BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS CONSISTENCY SUGGESTED BOYCOTTING OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 23, 8 June 1905, Page 3

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS CONSISTENCY SUGGESTED BOYCOTTING OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

The ' Council of Ew&ngelioal Chuiches ' in Wellington are thorough-going supporters of the movement to turn the public schools of New Zealand into sectarian institutions. So far as words go, their souls are wrung ana their hearts 'bleed at the thought of the young idea in this Colony being deprived, Suring the impressionable period of their school-life, of all thougfit of, or reference to, the great Creator and Judge of all mankind. But the Council's tears are idle tears. Their feeling for the souls of the young generation is not sufficient to move tihem to feel in their pocket, or to make the smallest personal effort or sacrifice. They failed to take advantage of the facilities afforded them by the Education Act for imparting religious instruction to the children of their respective faiths in the public schools. In the meantime, Catholics are up and doing, while the Evangelical Council is indulging in the cheap and easy luxury of talking. Our good example— whii h they are unwilling to imitate — has now been met by the Evangelical Council by an appeal to all Protestants to Boycott the Catholic Schools. And yet they expect Catholics to accept— and pay for— the teaching of the Unitarian State creed of the Bible-in-schools League. The ' Free Lan~e ' (Wellington) has the following editorial remarks on this -latest ' break ' of the local ' Council of the Evangelical Churches ' .— ' The Council of Evangelical Churches is eager for another fight. This time it wants the Roman Catholics to tread on the tail of its Donnybrook coat. It calls upon the Protestants of Wellington to boycott the Roman Catholic schools. Why ? Because the youngsters in after years may possibly become members of the Church of Rome. From which we draw the conclusion that these evangelical parsons haven't much faith in themselves. Well, they certainly ought to know. ' But there is a jump Jim Crow about this new manifesto that appeals strongly to owr humorous instincts. About this time last year, if we remember aright, the Council of Evangelical Churches was grievously vexed in soul over the allege 3 godless condition of our State schools. It was eager to get the Roman Catholic Church to make common cause with it in the effort to force the Bible into these schools. To its bitter disappointment, the hierarchy of that Church refused to be placed in a false position. Is that the reason why, after all these months of abortive effort, the Roman Catholic Church is to be punished by the raising of a sectarian boycott against its schools ? ' At any rate, the Evangelical Council has succeeded in placing itself in a ridiculous position, to say the least of it. Hitherto it has been working itself into hysterics over the alleged godlessness of our public schools. They ■were so awftillv irreligious, you know— the Almighty was completely ignored, and so forth Now that that fit is over for la season, the Council turns from the godless State schools, and starts to shy stones and fling mud at the Roman Catholic schools. They are to 'be boycotted because they are not godless. That is the logic of the Evangelical Council. 'It doesn't call upon Protestant parents to refrain from sending their hopeful offspring to the godless State schools. Therefore this Godlessness is, After All, the Minor Evil. The real danger are the Roman Catholic schools, which

are not godless, but inculcate lessons of morality and breathe the atmosphere of jellgton." This being the line of argument, the community will be able to appraise at its true value the Council's zeal in the Bible-in-schools agitation. It would rather have the children godless than have them run the risk of turning Roman Catholics, it is the same spirit that in the breast of the pretended mother in the Bible story would rather have had Solomon slay the infant than hand it over to the true mother. ' We haye 1 too much regara for the sturdy good sense of the com mimi ty to believe this appeal to sectarian bigotry will make any impression. The convent schools in this Colony— against which this manifesto is directed -enjoy a deservedly high repute. It is well known that the bisters who form the teaching staff are very scrupulous not to attempt anything which might savor of proselytism in their curriculum for non-Catfnolic children. Protestant children are sent there because of the careful training, combined with the educational advantages. The action of the Evangelical Council in tryingj to foment sectarian feeling against our "Roman Catholic fellow-citizens is a timely object-lesson It teaches us what to expect if the ultra-pietlst party ever achieve their purpose of thrusting the Bible into the State schools.'