THE SECULAR EDUCATION DEFENCE LEAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1006, 22 December 1910, Page 9

THE SECULAR EDUCATION DEFENCE LEAGUE.

bir—A league under this name - has Aeen formed, to keep tho Bible out :of tho schools so that Christian children shall, not receive a Christian education. A similar league was formed a few years ago-but soon split up. Some''of its members t/iought it would be good policy to affect-'a certain regard for the Bible with a \yiew of securing tho confidence of those who would be repelled by a Rationalistic onslaught, but others were in favour of the.-onslaught direct.A watery pamphlet wa£ consequently, published - in- which Nationalism at one moment floiitecT on tho surface and ' affected religious sympathy,: the next. 'But > the -Rationalistic extremists could not endure even'the appearance of sympathy and a split followed: at ; once.

The movement:-:, wa§: iiext stirred info . activity by tho publieation-"'of "siime'"cS;- : .traordmary statistics (never forthcoming) and conclusions attributed to Sir Robert. Stout. Rationalism thought that true -which it wished: to-be true and with great joy. set .itself .to-pull \ the statistical' strings with all its might. ' But tho strings snapped and tho overwrought pul-lers'fell-headlong utterly abashed. Now, after a long silence this league comes forward. Mr; Gammell is president and to a great audience of fifty, instead of outlining principles, attacked the clergy as "the most bitter foe of every modern'system;of' 'education." If'the attentive fifty, appreciated at the time the amazing .beauty of this argument, possibly, . later .reflection' has shown them that the secular system is . not justified because it is modern, that it is a, huge assumption to regard secularism as ; the last word on education and that attacks on the clergy prove' nothing as to the alleged superiority of secularism. Besides, it would bo easy to retaliate. But as Mowbray, said:— •

" Tis not the trial of a woman's war, Tho bitter, clamour of two eager tongues, Can arbitrate this - causa betwixt us .twain."

, Leaving Mr, Gammell's relief of his feelings on one side -ire may learn something of his attitude from his pamphlets. In one lie gives his ideas as to the time Jesus Christ lived on earth, and in that just reviewed by you hte details his opinions on the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. As. we.reject these opinions .60: we' refuse also to follow him to his secularist conclusions.

•n^? r ' caiv wo accept the guidance of •Professor Mackenzie whom : tho strange idea assesses that Bible-teaching would raise strife in,tho schools and make the children call cach other bad names, etc. ; These things occur even under fccularism. Witness Mr. GararaelVs unprovoked attack upon the clergy. Thus the remarks of these two exponents of secularism cancel each other. They resemble Duncan's horses; Tho strange idea is not true. One or two .swallows in-Seotland do not make a summer. Anyhow we learn from the professor that the Bible is excluded * front tho schools as a bad thing —a causer of strife, and our secular svs- . torn must therefore teach our children this same thing-to look upon the Bible as a bad book. Now I asKr Are we to Bubmit to a system Euch as this? The sooner it is overturned the better; But is. the system secular in the league's 6cnse. of .the word? If-it is,-it is unfor it will.forbid the school children to sing the National Anthem. I ask how is it that history ,is authorised, to be taught? Its sectarian influence is far greater than can bo attributed to the giving of Bible lessons. \ foolish teacher once deliberately described Martin-Luther to a Romanist pupil as a good mnn, and insisted that he was, and tlie child became angry beyond measure; another of Puritan inclinations ridiculed Cranmer's martyrdom. These are extreme cn.=«S, but the.v illustrate my point. As. a rule teachers have too much sense io; ; olfend in this way. and are" therefore trusted to teach English history. . Similarly, if they are Christians, they may be trusted to give Bible, logons to .their llasscs—l 'am, etc., PHYJ.AX. Wellington, December 17, .1310.