Some Bible-in-Schools Talk

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 27, 6 July 1905, Page 2

Some Bible-in-Schools Talk

A well-meaning Presbyterian clergyman in Dune-din has been working some thoughts on tne Biblerin-schools difficulty out of his system, lie favors Bible-reading only (from a Protestant version of the Bible, of course) and not ' religious instruction ' being made part and parcel of our public school system. But, like his confreres in the sectarianising movement, it turns out that he really docs not want the Bible in the schools at all. What he and they desire is a Thing called a text-ibook. 'And the text-book is a nrulilated and emasculated caricature of the Bible. It even flings overboard (for reasons that have never yet been either explained or defended) the Virgin-birth of the Saviour of the world , it is packed with unauthorised dogmatic headings and devotional exercises, and was compiled as a manual of 'religious instruction ' by a Protest? nt body which was officially named ' The Royal Commission on Religious Instruction in State Schools.'

The clergyman in question will have nothing whatever to do with taking advantage of the facilities afforded for religious instruction in State schools under the present Education Act. /le seems to think it is a waste of useful ei'cigy In this, Ins \ iew coincides with that of pretty neaily all the Reverend Weary JViHies of the Bible-in-schools League. But as recently as November ], 1800, a Committee appointed by the local Presbyterian Synod to consider this very question reported that a faithful few among the clergy who had attended to this work ' all report success ' ; that 'every argument in fa\oi of political agitation is tenfold an argument in fa\ or of " doing what we can " under the present Act ' ; that if this were done, it ' would be a great success and remote the reproach from the Christian Church that she is not in earnest in the matter ' , and that ' in twenty years, it is confidently believed, a hearty working of this proposal would alter the \ery face of the land.'

Our reverend friend believes that ' something must be done.' So do all the Bible-in-schools clergy. But the ' something ' must involve no peisonal effort or sacrifice. So much exertion as they can p'ljt forth resolves itself into a political agitation to get their proper work done by State officials at the expense ot the general taxpayer. ' Indeed,' said he, ' I believe it will come to this : that if something is not done in the way of affording the children better instruction in the Bible, private schools will be set up. The Roman Catholics ha\e done this aheady From the beginning they ha\e been dissatisfied with the State schools. Wherever possible they are establishing schools.' We have heard all this before. If, instead of empTy talk, the Bible-m-schools clergy were to follow the example oHne Catholics, the education Sifficulty would be practically

solved within forty-eight hours. And yet we are told that if Catholics do not like the proposed Protestantising of our public schools, ' they must just suffer for 't.' The speaker sees 'no remedy ' for them. And, in fine, is it not a comical misnomer for an organisation ' to call iltself ' The Bible-in-schools Referendum League,' while, in reality, it does not want a ' referendum,' but merely a plebiscite, and is totally opposed to the introduction of ' the Bible ' into the bchoolb ? ' Bulls ' are not all raised on Irisih pastures. And the ' hull ' in the title of ' The Bible-in-schools Referendum League ' should have a first-prize certificate hung between its horns.