THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 7

THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS QUESTION.

I ' • ./•, ; ADDRESS BY CANON GARLAND. J (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) '' I '-.-..• Christchurch, February' 25; ' A'very ltirge g<ithcriiiy of the supporters ' of the Bible-in-sclwols movement lvtis | held in the King's. Theatre to-night to, I hear addresses' by prominent advocates of i tlio cause. , The Mayor; who presided, said tho pre- ■ sent position, of tlio country, ttas not satis* ■factory. The. number of inmates,of vari- ; o«s'institutions' was 'attributable 11 to lack ' of BMcal knowledge. ;; ! . Canon. Gnrlalid. (organising i secretary of i I3il>lc in State Schools League) said L the aim that night was to give utterance to the conviction that tho religious teach-" 1 lltg of tho children of New Zealand was more important than any other subject. In every institution the Christian faith"' found its right and proper place 'except in< the State schools. That' anomaly nnist give way.. The children must receive tlio same treatment as that given tliem if they unfortunately found their way into gaol. In only two other, parts of the .British . Empire was there no, provision made fir giving Bible' instruction, to.the.children of :the schools. Every, man was entitled to his opinion, but uni'nir statements must -be combated. Bishop Clear)' had attributed to him tho statement that lie had' •boasted that some 32,000 Homan Catholic children were, being nroselytised. in New . bouth Wales. He had never 6aid'that bo- . ,cause lie did not b?lievo in proselytism, and the system left no room'for that. The facts wero that theso children, read tlieir. lessons of-their "own ffee will and with their parents' consent. ' Thou' conscience 1 could not bo violated; • Cardinal Moron, who had been even more bitter against the movement, than Bishon Cleary, had said tliat tho Scripture lesions being read were but .garbled extracts not worthy of Australia, but ho would suggest that 'hob?' should be substituted for tliem the four Gospels. If that was all.the difficulty Of Bishop Cleary, lie (tho speaker) would Ik? .willing to meet him more, than half way, The foregoing moved that Cardinal Moran paw no diißcutty in. Seripturo lessons for Roman Catholic children in tho State schools. Tho movement did not aim at destroying the national character, of 1 tho educational system. ' They desired . that! religious instruction' should 1 merely receive the lecognition and facilities offered m other institutions, 'l'liey stood, to the.se three principles: Liberty, national schools, niul the right of parents to nay what their' children should be taught'in the people's' schools.