BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1995, 28 February 1914, Page 6

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

LEAGUE OF APPOSITION. REMARKS BY PROFESSOR MACKENZIE. A meeting' of the executive of tlic Now Zealand National Schools Defence League was held in Stent's Buildings last .night. 11l tho ahsrace. of the president (Mr. A. 11. Atkinson), Mr. C. J. Cooke, ii.A., occupied tie chair. _ It was reported that though the national executive had so far done practically nothing towards counteracting Canon Garland's campaign, some of tho I local leagues had done not a little in that connection, and in every district; wliero a counter movement was started it was found that large numbers had signed the Canon Garland under a complete misapprehensiaii as to what it really committed them. It was decided to appoint a national organiser at tho next meeting of the sse'outivo, who would hold pubUG meetings all over tho Dominion, and explain fully the nature and implications of the policy of the Bible in Schools party, and deal with the methods and m-isrepresentati-sns of its organisers. The secretary (Professor 1 Mackenzie) said: "I need scarcely sav that We who aro defending our existing national system of secular education fully recogiuso tho fact .that it is highly desirable tiiat tho youth of this Bommioti elitfuld acquire a. good knowledge of Biblical literature. Wo t'hink, however, tha't the Churches, Sunday schools, and homes of the Dominion are seriously at fault unless'such a knowledge is being imparted. At the same time we have 110 objection whatever to tho State's allowing accredited representatives of the Churcites either individually or collectively the use of schoolrooms before or after the hours usually allocated to the ordinary secular work, for the purpose of imparting religious instruction, provided eg.tuu facilities are afforded to every denomination seeking the privilege. Wo W lieve the State would do weii to afford facilities for_ supplementing the State system in this way; bnt that the State should make it possible- for an eceleoiastical combine, such as tho Bible in Schools League, to impose the task of conducting Bible lessons on State officials, and at tho . expense of all the _ taxpayers of tho Dominion wo consider a monstrous injustice, such as no statesmen worthy tho name could entertain or permit. Only tlio.other day a weil-kilown Presbyterian clergyman taid me coo-By aad confidently: " 'This is a Christian and Protestant country, and' what a majority of Protestant Christians want tlie.y have a right to get. As for Catholics, he said, 'why consider thorn? They . are against our present system and would, be against any system not devised and approved by themselves."

• "He conveniently forgot the fact that he and his fellow-clergymen are also against tho present system, and that .the only system that would satisfy thein is one devised and approved by themselves. It is simply a ease of shallow sectarian assurance as; to securing a majority, and this is the sort of thing that is going, I presume, to make for the religious and educational peaee of the Dominion 1 Let us earnestly hope that our statesmen will see, to it that thera shall.-be no. statutory foothold for sectarian privilege in our State-school system. It is certainly astounding that., at this time of day in t%o history of . religious toleration and educational enlightenment, men and women ean hefound who think it just and Christiatt that tho State should coerce the. teach* ing profession in this matter, and also, that it should rate tho entire community, irrespective of creed, for tho purpose of imparting religious instruction to' which a considerable proportion of tho community have conscientious - objee* tions. There can be but one |ust and reasonable alternative, so far as tlio is concerned to tho present secular system, and tliat is a purely denominational system.'/

Mr. Meyers ' pointed out that itseemed, in view of the persistent do mands maclo upon tho Gbvorftinflnt by the Bible-in-Schools league • that tho people of New Zealand Should be fully educated on this great national question in which many salient principles of religion and civic government wero involved. That after all tho- tremendous organising efforts put forward by the Bible-in-Schools League the people of this country did not yet know what was really embodiejl in the proposals put forward by Canon Garland and his colleagues. This was not their fault, Tho league speakers had been very careful to avoid principles and deal with generalities baoked up by reference to many imported testimonies as to the effectiveness of their scheme in other countries. The league had succeeded after a thorough canvass (and, be it noted, tho canvas has been thorough) of getting the assistance of ono,-fifth e.f the electors of Now Zealand to their objective. Presumably, then, tho other four-fifths, or mostly so, who had boom included in tho canvass were diametrically opposed to tho proposals of tho league, and had, witho-iii hoar-tag the contrary side to tho league discussed, seen on their own initistive that tfiis sehemo was wrong. Now, it seemed to him that tho last few weeks have shown clearly that the league wish' to foist the responsibility of this 'grave question on Parliament, and through it on tho peoplo before the supporters that they have, had heard the league's proposals discussed in their true light-." Ho stated that the league had undertaken it., canvass at a previous moment, and the canvass that was being done now by tho National Schools Defence league and others to obtain th& view of the peoplo at the present time revealed that many of tlie Leaguo supporters wero willing to sign against their lirst signature because they wore falsely , approached in tho firvt place, Little had been dono by way of educating tho people on this question, and yet tho little that had been don® revealed that the majority wero really opposed to the Bible-in-Schools League. Plans should bo laid to do as much as possible to propound the principles that wero at stake. To this end the. Seventh . Day Adventists had asked him to undertake a; tour of their churches to urge active campaigning on tho part of its nienw hers. A littlo of this was doii-o last year, and tho results wore stirprisimi. and it was certain that tlwre would be no difficulty in out-weighing the support of tho Bible-in-Sclmots League, and even-carrying tho battle into the camp of the enemy and turning back many of thoso who, iniioecTitly wooed by sentiment, had adopted the league's banner. This work, of course, would need tho hearty support'of those who had organised themselves to oppose'the introduction of sectarianism in tho State Schools. Thero was not tho extensive organisation that tho Bihla-in-Snhools Leaguo had used, but with principle aiid right and unselfish motives on their sido, why should they font? "It is to he hoped," said tho speaker, "that before tho Government accepts tho courtship of fanon Garland and his associates, tliov will abido tho time when the people of tho country have had fuller opportunity for tho consideration of tho •question. Tho Government ..owes it tn tho peoplo to givo them the time and tho opportunity to know tho- truth in tlio matter before asking them o-iico ail-d for all to decide. Is Cawis Garland afraid that tho people should know? If right, surely his cause will prove it by comparison "with tho opposing view.