THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9211, 14 April 1908, Page 2

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

A CLERGYMAN ON RELIGIOUS TEACHING[From Otjr Cdkbespondext.] ' AUCKLAND, April 14. , The Rev W. Beatty, of St Mark's Church, Remuera, in a sermon on Sunday night gave expression to eomo candid views regarding the shortcomings of the bishops and the clergy in respect to the question of the religious instruction of the young. "It is wellknown," he said, " that ministers of religion in, general make no attempt to avail themselves of the opportunities afforded under the present Education Act for Scriptural teaching outside school hours, but prefer to- declaim in the Press, in the pulpit, or on the platform against the defects of the law, to exaggerate the evils and depreciate the existing system. In my judgment the agitation for the introduction of the Bible into the schools is largely insincere and artificial, and has little solid, earnest conviction behind it. " There is very little evidence," continued Mr Beatty, " that ministers of religion themselves know the Bible, reverence it, seek to undenstajid or obey it. If they did, they would see and confess the evils of religious divisions, and they would set themselves to re- I pent of their own- sins, and amend their own faults instead' of attracting others ; for the Bible all through bears witness ■fJhat the spiritual and moral condition of a nation depends upon tho spiritual and moral condition of its religious teachers and professors; that the sins of the priest are the chief causes of the sins of the people; that judgment must begin from the Houss of God." He went on to remark that if what was called secular education was seriously defective, it did not follow that what was called religious education must necessarily be good and wholesome. That depends entirely upon the nature of the religion. There was, as there had always been, religious teaching that was false, superstitious, irrational; which enfeebled the mind a-nd perverted the conscience; which bred hypocrisy, dishonesty, cowardice, slavishness, inhumanity and contemp" of others. For my own x>art, declared Mr Beatty, "I say deliberately that I should 'rather eencl a child to a school where he received no' religious teaching at all, but where, by precept, example and influence ho was trained, to be truthful, honest, obedient, brave, unselfish and public-spirited,- than send him to a seminary where his mind was filled with religious trivialities, where the principles of abject submission to i human authority were inculcated, and , where he was encouraged to consider himself possessed of exclusive spiritual privileges, and to hate or despise these who held a. different form of belief or practised different rites of worship. No. child need grow up a Paean, even, if he does not learn the Bible at school, the weacher said. "But if I had to choose between the *™9',, I would rather be an honest, kindly, useful, manly Pagan than a crooked, shufflina, treacherous, cruel Pharisee. So far^ae my own experience goes, meet parents in New Zealand desire their children to receive a rehgiouft training in public schools, and in private schools Bible classes conducted by Christian ministers are* freely attended by children' of all denominations, and no right-minded man. would take advantage of the opportunity to draw children from the faith of their -fathers to mm proselytes to his own body, me. religious difficulty," he concluded, " which orisihally called into existence, and still maintains, the system of secular education, is mainly due to .tlie want of confidence between the ministers of the various Christian bodies and the want of confidence on the part, or Hie public in ministers generally. Ii the people are becoming Pagans it is the bishops and the clergy who are doing most to make and to keep tnem Pagans." .