BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2131, 24 April 1914, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

(MTiUILS WMIMB.

ADDRESS JtY REV* W..A. KEAY

"My fooh'np; is this; that if this is turned down tin's time, your cmud system of fr*M), BBimiar, compulsory education will bo smashed. I. am not asscrtiiiß this as a threat, but that it will ho tho outcome of this. Tho churches represented in this are sn convinced Hint tho .Bible must bo brought into closer.contact with tlio : young life' of this country that if yon turn it down they will bo compelled lo face the matter themselves,' and crenifl their own schools. But that will not be necessary, because tho proposal will bo carried." Such was tho iittoriii.oo of tho liov. W. A. Keay, Congregational minister, of Auckland, , in addressing a meeting of suppei-tcra of tho Biblc-in-Sehool» Leaguo in St. Andrew's Hall last- night. Mr. Richard Brown, presided at the meeting, and them was a fair attendance. lii opening his remarks Mr. Keay said that there wero a lot of "herrings" being drawn across tho path, and a lot of tho issnes of the question were being clouded, bo that it seemed necessary to state that the Bib Jo-in-Eschools Lcaguo was not a, clerical conspiracy; was not an Anglican dodge to capture tho schools j until was not an attempt to break up tho system of tho national school. First they were out to got Parliament to think of tho advisability of considering tho requests of a.great number of tho people. It had been » high-handed business to delete tho Bible from the educational system, and tlio people, to-day wanted it put back Tho lcaguo .was not representative of one denomination. On tho wholo the Congregational Church, although they passed a resolution against one plank of tho platform of tlio Bible-in-Scliools League, was not opposed to tho league. The position was just tlve reverse, hut the object [oil had boon to the "right-of-entry" clause. They wanted the people., not any sectarian party or church, to deckle this issue. When the appeal was macks hewas sure it would bo successful. Tho sscend position wa.s that BiHo rending shquld be given in the schools, in the shape of a textbook, and that test-book would .not lie of clerical compound, but compiled by the Education Department. Tliou they asked that it should bo read by , the children, supervised by tlio teachers. It was said against tin's that the teach" ers, as a class, were not fit to supervise the reading. That-was a serious indictment againt tho teachers, and a- very serious matter. His own experience was that they were most honourable men and women. All that thoy would be asked to do woiiM be to supervise the reading from, the test book, so that the child Would have ait intelligent understanding of the lesson. Tho third point was that the right of entry should bo given to the ministers of the various churches to visit tiro children during school hours. There were many objection to the Nelson system. Tlio right, of entry was the bone of contention with many, who thought it was going to split tip tho schools, attd bring in a sectarian spirit. His own opinion was that, so fay from creating a sectarian spirit, tho opposite would be the ease.. That had been proved in Australia, The insertion of the "con- j science clause," by which, any objectors to _ tho Bihlo-reading ooultl have their children exempted, made the way for the highest democracy, for white the majority would nife (and it was the majority) in having the Bible in tho school, the minority would not bo made I to suffer the will of the majority. Tin's clause operated in New South Wales, but it had bean found that tho number withdrawn 'through the "conscience clause" was so smail as hardly to create a. percentage. In concluding, the speaker gave many reasons, in support of tlio introduction of the' Bible into tho schools, sard that it had long passed out of the exnori- ; mental stage. A vote of thanks to tho speaker concluded, tins meeting, ■ CONFERENCE AT HASTINGS. Cite CorrosnojideiitJ Napier, April 23. A Biblc-in-Schools League Conference met at Hastings to-day. Hid assemblage consisted of workers of tlio Hawke's Bay Province and about one hundred and fifty were present, tho do* nominations represented Whig Presby* terians, Methodists, Co.ngregationalists, Lutherans, and Salvation Ajt»s', ministers and lay folic. A strong resolution was unanimously carried. It was proposed by the Ber. T. A slier (Presbyterian), seconded by tho Rev. A. Hodge (Congregational), and supported by Pastor Ries (Lutheran) a3!<l urged tho granting of a referendum during the coming session as advocated by the league, otherwise there was a foar that nothing could prevent tho question from coming prominently into tho political arena at nest election.