BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2014, 23 March 1914, Page 3

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

OPPONENTS OF HIE MOVEMENT.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE,

A meeting of the executive of the Wellington branch of the National Schools Defence League was hold at Emerson Hall on Saturday evening. In the unavoidable absence of tho president, Mr. David M/'Laren, Mr. C. 8. Cooke, 8.A., occupied the- chair- The teachers of Wellington and district weft 1 well represented. Interesting information was supplied as to the diplomatic and strategic methods -employed- by the Bible-in-Schools' League in its efforts to • secure the help and influence of teachers and others in connection with tho Biblc-iu-Schools' campaign. Thehonorary secretary (Professor Mackenzie) reported that it had been consider- 1 eel. unnecessary by the officers of tho Wellington League to call the execative together since October last,'inasmuoh as the executivo of tho Now Zealand National Schools' Defence League (President, Mr. A. R- Atkinson) had been giving careful attention to all questions affecting, the State Schools' defence movement. It now became apparent that a really live crusade nwißt bo inaugurated by all the Defence Leagues in the Do-m.iMo.il against the attempt to sectarianiso our national system "of education. He held in bis hand what he claimed to bo some twenty grossly misleading statements mado by Canon Garland at meetings addressed by him on the question, of Bible in schools; and it was nigh time that these things, were exposed throughout tho Dominion. The New Zealand National Schools' Defence executive had, j so far, done nothing towards securing signatures to Defence pledge-cards, scarcely conceiving it possible after the Premier's assuranco that his Cabinet would assent to nothing that Was inconsistent with the iree, sfl'ftular, and compulsory system, thai our Government would, for a nisori'ient, entertain the idea of a refercnd-ito-ou so palpably unjust an issue as tliat- (or rather those)' which the Bible-in-Schools' party ■would have submittal to tho people, A few members of Defence Leagues had, however, with the aid of friends throuchout the Dominion, beftn so -remarkably successful in securing signatures to Defence .pledge-cards, that it is now deemed desirable- by the executive of the New Zealand National League to engage in this work energetically and systematically, ' In tjwoo or four months member*, of'_ Defence Leagues have secured; in this casual ■ way, over 40,000 signatures to Defence pledge-cards, and nearly 14,000 of th-ij signatories had previously signed, the Garland.pledge-card, under a misapprehension as to its real purport, The cards of such signatories were specially marked, and kept separate. Another highly-gratifying fact' Was that_ the Women's Christian Temperance Union declined, by an overwholmiiig majority, to commit itself to the Gar-

land svstem of Bible in Schools. -Tho cause of the Defense Leaguo was .most gratifying'ty hopeful and all that was now wanted wa« that funds should be raised to enable- at organiser ,and representatives of the Dcfenco Leagues to canvass t!»e entire community openly and effectively on this momentous issue. It was pre* posed that, in addition,to tho usual public meetings, open-air 'meetings a|id demonstrations should form a special feature 'of the dftf&ftce. campaign. Among'tho teachers,who took part iu the discussion and offered valuable suggestions to tho exeoutiv.o _ws.re Mis,ses Helyer and Myers, and' Messrs. _ Foster and Bedingfield.-.,, On 'the .motion., of Professor Hunter, seconded by Mr. Foster, the following report of a. subcommittee of tho executive was i;ead. and unanimously adopted i— , "An organiser for the defence of our national schools is necessary. The danger lies not in the Justice of the demands of the "sectarian league that attempts to hide its disjointed niembars under the stolen cloak of 'Bjblfr-ift-gchools,' but in the, facts— ■'(1) That there are many people who arc being led by gross ■iH-is-repre-seiito-t-ion to sign a card that .commits them to a platform to which they art totally opposed. .

