1937-03-30 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 30, 1937.

RELIGIOUS TEACHING IN SCHOOLS

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should justification is needed for fur- bodies

get together and solemnly suggested that the Board writer of the article in the "Times" doctrine ther discussion of the some- finally settle a sound syllabus of of Education and the Church lead- says: "If the Christian

Christian Faith as shall be era shall get together and agree of personal immortality be true, the what hackneyed subject of religious the teaching in State schools, it is to taught in all schools from this com- upon a syllabus which shall be im- theory of any educational system and phy- be found in the new note of menac- ing year of Coronation onwards," posed upon all schools under public which cares for mental

a moment the control We may be quite certain sical culture, but neglects the cul- ing arrogance to be detected in the Disregarding for declarations of Church leaders and merits of this particular sugges- that any syllabus conceived under ture of the soul, is demonstrably would contain false." Certainly if that doctrine, others on the subject. The present tion, I think we should give full such circumstances

of doctrine, and and the doctrine of rewards and agitation for teaching the dogmas marks to the author of it for his a large measure

of punishments already referred to, process of the Christian in a more thorough neat introduction of the Coronation that through it the

"teaching our children lies" to were true, it would be our duty to fashion than now obtaining in State, into it.

use the language of George Bernard recognise the fact in our national schools appears to have arisen from

To quote a favourite saying of a

But who is Shaw would be carried on to a educational system. the recent "Back to Religion" broad-

humorous political colleague, that.

greater extent than ever.

there to-day who believes these doc- cast of the Archbishop of Canter-

for the

trines are true? Do anything like. bury. That pushful prelate of the is "a little bit of sugar

bird." There are those who are apt Perhaps, however, the views and all the nominal

the members of Church of England, with the

to be scornful of the business suggestions of individual

corres- Churches believe them to be true? honours of his successful wire-

And what about the vast numbers pulling against ex-King Edward

who are outside all the Churches? thick upon him, called in somewhat

To assume that the truth of these imperious terms for the return of

Christian doctrines is established is the nation as a whole to the doc-

to beg the whole question. It is trines of Christianity. What more

because an already very large, and natural than that some of his fol-

constantly growing, body of en- lowers should have the notion that

lightened opinion rejects the truth one of the best ways of achieving

of these doctrines that we do not the desired object would be to get

want them, taught to our children hold of the children more effective-

There was, of eminent Church pondents to the "Times" should not in the State schools. ly! The Jesuits may not be all that

A leading it is true, a time when the State members of the Church of England leaders; but these people will have be taken too seriously.

but their to revise their opinions when they article in that newspaper is a dif- took it for granted that its citizens think they ought to be,

held these beliefs, but we have maxim of “catching them young" see with what agile versatility our ferent matter, and the one which

exploit recently appeared dealing with the moved a long way since then, and has a great deal of worldly wisdom Bishops and others can

schools either an Abdication or a Corona- teaching of religion in

the modern position is that the to commend it.

certainly contains some remarkable religion of the citizen is no concern tion for their own purposes.

assertions. It dismisses the idea of the State. Now the clergy make

By ERNEST THURTLE, M.P.

shrewdness

Thus we have had a correspon- dence in the "Times" making sug- As to the suggestion itself, it that the State should confine itself the suggestion that we should turn At the to the teaching of secular subjects back the clock, and that the first gestions for more thorough and lacks nothing in audacity;

as being both misleading and mis- victims of the process should be the comprehensive religious teaching in present time the law leaves it to the

authorities to de- chievous, since the implication of children in our schools. the schools, which has been backed local education

One won, are ders that the Church cannot see up by a really remarkable leading cide whether or not religious teach- this is that secular subjects article on the subject. One of the ing shall take place in the schools, those which really matter, religious that it is grievously wrong, and in- optional and deed immortal, to teach to children correspondents made the suggestion and whatever teaching does take knowledge being an

not supposed to be of a relatively unimportant supplement. as.... established truth doctrines that "the Board of Education and place is

Now it is That is far from the view of the which are at best only hotly-con- the leaders of the various Christian doctrinal character.

