The Manawatu Standard PUBLISHED DAILY. Suivent la verite. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1883. BIBLE EDUCATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 137, 17 May 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard PUBLISHED DAILY. Suivent la verite. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1883. BIBLE EDUCATION.

By telegram wo learn tliat a conference of ministers m and arbbnd Dunedin was. held on Tuesday, highc to consider the question. of giving religious edpca~ tion m schools. _ It was attended by ministers and one lay representative of each congregation of every deiiominaf tion except Catholics and Jews. Bishop Neville, of Vfie Episcopalian ; Church 1 , was present. The followiug resolution was carried unanimously :— v This ; conference, recognising the fact : thkt J the 'Education Act affords facilities (subject to the approval of the School Com" mittees) for the instruction of the children of tbe common schools m the i Bible, hereby resolves to take immediate action to make provision for the imparting of such instruction ; and that with a view to this a deputation from the meeting wait upon the school ' Committees of Dunedin and suburbs, and also upon the masters of the schools. 1 This „• was /carried and a deputation was appointed. Considerable discussion then arose upon the question whether the instruction should be de« nominational or undenominational. The Episcopalians alone stuck out for th c former. All other denominations were united m agreeing to the latter. The point was eventually unsettled. A resolution .was proposed: to make it un» denominational; but upon the EpisbbpaHans threatening to withdraw from the whole affair if it were carried, it was withdrawn. We trust the Episcopalians may yet >cc their way —to waive this point, which, to our mind, is immaterial to the great question at issue. It is becoming "apparent to' the most casual observer that education without the Bible threatens to endsnger the welfare oftheri6iug generation. TL<rj are,: of course, cert&in difficulties m th» way of

carrying out the reforms proposed by the Conference.; Butj we. nvay askjjwh'at reform of any service to mankind has ever been achieved without difficulty and obstruction ? As a rule, the greater the difficult j and obstruction, the more valuable end necessary the reform. We regard the Dunedin proposal as a step .m the right/direction. -It is true the Education Act dees afford facilities tor the instruction of the children attending 'the Government schools m the Bible, but the proTision hag not been taken advantage of^ for 5 the chief reason, we presume, that the clergymen of the various denominations*have]a delicacy m nibving m the matter^' knowing that tbe prevailingprincipleis strictly secular; We do not believe that the \ clauses, referred to will ever . prove practically workable, and it is to be desired that several fundamental reforms should be introduced into the Education , Act during next session. It will be as well, however, and certainly no harm will result if. the proposal emanating from the Dunedin conference has a fair trial ; and to that end it v to be hoped 'no obstacles will be thrown m the way by the School Committees or teachers. We a^e convinced public opinion is gradually tending m the direction of the.introduction, m some practicable form or other, of at least an element of religion into our at present essentially secular system of education. Surely, it would be possible, m the hands of conscientious and intelligent teachers, to instil into the minds of their -pupils the great moral truths deducible from a perusal of Sacred Writ, whether historical, prophetical, or other portions thereof, without pre-

judicing thnir ideas for or against any particular dosrtna or roligious tenet, or seeking to prosetylize or indoctrinate by such studies, We venture to ex [tress oar sincere hope and conviction that out of this movement m the South (»ood will result, m turning the attention of th? thinking public to the necessity "which exists for something beyond the mere routine of oar present system of State Education. The day that shuts the dopr of our sohools to the Bible and .its teachings, will be fraught with evil for this and t'u'ure generations.