BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14325, 15 October 1910, Page 6

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

To the Kditor of the •'Timaru Herald.'' Sir,—ln roply to "Ignoramus"' I may aiul do say respcrtiully. that the mam issue at stake is as to whether the Bible should be introduced into our State .schools. 1 have given my reasons why this pseudo-uivino or inspired booic should not \yj mixed up with secular teaching in our State, schools. I contend that the clergy have no right to expect the' State t-o do tho work which they, the clergy, have no right- to expect tho State to do the work which they, the clergy are paid for doing. As they have their own churches, and their Sunday schools in which to teach the children, they have no right to use. the State and the State sellouts for their purposes. Another reason is that the greatest agnostic a.id even orthodox thinkers of pa-it and present have ages ago come to the conclusion that- the Biblo is net an inspired book or divine revelation, neither was it written by eye wtnesses. That the writers of the history of Jesus were s.myly ignorant fishermen, that they dill'er from cue another as to tho actual_ facts and scenes in describing the life -of this good man Jesus. T think, and I am sure most readers will agree with me, that the greatest reason of all, why the Biblo should not he introduced into the schools is that the clergy differ upon the doctrines contvined therein, and have therefore split themselves up into small communities istead of extending that brotherly love to each oilier and worshipping under one roof as thev were taught to do by Christ's magnificent sermon on the Mount of Olives, tt is marvellous to note how pitiless ibey are, air] how little charity thev show towards each other. I could give numerous other reasons, but I consider the foregoing quite sufficient.- for the present. What surprises mo is that "Ignoramus" rhas quite lost sight of the main point- at issue and given no reasons why the Bible should be taught in our State schools. I trust Sir, that you will pardon me for a. slight digression when I state that the faith of the Roman Church differs from that of the Church of England. The, Baptist differs from that of th'e TVesleyan, the Christadelphian from that of'the Plymouth Brethren, the Disciples of Christ from tliat of the Methodists. Enough said. I could go on indefinitely and enumerate hundreds of creeds who profess to believe in the same book, yet all profess to be eoing. to Heaven by different routes. Every, one. of. these heliey-s is rho only true i:el!(ilir n . ;, tl s T | )at rrprv r .*j lo ' r body's religion is wranir. It would ne % a$Z teacher to diserim-

111:1 to between thi' various creeds and dogmas of tllis .-,>llglomorauo„ of faiths. Now to ■•lgnoramus's"' letter less imputation agam-u the clergy -of being influenced by sordid ulterior motives m til-.!!!' advocacy of bib!-? reading in schools." If ••Ignoramus"' ■will move this as a motion it win pive me. great pleasure to sec-end it! With regard to his pecon/i pare"r-inn. I .ilto» with Imii that a r.4;nin"ns"f:i2iimoot sh-.v- no gaod -,?iul..'!iut. ! ."i.i iii -i proviso—that is unless people fro ])'. pared lO discuss llio ivith :i lair, open, unbiassed mind. T!iat evidently is not what "lp.nor.l o:s" is prepared to do. ••Ignoramus" rfks ""Would I i-iill a poison a. Tool u!,o r.s far as possible guarantees himself" agr.n.st possible contingencies?" 'lbis is an unique question, and very well p.u. It would be interesting; to I--;..j\ wljai guarantees "ignoramus" has thi.t lie will go to Heaven. an I 1 presume the contingencies of which '. e writes must be that 'lre.: i-ii unspeakable place called Hell. The followers of Bhudda have as good guarantees and are trying to a -oid the same contingencies. t presume "Ignoramus" would argue, that ail r.igions, other than the Christian's religio. are wrong, but they 'he I>hi ddis!.; are just as positive that their religion is right, and the western nligiou is wrong. "Will "Tgn irtnus" please explain why these .ju.i.-aiiLces im:i contingencies wee not '.rou.ilit to the notice of mankind thousands, aye, millions of vears before the advent of Christ : j

The last paragraph of "Ig-uor;-iiju>" is verv sentimental, which to;u, thus: ■'Koiioi' in ihe litluV las prr.ieti itself a source of comfort :nd consolation to many in the cannon vicissitudes of life. Belief in the I l .hie has never lessened individual happiness." Has it ever been any happiness or comfort to the hungry, the maimed and the blind. to be told: "That it was God's will, and that ihey must lie content with the things that God has given them." "What happiness •or comfort- would it be for the hungry to ask for bread, and be given a •tone? Very few human beings if any cot Id b.i so cruel as the Christian's her.vinly father. The Internal God, in which 1 believe , is not a God of cruelty and revenge. Ho is jt God of love, and mercy. Oh! how these ' sa-callcd Christians have slandered ihe Eternal God! I- believe that the belief in this hook has lessened human happiness. It is quite true that some have laid down their lives for their belief, but it is also true that father has been pitted against, son. against daughter, ami against wife. Where is the individual happiness in these cases? At any rate to believe in the Bible is no more criterion that it is of Divine origin, any more than to believe in the Koran is a proof in its Divine inspiration. There are certain mothers in the East who belere that they do a religious act when they throw their first born into the river Ganges, but it is no proof that their belief is of Divine inspiration. If a mother did that in a Christian country she would be found guilty of murder. Belief in any subject, be it in politics ,science, religion, etc.. is no proof of the soundness or -otherwise of the subject. The fact is sir, the Christian believers do not themselves believe in the Bible. They do not read it for themselves, as they ought with an unbiassed mind, but they are generous and pay the clergy to do tho thinking and readng.—l am, etc., JAXON.