The New Zealand TABLET THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1912. A BIBLE-INSCHOOLS CONFERENCE

New Zealand Tablet, 25 April 1912, Page 33

The New Zealand TABLET THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1912. A BIBLE-INSCHOOLS CONFERENCE

df fiSf T "~ YNODS, assemblies, and conferences < have (jSS||v(l presented us v with. a long ~ succession 'f of pjSSSv - .schemes— • and - ever' varying—<la&w) permanently laying ; the uneasy r iiiaintihg ' spirit of the education difficulty but so <&o€s£'- : * ai le^r e ff° have invariably come to naught, for the reason, among others,. that they could never hit upon a programme : upon which the different and - differing sections of Protestantism could agree. . At .last,, however, pur non-Catholic friends appear to have '.achieved some approach, towards definiteness and unanimity. A conference was held , last week , at " Christchurch 'at . which the Anglican, Presbyterian, -Methodist; 1 and Primitive Methodist Churches were represented; and the following resolution was adopted : ‘ That this ’ conference approves of the general principles of religious instruction which obtains in New South Wales, . Queensland, Tasmania, and West Australia, and commends such as the only practical solution of the problem of religious instruction in the State schools of New-Zealand/ The conference constituted itself into the Bible in State Schools League of New Zealand; and it was agreed that the policy of the league should be to appeal to the Legislature for a referendum to be carried out on the lines of the Queensland referendum in 1910. According to the Press Association report ‘ the general feeling of the conference was that the meeting-represented an epoch in 'the history of the movement, and /that; the time was ripe for an appeal to public, opinion on the whole question.’ The sanguineness of the conference—in the face of so many past failuresreminds one of the story, told some time ago by an American paper of ah enthusiastic amateur fisherman; who was looking for tarpon in southern waters. He wrote home to his expectant friends that although he had not seen any thus far, he was quite sure of getting . one" next day. ‘ln fact,’ said he, ‘you may say I have practically caught him/ In the minds of the Christchurch enthusiasts, their fish is as good as caught. * •. But before the Bible Leaguers go any further we rise to ask a respectful , question. According to the terms of the resolution which was carried, the conference had been called to consider and ; discuss the solution of the problem of religious instruction in the schools. ; It is a problem in which Catholics are, intensely interested, and to which they have given a great deal of attention. The principle of religious education —for which, in greater or less degree, the conference

'were presumably contending—is one " which the Catholics of New Zealand have maintained for a quarter of a century, and for which they have made sacrifices which have evoked the f admiration even of their enemies. If loyalty to the principle of ? religion ;in education, and practical;; service rendered < to-the : cause, can be taken as entitling to representation at a conference on religious : ; instruction in the schools, there is no Church in 'New Zealand which has so strong a claim as the Catholic; Church to be heard on.this subject. Were any representatives ,of - that ; Church asked to the conference? -If not, why ; not ?; It may be* said that it was already known that . Catholics could not accept the New South Wales system. 'The answer is inadequate. '.'.; It is true that Catholics could not accept the system for themselves; but Catholics, by their services to the cause of religious education, have earned a right to be consulted, and it is easily conceivable that Catholic representatives might have been able to suggest lines along which combined action would be possible.;; Protestants ; have ; their solution of their education problem; .Catholics have theirs; and if Protestants and Catholics assisted one another both could get what they want. ; ; If the friends of religious education were to pull together, they r would be irresistible; so long as they pull in opposite directions, the secularist the common enemy and the real enemyhas it all his own way. Putting it,-therefore, on the lowest ground, it is bad generalship to ignore the rights and opinions of Catholics on the subject; and R it is certain that no solution of the education difficulty will be lasting or permanent which does not take the Catholic body into account. / ..

As has been indicated, Catholics cannot accept, for themselves, the policy and proposals put forward by the new league; but it is not necessary at the present stage to discuss the subject in any detail. It will be sufficient to say that, to begin with, we object to the principle of deciding. religious ; questions and matters of creed and conscience by a.mere count of heads. The referendum may be a valuable resort, both for Government and for the people, in matters of which the average elector ; is a .sufficient judge. But it is clear that no matters should be submitted to it that affect the religious or political rights of minorities, qr that have aroused, or are likely to arouse, strong party or sectarian feeling. The proposed solution of the educational r difficulty h palpably. _ a question of .the nonsubmittable. kind. The question of Bible-in-Schools is obviously a religious question. It is, also, unfortunately, one ', in which the demon of sectarian; strife has already shown, his tail , and cloven hoof , It, moreover, directly affects the . rights of conscience of minorities. "It is, therefore, not one on which the majority of the electors of the Dominion have any right or title whatever to dictate to the minority l-.a-,.

... Catholics cannot accept the New South Wales system for "reasons which we ( have often stated, and which may < be thus briefly summarised:(l) Because it is the duty of the Church, not the State,\ to teach religion. "If the right of the State to impart religious instruction. of :i one particular kind be recognised now, there will be nothing to prevent the State undertaking to give religious instruction ; of quite a different i kind in the future. (2) We object to religion being taught by teachers who, in some instances, are absolute unbelievers. : We have "been personally, informed by / the Under-Secretary for Public Instruction in New South Wales that such cases occasion. no difficulty, 'because the teachers in these circumstances teach religion in exactly the same way as they would teach ancient mythology regarding the : classic gods and goddesses.' That is not the Catholic idea of the way in which Christianity should; be taught. .-. (3) The time j devoted to definite dogmatic -instruction i under the : systemone hour per weekis utterly inadequate for real religious education, the main essential \ for successful religious teachingviz., systematic training and,. the presence of [ religious ',-.influences / through : , and > through:; the; whole school life of .the j childbeing absent.- ( (4) u The so-

called conscience clause—as we shall hilly show when the*bccasion • calls for it-^-is *hopelessly ineffective. \.„ ~ -

;'; For these reasons,' Catholics have never accepted the New South' Wales system in -any- part' of Australia, and Catholics could not—for : themselves—accept it in New Zealand. But we have no objection whatever to such v a system being introduced to meet the wishes of Protestants so long as; Catholics' are not taxed for the maintenance of the system. In other words] we are quite willing: that Protestants should have whatever system they desire, so. long as we too are granted the only solution which- we -can • conscientiously accept—viz., our own schools and payment : for • the secular instruction i given;, and if this latter•■ feature-Were- added to the conference programme Catholics would be able to heartily co-operate in trying to have that programme brought into effect. Such an arrangement would indeed be based on justice—justice to Protestants in the shape of the particular system which i they unitedly desire, and justice to Catholics in the- shape of payment for work done. If the religious bodies-were to adopt such an objective, there would be a truly united movement, and a movement which might really 'accomplish something. i But if the long-standing injustice- to Catholics is to be perpetuated— Catholic claims are' to be ignored or postponed—Catholics will, as. heretofore, protest and oppose; .:, ,'" ',.-.-. ?■ *- ' :