The Religious Text Book.

Manawatu Herald, 5 November 1895, Page 2

The Religious Text Book.

The Wellington correspondent of the Dunedin Star says : — In reporting on the seventy-two petitions presented in favor of the^t^g&K&iSP of the Irish National Scriptttfpdisson books into the State schools, the M to Z Committee find as follow! :«£ (1) The witnesses were almost' xbL, animous in repudiating any charge against our educational system af being devoid of moral training for the young. Several spoke in warm commendation of ethics Jqcqkafgl, and the charge of the system Being a godless one was repudiated by all who did not limit the definition of godless to the absence of; Biblical extracts, (2) Valuable though qpnflicting evidence will be fouficl regard • fng the benefits anticipated from the mere reading of passages oiajjs(i Scriptures without comment^ i/|Ttf illow t,h> towfeera to explftin paiea|aj

would inevitabj^kad to sectarianism. At the present time religious instruction may b^. given out outside school hours, and has been tried with varying stccesr. (8) The evidence of the IWv. Mr Van Stavern clearly proves that the members of the Jewisht' persuasion would view the introduction of the text books with grave disapprobation. A telegram received from Archbishop Redwood is^asJollows : — " Catholic sentiment opjßiß3 to the plan re Bible reading as&ft solution of the educational