at-length. ; The Bible. he ! 'saiid,'' had' been 1 kept < out of the schools, for. a long" time, and he believed that "a 'large proportion' of the population > was. determined : that it should be kept out no longer.

Mrs Lee Cowie said that for over a quarter of a century she had given JBrble lessons in the course of her temperance teaching. She .deplored the absence of the Bible from the schools and emphasised that the teaching of it Mould result in a harvest of holy living". ; The Rev. ./. Paterson, of St. Paul's Church, and. late of Sydney, said that ilic had been brought up under the New South Wales system, and could not regard the objections to Bible teaching •iu. schools as serious. A r oluntary teachI'ujg was not sufficient. It was supremely necessary that children should be jt aught what was right and true. The Sccmmonsense educationist must take the :best text-book on morals, which was yathou.t doubt the-Bible. The foundation of character-was laid by impressions, land, the children in New Zealand were being impressed with the notion that the Bible did not matter. The 'Japanese had found that Western teaching .destroyed the morals of the people unless the Bible was taught at the same time. The "conscience" question had never: obtruded itself in New South Wales. Roman Catholics never objected to giving the Bible lessons. He'had never heard of sectarian strife among the school children in New South Wales. The clergy had a right to enter 'at anv time.

Canon Garland was received with cheers. In responding, the Canon said that as Jong as he possessed the confdence of the league he did not care a snap of the lingers for the opponents of an open Bible. The question was mere than that of the Bible in schools. It was a question whether Parliament should be an autocrat that refused to jlake the will of, the people on-such an [important subject.; Members of Partia sijicnt could not arrogate to themselves (that which the King never claimed. i.'TJiey were in their positions to give ef» Jfectto the wishes of the people that /elected them. Dealing, with the charge it hat the league was oppressing the niincrity, the Canon repudiated it heartily. j;Those who did not desire it would not be forced to allow their children to at- ! tend the Scripture lessons. The Canon [concluded by urging all on to the "holv II war.'' lie wished that all the •members |iof Parliament had been present to feel [the pulse of the city and of the country. | Seme, of the members had dust in their eyes, but he was waiting for the gentle' breezes of the genera! election'" that would sweep away those that stood in | the wav.