BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AGITATION.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 455, 3 September 1879, Page 2

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS AGITATION.

Wk take the following from the Dunedin Tribune . The electors must prove themselves equal'to'the. emergency and plant their heel once and for ever on the political religionist. Let it not be supposed that we are opposed to religion. On the contrary, we . much esteem the man and woman —no mutter what their creed may be— w ho show by the exercise of human virtues that they are not only professing but practical Christiana. But, we say it is a degredation of things that are sacred to have questions of a religious character introduced at an election contest. The introduction of religious weapons in a political struggle is both censurable and cowardly. How many of the Bible-in-school party—especially the leaders of that new faith—are known to be strong political partisans ! How many of them are influenced by a desire to perpetuate the propagation of sheep on laud that should be thrown open for cultivation, rather than a wish to propagate the Gospel! What is the Bible-in-achools agitation, if it is not a political ring—an unholy association fostered by irreligious, hypocritical land-jobbers, who are using the Bible as a means of undermining the lights of the people and accomplishing their infamous designs ? We can tell some of the ministers of our churches who are diligently stirring up religious rancour in the political camp that they are manufacturing a rod that will ultimately be applied to their own backs, and that the great majority of their congregations have no sympathy whatever with their endeavours to reintroduce the Bible in the State school. We maintain that this question has no right whatever to be debated in political circles, and tiiat it is an Insult to the candidate to ask him his views on such a matter of conscience. Before good Government «an be expected, the State must be absolutely free from religions influence. The elector should not allow his vote to be influenced by other than purely political considerations. The particular sect to which a representative belongs cannot possibly interfere with the quality of his representation, so long as the State determines to have nothing to do with the government of the church. It should make no difference whether the s candidate is a Roman *Jatnolic or a i Protestant, so long as his political creerHs i approved of and the electors can trust him : to carry it out. The Bible in schools qnns- • tion is so peculiarly mean in connection • with an election contest that it ought to be ; hissed down at every meeting where it is :■ obtruded. There are important questions • connected with tho distribution of the ; public lands, taxation, and electoral reform to be brought forward, and it is on these issues that the elections should be fought.