The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-16
HOW DARE YOU JUDGE ?
A Buddhist Startles the Con-
- gress Of Religions.
SPEAKING FOR 100000 PEOPLE
Audience Had Ever Road the Life of
An Eloquent Scoring.

CHICAGO. Sep l5.-"IIow dare you
judge usf Arrayed in robes OF spotless
white which seemed all the winter by rca-
son of his swarthy countenance and wealth
OF jet black hair. with arm and index fin
ger extended and every muscle of his body
quivering with excitement, Dharmapala,
tho Buddhist priest and scholar from Cal
cutta, stood upon the edge of the platform
in the Hall OF Washington, and thus hurled
defiance at the great audience before him.
A volley OF cheers WAS the respons'. Be
hind the striking figure from tho Orient,
dwelling intent upon every void, sat the
venerable Edward Everett Hale, who had
just come from an adjoining hall. On
his right was the negro prince from Africa,
on his left Mrs Ormiston Chant the En-
glish radical. Next 60 her, his head encir-
clcd in "A turban of white, Daloyoshi Ma
tuysama, the advocate OF Shintoism, side
by side with the negro Protnp Chundcr
Mazoomdar, the philosopher OF the Brah.
mo Somaj IL was "A striking scene and "a
striking occasion.
The Buddhist had been introduced, after
DIR. T.. l.. Rexford OF Boston lie expressed
his qualification that an opportunity had
been afforded him OF crossing the water
To participate In the parliament, and said
that 1t mattered little what mans dogma,
or what his theology, II he was only sin.
cere and true 10 the light within him
Then surveying the audience, he suddenly
Il I,I ~ la, 4
tho life cf Budda" Five hands, four OF
them belonging 20 women, were tridiy
held up. Five only" said the Buddhist,
with tone and look OF dIsdain. -Four
hundred and seventy millions OF people nc
cept our religion OF love and of hope You
call yourself nation, great nation, and
yet you do not know tho history OF this
great teacher. How dare you judge usi
And the audience cheered again and again.
"You complain that you do not make
converts among us, lac continued You
preach God OF love, but in your actions
you are selfish. You make of an ignorant
or an unsophistlcated man perfect hypo-
crite. You have used the story OF u life
crushing bloody Juggernaut To secure the
means To save alleged heathens. Jugger-
naut has been popularzed by Christian
missionaries, and yet commission com
posed of eminent Englshmen has declared
that the Christian idea OF Juggernaut was
myth, that death and blood were repul-
sive To our people. This Christian story
has been exploded. IL has gone into oh.
liyion." And so the Orientalist went on,
scoring his hearers and defending his own
c:sed He asked how many had read tho
life Of Mohammed, the prophet OF Arabia,
aud when four hands went up he asked
why they should denounco Mohammedan-
ism whea they knew nothing OF 1t or its
founder. And with every sentence he
carried his audience with him.
Quite as radical in It's way was the nd-
dress OF Rev. Dr. Rexford, tho Boston Uni
versalist divine, and he took for his sub
ject The Religious intent" He said he
had no sympathy with people who wanted
To be separated from the bonds that bound
them TO the tragic past. He preferred 70
keep his share OF the bond 40 that he could
rejoice in the development OF mankind, in
glorifyng that evolutionary religion which
had brought them where they were to-day.
He did not believe in talking OF a fallen
man, butof an undeyeloped man. Reve-
lston was never divine message until 1t
was understood
The Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott was another
OF the leading speakers OF the day, taking
for his topic. "Relig on Essentially Char
acteristic OF Humanity" he spoke in his
usually eloquent strain. Temples and
priests, he said, were the creatures OF re-
lig.on. They had not made IL. Christ
came not to create religion, but TO develop
that which was already in existence.
Science was the thought OF man trying
TO find the reality that lay behind the mys-
teries OF nature. All life was search
after the infinite. Agr ostics might call
out TO them TO stop, but they had TO go on
because they could not help 1t. The blem-
ishes and blurs OF human handiwork were
upon Christianity. but IL was not Chris.
tianity concerning which they desired to
tell their brothers from across the sea, but
Christ