RELICION V. MORALITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 832, 30 July 1910, Page 10

RELICION V. MORALITY.

Sir, —"Veritas,!' in your issue of July 23, contents himself with ridiculing my letter in your issue of July .18, but not replying to my figures and. arguments. He ;must please reply and not avoid the issue. I fully admitted that, matters .verb .in a bad way in Paris, seeing that France had practically expelled Christianity. .Sly statistics, .however, stand good as to murders to the million) viz.England and Germany, 5; Fraiice, 12; Spain', 45; Italy, 76. "Veritas" must please tell us, if we are to have Teligion in our schools, why there should bo six times as many murders in religious-ridden Italy as in France. • I can., also ' supply "Veritax" with further statistics of crime in New Zealand, proving the maxims—(l) "The moro religion the. mora'crime"; and (2) "Iteligion is not morality." "Veritas" tell us why under our/present system of secular education wo have no criminal class in New Zealand? "We have a million inhabitants, but rarely hear of a . liberate murder. Accidental manslaughter does take place, as in the Powellca affair. . We have had 35 years of secular education ■ now, and hardly ■ two: murders to .the million heie, as against 76 in Italy. Religion of course is not morality. "Veritas" has taken a wrong name. Tho sectarians are so divided amongst themselves that not one of thein will admit the other possesses truth. , ~The Dible-in-schools chiefs. aro now going to abandon that cry,"for "Religion in schools." Of what use'has religion been?

I'must repeat that bis Honour Sir Robert Stout has as much right to his religious' opinions as his Honour Mr. Justice O'Connor. I am sure Mr. Gainm'e'll,' Professor M'Kduzie, 'Mr. 11.. Hogg, and hundreds of others feci Eroud, with myself, tluxt wo have a indly gentleman, filling the high office of Chief Justice, with -the courage to say ihe is au Agnostic. I know that Sir Robert takcß oIF his hat to the Universe. 'Does "Veritas"? No, indeed! He only raises his cap to someone other than God.;- And that is just where the cap (fits, and where the' Churches of today? are doomed. • •. The only argument .is his long letter —(Parisian hooliganism—not as bad' aB the.'Black Hand, .'atrocities.'of'. New York)—l'admitted. Less than a hundred years ago, in the Old Bailey Court in London, five boys, between .the ages of nkiaand fourteen yearsj.. wore tried upon various charges of petty theft. One had taken his, mother's shawl, and pawned it for money to see a show; another lad appropriated a gentleman's coat; another a lady's watch, and so on, after, the manner of the petty thief. They, were proven guilty, The, sentence of that Court of Justice was that each of those fivo children "slrould hang by the neck until dead—and-may God have mercy on their souls." Now, that was in religious England! Where were the clerics then? Is Paris any worse to-day? A woman convicted of stealing a ribbon was condemned to all the horrors of transportation. Where was religion then'? Poor Isabella Anderson was released fronr Wellington prison about fivo weeks since, and her dead body found on .the sandhills, at Lyall Bay next morning. Where'were our Wellington clerics then? Religion is certainly not humanitarian, for General Booth had to throw up his Church appointment in order to found his humanitarian movement. A few clerics arc humanitarian, but tlio great body- of them think only of their Church. The late Mr. Seddqn had humanitarian motives, in his old age pensions and assistance ika, nursing etc., fete. Did religion,: ever .propose such, things for tjs ?" l\ hardly think so. It was a lady (Miss Florcnco Nightingale) who ameliorated the lot of the. Mounded in war.. - And so on, ,down tho whole gamut of progress in, civilisation ; . the Churches always sitting back. In the mission fields of Africa and the South Seas they did good work, for which they wero well paid. But in/North and South America, India, China, and Japan their missions have not been beneficial.

I do not think any Parliament we can elect would 'dream of bringing rengipn into our schools again, And yet tins is what the late Wellington Diocesan Synod insisted upon. Why cannot "Veritas" and his fellow clerics join me in demanding moral teaching under the rule ot God-iu our Now Zealand schools? ■—I am, etc., THEIST. ■ Wellington, July 20, 1910. (Portions -of this letter ha\e been omitted.!'