CANON GARLAND AND THE "SCHOOL JOURNAL."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1844, 2 September 1913, Page 4

CANON GARLAND AND THE "SCHOOL JOURNAL."

Sir,—Canon Garland's recent reference to tho article on Mohammed in tho "School Journal" is unworthy of a disciplined mind. In spito of all our Church and Sunday School activities ho goes as near as ho can to representing this country as anti-Christian, just bocauso wo donot recognise tho'principle of State interference in religion. "Liberty is denied if it is claimed for Christianity,. liberty is allowed if it is claimed for atheism, or Mohammedanism or Buddhism in tho State schools of our land." Surely the cause that can dignify as argument, such unscrupulous raving must bo in' difficulties. In a Christian community the interest in Mohammed is. simply interest in a remarkable personality, part of tho iutor- i est in knowledgo generally. An article on tho subject is written and road dispassionately, and without suspicion of ovasion, suppression, distortion," exaggeration, or baseless assumption for party purposes. People in New Zealand do not distrust and despise oJid shun and_ unchurch each other, and both implicitly and explicitly send each other to hell over Mohammedanism. But they are doing it every day over Christianity. Their interest in tho former is too remote to constitute a danger. For the Same reason it would be permissible for ;tbo editor of the "School Journal" to includo an articlo on the political situation in Timbuctoo, but ho would hardly dream of venturing an article on the political situation in New Zealand. Wo aro fairly well agreed as to what Christianity is as a principle of life, a spirit of conduct; but when we come to its intellectual expression in the creeds, and nil that is implied in what is called "teaching Christianity," it is tho most patent absurdity to deny that wo are very, very far from being agreed. This is the reason why many of us will resist to the uttermost anv movement that seeks to involvo tho State in a department of life for which it has noither calling nor qualification, and which it has,never meddled with without injuring spiritual religion.—l am, etc., I. SARGINSON. Chris tch tirch.