Bible in State Schools.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume III, Issue 9, 1 March 1913, Page 123

Bible m State Schools.

A demonstration of friends of the Bible m State Schools movement was held m the Wellington Town Hall on the ilth February. The newspapers stated there were 3500 present, and m addition many were standing, and some had to go away. The proceedings were preceded with half an hour's service of song, m which all heartily joined, this portion! concluding with a selection by the Salvation Army Band. The proceedings were characterised by great enthusiasm, the audience being very demonstrative. Of the large number present, nearly one half were males, all sections of the community being present — the University professor, the barrister, the doctor, the engine-driver, and the washerwoman. The meeting was commenced with prayer by the Rev. J. Kennedy Elliott (Presbyterian), followed by the reading of a lesson by the Rev. Dr. Gibb (Presb)-terian) from the Queensland Lesson Books. Mr. J. G W. Aitken presided, and said that the Presbyterian Church was entirely committed to the proposal. The Rev. Dr. Youngman, President of the Methodist Church of Australasia, received an ovation. He pointed out that the whole Methodist Church of Australasia unanimously siipported the system where it existed, and included m the laws of the Church a resolution desiring every Methodist to work for its introduction where it did not exist. Canon Garland was received with continued applause, and claimed that British history gave the Christian religion as taught m the Bible a place m their National life, and pointed out that only New Zealand and two other English speaking places m the Empire failed to make definite provision for its recognition m their State schools. Mr. Gilbert Carson, an old Maori veteran and a member of the Baptist Church, came all the way from Wanganui.

• He said that he was no new con- • vert, but for a quarter of a cens tury he had been advocating this I cause. *He asserted amidst ap- ■ plause that New Zealand was fo-nded, upon the Christian' relic icn. Parliament every day prayed to .God through Jesus Christ for the "maintenance of true religion." It therefore 'should not be . excluded from the schools. . Commissioner Richards said that every member of the" Salvation Army would support the movement ; they believed m the Bible everywhere. Mr. W. D. Little, member of the Church of Christ, said he had experience as a religious instructor of the working of the system m New South Wales, and testified that no injustice was done to. the smaller Churches. The Bishop of Wellington concluded the meeting, with the Blessing. The collection amounted to The Methodist Conference. The Methodist Conference received Canon Garland as a deputation, and gave him a warm welcome. The Rev. J. J. Lewis moved a resolution expressing aPP r oyal of the League's platform, resolving on cooperation with other religious bodies to secure it, and the taking of a Referendum. He made an eloquent oration full of Methodist fire. The motion was seconded .by the Rev. G. H. Mann, ex-President of the Primitive Methcdist Conference, who stated that twelve months ago he would have voted airainst the proposition, but m the interval he had visited Australia and made personal -en-iuiries into the working- of the system, and had also, visited England and eno.uired into the educational troubles there. The results of these visits and enquiries had completely swvng him rornd to support this system as the only solution of the problem. The Rev. A. J. Seamer moved an amendment that the questions m the Referendum should be separated, so as to get the Bible into the schools, but keep the parsons out. He was supported by the Rev. J. H. Haslem and the Rev. J. W. Burton. The Rev. A. W. Hay said he had been fifteen years working under the system m Western Australia, and found all the objections vanish m the actual working. The debate was closed with a speech by the Rev. Dr. Young-man, , President of the Australasian Methodist Church, who declared that m the four States

• which had adopted this system the • ed 11 cational question was settled , i 1 while . m the ; two States which had • not got it there, was perpetual feri ment.: The more important part of the proposal, - was the giving ■ every child m the Dominion an access to the Bible m the schools, butthat the system as a whole had been adopted .as the only one which had ever proved permanent. The amendment was defeated by 115 votes to 26, and the motion carried on the voices. It is not to be understood that those who voted for the separation of the question are against the whole proposal or 'against taking a Referendum ; they are only against a part of the proposal. Some of the speakers, m supporting the amend, ment, said thqt if the whole: proposal were carried, they would loyally support it and use the opportunity of visiting the schools. ■ Congregational Opinion. An Interesting Fact.— Pitt street Congregational • Church, Sydney, a few months ago appointed a special teacher, to give reljgioiis instruction m the State schools m the metropolitan area.- The gentleman chosen is paid, a salary by the Pitt street Coneregational Church solely for the work of religious instructor m the State schools. '.].', A Queensland Opinion. : The Hon. A. H. Barlow, who was six yoars Minister for Education m Queensland, was asked to give his views on this subject, as lively to interest people m .the Dominion. Mr. Barlow said : "There was a great deal of. discussion about , the .merits of the. case, and we had a very stormy time m Parliament getting the Bill through, as I remember very - well, having been the Minister m charge of the Bill m the Upper House. The opposition was very determined 'from a certain ( quarter, but the/ Act finally passed with a two :to one majority. This was m 1910." What has been the result since ? "So far as I" know, no trouble has arisen m connection with religious instruction. , I have heard no agitation against it, and no complaints ?s to its working, which runs smoothly. There does : ; not seem to have been any friction. Of course, it took a little time getting into working order, but there has now been ample time to ' judge, as I have stated. One of the reasons

why it works so smoothly is that there is no compulsion about it, the conscience clause making the lessons entirely optional ; yet there are very few withdrawals, so far as 1 know, by the Roman Catholics m large centres. In small places, where they have no schools of their own, the conscience clause seems to satisfy them. There was no attempt m the subsequent sessions of Parliament to create any agitation to repeal the Act." What about the State aid aspect? "Religious instruction m State schools is not regarded as State aid to religion, but as lifting the barrier from the free exercise of religious liberty. There has been no increase m our educational votes m ' Parliament m consequence of the Religious Instruction Act. The expense of providing the reading books has been comparatively trifling. The definite religious teaching given by the ministers of religion or their substitutes is paid for by the Churches, and the official instruction given by the teachers from the reading books is of a character which cannot be reasonably objected to by any person who professes even the faintest form of Christianity. All the State has to do is to open the door to. these accredited teachers (some of whom are laymen and women). My own opinion is that this Act has made State aid to denominational schools more unlikely than ever." But is there no claim for endowment ? "Of course there is, the Roman Catholics, as always hitherto, pressing for that, but this is nothing new. They were doing that during the 33 years we were without religious teaching m the schools* On the ground that the schools had no religion, they now object because the schools have religion." What is the teachers' point of view ? "As a member of the Cabinet, I should have been sure to have heard if there had been any serious objection on the part of the teachers. I never officially heard a single complaint, neither do I believe there has been one from a solitary teacher m the whole of Queensland ; nor m their conferences and association meetings has any hostile resolution been passed. The parents, even when not themselves religiously inclined, do not evince any disapproval of their

children having, religious instruction; excepting m the case of the' few persons who hold secularistic views."—; " Dominion," Febl 21.