CORRESPONDENCE. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5130, 14 September 1895, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

A IiEPLY TO KEMO. ' [to ihe editor.] Sib,—-Ehidly allow me to reply t letter iu your issue of lltli inst-, sigi. by a person who no doubt well n apparently with muoli sclkonte describes himself as Nemo i.e. ne no Or no man; nobody. Jliiv.bik Diclu t Mnstertoaiqn actually admitting biius to be a nobody, who nevertheless p sumcs to speak on behalf of liims "and many other true and attacli members of the Church of Englam ffliliis is a rare instance of being able Wnko a man at his own valuation. Tho underlying intern ol the letter to create opposition to Mr Yorke, foster a sentiment of disapproval of I actions and conduct, to stir up discc tent. This is inferable lrom 1 "Nobody's" charge of fundament error, his reference to Mr Yorki alleged pharisaical tone, attributing t omission of a word (probably the fai of the printer) to ignorance of Engli composition, charging ignorance as what religious instruction is, and sayi lie bdims Mr York's news ore h consonant with the rieics of the majori of sober-minded members of the Church England, If all this be true, Jlr Yor must be a most incapable and nuqualili man. Is this what Mr "Nobodj means ? If so, his manner of explninii his meaning, is certainly that of no ma an appellation that can hardly interpreted " a true and attached mei ber of tho Church," To begin with tho charge of fund intntal error contained in the propositi! that religious education iu schools shou be for the purpose of distinctive Chur leaching. . Denominational religion and comple toleration of all religious opinion is no l jU a piece of Slate policy, an admitti ®ccssity. Tho law recognises tho rig! every father to regulate the religioi education of his children, and further, some cases the State takes upon itsc tho teaching of denominational religio e.g. in tho case of children committed Industrial Schools. A Hindoo ehil would be entitled to be instructed in tl creed of Buddha, The eacl of all govcri mcnt is human happiness, and so fari religion forms a part of such happiues denominational tendencies anddistinctii principles must be respected, and tin the question of religious education : schools is necessarily involved in th; of distinctive principles. Jlr Yorl having the cure of souls within the pa of the Church of England, in -Mastertoi and a man of principle withal, has (i was his bounden duty) asserted tli principles of out Church and the nccc sity of adhering to them. Parents wit auy respect for their Church and fait! must bo graceful for this. Mr Yorl is not fundamentally wrong but fundi mentally right. Next, tho reference topharisaical ton etc., though intended to be uncompl mentary, is in truth the reverse, for M Yorke has done nothing more than I «Eow the great force of his charactc ainst a tlircatcncd evil, and that nt in a pharisaical spirit but in loyalty t the principles of his Church. Then tho reference to bad Englisl This well shows tho paltry and spitefc feelings which actuate 'Nobody." A a fact, Mr Yorkc's command of ou language and power of composition i far and away the best in Masterton—o Wellington for the matter of that. Mr Yorke says reading a text-boo, mlhut comment is not religious instnu tion. Mr Nobody facetiously aski what is it, then ? Is it irreligious ? 1 is not irreligious, but it is waste of tinu Does tho teacher instruct iu arithmctii by roading the rules to scholars, or i history, by reading a chapter of a texl book? Would that be doing his duty Then Mr" Nobody "sayshe "heticn Mr York's ricics are not consonant wit. the views ef the majority of sober-mindei lumbers of the Church of Emjlani (presumably in Masterton). "Sobei minded" is intended to indicate a greo distinction, one probably of supcriorit of those so called sober-minded member over Mr Yorke, who apparently is no sober-minded, that they are so mud better than lie, This assertion, is, c course, not pharisaical. Sober-mindci seems to mo to mean bucolic minded sand to indicate a mental condition in Aarrow groove of unvarying monoton; ™n a low leyel, and the viowsof person so minded to be of corresponding mcdi ocrity. To think that the views of M Yorke, a man of high tone, high priii ciplcs, wide culture, powerful address and great force of character, must com spond or be consonant with thoso of th unprogressivo sober-minded persons, o that bo from his elevated platform mus come down to their low level, is rathe absurd. Mr Yorke is not to load, bn to tamely follow! In my opinion it i fortunate we have him hero to lift th parish out of the unprogressivo am 6ober-mindet\ rut in which it has gon to sleep for so many years. Consonanc of tho nighcr with the lower is not wha is required, but aspiration of the lowe to the higher. Now to pass on to other portions o tho letter. "Nobody" carps at bai English, I doubt if ho has the powc to introduce such a hybrid as "un christianize" into Queen's English. Ho says children are heathens, i.c they have no mere knowledge of Chris tian principles orhavingsuciiknowledg they aro, nevertheless, no better thai heathens. Why? Ecligiouseducation he also says, shouldboimpartedathomc I fear it is not; otherwise ehildrei would not be heathens. Why i it not ? The complete cduca iion of a child consists in the cqua gaining of nil his faculties, as wel emotional as intellectual. That know ledge may be the handmaid of the feci ipgs, and that the combined operatioi of knowledge and emotion upon actioi and conduct, may be to direct the ten dency of tho latter to tho accomplish mcnt of tho highest end of life. Parent having been relieved of the moral dut' of imparting secular education to cliil dron, and the State having become man' wet-nurse,men arc growing to think tba the State is doing all that is needful fo the proper education of children, am that anything that tho State does no do is notnecesgary. Indifference spring up, resulting in total neglect. Thu: State education as we have it, beia: ' incomplete, is a total failure, whei yiowed in regard to the destiny of mar To conclude, I pass over many portion ■ of tho letter, ray object has been to resit an unwarranted and cruel attack upo Mr Yorke, and to put him in a rigl light, and in making tho attempt I fe< that parishioners, as a whole, will bci accord with me, and resont insult to gentleman who is worthy of encouragi jnent, support, and the extension of tl Aslit hand of fellowship. lam etc., 4K . ACuomhjun. Messrs L. 3. Hooper & Co., of tho Bo Marehe, are now opening up their fin consignment of Spring and Summer novo ties, and will make their display iu a io days. Elegant millinery, fresh from tl '. hands ol Parisian modistes; gems of faahio in bonnets and half,together with their oh creations, copied from tho most styli# Models. Abundant supplies of sailors ha * in the most fashionable shapes and color .oxtensivp varieties of children's milliner untiimmed straws in 'the newest style >■■ ■•. dress goods, mantles,'blouses, parasol jrintSj etc.-Alivi.'