BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 559, 14 July 1909, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

k NEW MOVEMENT. j STRIKING SPEECH BY' MR.: SPROTT. , A new scheme for reintroducing the Bible . i into State schools—through pressure on the Education Boards, instead of Parliament- .:■ ' was adopted,by the Anglican Synod, alter an interesting discussion yest^-^" , ' - ■ '-.".--'■ Theßev. C. C. Harper moved: ' That this Synod desires to express !*« approval of; thei'principle' embodied ?i the New South Wales education system,, by which clergy and accredited teaehera'.''. .'. of the several religious bodies have per : '; ■ mission to visit the State schools within' ;• ; ■ the ordinary school hours for the purpose of giving religious instruction: and that •■•■■-, a committee be unpointed to consider the best moans of securing for this country K . facilities of the Ean.e character as those, granted in New South' Wales, the com- - ■mitteo to send their report to the"seve-;' . ral diocesan synods meeting this) year,' and to see that the matter be brought before the next General Synod,.such .■ committee- to consist of the Rev. J. ' ' . -Walker, Rev; J. A.' Jacob,' Rev. A. M. Johnson, Messrs. G. Shirtcliffe, F. R. Russell/ T. F Martin, and the mover, ■■; ..with pow.or to add to their number."' Sir Robert Stout Taken to Task. ■ The mover said that he Was sure that, every member' of .the Synod .and the vaefc majority of people in the Dominion were exceedingly sorry that one who held the exjalted position of Chief Justice, and,would • consequently, be listened to at Home, .should make statements that could not be characterised as- anything' else than, quite extraordinary, absolutely uhprovable : as regards the-facts,and entirely reprehensible in every way. They in New Zealand had long, ago ■■'. learned not to take Sir Robert Stout: very , seriously on any matter, and in this case lie had said' what was absolutely contrary to what they knew ■• to be true. Mr. Harper went on to say ™ a «, although the present proposal was Tatber a now departure, it did not represent any breach from those who had been their tfellowworkers in the past. _ The Nelson System. "■". ■ The scheme lie now proposed was that ' known' for • many years past as the Nelson system. It might be asked why they could not adopt the Nelson system at once, but a test case at Wanganui . had caused the Supreme Court'ruling to be given that no ) one could interfere with the'hours of the .'■ school to provide time for religious instruction, except, the Education Board. The old idea that the' school committee could adopt shorter hours for secular teaching, was _ . wrong. ' The Nelson Education Board had agreed to shorten boursfor a long time past.. Tho North Canterbury Board had been re- . oently approached, and after sending a very sympathetic letter, had finally refused lto , do eo."' The Wanganui Education Board had nlso refused. He proposed that. they, should try throughout the country „to associate \ themselves with the: other religious bodies to bring pressure to: bear on the Edpca™ ll , Boards. They bad far more chance with the Education Boards' than' with Parliament. The clergy would be prepared to do the teaching, and the objections that had jeen raised against the old platform would .-.- no longe? exist. AU'the clergy wanted was that they should not be unduly handicapped. The present facilities given • - them ■ were - noi : acilities at all; they wore Absolutely rot., He wanted tcbring pressure to bear on'.tne ..\ Education Boards to allow them what was technically'called tlie right:of .entry.- ■■: ■ ■■•. .-..^ ; .■'.'.■;". The Motion Seconded.—,! .-:..,*'■:: '■■■■ - The Rev/ J. Walker , (Newiownj,.in>econd-"-; ing the motion, : said' he was "not certain if; the' Nelson system.allowed what was allowed ■•;■. by the-New. South. Wales, system,-mUiistDrs ;, to co into tho schools v and'..give, 'definite ,',>. toacuingraccprding 'to telenets of their :own>:form 'of religion: He feltf> that neither the ~ Education Boards nor the committees should havo.anyioptionin'.thi?matter; the.rehgioua .. teaching- EKouW-.h'e 'grbyided; 1 for_by-tho law ;;. of, tho land,'- asit was'-m- iNowSouftvVVaks, i> and no /boai-dsVof committees should have ; 'power to'exclude it; , '; ..,'.', -J.. ..