COLOURLESS CHRISTIANITY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 8, 19 June 1896, Page 18

COLOURLESS CHRISTIANITY.

Tme Bible-in-schools party and Irish Scripture Lessons Association are active. In Dunedin last Sunday sermons were delivered in several of the Protestant churches on the necessity of so altering the present system that some religious knowledge may be imparted to children. The sermon of the Rev J. Gibb appears in full in the Dunedin btar The pastor of the First Church declares in answer to the question, " are our schools godless?" th&t " there is no regular or systematic recognition of God. Fractically our schools are thoroughly eecularistic. Practically we are rearing in them a generation which may 'regard man,' but certainly will not 'feir God.'" Mr Gibb demands that "secularism shall cease." He does not want dogmatic teaching. He will '• be content with a minimum of teaching." He would gladly take the Bible read every day but is willing to substitute for it the Irish School Book of Scripture Lessons. Some ministers, possibly Mr Gibb also, marvel why this fourvolume series, which contains extracts from the Douay Bible, is not in favour with Catholics. Catholics, deceived to some extent in the beginning, soon discovered the undoubted trend of the "Scripture Lessons series." It was seen that the object of Archbbishop Whately in his advocacy of the compilation was to undermine Roman Catholicism in Ireland. In private letters published after his death by Miss Whately, he complains bitterly of tb conduct of some episcopal cvnjrlrcs who accused him c favouring Roman Catholics. In explaining his policy he made it clear that his real object was to upset the vast fabric of Romish superstition in Ireland. Frotestantß must not expect Catholics to join with them in asking that which, if granted, will mean a minimum of religious teaching, and, at most. " colourless Christianity."