BIBLE IN SCHOOL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 18, 22 August 1884, Page 22

BIB LE IN SCHOOL.

(From the Presbyterwu.") It naturally enough presents itself as curious and almost unaccountable that the Bible is by law excluded from our schools in a country where manhood suffrage obtains, and where, as is well known, the immense majority, taken individually, profoundly deplore the situation and ardently wish it were otherwise. Why, then, is it not otherwise? Who is hindering ? Yet the explanation is not far to seek ;it is that circumstances have been stronger than desires, as we have cften in private life to yield to the situation our most ardent private wishes. The re-introduction of the Bible iato the school will by no means satisfy the heart and mind of three-fourths of the citizens. Were a poll taken, and the minds of the families ascertained separately, it would be found that the infidel section is nowhere, and that there is a wide-spread and eager wish for full religious instruction, that the school system should be saturated with Christianity, and that Christian' ideas should fill the atmosphere, and enter the young minds through every channel. Why, then, is it not so? Woo hinders? Why doe's a Christian country find itself doomed to an absolute secularism ? It is that the political situation is intricate, and circumstances unpropitious. It cannot be supposed that infidelity and hatred of the Bible have dominated tha legislature, for they do not dominate the electors of the legislature. Nor can such feeling be determining the attitude of so many in all the Churches who yet have been constrained to uphold the secular system intact. All attempts hitherto to re-intioduce the Bible have failed mainly for these reasons: Ist, It has appeared to many that, although the price was heavy, it was worth paying it for the immense advantages of a national system ; the divisions and jealousies of the Churches making the establishment of a national system impossible on any other footing ; 2nd, that the bare reading of a Bible lesson, although not valueless, was yet of no such value as to justify the impediment of the whole fabric for its sake ; 3rd, that the refusal of the Roman Catholic claim, on the present basis declined with perfect justice, could no longer be declined with the same oertaiuty of conscience, and with tbe same even-handed political justice ; and we cannot but see that the Roman Catbolica are only waiting for re-introduction of the Bible in order to redouble their cry of wrong, and add fresh arguments to their entreaty ; 4th, that the concession, of grants to Roman Catholics is but the firsti step towards denotninationalisni, and the breaking up of the national system, for we cannot give to Roman Catholics and withhold from Jews or Episcopalians or any others. Ardent supporters of the introduction of the Bible will for themselves attach but small importance to these considerations ; but it does not seem to admit of question that we have indicated correctly the point of view from which the Legislature has acted, and which still constrains many to uphold secularism at the sacrifice of their own wishes and preferences. It has become growingly clear in the course of recent politics that the force of these arguments is telling on the minds of the country ; and a change of front and broadening of platform begins to be 'iiscernible Not a few very influential citizens and statesmen have now declared, that rather than longer endure unlimited secularism, they are prepared to concede the Roman Catholic claim and accept denominationalism, regarding even these His as leßß evil than a uaiional veto on God's word. This is certaiuly an intelligible and consistent position, and we are persuaded the only ground on which the Bible-in-Schooh movement can succeed ; and it but marks the difficulty of the situation that the moment such concessions are advocated some supporters of the Bible-in-schools fall off. If, however, we are prepared to go this length, why should we be content with bare leading of the book ? Why should we not ha-?e it explained and in the proper sense of tbe word taught ? Surely we are not going to be content with less, when the great majority of parents with more simply in order to meet the case of a fewinftdel teacftera. '