-•,.', Tho Bishop's Views. ;'' ; The Bishop said he boliovedi;that.the. pr&veent motion would-in no .way, endanger the co-operation between, themselves.,and other .- churches, and that the proposal was a very ~., valuable addition .to the which they. were - trying.- their best to get legalised. Hut.;,-, they must not" only inaugurate .a; schome; [t thev must ,make people care -about it. _ m,.: their' previous campaign, they had. yisitea.i-. many, centres of' population, ' and. people- had signed - petitions favour, of the reform, ,■ but so far as could bo scon it had. madeno difference when tho election -camo; .the . people who 'signed memorials hardly ever. asked the yiewß of candidates on this question. Tho main.thing they,hhd to. do wa3 to try to .raako,pcople-.ca.ro;about the proposal, to"pray about it,, and.talk-about it, and show that they were doing eomethmg ~ that was, essential to the growth of. Christianity,: • and .oyen .of .hum.anity,-ui , thi».-; ..i country.v . '■ '; >:.-, ,; .' ' -.- : />:..-.--:'i !■. ]■■■■<■' ■ ;Re¥ < VT..',H.'syrott.' ; Bpsrete,'Mot!on.;;,'.' : Tho Rev/ , T. H.iSprott,-who, as one who ' ■ had taken part in the previous was by' the Bishop to state his opinionsj said' that he was sorry-the-pro-; . posaMiad come forward. Tho former move-', , merit, ho cbniludod, had' really come: ta, an. - end as far as they were concerned, since the General Synod' had not reappointed the 'committee. Hβ was sorry that the motion, with which he entirely agreed,, bad been brought forward. After somo years' working for the old-movement, ho believed that the people of New Zealand had unmistakably shown'that they did not wish for ministers \ of religion to tell them -how. the poople of; the country wore to bo educated. So far as he' could discover, the only effective argument used against them in the old movement, by the nuivsp.ipers of the colony was an argument that, involved 'an opi- <.■. thet; it was .dubbed ; the clerical , movemont, and he believed that,killed it. Who Rojodted tho Proposals? \, ■;. ■ Those who were not members of any reli--' gious body, according to the census, were an infinitesimal fraction., It was the members . of their churches who had ignominiously rejected their, proposals at the. polls—moro emphatically at the second election than at y the first. "I' am 'not required, "said Mr. Sprott, "by tho Christian people of this ' country to. express any ,opiuioii;as, te, how their children are to bo educated. It has taught . mo 'thai, 'if ,'flio. education: syetem |of ' this, country is . ever ; to be. it must bechanced by the laymen. ; When the .proposal came from, tho hearts; and convicions of the'people, it'would boV brought to pass. The} 1 were told.that every year of secular education was accustoming the poop!o more to it, and-that.there,would: be loss desire for religious instruction.' That would bo so if tho moral governors of the, , universe bad lot go tho reins of govern., ment. The present secular system of oducatiou was ■. eitiior - good-,; or bad, s and. 'tvmo'Avould ishow whichi it was: Sooner or i later its results: would manifest themselves so that tho man in the street could not mis- •> take them. If.-they wore \te got. a nobler arid truer manhood arid womanhood*, they would know that it was justified: But _ if, ~ when the day of trial camo, when: the wind blew and the raiiisboatj as they 1 might do in Australasia before somo! of their heads were grey, tho national house they ,woro -trying to build- up camo down, they •.'■■ would know that; this-country : made .a fatal mistake, and tlien (Jio .reaction f would como, whether tlio. parsons'did anything' or I'.not. .•■": ■■■'■.-. ■. '■ ■ - ;.: ■•■■ ■.■' : -, , -S;.-.- '■'■ .■■;,■'■; ; --■■''• ■ Motion Adopted. V »/: v Archdeacon Towgood supported: tlie ;: motion. Ho thought tliat'-it was-benoath-the'. dignity of tho Church to' go to the .Legis- ■ laturo again., While jagreeing with much that-Mr. Sprott had said, ho saw tlie dawn . behind the darkness. Ho referred-to, increasing popularityi ofVpHvato; Schools; l-ikfl-i Wanganui College, in which:religion/had'a ! : plaCO. ■•.-■.'..-■ •-, : ''■'::. \: : -r :>".••':*>■ . : ;. ; V-'--' ;.'. r T ■.'-''.'■" Captain Hewitt (Palmerstqn North) and- . theltev. l> Jones (Feilding)' supported I ,the motion. ■;. -. '.: ' : - '■'-.; . '>■;■■ ' :;'■ ■ v. , '•^ v - ; -:'; ;: '-''..-'.;: ■.''■"•.-. .The motion was adopted unanimonely.,,,':