BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

SPEECH BY MR. RUNCIMAN. ■;; AUSTRAU AIi , METHODS. J -. ' \ shakespears 'and'milton amended, <«• TELEGuitra-PniSS TttlonT.) President %i the- Board. ! of Education;; Jluncjinan, .speaking ! atiDowsbtiry^and: referring 'to -the", question 'of'education'/yMid that Australia ibad'oblitor-, ated tto^name--of<tho^Deity:from,: .the:wprks of ; Milton;■", Such;' a :thing ; TOuld';Bot;:he; ; added,;bei;olerit«d in.England, andfany'Goyfernment'attompting'to.;oiclude 'ty&i Bible the . cleservedv to;;, be poM ; : ::;■,; ;;^fe;fcjHE<yieTb^ ' HrV-Euncim^ system, , ' wbjcli,:hris ; .caused/keen controversy 'in'.that /State.for:niany'years.-In th~e;reading books in use in.tho'iotonan.ijtate 'sohools the' : hame'of. God or Christ- is. not al-. lowed- tovoccur.- Standard authors have -been. ;amended-:by;:the: : reinoTal of .these;names:7For: •instancei'v ; in"ihj ,; -w,eU-faiOTn»:.poenS';entitledJth*,. :-";Wreck of -the-yerse. has..'beenemitted .which.-.'states , how .-.;■■.■..■ •',',• V':' ; " • • She thought of Chiist, Who stilled the waves ? ; :On tlio'&a'jof^Galilee,;^ -:;■;■.;':;:v: ; ! as well .as the concluding verse, which'.alsp. has: preference to\Cbrist. £ ■■•_,',/; .■;.;V^ : :,',H^;,H ■?irl y_ •v': ; lx i c'u'r i'o us story.:;. *;: f:B'';-''} ' .The-system.(of sebtdarisation has■gbne I :even further - in France, according .to :a7cofrespon-, 'dent- , of '"the ;"Daily;'■ Chronicle,":, who:, tells'-a. curious'story-'tpuqhing. the: antics of. a. teacher, iiii..a/French'■;Communal School.■■":TJxis.interest-; ■ ing person,;;-Jl6ri?ot' by, name, -'■ is : .said■-. toVhave ■described the',French;ariny to his;pupils' as a band'jtof -roffiansjyalso ;'tb' have :characterised belieyersinGod as fools,, maintaining that the 6nly>;trn&; God-was :a' well-filled-■ purse.-...-. : ; His teaching"',Ott-v''m6fality"..is:stated; to be unfit ■;fpr publicationan;an'English';new3paper.;>Tlie i f athet of:' one , ' of' the; : boys } sb' mistaiight, fhaving. ! vainly.bes6\ightSthe-executive ■ to ;take , ',acKbn;'ih^Ee",matteri:.sue i d , --Jl6rizbt-forJthe': "moralf.'and, inte'lleotual"(.injury • 'done '•■ to; his son; and : .a!ter>failing , in seyeraV , trials,- -has- at; lashobtained'a'judgment from theDijoniCourt: of Appeal whiqh -is;: o£ tlie whole,- in his favour,;: ;tnpugn.;lawar.ding; : raly, nominal' damages.- ;-v:; ) : SHOES';-,<'-Just-. be'fbre'i, leaving VEngland) the ■: Anglican 'Bishopi- : of '-Auckland JDr. ■■ Neligan), 'who'-' is ■ expected! to way-back to: ihis? diocese,'J.))frdte ; ; : avletter.v~to;:the..;Lpiidon.: f'Tim«i"iin ! ;ifliiob';W stated':—■vi:''"; V^.\. ■'■•■"■ -'■ There-'appear.'to be to-day' in/Englandithree' .thought , '; s about ;M the -.- 1 iquesten."-''Broadly speaking,-;,they; may.'-be idescribed' thus :-r •''■'■ ■~':-V- 'C ;':'■'•' ; [ i- ■(' !/ : '.•:■ !:ji;-The' v secularists."' ! -&-vv.& ~K--*';; ; >;-.'; r : - ; 2. The.men..who'eay,; "All , we want,-or. secu-. I'larismi". h ;These'.in}en'.are- Churchmen I side aii& Nonconformists on the'other.-;; ; :: -H"",' ■"■'•"' i--,- S. : .The:-.adybcates'ofXa.fair .'and;' honpurabla !'bomprbmise : iwhipli .:.shaUvV;nreserye; : -both-.;in theory^and ;in.fact truelreligious'equaUty;';,''■;•;,. i-'Haa .it -not be'en.'for,- u m'y;overseas experience,': I should:';K'ave-; : beeri-. inclined to.'advocate -the: ■cause'of• the 'second.'group of experienceihas, vl :>hope,^tapght. me , :something.',That s'omethinE'.is—secularism' 'falsermorally fraught-with , 'is^sti™fti^-thnt-tk'fe'--.!ii'»-it<'-dtty i : :iii'New ! Zealand"abont:one-third.'of'the children ■of'echdbl • ag<f"-rbugttly,: 50,000'vbut :| of. 160,00(>-: ( wh'p ; are'outside any jreligious.instrubtion.'JThat :iS' a fserious the- State" and for, all reli-, : 'gious'ib6 ! diesttp'-'face':.iii>that\young nation."■lt , .- is -largely'ith'e/.result of-State : :secular.;EblibQls;i .In :! New. : ; Zealand, Religious instructipn- may 'be i giYen;'Qut.bs\ ; schppl hours: V'^Facilities' p£. this kindare useless/;-- Religions instruqtioni.must be;as'tiorm^r'as. any other. instniction.'VOthefwise. "extra".in:-:'a;,i child's'■mind.' ;That''must speU,! sooner", or ■■'.later, avnaKbn.\J;;v;r,(i^;Wy' ! *'' ; -' : ; •■- ! ' : -':■:-■;';;-v^,r