THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 229, 19 November 1904, Page 6

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10. lO<>4-

THAT substantial cleric, the Rev. Dr. Gibb, of St John's, Wellington, is in a high state of wrath. Richard John, the Premier, is the cause of it all, and had better keep out of the way if he doesn't want a wigging. It has been shrewdly suspected ever since the Upper House, a short time ago, booted the Referendum Bill for the third successive year out of its venerable precincts, by 'the convincing vote of 22 to 7, that the Rev. Dr. Gibb was at the bursting point. Well, the great explosion came off on Monday last, and the world still moves sereneb T on its orbit So far no one seems to be seriously hurt, and there is no reason to suppose that the accident risks on King Dick are any higher than usual. * * * Dr Gibb let himself go m laying before the Presbyterian Assembly the report of its Bible-m-Schools Committee. It is an amusing document, because it shows how completely its author had lost his temper It practically accuses Mr Seddon of bad faith But, the attempt to show that he promised to submit to Parliament last session "a special referendum on the Bible question" signally fails Sir Joseph Ward, whose politeness is proverbial, is placed under the stigma of "studied discourtesy " The Government's Referendum Bill is called "a musty measure " The opponents of Bible-m-Schools are taunted with "shrinking" from an appeal to the people, and "their well-founded dread" of what the result would be. Dr Gibb and the Rev. J. Jolly were the only persons who* debated this precious report The former had a few more ahies at King Dick. Adopting the classical language of the report, he showed that his mmd was made up that "Mr. Seddon had been fooling them all along the line." But, even that is not all Dr Gibbs leaves it to be inferred Mr. Seddon has been telling "taradiddles ' » ♦ * This is King Dick's reward foi taking a lot of gratuitous trouble to enable the Bible-m-Schools party to have a referendum for which the people at large have made no demand Next session they are going to frame a bill to suit themselves, and will get somebody more plastic and pliable than the Premier to take charge of it « * • It is a pity Dr Gibb's zeal ran away with his judgment m speaking on this Bible-m-Schools question Setting aside the personalities already referred to what justification is there for asserting that it is ''a shame and a scandal that the powers that be deprive our children of access to the noblest book m the world ? " This is mere claptrap. The schools are open to the Bible-in-Schools party if they choose to go there before or after school-hours to impart Biblical instruction But, they won't do it They want to force the State to take up a duty entirely outside its functions. Here is

another wild and reckless statement "It 18 a shame and a scandal that these ethics [of the Bible] should not be brought into contact with the children of our schools " And yet the reading-books of the children are full of ethical lessons. * * • It would be well for Dr. Gibb and his clerical brethren to leave the State schools alone for a season, and calvanise interest in their own Sabbath schools. It seems to- be badly needed, for, by a curious coincidence, the Presbyterian Assembly Sabbath Schools Committee reports m doleful terms of the considerable decrease m the number of entrants for Sa,bbath scholars' exams., and "the general decline of interest." Let the parsons set their own house in. order. As for the State schools, they have worked on the present secular basis for twenty-seven years, and the people are not asking for that bone of contention — the Bible in schools It is highly significant that the ques^ ton only crops up at. church synods and conventicles