BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2194, 6 July 1914, Page 6

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

REFERENDUM BILL

THANKSGIVING SERVICES.

Throughout New Zealand yesterday churches in sympathy with the Biblc- ./' in : State-Schools' Lcaguo offered thanksgiving for tho •introduction into Parliament of tho Referendum Bill.. ' A Fierce; Bitter Opposition. At St. John's Church last ovoning, Dr. Gibb took occasion, in tho course of tho service, to make tho.following tilatonient with regard to tho Bill now before ; Parliament:— "I desire, on your behalf, as well as my own, to express profound thankfulness that tho cause of Bible-in-schools has mado a decided step in advance through the submission of tho Referendum Bill to Parliament. It would not bo merely premature, it would bo extremely foolish, to hail this as a 6ure indication that wo aro about to scoro a victory. Tho opposition is strong and resolute; tho obstacles still lying in our path aro not to bo lightly esteemed. Nevertheless a step in advance lias been achieved. In last fight for Bible-in-schools wo succeeded only in getting a general Referendum Bill, which passed tho Lower House and was thrown out in tho Council, but which, oven if it had becomo law, would havo been of littlo real advantage to tho movement. Now tho Bill and the form of question we desiro to submit to tho people are at least before Parliament. That is something, not by any means fvcrything, but decidedly something. It is a clear testimony to tho.6trength and determination of the agitation. It is much'moro than our opponents believed,or,at least professed to believe, wo should get this session. ";.'.'. '" . ''You aro aware of tho enormous difficulties with which wo havo had to contend to get even this far. I shall take loavo to say I have never known in this country a fiercer or more bitter opposition, or one less careful of tho weapons employed against their adversaries. Our thanks aro assuredly duo • tb Canon Garland, whoso practical wisdom and resourcefulness liavo been of incalculable, value'to tho cause. Our sympathy is also extended to him, for he has suffered many things at tho hands of our opponents, who, in" their desiro to defeat the objects of the lcaguo, havo struck furiously at tho organising secretary and imputed to him tactics of which he is jncapahle. and to which no'lionourablo man would sloop. Thoy havo spared none of tho leaders, but upon Canon Garland their Mows havo fallen fast and furious. Tho least we can do is to express our sympathy with him and' our deep nppreciation'of tho manner in which ho has organised our forces and conducted our campaign. "May I ask you to bestir yourselves verv strenuously during tho next few weeks? It is not as if you asked Parr liament at this «tago to support Bible-in-schools. There has been no mandato from the people to that effect, but surely there has been a demand that cannot bo gainsaid that tho question should be submitted to tho whole, electorate The most sensitive and scrupulous friends of tho movement need not surely hesitate to urge their representatives to do justice to the desires of tho 140,000 electors of Now Zealand who havo united' in asking a referendum, • ', , "It is indeed fervently to bo hoped that Parliament will this session dispose of this matter. If any ono imagines that with tho rejection of tho Bill the agitation will (lie down that person'is most grievously mistaken. Tho agitation will becomo moro insistent than ever. It will pass into tho political region. • You may say it is there already, but in an important sense it has not yet becomo a political question. Tho supporters of tho movement belong to all political parties in the State, and their desire ; s that the coming election should not -be complicated ; by: the Bible-in-schools' issue. - It' will'not bo if-tho referendum mcasuro goes through, but if it docs not—well, I am very sure that the great host of pledged members of ' the league wilhmako themselves heard and felt. . The great churehes.'that aro identified with this movement will not bo silent. It is the fashion with some foolish people to make sport of tho churches, to sneer at them, at least as far as concerns their political signficancc. The fnct is, when united, they aro invincible, and in this battle they are united..!! havo already directed your attention*: to the significance of the fact that, spite of all opposition, the Referendum Bill is now before Parliament. Weigh that fact if you would understand what the churches can do when thoir mind is made up. But if our just and reasonable wishes arc defeated there will come, .1 venture to say, a manifestation.of the significance of the churches in a moral issue that will astonish oi:r opponents. There are thousands of us who will place Bible in Bohools before every political consideration and what that will mean—well, I can leave the meaning to your imagination. I only hope'the members of Parliament will iiso their imagination to equal ef- ' feet. "I urge you to do your very utmost in all honourable.ways to help on this j great fight for the Bible, and tile moral and religious welfare ofxur future citizens—tho school. children of the Dominion. Other Churches. At both morning and evening services yesterday, at the Tliorndon -Methodist Church, Molcsworth Street, expressions of thanks were given, ty'ho Rev. G.' S. Cook also commended tho leading'article in Tin: Dominion- of Saturday last as a clear, reasonable, expression of tho case for the referendum. In manv churches throughout tho Hutt Valley mention was made, and thanks wero ofi'ered to Cod, for tho progress made by tho Biblc-in-Schools Lcaguo, and for the fact that tho Referendum Bill was beforo Parliament. At thoPetono Salvation Army Barracks Brigadier Glover (Stiperintondcnt'of tho Grace beforo Meat Branch) .delivered;an # address "Tho Power of the Bible," and stated that in Korea 20,000 converts to the Army had been gathered in four years, as a result of being taught tho Biblo at tho Army schools. '•' In tho Walrarapa. At Carterton in tho Anglican and Presbyterian Churches, and at Martinborough, in tho samo churches, thanksgivings were offered and prayers made' that the Referendum may be carried through this session of Parliament. At Featherston yesterday afternoon a united meeting of tho members of tho Church of England and the Presbyterian Church was hold in the Featherston Presbyterian Church, and thanksgiving and intercession ca behalf of the Biblo-iu-State-Schools Leaguo wero made. From several of tho centres, amongst them , Tnvercargill, Wanganui, and Christchureh, information has been received that tho numbers of churches in which thanksgivings wore offered in connection with the Bible-in-schools movement wero considerably moro than stated on Saturday in our columns. ROMAN CATHOLIC OPPOSITION. At the annual meeting of the Roman Catholic Federation last evening tho following resolution was passed by acclamation :—"Thdt this meeting of tho 'J'horndon branch of the federation, representing 3000 Roman Catholics, whilst thoroughly appreciating tho efforts of non-Catholics to provide moral toachiug, based upon religious principles, into tho schools, emphatically protests against the introduction of Biblc-rcading into the State schools, and against the proposed referendum on tho question, as a

