BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS REFERENDUM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2211, 25 July 1914, Page 7

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS REFERENDUM.

' A PLEA FOR JUSTICE. ..Sirj—On this subject from a distance j ,1 -write you as being at the seat of ■ Government and editor of one of tlie most influential, papers'-of New Zealand; The .referendum as it now stands woulddisfranchise a countless number of- : people, myself included. A. great many i are in fa vour/of. Biblical instruction by' tho accredited kihool teachers who will, have, none of the right of entry-on thepart of'"the clergy and Wily should these be, denied the privilege of voting for the Bible alone. This was. the'position taken up by tho Nelson' Presbytery-when L was':a member of it and its .famous resolution was passed.' It is still th© position'of'that Presbytery, as a vigilance commit'tee,. and which though' not large comprises the present' Moderator, and olerk of the Presbyterian General Assembly. Some oppose the right'of entry liecaitwj if ail tho representatives of all the Churches'insisted on entering on the day appointed—the only day available— the classes, . especially in country schools,- -would-have to :ie' held in .the opeh air, Mi<l:.-becaiise'Hf rthe: Protestant clergy agreed to-aggregate the children and tako tho religious instruction in\ turn, as is often illegally done under,', • the- New-.South Wales system, to, the "setting of bad morality, there would be I opportunities for the Socialist Ritualist ! and "the'. faddist of,every school of thought. Some oppose it because the •clergy of. the various Churches of Scotland have handed over their private 6chools to the State in the interests ,of national .education on condition ;,that:| Biblical instruction was not neglected; - ■with results conducive to the welfare of that country.• .These .oppositionists reason that what is good for one of the best educated and best govehied countries of the -world could not be bad for' New Zealand. Some again oppose the right of entry on the truly Protestant';! principle that tlte Bible 6peaks direct to the humblest mind end heart} and needs ho infallible minister or infallible Church to interpret it. It is its'own 'interpreter. Once more some believers iiri' tfo Bible- are convinced that religious instruction given in school hours by the. clergy would interfere with tho\ discipline of the school. To this class belong the great majority of the publio •school teachers of New Zealand. This goes far to explain the opposition of the New Zealand Educational Institute. They think, though they may not say.it iii so many words, that we ministers; being mostly untrained teachers of youth, are wholly unfitted for this work, and only succeed_ in teaching the children'insubordination and irreverence, j Apart from the merits of tho question,' all these make up a multitude who, according to, the present referendum, could not vote one way or the other. Wo should all be disfranchised, Would that be fair? Is there any need for it? | Our legislators would be wisely guided if they divide the referendum into two parts—Biblical instruction by the pub-, .lie school teachers, and , the Tight -°'off entry. Nobody could complain of this except, those who wish to get a verdiot by' default and a confused. issue. It' •would be invidious for the clergy- to . oppose this fair and reasonable proposition. . Some could vote for both,- some ' against both, and some for one or. other as their consciences and judgments die-' tated. All could vote.—l am, etc., JOHN DICKSON. ' ChristcliUTch.