Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-07-27
JAPANESE RELIGION.
One of the Embassy Tells What He
Knows About It.

We had a long talk with Nakshinna
the japanese Commissioner. He is a
gentleman Of superior intelligence, and
don't look like a heather at all.
First we asked him about his religion.
81 am heathen," he said, smiling.
81 don't believe in religion, that is, in
the forms of religion. My religion is tc
do good and to be honest"
"What do you think of our Christ p
we asked.
Humbug-all humbug," he replied
"What do you think of Mohammed p
Mohammed is a fraud, too, and Sc
are all those middle men who say they
are inspired. Contucius was wise man
but no more inspired than Socrates. AL
these men like Brahma, Budha, Sweed-
enborg Brigham Young, Joe Smith and
in fact, every man from Moses to Brig
ham Young, who has set himself up as in.
spired from God, is humbug,"
"What kind of religion do you believe
in, then ?"
"Well, though l am heathen, be-
lieve about as you do"
"How is that ?" we asked, becoming
interested.
"You believe in God-so do l, and so
does every nation. We only differ in the
Savior or Christ. Why, the Arabs believe
in the same God, hut take Mohammed a.
Savior 200, 900, 600 of people believe IN
Mohammed, and only sc, ,000, ,000in Christ
1t is always the same God all over the
! world. They may spell it differently
but it is the same God, with the same at.
tributes, such as omnipresence, infinity
potentality, etc. In Greece, they cal
him Theos in France, Deus in Ger.
many, Godt; in China, Jos ; in Asia
Brahmin in America, God. Many Jap,
anese believe in the same God which you
do, but believe Buddha as mediator in
place of Christ. Buddha was a good
man. He was modest, sincere and self
sacrificing, but he was not God. He gave
up life of ease near the throne to teach
men to be good, He gave up immense
wealth and went with the poor. Your
Christ made no such sacrifices. He was
poor-a carpenters son. He was killed
because he preached heresies which the
Jews didn't believe. He went little too
far, and lost his life, like Cranmer and
Latimer and as 10000 foolish people do
in India every day, Rossel lost life in
France, and John Brown here, for preach
ing what the people didn't believe. The
day will come when you will almost wor-
ship John Brown as the Swiss do Will
lam Tell. Dying for your faith signifies
nothing. Why, sir, 10000 people in In
dia burn and kill themselves every year
for their fnith."
But don't you think a Savior is neces
sary ?"
"No. COD can do all the saving or
destroying. When you bring man to
assist him, you destroy his greatness hi.
potentiality. These people who claim tc
be mediators are only religious brokers
God is too great to ask or permit any one
to assist him. We have the same law o
right and wrong which you have, and
still we don't behave your Bible at all
God has given his law to us. The Koran,
your Bible, the teachings of Swedenborg
and Brigham Young all differ, but the
doctrines of the philosophers like Justi-
nian, Socrates and Confucius all agree.
That is, they agee that God is great-and
that he is too great to have any prophets. ;
Don't you believe that Christ came
into the world to save it ?"
No, sir. He did not come into tn,
world any more than you did. First hC
knew he was here-a boy like all tho
Nazarene boys. His miraculous birth i.
the fancy of the legendary historians
He was put to death like John Brown be.
cause he went round breaking Jewish
laws, After he was killed, st. Paul and
st. Peter established your church. They
made grand political center and estab
lished the seven churches of Asia, none
of which stand to day. Ephesus and
Antioch believe in Mohammed now.
know Mohammed was a humbug, and o
the same knowledge | know all prophet
to be humbugs. You call me heather
because | reject your church. call yol
a heather because you reject my Buddha
He was as great and pure as man eve
was. More than that, he gave up riche
and station. He taught people to work
not to all become idle preachers. While
/ respect Buddha, do not think he wa;
inspired, and if he wasn't, then no mar
ever was"
This is what the heather said, and he
didn't think he was talking sacreligious
lie did not think he had said anything
rude, at least no ruder than what we are
always saying Of him.-Ne,O York Com
merciai.
DIsAPPOINTMENT.-A wealthy gentle