"ARTIMAS" AND DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1719, 23 August 1879, Page 2

"ARTIMAS" AND DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sib, —If the excitement of election times has the same effect on the mental constitution of other politicians, as it has on the mind o£ your correspondent “Artimas,” every man who does not wish to burden the country by increasing the number of those who are not responsible for their acts, should strenuously oppose the adopting of Triennial Parliaments.

A recurrence of those scenes and excitements every three years, would surely be too much for “Artioms.” Just fancy the bewildered state of the man with such horrible visions of Q-reyism, Komanism, Closed Bible, and Excluded History, breaking in on his mind and disturbing the quiet of his soul—truly it was enough to arouse his gentle spirit to action, and give him the courage and boldness of a Quixote, to rush on his oppressors and bring about their destruction. But, unfortunately for his cause, he wielded his pen while his spirit was warm. In the confusion of the moment he struck on every side, and now in the calmness of reflection he has to deplore having hurt his friends, while he missed his foes. But, after all, he had aimed only at one foe, and that not a political one. “ Artimas ” is evidently not a politician, for his propensities seem to incline him in a direction other than that of the political platform. His animosity is not political, it is religious, and the envenomed state of his mind makes it seem to him proper, to avail himself of this time, and any means which it offers for giving vent to a species of bigotry that every politician, and every other man of dignity and honor would despise. What is his cry from the beginning to the end of his letter, but against Catholics. It may be in keeping with the tone of a certain class of literature, but Consen alive and Liberal must repudiate it, when it i ypears in the columns of a political paper. But now that “Artimas” has giver, us his ideas, and if it would not be partaking in his abjectness to notice his assertions, I might ask what has ho succeeded in proving. Against Catholics nothing, except it be the crime of obeying tho dictates of their conscientious convictions. They believe that for the wellbeing of their children, both here and hereafter, religious and secular instructions should go hand in hand, that their children should be taught one as well as tho other. Now, tho State hag adopted a system of education which provides for the secular, but entirely ignores religious instruction. Hero, let me ask “Artimas,” what have Catholics done under these circumstances ? In the face of facts ho must answer Catholics have protested against this system of education, they have

taken their children Irom the achooli, where they could bo educ *** with little or no expense to tbemßelves, and they hare taken on themselTee the burden and expense of htnldnigao » paying teachers, in a word, of educating their oiro children; and why but becauae thcir conscience told them that to do otherwise under existing circumstances would be to do wrong. “ Artimas” need not have travelled to the cold regions of the South, or to the burning heat of the North, to learn what I have now stated. Christchurch affords proof of it. And does this action on their part show that they are favourable to the present system of State education P I think that “Artimas” will say —No. Does it show that they are directly opposed to it ? Yes. And « Artimas” will agree with me. Yery well, Catholics are not pleased with it, and we are told that Protestants are not pleased with it, hut that, in order to please Catholics, they adopt it, and make use of it. Now, may I ask “ Artimas” by what process of reasoning does he make out that Protestants, by adopting and giving countenance to this education system, are pleasing Catholics who are opposed to it. Here are “Artimas’s” words .: Phe public schools are not by any means what the Protestants would wish them to be were it not for the sake of pleasing Roman Catholics and other denominations.” That is they would wish them otherwise were it not for Catholics. Further on he says :—“ History is excluded (to a great extent) and the teaching of the Bible is excluded for the sake of pleasing the Roman Catholics.” Again, he adds:—“A thousand things are yielded for the sake of pleasing Catholics.” If words mean anything, surely these must have a meaning; and, in justice to; “ Artemas,” I must refrain from characterising them as a piece of empty bombast, until I ask him to name a few of the thousand things that are yielded for the purposeof pleasing the Catholics, and to mention one sacrifice which is made for the sake of pleasing the smallest portion of the community. How grateful will not Catholics feel to their benefactors, when “ Artimas” begs a column of the Globe in order to enumerate a thousand sacrifices made for them. No doubt, heading the list will be the great sacrifice, according to “Artimas,” of Protestants upholding a system of State education which Catholics ignore. _ And yet “Artemas” will tell us that this is done to please Catholics, We thank you “Artemas.” But another line further on, and I am in a feg as “ dark as the Middle Ages,” sHe says —“The Roman Catholics are the bugbears, and will not be satisfied. Why the Protestants, according to “Artemas,” are not satisfied ; therefore, why blame the Catholics ? And here does net “Artimas” put Protestants and Catholics on the same footing, and show as forcibly as words can show, that both are dissatisfied with the present system of State education. The Catholics are not satisfied because the tenets of their religion will not be taught in State schools ; they therefore throw State aid overboard, and put their hands in their pockets, and pay for the education of their own children, as well as contribute towards that of others.

Now, how do “ ArtimaaV’ friends act, when placed in the same position. They hold the Bible to be dear to them as the apple of their eye, because it is the Book from which their children can draw the truths necessary for their salvation. It is reasonable to expect that their action in support of this Book will be in accordance with the duty that devolves upon them to mantain its teaching. When the State system says—“ Your Bible must not enter within the walls of our schools,” do Protestants say, 11 In the place where the teaching of our Bible is rejected, our children shall not enter ?” No, and I have “ Artimas” as my authority. He says they are displeased. How do they show it ? Do they put their hands in their pockets, like the Catholics, and build schools where they can open their Bibles? No. What do they do ? “Artimas” explains. They accommodate their conscience to the spirit of the age, they close their Bible and stick to the State grants. “Such faithless stewards do indeed deserveto be dismissed with a bad character.” Now let me ask “ Artimas” who it is that has put the restriction on the reading of the Bible in public schools, and excluded to a great extent, history. Not Catholics surely, because they have withdrawn their children from the schools, and therefore their presence can be no impediment to the reading of the Bible. Who uit then P Is it not the Government of New Zealand ? And why has “ Artimas” not had the manliness to attack the Government, and let Catholics alone. It is because, as I have said before, he is not one whose object is to advance the cause of either Conservative or Liberal; but one whose idea is to sow the seeds of religious discord, or perhaps to look at it more charitably, he may find it necessary to puff off periodically some of the malignity which possesses hie soul. Apologising for trespassing so much on your space, I am, &0., INDEPENDENT.