The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-10-12
LIGHT ON INDIA.
Rev. r. J. Davis Gives His Expert.
enCe in Darkest India.

Rev. j. j. DAVIS, nj. a., recently OF
Melbourne, Australia. who has more
recently located at Island Lake on ac
count of his health, lectured at the
Presbyterian church last Sunday ev-
ening, giving a magnificent descrip
ton of religious life in India, where
he spent four years of his life in re-
ligious education. Mr.. Davis is a
pleasant appearing fellow who attracts
attention from the outset. He is a
clever talker, with just enough foreign
or English accent to make him inter-
esting. He is highly educated, and
told his experience in India in the
most graphic manner. The Brahmas
were ready to believe anything and
everything, he said. When the Budd
hists came into India the Brahmas
assimilated two idea from them-one
that it was wrong II take life and the
other the TRANSPORTATION Of souls.
They insisted that the Christian re-
ligion was the same as the Brahma,
only the biblical names were different
A Brahma will say that God is one,
yet, he will have 100000 gods, and
it is difficult to find out how many he
worships. Mr.. Davis pointed out the
difficulty experienced by missionaries
in combating this false idea, and then
passed on tothe plan of salvation. The
Brahma insisted that there was bad
material.in the flesh of men and they
would go into the jungle and work it
out, lie ON board studded with nails,
hang by the heels, and often run hooks
in their backs and tear out the flesh.
They would hold up their arms for
weeks at time until the flesh would
fall from their bones, stop their breath,
shutting off all outward connection so
as to get connection with the great
spirit, and in this way drive the bad
material out of them.
| NIorally,the Hindoo is bound by far
more ties than we are. Their moral
sayings, civilizations, admonitions TO
charity, almost come up to the teach
ings of Christ, but they don't live up
to them. Mr.. Davis repeated a Brah-
ma prayer in the Brahma tongue, and
translated it to the amusement of the
large audience present. He then said
that their morality took the wrong di-
rection. Their transmigration belief
was that a soul would have to pass
through 100000 births before it
could unite with the Great Spirit, and
single sin would set the soul back to
commence all over again. The Hindoo
would never eat anything out Of the
missionaries hands lest they might be
cast out.
Caste is the greatest difficulty to
missionary work. India is all caste,
he said. There are $4,000 different
castles. Caste prevents man from
eating food belonging to another. A
shadow falling across the food in a
kitchen would cause the Hindoo to
throw it all away, dishes and all. It
was necessary for-his party to get a
caste servant in order to travel through
the country. A cup of water given to
missionary would result in the YES
sci being thrown away.
There are 80 or 40 castes,or different
classes, in village Of 2t0 inhabitants.
Mr.. Davis related some pitiful seen es
between Hindoo mother and her boy
who was just embracing Christianity,
love turning into hate. In concluding
he declared that India should not yet
be given self-government,as the Brah-
mas would take the power and every
thing would be plunged into total
darkness.
NOVEMBER JURORS.
The following is list of the grand