SCHOOL BIBLE LESSONS

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1931, Page 9

SCHOOL BIBLE LESSONS

PRESBYTERIANS’ SUPPORT PREPARATION OF A NEW BILL AGREEMENT WITH CATHOLICS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation representing the Dominion executive of the Bible in Schools League waited on the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Churtih this afternoon with reference to a new bill to be introduced in Parliament. The Rev. E. O. Blainires, on behalf of the league, said a conference of representatives of churches had considered two special matters. The first was the attitude of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy to the question of the Bible in schools. Negotiations opened with the Roman Catholic Bishops had resulted in complete agreement between the negotiating parties. The Bishops had promised to withdraw their opposition to any measure proposed provided the consciences of Roman Catholic teachers and pupils and all others concerned were adequately protected, and if the introduction of Biblical instruction involved any additional expenditure Roman Catholics should not be responsible for bearing any portion of the additional expenditure. They would not participate and should not be expected to pay. These conditions had been approved, and were embodied in the enabling bill. The second matter dealt with by the conference was the new enabling bill. It did not bury the Religious Exercises Bill, but incorporated it in the new bill, which represented an advance in line with educational criticism and was believed to be. more in harmony with accepted educational moderation. The Moderator thanked the- deputation and promised full sympathetic consideration of the matter by the Assembly. The Rev. Dr. E. N. Merrington brought down the public questions committee’s recommendation on the proposed Bible in Schools Bill and moved that the assembly approve generally of the provisions of the proposed Bill. Dr. Merrington, referring to the concordat with the Roman Catholic Chuich, said that the Roman Catholic Church, like the Protestant Church, was convinced that the greatest foe to religious life and thought to-day was secularism and that the church had withdrawn opposition to the introduction of the Bible into State schools. If the question were submitted to a referendum, said Dr. Merrington, he believed it would be carried to-morrow. Dr. Gibb said this Bill was the best that had been brought forward during the last 30 years. It permitted of religious teaching in schools and denied everything that savoured of sectarianism. He drew the attention of the Assembly to the noticeable change that had taken place in the attitude of the teaching profession, which was growing in favour of the idea embodied in the Bill.

The Rev. J. H. Mackenzie, in opposing the recommendation of the committee, declared that to open the schools to religious instruction would be to increase the claims of the Roman Catholic Church to State aid sevenfold. The scheme could not be made effective without considerable cost to the taxpayer. The Rev. W. L. Marsh stressed the fact that the Bill made no provision for payment to the workers because the committee was satisfied that sufficient voluntary assistance would be forthcoming.