BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 12

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

| AN ANGLICAN BISHOP'S VIEWS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' _ Auckland, October 20. ' The Biblo-in-scliools question was rofpr- ■ red to by the Anglican Bishop of AnekJ land in his address to his Synod to-day. ' Ho said: — ' "Tho curso of colonial life, a s I havo observed it, is sraspicion. Had Chris--1 tians not suspected ono another we should ■ havo had in all Australasia facilities for ® Christian teaching long ago. I boliovo r wo are all coming to a bolter and more c generous state of mind. Tho Church of , the Province has approved of (ho prin- [ ciplo of what is known as tho 'New " South Wales System.' Thero aro two ■ planks in tho system: One, permission in • .prescribed-, fcchool periods for authorised ' .teachers of any denomination to visit tho 1 school and instruct their own children. Tho other is the provision of a handbook of Bible readings, to bo u.sed by all teachers in all schools. It is worldng admirably in at least tho half of Australia. I confess that I still need a littio conviction to satisfy mo that it is right or wiso to impress upon a headmaster who mav lie a conscientious unbeliever, tho duty of teaching tho Bible even as a literary handbook. I would wish in this respect to givo a conseienoo clause to teachers. It would bo availed of, I am satisfied, but by few teachers. It would, however, satisfy the claim of fairness all round. Tho provision of a handbook would be a difliculty, but it has becu done well elsewhere, and why not here? Would you bo prepared lo allow tho Doraan Catholics to linvo a handbook for their children in the Douay Version? They have made a stand at much cost to themselves for llio principle of religious education, and if this should in any way elear tho ground for (hem to fall in line I should give it my support, I appeal to all other Christian« lo apply this verified experiment to the schools of Now Zealand, confident that it will win approval, elevate school life, and be free from tho remotest su> picion of proselytism."