The Star. FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1905. BIBLE-READING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8374, 21 July 1905, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1905. BIBLE-READING.

The fact that the second reading of*. Mr Sidey's Bible-in-Schools Referendum Bill . was carried by a large majority does not necessarily indicate that Parliament has decided to grant a plebescite on the question of Scriptural reading in State schools. The Bill has yet to go into committee, and it may either fail to pass the third reading or may emerge from com* mitteo in a form which may entirely defeat the object of its author. Mean-: while it is instructive to note thai attitude of the churches towards the question of religious teaching in State schools. It is a common sneer against the clergy that their object in supporting the introduction of Biblereading in the colony'a State schools is to evade their own responsibilities. A more unfair insinuation was never made. Those who, like ourselves,- are not in favour of State religious instruction, can surely give the clergy credit for honesty of purpose. Neither by word nor deed have they ever given, the slightest indication of a desire to unburden themselves of their own responsibilities at the expense of the State. On the contrary, their actions testify emphatically that they are always eager to seize any oppor? tunity that may offer to do their duty as ministers of religion. By means of Sunday schools and evening classes of instruction, as well as in other ways, [ they are constantly endeavouring to give a measure of religious training ;to the rising generation. In soma parts of the colony, notably Nelson, they have extracted permission from the school authorities to hold classes within the school buildings at a time previously devoted to secular education. In others, Dunedin, fpr. in? stance, they have applied in vain for a concession on somewhat similar lines; These facts effectually disprove , the charges of apathy so often laid against the churches. The results of their efforts may not be entirely satisfactory to themselves, but for this they are not to blame. They are not in the position to insist on children attending Sunday school, and in consequence they have to rely entirely on voluntary attendance. The result is that in many cases schools built to accommodate hundreds of children, are barely half full. f This -is not the fault, but the misforhmei of the churches; the fault lies' with the parents, who are either deaf to the voice of religion or careless of the facilities for religious training offered by the Sunday schools. In view of the attitude -of the parents, we are not surprised that the churches desire to have Bible-reading introduced into tKe State schools. Their purpose is not to avoid doing the work themselves, but to contrive that a measure of religious teaching shall be imparted to those children whose parents choose to ignore the voluntary teaching offered in the church schools. ' '