'.'(2) That there are politicians wl»; have their cars to the and who are apt to forgot that the .noise of the clerical party is out of all proportion to its numbers, and that the great masi of the people, whatever may be their views of the Bible, present a solid front against this clerical attempt to- introduce into our national schools the, insidious blight-of sectarianism. .Wo want an organiser who will fully expound the real aims and methods of the sectaries. The Bible-in-Schools' Lsagae is a misnomer, This, leaguo has no kstojitioa of introducing the Bible into- the schools. It proposes to create.a providence out of the State secular Education Department .to produce a revised and expurgated edition of the Bible, How many of those wha have signed the league's card would repudiate this socalled Bible-in-Schools' Leaguo if they fully grasped what the league's proposals really are? We want an or-

ganiser who jvill make this plain to the people of tRo Dominion. It is the 'right of entry for the clergy, the drafting of tho children into sectarian pens for denominational: teaching—which alone, according to the Bishop t>£ Christphurch, is Christian teaching—* 'that is the fountain of clerical enthusiasm in their attack upon the schools. No wonder, then, that the sectarian league cannot hide its antipathy to the 'Nelson system, which does introduce the Bible—and not merely a text-book, carefully edited by a State Department —to the children of those parents who desire this teaching for their children. The Defence Leagues are really more entitled to the name of BiMe-in-Schoota' Leagues than thoso who are hiding their real endeavour under Slro cleak of 'Bible-in-schools.' Wo -desire an organiser who will explain these fads to tho people, . IThe report here attacks the methods of the organiser of tho Biblc-in-Scl(ools'' League.] Our organiser, however, will place clearly bctorc the people, the real issues involved, will throw back in the teeth of the clerical party the epithet'antiBible,' and will umncTOfuHy expose the misrepresentation, errors, and fallacies of 'our opponents. . "But those who support the national system of schools should' remember that very many, of the clergy ' are throwing - all their energies into this struggle. We cannot, therefore, leave tho whole burden of the fight to our organiser. Every one of us should use his influence and his ability in,exposing the errors and misrepresentations, and should seize every opportunity of putting before the people the real issues in this conflict. As defenders of our national system we are not called upon to advocate any particular scheme of religious instruction, but a comparison of tho demands of the Bibfe-in-'SelKiob League with the provisions of the Nelson system shows how disingenuous is the cry of the sectarians against the latter solution of. the tWfieit-tty. The Bible-in-Schools .League proposes:— "(1) That the ; people sltwM seeppt the, principlo of deckling religions differences by counting heads; that theirshould he no liberty of conscience—the Nelson system .upholds liberty of conscience.

"(2) That a secular .department oi State should expurgate and re-edit the Bible for schools purposes.—The Nelson system does not mutilate the Bible, hut leaves in tlio hands of ministers of thff Gospel the selection of lessons. "(3) That tho State should force all

teachers to give religious lessons, there being no conscience clause for teachers. —-The Nelson system recognises that teachers havo a. oanscien.ee awl leaves them free to follow its dictates. "(4) That sectarianism—tho first step io denominational schools—should be '■ introduced into our national system; that the State should divide where its whole duty is to unite. —The Nelson system is opposed to sectarianism. "(5) That the State should compel parents who do not wish their children to attend sectarian lessons to make formal objection, which would create friction and sectarian bitterness. —The Nelson system leaves every parent free to follow tho dictates of his own con--science. '■'(C) -That the State should compel those who happen to ho in a minority to contribute towards tho religious education of the children of the majority.— The Nelson system is free from any siich injustice. "(7) That the State should give the clergy the right of entry to the national schools and place on the teachers tk< responsibility for discipline during, les- ' sons -conductied by the clergy, the great majority ..of whom have had no training ■ for the wol'k.—The Nelson system • places n.o unfair burden on tho shoulders : of the' teachers," • Mr. C. S. Cooke, of R-afrhiti Terrace, i Wellington, was unanimously elected to i the vacant treasnrcrship of the k-agvie, [ and all friends of the cause are request- [ ed to forward contributions in aid to him at their earliest convenience.