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BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

A PROTESTANT CLERGYMAN'S VIEWS

Some of the most solid, convincing, and outspoken criticisms on the Eible-in-t,ohools movement in New Zealand are those which proceed from the pen of a gifted Presbyterian clergyman in Otago, the. ReV. Mr. Fraser Thus far he has had practically a ' walk-over, ' so far as the newspaper discussion on the subject is concerned the local magnates of the sectarianising movement clearly regarding him as 'an out-and-outer to be let alone. 1 Among the other Presbyterian clergymen in the southern Pro\inae who are hostile to the Bittle-in-schools sciieme are the Rev. J. Chishohn and the Rev. J. J Cairncy. At a meeting cf the Dunedih Presbytery held on Tuesday, the Rev. Mr. Chisholm movod an amendment to a motion endorsing the platform of the Bible-in-se<hools Referendum League. We quote the report oi the row gentleman's sipeeoh as given in yesterday's (Wednesday's) ' Otago Daily Times ' : I am (going to mo\e an amendment, albeit .with \ery (great hesitatic« indeed. I have for the last 30 years bcien working as heartily as I possibly could i n the interests of this movement ; but my reading of history for the last year or two has been gradually leading me to see thai we are not, in prosecuting this movement, aiming at the right way to accomplish the end we ha: eLa \iew. I shall read first of all '

The Amendment I ha T e tp make : " The Presbytery declines to order such contributions as Dr. Gibb in his letter suggests. The Presbytery aeplores the existence of conditions tha.t make it possible for chiiaren to grow up in the community without ?, knowledge of the elementary truitns of Christianity ; and, while gratefully acknowledging the good work done in Sunday schools, and not in any way disparaging the efforts that are being made to introduce Bible lessons into tlie public schools, the Presbytery is rominced that the most effective way of meeting, the necessity that exists for the religious training of chil-

dren lies in the direction of using all available means which the Uhurch can command to quicken the sense of parental responsibility and rewve family piety and make the uome wh^t it was meant to be, and what all Scripture and all history p-roves It capable of beuoming— e\en the seat of Christian discipline and nursery of noble youth." I do Feel very, very strongly that our energies are being to some extent misdirected. This amendment does not disparage in any way the efforts being made to intro-duce Bible lessons in public schools, and 1 have nothing to say meanwhile against that. Bul we overlook what this amendment declares to be the best way of meeting the necessity that exists lor th<? training of our children. I feel strongly that the agitation that has been carried on fc|r so many years has diverted the attention of our people from the much more important matter of Christian training in tho home. I loolk about me ; I have had my own experience during these last years'; and it seems to me that the real weakness of our .whole church life, the weakness that is undoubtedly growing amongst us, is just a defective fajnily: life and training ; and all the agitation thati has existed in this other matter seems merely to have diverged the attention of dux people from that. I think that if half the amount of energy that has been spent in itjying to introduce Bible lesions in schools had been spent ,in endeavoring to revive fajnlly piety our Church would have been vastly the better by now. I am not disparaging the efforts being matk 1 '; but, at the same time, I feel tihaft there is very little likelihood of accomplishing the end in view ; and I feel very s/t.rongly that if that end were accomplished very little good would be achieved. I read Scottish history. I take Scotland because that country is very Qften referred to in this connection, and we a,rie pointed to Scotl-and asa country furnishing striking and conclusive evidence in this matter. We are told that tWe Bible in schools has done more ttfilan anything else to nurture Scottish charactei and 'bring It to the excellence it has attained. My reading of Scottish history does not lead me to come to that conclusion. I read the lives of those who have made the deepest mark on the world's history— those of them who lme been born and brought u,p in Scotland — and I find that the germs of all that was giood in them, all that afterwawds grew and developed to the benefit of God's kingdom, were deposited in the home. Rear! the lives of men such as Robert Moffat, David Li\ingstone, James G. Paton, Robert Chalmers ; and you will find that all of these men grateful I v ascribe any usefulness they accomplished in life to their home graining. Anything that is diverting the attention of our people'from this most necessary Work of 'the Home must be .to some extent injurious. I know very well that if Bible lessons were introduced into our public schools they would perhaps supplement the teacning and tho training of the home ; but it seems to me that the strong tendency of parents now is to roll o\er the burden of their responsibility on others. Whilst the Sunday, school has done an incalculable amount of good — and anyi maai who knows anything of the history of the Church in recent times can see that the Sunday school came just at the opportune time, in order to supply #, \ery clamant want in the Church, and has accomplished a great deal of good — yet, 1 say, I am sure that even thja Sunday school has to some extent lightened the sense of responsibility parents ought to feel for the training of their children. This agitation for the Bible in schools has had the siame effect. And the agitation has been of little use otherwise : 1 should, indeed, say very little or nothing at all has been accomplished during all these years we have been struggling to naive the Bible lessons introduced in schools. We should, therefore, now turn the energies of the Ohurch in that otn.efr direction, where they would 'be more fruitful in meeting the difficulty. While not seeking to oppose the Bible in schools in any "direct way, yet I feel that the real way out of the difficulty is to direct the attention of parents and guardians to their great personal responsibility in this matter. I am not in opposition to this agitation, but I am certain that this is not the right way of getting at the necessity that "exists. I say again, the excellence of the Scottish character and the stamina that Scotsmen have everywhere shown have not come from the Bible in school*, but from the pious homes — from the intense^ piety of the parents—from the way in which, in the earliest years of their children, the parents have consecrated them to the service of Christ, and by their prayers and training have endearVored to rating them up in the way of God,.' The motion was carried. So, likewise, was the amendment, after much discussion, the first section being deleted.

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.I whakaputaina aunoatia ēnei kuputuhi tuhinga, e kitea ai pea ētahi hapa i roto. Tirohia te whārangi katoa kia kitea te āhuatanga taketake o te tuhinga.
Permanent link to this item
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZT19050706.2.36

Bibliographic details
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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 27, 6 July 1905, Page 19

Word count
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1,203

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 27, 6 July 1905, Page 19

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 27, 6 July 1905, Page 19

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