violation of tho rights of conscience of a large section of citizens, an injustice to teachers, and an iniquitous proposal to tax all tho people to pay fur the teaching of a religion acceptable to certain denominations only, and utterly opposed to tho beliefs of others j and this nicotine also resolves that copies of this resolution bo forwarded to the Right Hon. tho Primo Minister, Leader of tho Opposition, and tho members for tho districts of Wellington North and Wellington Suburbs." In seconding tho resolution, Archbishop O'Shoa vigorously criticised the leaders of tho Bible-in-schools' movement, nnd stated that the federation would light the movement till it was killed. If the Bible were introduced it would only bo tho Bible in mutilated form. Ho concluded his remarks, urging all present to oppose tho movement with all tho power at their hands. Mr. Girling Butcher, the organiser for tho federation, and Mr. Flanagan pursued tho samo lino of argument as the Archbishop.

A crowded congregation listened yosI terdav morning to an appeal addressed to them by tiio • Very Rev. Father Roche, Superior of tho Rcdemptorist Fathers, Jit. St. Gerard's. Tho speaker stressed tho danger of allowing Scripture lessons to be read in the State schools by.lay teachers, urging that tho conscionco clause proffered by tho Bible-in-Schools League was no safeguard, and warning his hearers that Itho peaco of this country was threatened by tho attempted introduction of denominationalism into' tho State schools, which till now were common ground. Ho emphasised tho grave danger to tho;Roman Catholic faith that such teaching involved, and called on Roman Catholics to rise to the occasion to defeat tho attempt being mado to undermine their religious liberty. As .vrcsult of tho address over 150 of tho congregation enrolled themselves us now members of the Roman Catholic Federation. It is understood that a mass meeting will bo hold in tho City this month to protost against tho Government's adoption of tho platform of tho Biblc-in-Schools League.