Before You Propose Study Her Smile

[F you want to know a person's bay until gendarmes had arrived.

character look at his teeth, says "Peritus," an Austrian charactero-

logist.

The real he-man, according

.to

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"Where's That Tiger?”

this expert, has four almost equal While Mr. T.

chin incisors and his upper

is Malley, of the Ama- usually square. The womanly wo-Malayan man, on the other hand, has a more teur Radio So or less pointed chin - and her two ciety was middle teeth are much large than broadcast- ing from the those flanking theme.

The man with large middle în-Govern.- wireless cisora will respond readily to flat-ment tery. On the other hand, to flatter station at Kuala Ma- a woman with incisors of masculine Lumpur,

laya, his Malay evenness is just a waste of time. -

Similarly, the man with female chauffeur rush- teeth has motherly instincts, while ed into the the masculine-dentured woman will studio try to be "boss.”

ہے

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and

It's

“Times." On the contrary, the tested conjectures, and which are leading article actually asks for a indeed rejected by some of the return to the belief that “the fear distinguished leaders inside the of God is the beginning of wis- Church itself.

Behind all the urgent clamour of

dom.' Thus in this twentieth cen- tury our leading newspaper ranges itself on the side of the Funda- the Church leaders and their Presa mentalists, standing for the old supporters for more thorough re- doctrine of rewards and punish- ligious teaching in the schools is ments. Presumably, therefore, when the implicit suggestion that the it asks for Christian teaching to be moral welfare of the nation, and în every rea- recognised as an integral part of indeed its greatness national education it is asking that pect, is dependent upon the teach- our children shall have the "fear of ing of the doctrines of Christianity. God" put into them by the ancient The suggestion is that -- moralit method of the doctrine of Heaven and good citizenship cannot exist and Hell. It is all very disappoint- apart from a belief in Christianity. ing. One had hoped that this re- Merely thus to state this doctrine ligion of fear, this idea of terrify in its naked crudity is to make ing young and old into doing the manifest how ridiculous it is. But right, had at least been relegated let us apply one simple test. In into the backwoods of religion, and the last fifty years there has un- was no longer held to be tenable by doubtedly been a marked decline in intelligent people. Is the support belief in Christianity in this coun- for such a doctrine in the columns try, and in all its manifestations school attendance, Bible reading, and Sunday observance. Now, can

An Odd of our leading daily yet another such as church attendance, Sunday

manifestation of the black wave of reaction which is said to be threa-

Worlding all that we have understood it be established from criminal,

shouted that a tiger was coming.

Silence notices meant nothing to

Three French

of the chauffeur in that moment, for sportsmen Limoges district went out to shoot he was trembling with fear, but partridges. They did not find a Mr. Malley switched off the micro- single bird, but were anxious not phone in time to prevent the tiger to go home to their wives empty- warning from being, broadcast, handed. So they turned to chicken Now a Chinese big game hunter shooting on the neighbouring lies in wait every night

farms.

Before they had fired many shots the farmers gathered together, and with their dogs as an amateur pack began to hunt the sportsmen.

station.

the

progress to mean?

social or any other records that there has been a corresponding de-

Proceeding to argue his case, the cline in morality and good citizen-

proposal suggested

congress adelphia

York,

at the annual anaesthetists at Phil- Dr. Soresi, of New

ship during that same period? The answer, as they say in Parliament, must be in the negative. If any- thing, the change points in the op- posite direction, What, then, be comes of all this loose special plead- ing by the Church leaders? Dis- passionately examined it is seen to The idea is to do away with have no basis whatever in hard post-operative shock the unplea fact. Let the Churches therefore sant effect which even the most win back, if they can, by more doctrines or other skilful operation is apt to leave enlightened

means the legions of adults they have lost; but let them not seek to Dr. Soresi claims that by his exploit, for their purposes, the system the patient will recover as immature minds of our children, by quickly from the anaesthetic as, on teaching as established truth doc- drink trines which are, to say the least,

behind it.

Brighter Operations

Finally (says Reuter) the sports- Give patients plenty to drink and the "morning' after" men were surrounded and held at leave them to sleep it off was the bout.

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of a highly speculative character.