The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1883. RELIGION IN SCHOOLS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1125, 24 July 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1883. RELIGION IN SCHOOLS.

In the debate on the Moral Training jn Schools Bill Mr Tawhai, the Maori member for the northern Maori district made a speech which ought to make every Christian in the colony blush for shame. After having related some difficulties in his district, where a Protestant teacher was placed in charge of a Catholic school, he said " When Christianity was first introduced into this Island there were only three denominations at that time taught to the Maoris : The Church of England, the Wesleyan and the Roman Catholic, .When these different religions were taught to the Maoris the result was that the Maoris used to fight amongst themselves. There was no trouble in connection with the Bible, it remained the same ; but it was the various churches. When one minister began to preach to a congregation of another religion that congregation objected. This is why I say at the present time I will not support the Bill because if I do it might be intro- I ducing a system from which the Maoris might have trouble amongst themselves.' He says again * There is nothing wrong with the Bible ; it is a very good book, but the fault is with the number of denominations there are, and which existed amongst your forefathers.' Here is something for Christians to reflect upon. Is it not a nice thing that this halt-, civilised savage can 6tand up and say « the renult of the introduction of your religion into this Island is that it set us fighting against each other, it set biother against brother, and the son against the father, exactly the same as it did yourselves in time gone by. The Bible is good ; it is not its fault, but the fault of the various denominations.' Now is it not humiliating to Christians that it can be thrown in their teeth that the effect of their religion is to create discord, hatred and illwill, and yet how few reflect upon tin's when they want to abuse creeds different from their own. | We put it now to any intelligent con-

scientious Christian, no matter of what denomination —ls it possible that Christianity can win over to its side the ■many who are dailv. either leaving it ? or getting more lukewarm in it,.while the various sects professing it continue to hurl anathemas at each other as they have beendoing.. If a man is wavering in his ownmihd as to the truth of the Christian doctrine is there anything better calculated to make him come to an adverse decision than to find discord • and hatred where peace and goodwill to all men ought to be found. We think not, and we also think that sectarian feuds and jpalousies have done mora and are doing more to drive men to freethought, spiritaulism, and nothingism than anything else. But it is not the fault of religion, as Mr Tawhai said. It is the fault of thosa professing it. O'Connell a strict adherent of the most conservative of all the Christian denominations once said that all religions were good. So they are. There is not a sect amongst them all that does not teach good morals, and devotion to God ; there is nothing bad in any ot them, if their preachers confined themselves strictly to the letter of the doctrine laid down for them. It is when they travel outside the prescribed line, and criticise other denominations that the harm is don<\ In fact, to put it in a homely way, it is by minding other ,/p6ople's businesn instead of their own t'fiat they stir up sectarian bitterness. Perhaps thsre is no district so free from sectarian animostiesas this one, and con sequently we can speak out on the subject without fear ot heading on cornsWe think now that it is time these old feuds and jealousies were forgotten, and fa

union of the various sects come to. By a union we do not mean that they should all become, one religion. We mean that they should unite together in combatting the evil tendencies of the of the age. The, first step oug'itto be in the'direction of religious training in ■schools';"'- Unless good morals, and religion are taught to, children in their yonth it will be easy to lead them into evil ways when they grow up. As for Bible,tedding in'schools there seems no hope' result i>f the last Tffon made in Parliament, and the chance of Catholics getting what they want is not much better. Haifa loaf would !<3 better to either party than no Jbraadj-and -nliab tre advise them to do iß'Wcbme to some compromise between them?elves. Surely moral and religious lessons, forcibly pointing out the duties due to God, could be written in a manr.er that all shades of religious opinion could agree to, and these could not fail to lead to good results, It would be better in our opinion to give. Catholics assistance ior their schools, and have religious training properly.attended to in the Government schools, but if that cannot be 'ddfifcpthe next best thing to do is what we have pointed out. The heads of the various denominations should surely be able to agree to lessons tint would su ; t all. There must be some neutral ground on which they could shake hands. The difference between them is not altogether so great that they could not agree upon a middle course. If they do not come to some understanding, the result will be that freethinkers will have the largest congregation fifty years hence.