The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-15
: IAMMEDANISM.
A RELIGIOUS SOLUTION OF THE
SOUTHERN NEGRO PROBLEM.

Such. 1t Is Suggested, May the Teaching,
of Moham,iei Webb Professionalism
About til. Religions Of Other Lands
Buddhism and Hindoo1sm.
A very amiable and lovable man, Mr.,
Mohammed Webb, is in this count
looking over the field to decide whether
or not the United States is a promising
field for tie exploiting of the Moham.
medan faith. He does not undertake to
make proselytes to his religion without
giving the faiths already in the field fair
notice Of HI probable intentions. This
Is certainly reasonable. though it is more
than we of the Christian churches do
when we send missionaries To India and
Central Asia. The Nohammedan reli-
gion has probably l3j. 200. 600 believers
and has many very charming features.
There are objections to it likewise that
we shall not attempt 10 defend. 1t is
true that IN our highly civilized land we
do not prohibit a MAI from marrying
four or five times. bur We insist that he
shall have been legally released from
previous matrimoni | obligations. The
religion of Islam, mindful of the uncer-
tainties of life and .evagaries OF human
happiness, Winks Il polyga1ny, while it
does not enjoin it. To employ the simile
synthetically. we 6riye tandem. while the
Moha1nmedan harnesses up fouro or more
in hand.
Among the features that ought to com
mend Mohalnmedanism to a large pro-
portion of our citizens is its stanch de-
yoflon to absentlon from strong drink,
Belief in Coo Is admitted and enjoined.
As III Buddhism, kindness to all animals
Is commanded. Its conception of pur-
gatory is picturesque. for good and bad
souls alike have to cross the bridge Al
Sirat, that spans hell and is described
as finer h "A hair and sharper than the
edge of a sword. Many a believing
Christian will take considerable comfort
in the thought that the Mohammedan
finds it quite as difficult to attain the
Kingdom of heaven as does he. predes-
tination was a cardinal doctrine of the
prophet, but we Christians nave been
wont to ascribe its PRONUNCIATION to the
political motive of rendering his follow
ers contemptuous of danger and suffer-
ing.
The Mohamme9an religion is simple
enough n is divided into faith and
practice-the latter including prayer,
almsSlylng, fasting and a pilgrimage to
Mecca. Taken by and large, it is thor
oughly practical religion for the races
who lead nomadic lives. and one pre-
eminently calculated for propagation at
the swords point. 1t is the latest of all
the great faiths of the world. only dating
haaE TO 500 t-l51a I.i -.
probably Of 1,so years earlier origin and
Hlndooism 600 years earlier still.
There is just one field in this country
for the introduction Of the simple and
trusting faiths Of the east, and that is
the great negro population of the south.
The hearts of the lowest types Of the col
ored races are receptive and naturally
religious. and any faith new to them that
will supplaat Noodooism oughr 10 be
welcomed by the stancAest Christian.
There are today l,5g0.000 Of believers in
that strange aud disgusting mysticism.
The southern negro must have 4 re-
llgIon OF nrre crednlity. with plenty OF
rewards AM the mlldest possible punish
ments Buddhism. whose adherents to
day number more THAI one-tlirl of the
1f1fs "a LII III IL o.llA
promise a heaven or some equally at
traetive future abiding place. But it
offers nothing better than extinction: no
God, no soul, no hope-save annihila-
ton. II Is a dream Of peace-of eternal
sleep, Nlrvana coming to the believer
like the shutting out of IA taper. Bud
dhism never has been are ligion of fanati-
cism, but has always been charitable I
and tolerant. {
If the millions Of negroes in the gulf
states, who are today in the grossest III $
and moral ignorance. could
nave formulated for their use a new
uniting some of the beautiful
..eachings of Gautama and Mohammed, q
hey might be guided in the direction Of
onrer and nobler lives. Christianity
come later if they felt the need Of
but We do not believe that any man &
n woman who knows the facts regard
ng the class to which we refer will deny
hat Mohammedanism or Buddhism,
properly introduced and preached, would ;
the condition of that part of the ),
leSfo race. Great schools like the Van II
|erbilt and Lincoln universities and the ;,
Institution at Raleigh do not reach the ~
of Georgia, the cotton planta- =
ions of South Carolina or the swamps :,
# Mississippi and Louisiana. =
Here are great missionary fields, and. =
prejudice, they can be honestly :;
to the advance guard of =
he beneficent missionary hosts that may =
,e expected 20 flock to this country if a =
or Buddhist propaganda !.
,e decided upon.-Julius Chambers in .
Sew York Recorder. =
The Discovery of Glass. y
Though the Egyptians claim to have =