TEACHING MORALITY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3791, 21 February 1881, Page 2

TEACHING MORALITY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

,» (To the. Editor of the Evening Star;) Sib,—l am pleased with your advocating morality being taught in .theupublic - schools. I think this ought to meet the difficulty ; and all partieshave a fi^ht to meet on this common' ground. It is not morality, but theology, that the row ib about. Everybody agrees that it is right that children should be taught to be honest, truthful, upright,;; ?temperate, industrious, loving, and kind, and tio one could possibly be offended 'at"theirchildren being taught those things. I 1 think they might go a step farther witW-* out giving offence, and that is, a belief ?n God and a future life. To-advocate the Bible being read in public schools is beset with nothing but difficulty. The first one is, what Bible would have to be read— the Protestants' or the Catholics' ? Then, again, when the clergymen have decided that the Government version of' the Bible' is not correct, and are going' to have it altered, would it do to place a book in the hands of the children and call it God's word when they acknowledge it is not true ? Then, what good could it do to place a book in their hands when some part of it has to be taken literally, other parts spiritually, some of it /figuratively, and some allegorically ? If left to themselves, what sort of a mess would children make of. such a book ?, Some few might „. have an objection to a belief in God and a future life. I. have spoken to sceptics about (his, and I find that' they have not such a strong objection to; a,belief in an all-wise and good God being taught as to the belief in the ignorant, wicked, revengeful, and jealous God of the t Old Testament-r-the God that had such an ungovernable temper, and when in that state he used to-curse and.swear. They say this God was a wrestling, fighting man. A minister, of .the Gospel that used to teach election and-reprobation, who said that God was.,-a Sovereign,; and had the right to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour, the samp as a potter had a right to make what :v>essels he chose out of ;the ; clay, had a little daughter, and when they were walking out together lie asked her "If she feared and loved God ?" She said, "I fear Him and try to love Him, but if: He was only as kind and good as'you' are, father, it would be so easy for me; to; ,lpire r; him." This was a poser for the minister^ He thought there was. something .Wrong in his teaching that made the impression .upon his daughter that God was unki,nd atkd unloveable. That • 'circQmstance altered his teaching from that. ; 4ay forward, for ,he taught from then that God was an all-wise and loving ;Father,; and what a wise, loving parent would :not: rdo to his child, God 'would not do,.to,uHit children.—lam, &c^- '; 1 "1

J. HOEN.

- -(To* the Editor of the Evening ,Sfcar.)j i, Sir, —In reading your issue' of! tfcis | evening I was struck with the selfish find,-r untruthful remarks of your' correspondent " Eclectic." First, he says, speaking, o? ' Mrs Hampson, " I notice it is proposed to bring her back to ask subscriptions from those who owe their salvation to her ministration." ; That is untrutKNo. 1, as no person is to be asked for anything. He also states that Mrs Hampson has more than once declined all.monetary or other recompense. That is untruth Wo. 2, and I challenge any person to prove such statement; and as a subscriber to the Mrs Hampson recognition fund, I should decidedly object to the amount collected being given-to Thames charities. Depend upon it, those persons who subscribe to the above fund are fully aware of the sources through which they can subscribe to Thames charities if so inclined without passing it through Mrs Hampson. Now, sir, I would suggest, that. your correspondent test Ms own 'liberality by putting his hand deep in his own pocketin support of Thames charities,, and thereby set a good example. I am-Tery .much afraid that your correspondent is one of the class of men who prefer to.be liberal at other people's expense.-—I am, &c, . ..,-._ . •••'■■ A ; ■ : r SUBSCBIBEB. February 19th, 1881. (To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sib, —The Mayor of the Thames has certainly little cause to be. thankful to either of the writers who endeavor, in this morning's issue of the Advertiser, to cast odium upon your correspondents, because they find they: cannot vindicate or palliate the conduct of which Mr Wilkinson is accused. With respect to the well-known writer of the letter signed " Truth," I would advise him, firstly, to act up to the pseudonym under which bte so belies, and thus' 1 prove himself, ,*%, worthy disciple of the lady whom he has the impertinence to attempt to defend; and, secondly, to improve his knowledge of the rudiments oft English grammar, as well as gain at least some knowledge of Latin—a language of which, to judge by his absurd and ludicrous rendering of the well worn adage, " Magna, est. reritas efc prevalebit," he evidently knows nothing. Trusting that in future "Truth" will ascertain facts before he rushes into print, I am, <fco., "Vebitas.