Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, JULY 20, 1885. The Bible in Schools.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1709, 20 July 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, JULY 20, 1885. The Bible in Schools.

I'm k rut was a debate in Parliament last Thursday on tho 1 iiblo Reading in -viiouls lli 1 ,!. This subject has been brought up several times before i east years, the result always being P defeat of tho proposed measure.

this last occasion the Bill was '■ , ctcd by 50 to IS votes, a result w eh affords a very clear indication die determination of Parliament m to allow any dangerous tampering wili\ the existing system of secular odn nation. Mr Stewart, who moved the second reading of the Bill, conzen should have a knowledge of the Bible, and the want of such knowledge disabl 'd a person from fulfilling his Julies as a citizen. Tho Bible was interwoven with the history of every civilised country on tho face of the globe. Our present educational system failed to recognise that man had any religious or moral nature,and if tho Bible was proscribed, i he lesult would be destruction of tho system. Ministers in every part of the < 'elony bad endeavoured to make up for the absence of the Bible in schools, but almost all these attempts had failed.”

These arguments do not touch the most important point of the question. The State has provided a national and secular system of education which the children belonging to all creeds, sects, and denominations can avail themselves of. That system is a purely secular one, because such is the only one possible, if it were to he made available to every creed and sect. Were the religious elements introduced, serious trouble would a f once arise, and the whole existing system of national education would bo tlmai' toned with destruction. As the case stands, the children of Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Wesleyans, Baptists, Cougregatioualisfs, mid I’oimin C’alln - lies can attend the State Schools and receive a sound secular education, while religious ins; ruction can he imparted to them at their homos or in the Sunday Schools connected with their Churches. Nothing could well be better than the existing system of education. It gets rid altogether of the religious difficulty, and avoids the danger of Denominational conflicts 1 with respect to State aid to education Wo were glad to notice that the Premier, Mr Stout, stood up boldly and staunchly for the existing system of national education, ile combatted Mr Stewart’s arguments, and asserted that if the Stale wore to pay for religious instruction in schools then it might also be urged that the Stale should pay for all religion. “ He (Mr Stout) would not object to Bible read Scho,'h T !(■ ! ,

trained and experienced, and free from superstition, could bo obtained ; bu' the hon member did not want the Bible taught —he wanted it read. What impression would, that have upon the minds of children '! Ifo had taught in schools whore the Bible was taught, and he had felt pain time after time to see children to a certain extent lowered by having to withdraw while the Bible was read. The seconder of (he motion said there were no Boman Catholics in the State Schools. They had got many Catholics. They had Catholic teachers in many parts of the Colony. If this Bill was passed, it would mean that every conscientious Catholic teacher must resign rather than teacli a book with which he disagreed. Did the hon gentleman say that the Bible, as it was, was to bo read by children of lender years ? The Bible was grand reading for people of advanced years, and he, perhaps, knew as much about, it as the mover of this Bill. But it must be read with judgment,” There was little more in this debate that calls for special notice. Throughout the whole discussion it was clear that the few supporters of the Bill had a very weak case, while their speeches were lame and inconclusive Wo most earnestly trust that the rising generation will be taught the truths and lessons of that grand old book, the Bible, but it is notin the State Schools that such instructions should be given. All over the length and breadth of the land there are churches, Ministers of the Gospel, and Sunday Schools in abundance. If the Ministers of the Church do their duty earnestly, and the Sunday School organisations are efficiently and systematically worked and extended, there is no fear of teaching from the Bible being neglected, or of the rising generation growing up regardless and ignorant of its great truths and lessons. Parents also may do m uch to impart religions teaching to their children. In those directions is to bo found the solution nf the difficulty, and not by the introduction of mere Bible reading—without intelligent explanation —into the State Schools.