New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-01
CUPTSTTiNITY AND OTHER RELIGIONS.

A. we nonted out at the time. the Parliament
Of Ro,icions that was held in Chicago during the
Worlds Fair accomplished a good purpose IN
reminding Christians generally. ms well as those
Of other faiths taking part in the Parliament
that all the great world religions agree IN certain
moraf1eachings. In other words, the great re-
,igious systems which Christianity must always
ontagonizc inculcate many Of the moral precepts
which are commonly regarded as peculiar 10
christianity. 1t was lesson which Christians
need especially to learn to-day when travel
commerce and education are bringing all the
races and creeds Of the world into close contact
and when Christian missionaries to foreign ianus
find themselves handicapped In their work by
,he supposed necessity Of denouncng indiscrim-
inately everything in heathenlsn lhere Is not
wanting evidence that Christians are coming
70 understand better the real nature OF the Vari-
ors non Christian religions, and are thus IN
bettcr position TO make the most effective argu-
ments in favor Of christianity. In bringing
about this state of affairs the Parliament OF
Religions was no small factor. and to that ex-
tent il justified the claims If those who pro-
Iectod It.
BIT the Parliament indirectly tended to foster
4 sentiment which cannot be too severely repro
bated and which the recent massacres OF Chris
tians in Armenia disprOye in the most tragic
way That sentiment was, in effect, that one
religion Is Just as good as another; that the In
terests Of humanity and the cause Of civilization
would have been just rs fully safeguarded had
the Crescent. for instance, triumphed over the
Cross in the Middle Ages 1t is strange that
intelligent men who are what they are because
Of Christianity should fall into such erroneous
ways OF thinking. 1t is one thing to admit that
the Koran contains some lofty moral teachings,
and another 10 say that the religion of Islam
is TO be mentioned in the same breath with Chris
tianiiy. either "a a religion or civjliZng iniiu-
encc. \ l;tlc over year ago, we believe, Il
Moslem mission was started in this city by
renegade Christian who had embraced Mahom-
etanism. aud for a few mornings the Muezzln,
or MOscm call TO prayer, was heard in Union
Square. What groesque light is thrown on
that lntastic project by the recent butcheries
of Armenian Christians by Moslcm brutes and
higots,
II IL no answer TO say that Christians have
frequer tly vested the adherents Of other faiths
In the same way. For there Is this fundamental
difference between the two cases: Persecution
is utterly contrary 10 the spirit and teachings
of Christianity while II Is meritorous act In
the opinion Of all good Mussumans. Christian.
ity Is ever tending to throw off the cruelties and
hatreds that have sometimes characterized II
In the past; but the religion Of Islam is to-day
exactly what II was when Its great founder
started out to propagate 1t with fire and sword.
II does undoubtedly foster some estlmabc
virtues. a. for example. that OF temperance;
bnt as q moral and social force it is Of little
value to IL. world Indeed we may Oh further
and say that II is detrimental to the best In
terests Of the race II has with Il ~ spiritual
" uplifting power. In spite Of some beautiful
moral prcc'N's. 1t seems only abb 10 produce a
coarse anu canal type of life, oftentlmes mora!
and dccorots enough but coarse aud carnal
nevertheless. ]. has often INSPIRED is votarics