BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1618, 9 December 1912, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Tho Bible-in-Schools. question was referred to in many of the Wellington churches yesterday. Preaching at St. Paul's Anglican Prd-Cathedral at the morning seTvice, the Rev. A. M. Johnson appealed to his congregation not to allow themselves to ba sido-tracked from tho main issue. The word secular had been put into the Act of 1877 by no mandate of the people, but by tho House of Representatives in the course of its debates. Was that position to remain for ever? The present facilities were unworkable, and were also objectionable, in that they depended upon the attitudo of individual committees whose decision was liable to be reversed after every election. People should not be misled by tlie bogies which were being raised. Personally, he did not favour the'lrish Text Book, nor was he entirely satisfied with tho Queensland Text Book. He was prepared to trust our New Zealand educational authorities to compile a book which would give general satisfaction. Mr. Johnson repudiated tho statement that the demand for tho Bible-in-Schools was merely a clerical movement. If it was, it would be bound to die. He called upon the church people to prove to the world by petitions to Parliament, among other ways, that tho movement had tho support of the peoplo as a whole. Cards were placed in the seats for signature by electors who favoured the objects of tho Biblc-in-Schools League.

On Friday evening next, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Cleary) will speak on the Bible-in-Schoo!s question at the Town Hall.