The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1910, THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 April 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1910, THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Levin householders will be asked to elect a school committee on Monday night next—in common with other centres of population in the Wei-

lington district - and it is satisfactory to know that in no part of the district will there bo an election contested with more spirit than that of Levin. It is a difficult matter, in many centres, to get together a.ny-

tiling like representative gatherings of householders for such occasions as tlioso, there being a general dispositiou to let tilings dril't, through lack of anj' strong division of opinion. No such lack of interest affects Levin this year, and tho community is to be congratulated on the fact- for a lively interest in educational mattors is one of tho best signs of social health that any district can display. The local stimulus, it is true, spiings from a source that has given bivtu to and perpetuated many bitter ani mcsities, hut there have been no such manifestations in Levin. The controversies so ably carried on in our columns by tli© respective local champions have been characterised by some hard hitting, but personalities have been avoided by them with a consistency that has made editori.il supervision of their letters a sinecure, and which has left them just as good friends, now that the arguments are over, as they were before the first letter appeared. That is exactly how arguments on any important question should proceed. All problems are two-sided, and the gift of infallibility falls on no man; for which good reason there should be amongst all people a perpetual s/pirit of toleration for each other's opinions on all subjects, though offset by a determination to guide local or State affairs aright so far as th.ur respective lights allow them. The most misguided man is more to bo desired, if lie act on honest conviction, than his less-astray brother who allows big questions to be decided by default of himself. In the interests of the public welfare "The Chronicle" would, urge ajiy latterday Laodiceana amongst the community to got Iheated for next Monday's occasion <vb least, to the flid

that they may mnko the poll thor oughly representative.

The answer of yea or nay to the question of Bible Reading in Schools is to be given, in effect, by the vote of the" Levin householders next weA' Under tho amended law, it is true, tho ultimate decision will lie with the Education Board, but tho (onimittees which are to be elected l.t.st week will be the bodies to select the board members. Therefore the householders should ponder well their votes. A strong party of eaniiest and thoughtful men 'is ranged on the side which seeks to introduce into tho schools tho practice of Bible reading in school hours, and in a manner of speaking we are sorry to find ourselves against them on this point, but wo never count see our way to sink matured ronviotions for the sake of personal likings or regards, and wo are too old to start to-day. The present seen'.-r education system is an excellent one, and peculiarly admirable upon broad principles. If some who receive its benefits remain ignorant of religious doctrine and teaching, the cause will be found to lie. quite apart from the system. As to the contention that a thorough knowledge of The Bible is essential to a proper appreciation of English literature we quite agree on that point, but it may ho answered with truth that this knowledge is not to lie obtained only from school teachers. It does, however, serve to illustrate the fact that some of those who cry aloud for Bible reading in schools are negligent of it in their home circle, and that others who occasionally spur on their ministers and elders to agitation for Bible reading in schools could attain their ends more speedily by institutiig classes of instruction for after sclio d ihour.s. For ourselves, we can say that after having been taught ir. various schools in Australia, and \ «w Zealand, all of them strictly secular, we had acquired as intimate a knowledge of Scripture by the time we entered our teens as here and there a one. Too much protestation and not enough reasoning has been the real trouble in regard to this aspect of the problem. To any youth of ordinary intelligence and appreciative power, there is a charm in Biblical language and descriptions and stories that will induce something approaching a study of the great lessons conveyed; and this quite apart from the spiritual guidance always given by the churches, and sometimes by the parents. In some Victorian towns, thirty years ago, there were Saturday morning classes (at which children were instructed, by churchmen, in the Scriptures) in addition to the Sunday school classes, and our clear memory is that this course orovided good grounding for any child in Bible precept and church teaming. And they would be sufiicimt to-day. The primary school system provides a groundwork upon whHi the complete edifice may be rear H : to call it ungodly is to malign it. In the public • schools the child!eu are taught good moral lessons, ; 'H 1

trained iu such manner that tl>• : characters are being continually developed, and their hearts made ceptive for great truths. If tbure is a coping stone needed- and ilie churches all say that there issurely it is not too much to ask M.at those who think so should comp.'-. Ie the work. In saving this wo do rot wish to raise the parrot cry of "Let tlif Ministers do it." for wo rci ogniso that they have a very great i t.a! ol other work to do when they conscientiously perform all that devolves 11 pou them; but wo do r.iy that those among the laity who are so insistent upon this matte v of amendment should seek a more practical way of giving effect, to M. •'.r desires. The BiMa in Schools IV l\ prides itself on the greatness of lis numbers in Levin. As a test of thereal sineeiity of its lay constituen's, let them ascertain from each other how many of them have daily readings, or even weekly readings, ol Scripture in their family circles.

Quito apart from the aspects It ait with up to this stage, thero are. otheY important issues to be weighed. Can anyone reasonably .Uv; that when once there creeps in th.'. practice of allowing public ?o\i:ei teachers to give Bible lessons i; tibey so desire there may follow a predilection for selecting a teacher of that stamp iu preference to one who may. conscientiously object to giving Bilde lessons. Yet tho conscientious objector might be bv far the more brilliant scholar, and l.y many degrees tho more success)id teacher. If the practice once becomes established, the national system of education assuredly must collapse, and there will lie substituted for it a multiplicity of sectarian schools which still will prove insufficient to mei.t the wishes of some of the uiicrocosmic divisions of religious thought. The present neutral character of the public schools enables the controlling powers to ceutrali.se pupils in sufficient numbers to make possible the payment of good salaries which attract good men to the profession of teaching and help to keep them in it. If once the peoplo of this dominion consent to the breaking up of the present system—and to permit Bible reading in school hours assuredly would do that, sooner or later—the educational facilities of this country will receive a very ions set back through the dissemination of capital expenditure, if tin :;i'i'i no other cause. All things coividere'l and weighed, and with a full senso of our responsibility, we recommend every one of our readers who in regard to this question of Bible reading in schools ret.iins either an 'open mind or a wavering mind, to vote for those candidates who are for maintenance of New Ze.ilanil's system of education entirely unaltered. A list of estimable. citizens is named as the "tickct" of the Bibio in Schools Party, and it is extremely regrettable that their assistance and guidance is likely to bo lost to the local silled n:nl community, but the issue at f;in 1:p is m very impnrtan't that houreh' lc!?:"-. in csting their votes should be guided strictly and solely by their vhv,? this wry important TVT. , )h:Y\