New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-08
HUMAN pEPRAYITY.

and the new commandment, Glove u
ono another" provided BY the "Autho
and Finisher" Of tho Christian faith, find,
its highest human expression through
corrupt and selfish media. From the frs
murder to the last there runs record o.
blood-guiltiness which neither kinshir
nor religion has BEEN able to avert. In
deed. family feuds are not unfrequently
more bitter than those Of strangers, ever
IS religious prosecutions are Aercer and
more bloody than tho Issues of conflicts
arising from other causes.
But while man Is essentially ferocious,
he is at the Same time religious being.
BE will have religion of some kind and
indulge in . worship. NO matter how de-
graded. His god he may fashion in his
own likeness, or in that Of some inferior
creature, and when fashioned his sacri-
foes may be of the most revolving and
inhuman character, but he nevertheless
vindicates his sincerity on all occasions,
and viii fight to tho death in support Of
his peculiar views .-..
The troubles in the far East which Just
now threaten to involve the great powers
of tho world in VA, find their peculiar
bitterness in religions antagonisms. and
the atrocities Of which all Christsndom
complains, are the normal results Of
human vengeance enlisted in the mainte-
nance Of . chosen creed. It must, how
ever, be remembered, in this connection,
that sincere belief sanctifes, to q very
large extent all forms of religious faith.
The Turk is no more to be blamed be-
cause he is . Mahometan than the Span
lard is for being . Catholic, and the
Englishman for being An Episcopalian.
Then, say what We may of the re-
ligion Of Mahomet it is superior
to all creeds ever invented or pre-
scented for human occupation, except
that Of Christianity itself. Byron once
wrote concerning the Mahometans of
Turkey: They are not treacherous; they
are not cowardly; they are not thieves: they
are not drunkards; they are not assassins;
they do not burn heretics." But notwith-
standing this negative certificate ON their
behalf, it can not be denied that licen-
tiousness and intolerance have been
marked characteristics of the Turk during
the more than four centuries of his ma
tional existence, and that in many re-
spects his civilization and religion have
been hindrances to all healthy progress.
It is, however, humiliating to observe
that within the limits of christendom all
the vices of the Turkish civilization and
religion can readily find their counter
part Slavery has been vindicated by de-
won't Christians as by no means incom-
patible with saving faith; Mormonism
and Moslemism do not stand far apart in
the matter of polygsmy, nor, indeed, are
they essentially different from the practi-
cal polygamy too common in Christian |
countries; while as to honesty and So
briefly, the average Turk takes higher
rank than the average Christian does.
But it is in the matter of merciless bar
parity that tho respective followers of the
,ross and crescent confront each other
With dire accusations. In all the ele-
nents of charity and loving kindness the
ollower of Christ should occupy q far
higher plane than the follower of Ma
,omet. The creed he accepts is one of
'eace; he must love his enemies, do good
o those who despitefully use him. and if
mitten on the one cheek turn the other
lso. But in practice the Christian obeys
either the letter nor the spirit of the
'vangel he fights for, and to the rigor of
uman laws, rather than to the vital in
uence of religious observance, he looks
Or protection to his person and property.
Admit the Bashi-Bazouk an inhuman
end, and the Bulgarian horrors to be of
ne most fearful character; still that fiend-
Illness and these atrocities find no higher
anction in the Koran than similar acts
n the part of Christians find in their
ook Of Books. There is no more Of
tactical similarity between the religion
the mountain bandits of Turkey and '
lat of the mild Mahometans of India, .
ian there is between the Christianity of Z
and that of Jack Sheppard. i
8 teacher and lawgiver Mahomet united .
70 wandering tribes of the East, and
Used them from a condition of gross
lolatry into one of power and compare
We well-being; but he opposed the spread :,
Christianity and inaugurated civil b
ton which is found in practice to be 4
defective, and as he failed to :
lid on firm foundations his works
ust eventually be swept away. The
,ristian, however, is taught to judge
It lest he be judged He should
It be too severe in . condemnation =
itch may skirt along the edge Of his g
N shortcomings, and leave him no
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