San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-10
MOHAMMEDANISM.
A RELIGIOUS SOLUTION OF THE
SOUTHERN NEGRO PROBLEM.

Such, 1t Is Suggested, May the Teachings
Of Mohammed Webb Prove-somethine
About the Religions of Other Lands.
Buddhism and Hindooism.
A very amiable and lovable man, Mr..
Nohammed Webb, is in this country
looking over the field to decide whether
or not the United States is promising
field for the 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 his 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 Mohammedan reli-
gion has probably 135, 100000 believers
and has many very charming features.
There are objections to it likewise that
we shall not attempt to defend. 1t is
true that in our highly civilized land we
do not prohibit man from marrying
four or five times but we insist that he
shall have been legally released from
previous matrimonial obligations. The
religion of Islam, mindful of the uncer-
tainties of life and the vagaries of human
happiness, winks at polygamy, while it
does not enjoin it. To employ the simile
synthetically, we drive tandem, while the
Mohammedan harnesses up four or more
in hand
Among the features that ought to COM
mend Mohammedanism to a large pro-
Of oit 10 70 cfo IL
votion to absention from strong drink.
Belief in God is admitted and enjoined.
AS in 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 than 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 cardinal doctrine of the
prophet, but we Christians have been
wont to ascribe its PRONUNCIATION to the
political motive of rendering his follow
ers contemptuous of danger and suffer-
ing.
The Mohammedan religion is simple
enough and is divided into faith and
practice-the latter including prayer,
almsgiving, fasting and 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
back to 622 A. D., while Buddhism is
probably of l 200 years earlier origin and
Hindooism 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 supplant Voodooism ought to be
welcomed by the stanchest Christian.
There are today 1,500,000 of believers in
that strange and disgusting mysticism.
The southern negro must have re-
ligion Of pure credulity, with plenty Of
rewards and the mildest possible punish
ments. Buddhism, whose adherents to-
day number more than one-third of the
human race, might suit him did it only
promise heaven or some equally at .
tractive future abiding place. But it <
offers nothing better than extinction: no
God, no soul, no hope-save annihila-
ton! 1t is dream of peace-of eternal +
sleep, Nirvana coming to the believer &
like the snuffing out of taper. Bud +
dhism never has been are ligion of fanati-
cism, but has always been charitable
and tolerant.
If the millions of negroes in the gulf
states, who are today in the grossest in
tellectual and moral ignorance, could Y
have formulated for their use a new y
creed uniting some of the beautiful
teachings of Gautama and Mohammed,
they might be guided in the direction of
purer and nobler lives. Christianity e
could come later if they felt the need of
it, but we do not believe that any man
or woman who knows the facts regard
ing the class to-which we refer will deny
that Northumberland or Buddhism,
properly introduced and preached, would
advance the condition of that part of the
negro race Great schools like the Van
derbilt and Lincoln universities and the
institution at Raleigh do not reach the
ricefelds of Georgia, the cotton planta-
tons of South Carolina or the swamps
of Mississippi and Louisiana.
Here are great missionary fields, and,
without prejudice, they can be honestly
recommended to the advance guard of
the beneficent missionary hosts that may