BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2168, 5 June 1914, Page 9

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

. Sir,—We read in your columns fron tuuo to time somo extraordinary state nients from Canon Garlatd and others who seek to advance tho Bible-in-sehool; movement, some of 'which statement! aro completely refuted by Mr. Foster whoso letter appears in your column! to : day, Monday. Close by you givo 113 sir, a report of speeches inado at n women's mooting, from which it appears that somo of the Canon's followers take his statements for gospel. You tell us of ono lady, lamenting the dreadful things in our schools, saying, amonp other things, a teacher must not tell pupils tho story of tho Good Samaritan. . It so happens that somo years ago we had in many of our schools a sot of • readers, in one of which tho parable ' of tho Good Samaritan appeared. I bclicvo it was tho No. 5 Graphic Header, published by Collins. It is probably still being usod in somo schools. One year, when we used it, I happened to find that a number of- my pupils knew that parabla almost by heart. I venture to claim that an ounce of fact liko thi.o outweighs a ton of rhetorical declamation, or, as Mr. Foster says, a cause must bo in diro straits when it is necessary to resort to such methods. As we must believe tho lady in question thought>sho spoko truth, wo can only think it is a pity theso people' do not seek to ascertain tho facts beforo indulging in such statements, and showing how ignorant they aro of tho system of education they, condemn .—I am, etc., , ■CHAS.-J. COOKE.