Morning journal and courier., 1883-11-05
Popular Hindoois1n.
The Theme of Rev. c. w. Parks serm'
 T,aa4 EvamTmR.


 The Theme of Rev c. W. Parks Sermon
 Last Evening.
 At the Howard avenue Congregations church last evening Rev. O. W. Park preached to large audience on Popular Hindooism." The main features of the ser mon are outlined below.
 The Hindoo philosopher and the man who devotes himself wholly to a religious life withdraw from human society and spend their days entirelyin religious contemplation. This is a thing which men in general cannot do, for the duties of life must be attended to. There is, therefore, phase of Hinloo development which call popular Hindooism in distinction from the higher and philosophical development of Hindooism which is relegated to philosophers. All Hin doos have in mind the conception of God as the original source, of the universe, but this idea is cherished in common with another that God is also present to them in the shape of the particular inferior deity they are wor- shipping. Their consciences tell them they are sinners and that in some way their sin must be atoned for and removed. While the highly educated philosopher among them un- dertakes to do this by means of course of gasceticism and contemplation. the ordinary Hindoo adopts the method of meritorious works. When we speak of meritorious works we think of deeds of charity, justice, virtue; but when the Hindoo speaks of meritorious works he thinks merely of those rites and ceremonies which are supposed to be pleasing to the deity he worships. They consider that the per- formance of these meritorious works cancels certain amount of their sinfulness. If they can perform enough of them they will there by acquire sufficient merit to cancel their en- tire sinfulness, and their souls will thus be rendered fit for absorption into the deity. Some of these meritorious works on which they populaTly rely are: Ordinary worship of their gods making pilgrimages to sacred places, bathing in holy water, especially in the Ganges repeating the name of some of the gods and similar ceremonies. Benares on the Ganges is the chief place Of pilgrim age in all India Devout Hindoos assemble there in vast numbers and bathe in the Ganges, thinking that by so doing they &C., quire merit enough to atone for all their sins There are also many other places of some what less celebrity where pilgrims re- sort. The repetition of the name of one of the gods, especially Roma, is favorite method of securing merit. Devout Hin doos will make 8 VOW to repeat the sacred name SO many thousand times and they fancy that every repetition cancels a certain amount of sinfuIness. The devotees of the goddess Gunga, who presides over the Ganges river, say that to repeat her name three times is enough to atone for the sins of three sue cessi7e lives. They frequently give the names of the gods to their children, so that when they call to their children they will also be taking the. name of a god and thus performing 8 meritorious action. Such are some of the ceremonies on which they rely to make atonement for sins. If now it be asked what degree of confidence they have in their relig- ion the answer is that those who have re- ceived an English education have almost un- animously lost faith in Hindooism. This edu- cated class will number many thousands, yet it is thus far but 8 very small drop in the bucket. And even among the uneducated; the common people, faith in Hindooism is gradually being undermined. They realize that these ceremonies do no good. This fact puts upon the Christian church vast obligation. The time when the people are losing faith in their old religion is the most favorable time for introducing Q new one. Hindoos in decreasing numbers cling to their religion not from conviction, but simply from custom.