The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-15
CHRI5TIANITY'S FUTURE
a Buddhist Priest Draws Comparison
With ChrIstianity


A native japanese journal, published
by the Shingon sect of Buddhists to dis
seminate their special doctrines, recently
| contained ali article by a priest of the
! sect lnstltutlng a comparison between
Buddhism and Christianity The writer
says that when he looks at the great in
| tiuence of Christianity, its glory seems to
fill the world and the flag of the cross to
| be the sign of victory everywhere. Yet
when 1t reaches a certain point it must
stop. This checking of its progress has
already begun. and, though it is still
powerful, its Kingdom is destined to dis
appear, like those OF Rome and Mace
donna of old. But its victories have been
due to the truth it has taught.
his truth lies, first, he continues. in
in its emphasis of the existence of one
absolute, infinite creator of all things,
Rather of Love, source of all things, om-
nlpresent, omniscient. omnipotent. To
prove this truth there is nothing so potent
as Christianity in all the world. To
identity the Father of Love with the
source of the universe is to have empha-
sized one of the most important truths
for mankind. In Buddhism this truth is
accepted in substantially the same form.
But buddhism eXpounds the attributes of
God more infinitely. 1t secs more of
God in nature. Furthermore, this ON
mlSclence, omnipreSence and omnipo-
tence, which Buddhists also postuIate, is
not directly predicted of the perfect Abso-
lutte Being, but of Buddha, their highest
exemplar. What we term Buddha cor
responds to what Christians conceive as
God. Christians attribute to God the
human capacities d feeling and thinking
as we do to BuddLa, only we are more
logical, for if God has human impulses of
good, lie must also have capacity, how
ever small, for bad, and thus He could
not be perfect. We avoid this by seeing
the elimination of human facilities in
Buddha, while transcendental perfection
is to be imagined in the Absolute Being
only. Yet here Christianity, though not
SO strictly logical, is but one step behind
Buddhism"
Another great truth emphasized by
Christianity is the imperishability of the
moral law. Our deeds OF to-day will
bear fruit in future reward and punish
ment, not only in this life, but in another.
This doctrine of inevitable punishment
and reward is also held by Buddhism:
only the Christian idea of the nature of
the future life and of its single Judgment
day with final sentence is not as rea-
sonable IS the Buddhist doctrine of
succession OF future lives, of a gradual
Improvement or deterioration in the
transfnigrant of souls. Again, the in
nuence of Christianity is due chiefly to
the purity and nobility of ideal life.
Christ sacrificed Himself for the benefit
OF the world, and that act forever glori-
fed the possibilities of humanity. The
moral influence of Christianity, like that
OF Confucianism, is strong in its practi-
cability; doing, not knowing only, is it's
great theme. The teachings of Christ en-
body everlasting truths, fervent. noble.
flashing upon us like lightning, startling
and illumining US. The teaching of the
four Gospels is the most perfect, most
notle, most practical moral doctrine be-
low heaven. and it is most easy to under
stand and most simple to follow.
The personality of Christ is the mag
netic power of Christianity" In all this.
he says, there is nothing that conflicts
with what Buddhist believes. But
Christian doctrines have another side. a
side of superstition and ignorance. Like
the sickness of healthy man, it will
cause the end of Christianity if it is not
cured. Chief among these doctrines is
that of the Trinity. The fact is that the
doctrine of the Trinity dates back to
Eastern traditions, and was kept in the
Christian system, as history shows. be-
cause it helped out another of the I'M
sound Christian doctrines-that of saliva
ton. The writer observes that the pres
ent age is one of progress, and if Chris
tianity continues to cling to these anti
quated doctrines it will lose its hold on
the world. In answer to the question
whether Christianity can progress fur
Their, he says if it is TO do so it must first
cast away its errors, otherwise it will de-
cline. But if it does cast away its
errors and continue on its path of pro-
gress, it will progress into Buddhism. -
London Times.