The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-03-19
Humanltarianism.

American religious ideas of the presedt day
4 The article seriously deprecates foreign
religious missions as being q piece OF
bigotry which is not only in bad taste but
also of no avail. This critsque is based on
a passage from a circular of certain Pro
testant dignitaries, which, affording as it
does an item of Information that must be
regarded as reliable, We quote at length,
together With the Introductory words OF
the Times, as|follows:
Intelligent travellers are almost unanimous
| in the belief tb at the money expended in semi
| civilized countries in the msiDteinance OF
Christian missions, is practically thrown away.
| cent circular letter, convey the following sg-
| nifcant in form alton:
"In fact, looking Mt the work of missions on
| the broadest scale, and especially upon that Of
our own missions, We must confess that in
many cases their condition is one of stagna-
| tion rather than Of advance. There seems to be
o want of power in them to edify, and o con-
squent paralysis OF the power to convert
The converts, too, often make such poor pre-
gress in the Christian life that they fail to act
as leaven in the lump of their countrymen. In
particular. the missions do not attrac. to
Christ many men of education, not even from
among those who have been trained within
their own schools
Facts properly vouched and properly
placed are always valuable, and as such the
above is entitled to its place. The India
Protestant Missions are, therefore, eff cially
admitted to be failures, and the cauee as
signed is their want of power to edify and
consequent want of power to convert. They
have converts, it is true, and these converts
are trumpeted abroad as brands snatched
ha hpr hv of oinO O
generosity of contributions. According,
however, to the eminent authority above
quoted, these brands are only half quenched
and give forth with their unsubdued smoke
an unsavory odor. 1t is not positively said
that they are only bread and butter Christ
ians, converts bought with q price, but it
lie admitted that they make "poor pro-
Vress" in that portion of Christian life
which is unconnected with the knife and
fork.
But our present business 10 not 30 much
with the failure of the missions as with the
marvellous coolness wherewith our neigh
Dor ventilates the fact and accounts for
it.
The Times is shocked at the ILL breeding
of the missionaries, which i'll breeding con-
| sists in attempting to interfere with an ncient
and highly respectable religions. In fact,
it calls the whole proceeding a piece of
illiberality and bigotry, though its perpe-
traitors are, doubtless, honest Take SEN
tence or two from our candid neighbor:
Thoughtful men are beginning to ask them
selves, if, in the no doubt honest endeavors to
disseminate Christianity, zeal has not outrun
discretion. If missio q aries have not acted too
much upon the princ pie that a certain specific
creed is right, and every departure therefIom
palpsble error.
Here is liberalty for you ; and it is 80
simply expressed. Every thing is SO natu-
raj. There is no attempt at mystification
or disguise. Can man not go too far with
"the principle that certain specific creed
is right, and every departure therefrom o
palpable error 7" Or as the same article ex-
presses it elsewhere
Do they sct to work in the right way, and
ifa desire to implant the principles of religion
be the object, can it be accomplished by i'm.
planting disbelief in all other doctrines
1t would really appear to casual OBJ
server that if Christianity be true, all
"other doctrines" are false, except in so far
as they may be identical with it in certain
points. And, of course, as to those points,
such as the existence of future life, no
Christian would attempt to .'Implant a
disbelief" in them.
Our friend of the Times if we may Judge
from his article, upholds some kind of n
theory, however, whether he would consid-
er it religion or not, and he calls it HUI
manitariauism. The editorial in 0ues-
tion says that very few of the followers of
Jesus Christ realize that He was a Human
itarian. The Times realizes it, however.
"By no One," it says, "were the honest
convictions of mankind more scrupulously
regarded" Yet it is written of Him that
He said: Go ye unto the whole world and
preach the gospel to every creature. He
who believeth shall be saved ,
but he who believeth not shall be damned.
Yes, says our American, 10Th century
Christian of the Times:
Even among olergymen of the straightest
I MT -