THE NEW DEPARTURE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 12, 21 July 1893, Page 16

THE NEW DEPARTURE.

SHAMED of godless schools and terrified at their results, school committers, with some exceptions, so far have struck on a plan of combining godlessness and religion. This is the new departure. The Act of Parliament is to remain an Act to enforce godlessness, but it is to be so adminis- * tored that religion is to be taught in the public schools. This is to be effected by sham and hypocrisy. Sham and hypocrisy are expected to turn out a fully equipped religious youth. 1 his is the way in which all this is to be effected. School committee s, elected by scratch constituencies, are to insist on Bible-reading within school-hours. Biblereading is not regarded as teaching ; it is only reading a book of high literary character, historical and interesting to the last degree. No Minister of Education can object to the reading of such a book. No inspector can interfere ; no citizen can object. The portions of this grand Book are to be selected by the reader, who may lay particular stress on the particular passages which convey, or are supposed to convey, his own particular religious system. What a grand time is coming for the unco guid — for those whose chief ambition is to destroy Popery. We shall have the good old times back again when public school-teachers were more solicitous to teach religion to Catholic children than to otheru, and even went so far as to purjish such Catholic children as refused to be present at their religious instruction class. God belp such unfortunate Catholic children as, having no Catholic school within reach, must, in obedience to a compulsory law, attend public schools. It won't matter much what particular species of religion is taught provided always that the Catholic religion be denounced as everything that is wrong and vile. When this good time comes what edifying scenes we shall see enacted, what cavilling, what intrigues ? At present a man's or woman's name, if it smacks of Catholicity, disqualifies the unfortunate owner of it for any employment under the public education system. But henceforth good care will be taken not to elect teachers till it becomes in some way or other quite certain that he or she, as the case

may be, will consent to read the Bible at the committee's bidding. The recommendation of the School Board must be supplemented by the additional information surreptitiously obtained, that eoch and such a candidate is prepared to read the Bible within school hours. What a system of sham and hypocrisy is about to be inaugurated ? But there is another view of this question. There are, it appears, some public school teachers who havG no Christian faith, and do not believe in God. How will these read the Bible ? This question recalls to our mind what happened to ourselves some years ago on board aa American steamer between Honolulu and San Francisco. We were sitting behind the rudder talking to a Melbourne gentleman, when suddenly an American judge, with whom we had previously some conversation, came up, took a chair, and planted himself opposite and near us. Having done so, he at once opened a fierce tirade against, not only Catholicity, but also against Christianity, even against the existence of God. We were struck dumb by the audacity and blasphemy of the man. But he proceeded unabashed, and wound up by saying that our own Bible taught his blasphemies. At this sally, the Melbourne gentleraan, who had been sitting behind us, stood up and disappeared. W^e thought he did so through utter disgust. But in an instant he reappeared, holding a Bible in his hand, which he gave to the judge. Wot in the least disconcerted the judge opened the Bible, found the passage to which he referred, and read it for our information and edification. It was a passage of unmitigated blasphemy. At the conclusion, we simply asked, " Who has said all this." The judge looked again into the Bible, and, with a face the expression of which should have been seen to be appreciated, answered — "The infidel and the unbeliever." We quietly asked, " What is the nature of the argument you formulate from the passage ? " He moved back his chair, stood up in silence, and disappeared. The Melbourne gentleman, when the judge had gone away, said to us : " Whilst he was speaking before 1 brought him the Bible, he was winking at me. But indeed I did not sympathise with him." — Just so. Under the new departure there will be a good deal of insult to Catholics from both bigots and infidels, with which a good many people will not sympathise, but there will be a good many others who will wink at all this. Such is what we may expect under the new departure. No ; there is no middle course. Either religion must be taught in the public schools in an honest and straightforward manner, or it can only be taught in such a way as to make children worse, not better. As we have said before, if the Bible is to be read in the public schools, let this be done in accordance with law, and in an open and above-board way, so that the very fact of the reading shall not have the effect of making children hypocrites and underhand dealers. We do not think much good can come from the mere reading of the Bible, though we aie fully persuaded that much evil can be done by the injudicious reading of it. Nevertheless, if our fellow-citizens determine to have Bible-reading, we shall not interfere, provided justice be done to Catholic schools, and that the faith and morals of our children be safe-guarded. The responsibility will not be ours, but that of the authorities of the country and of those who shape public opinion.