STATE NEUTRALITY IN RELIGION.

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

STATE NEUTRALITY IN RELIGION.

Sir,—We havo all corao to admit that tho State must bo, in our day and country at least, neutral towards religion. Then lot us go on from praising tho policy to carrying it out. Haul down that flag that floats over every State school: "No child shall"bo allowed to learu tho fear and love of God during tho learning hours o£ tho day, throughout tho learning yoarsl of life, in the learning places of the country." The State does not, indeed, forbid children to 'hear of Noah's' Ark at, bedtime, among stories of fairies and ghosts, on tlio borders of Dreamland. Nor doos it forbid Sunday school on a day, and under circumstances which arc cut off from nil tho activity and_ struggle and play of our everyday lifo in this world. But it does oppose, and successfully oppose. religion from being taught to tho children of our day. It is not neutral. Tho State to-day is aotivoly and successfully (hostile. i . Should we call the State; neutral towards reading if it made it illegal for any child to be taught it between the ages'of 7 and 14, during tho only wideawake hours of the day, in any building by any teacher in tho employ of' tho Stat o?

: Lot mo give a short lesson in tho English language. Compulsion is the compelling a thing to bo dono. Prohibition is the prohibiting it from being done. Neutrality is not raising a finder either to compel or to prohibit tho doing of it. Tho Stato raisos both handj to push out, and both feet .to kick out, all teaching of anything higher than tho top of Mount Cook, which is tho highest thing in tho world, having mado itself and all benoath it. , Away with humbug, and enter plain English.' We live under State prohibition of religious instruction. —I am, etc., A. F. WALLACE. August 22.