A JUST DEMAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 30, 22 November 1873, Page 11

A JUST DEMAND.

(' American Christian Register,'— -a Unitarian Paper.) Although there is no established religion in this country, according to law, there is often an established religion according to custom, so far as relates to our pauper and criminal classes. Many of the inmates of our almshouses and prisons are Roman Catholics. The only religion for which they have a particle of respect, is that in which they nave been educated. The only clergymen who can exert any influeace over them for good are their own priests. When they are required to listen to Protestant services, they feel wronged, and the best appeals are thrown away on that account. They consider it a mean advantage, of which the majority of the community avail themselves to indoctrinate them with heresy. The fact that the preaching in such institutions is generally atvled ■tmsectarmn, makes little difference. Sermons that would be acceptable to any "Evangelical" believer, are often very offensive to intelligent Roman Catholics as well as to more liberal Chris Mans, and when the hearers are ignorant men and degraded women, it is enough that the religious instruction comes from a suspected source to make it unwelcome and worse than useless. We presume that many persons will say that if Roman Catholics do not wish to receive religious instruction from Protestants, let them Keep out of the almshouses and prisons, and then they can go to their own churches as much as they please. But we rteny that I man forte. 1 ;. 9 his religious rights on account of poverty or orime. If his condition is ever to be improved, there are go more powerful incitements to selt-respect and reformation than are furnished by acceptable ministering to his spiritual needs. The State admits thi 9 w£en it provides religious teachers for such persons, but it often pursuea a course sure to make the instruction utterly unavailing. Instead of sneering at the Roman Catholic Church for havine so many inefficient and unworthy members, we are inclined to honour it rtVf? disowning them in their wretchedness, but sturdily insuting that they shall still be recognised as humble children of the Church over whose spiritual rights a jealous watch must be kept. Especially with regard to inmates of reform schools for boys and girls is this connTv^ alan t t dd P r tr° rfchy - £ nd we trusfc fchat Protestantism is not yet so weak that it canaot afford to forego an unfair opportunity to convert even paupers and criminals. Therefore it seems to us P Tt J^ *v a ? in Bllch P ublic inatitafaras, i n a cou ntry without any established religion, there should either be no religious instruction^ ' °4 r i! ll . gIOUS , 11 J n l truCtlon that Bhall be acceptable and available. What would be done by Roman Catholics if they were a majority m the country, has nothing to do with the question relating to oS present duty towards a Roman Catholic minority. We we boW to act according ; to our own principles and professions. And if they are ever thoroughly Americanized, it will be by the most scrupulousabsS wSSey iTotnXf 11 * ** >**™ mai na £ et ? ™ mov ?. all iUBti UBt ca ™ e8 of complaint on their part concernmg the administration of our educational, charitable, and reformatory restitutions, and then insist that they shall do their full part in bearinj the burdens and promoting the interests of the conntry