BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1622, 13 December 1912, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

The Roman Catholio Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Cleary) will lecture to-night in the Town Hall on the "Bible-in-Schools Movement." His Worship the Mayor will preside. As a large gathering is anticipated, citizens would do well to secure their seats early. The resolution to be put to tho meeting'is as follows:- That, as citizens and taxpayers of this Dominion, we pledge ourselves to oppose the scheme of the Bible in State Schools League as an invasion of'the rights of conscience and inimical to. tho interests of religion and religious peace. Beferrin? to the Bible in schools question, the Auckland "Herald" states :-"No violation of the non-sectarian character of the public schools is proposed by the league. It is simply proposed that the ban of educational ostracism shall bo withdrawn from tho broadest principles of our common Christian religion. The plan pursued in Queensland—tho latest Australian State to adopt Bible lessons in the public schools—was to take a referendum of tho electors upon the question. The same method is proposed for ??6tt Zealand. In Queensland, the league's proposals were carried by an overwhelming majority, an immense number of parents thus expressing their wish to have their children reared in a loss pagan fashion. In New South Wales, the mother colony, a verv similar system has been in vogue since ISGG; in Tasmania since 1508; in West Australia" since 1893. Evidently, therefore, the system is neither oppressive nor unpopular, for in these days of popular representation it is quite impossible to maintain unchallenged any educational jnethod whioh excites antagonism.