The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11
HEATHER RELIGIONS.
They All Have a Basis of Genuine
Reverence and Worship.

r. Max Muller, in Fortnightly Review.
AT present ii may seem If a more re-
spectful feeling toward other religions was
slowly springing up, at least among edu-
Gated people. Brahmans Buddhist. Zoroas-
TRANS, MohammedanS, even Chinese are
no longer treated mere miscreants, and
their sacred books are no longer looked up
on as mere absurdity or as the work Of the
devil. But when we come TO the religion Of
so-called savageS. the general feeling seems
TO be that their religion is no religion at all,
but mere fetichism. totemism. spirtism.
and all the rest. Much 1 interested
in the so-caled book-reigion of the world.
ii has always seemed to me one of the most
valuable results of a comparative study of
all religions that behind these mere out
works of the religions of so-called savages,
whether we call them fetichism, totemism,
of spiritism there has been discovered al
stronghold of all religion. belief in God
as the Father and Ruler of the world.
You know when people talk of savages
they always take the people of Terra del
E'uego the Patagonians the lowest of
the low. Darwin has set the example. for
he speaks Of them as hardly deserving 10
he adds, is scarcely 10 be called articulate.
Captain Cook had compared their language
ing to Darwin. no European ever cleared
his throat with so many hoarse cultural
and clicking sounds: | have shown. on the
tionary OF 81, $50 words; and an Italian. Gia-
como Bove. describes their language as
sweet, pleasing and full of vowels." How
snail We reconcile such conflicting state
ments, and yet il is on evidence like this
that the most far-reaching theories Iave
Pn aR v gu hSt d hot religion
these Patagonian Savages, but IL prayer is
a fair index of the worth of a religion. let
me read you a Patagonian prayer:
20 Father, Great Man.
King of this land.
Favor us dear friend, every day
With good food,
With good water,
With good sleep.
Poor am l. poor Is this meal;
Take of it If thou wilt
This is a prayer uttered by people whom
Darwin compares to devils like those that
rush on the stage in the 'Freischutz.' A" To
me IL seems prayer in which ourselves
could join without much shame. 1t is not
an ancestral spirit; it is addressed to un-
seen Father. to a dear friend. the king of
their land to whom they offer the best
they have. though it is oniy, as they say
a very poor meal
it is easy TO smile at their offering poor
How could they believe in i God who h ' de
lights in sacrifices? But what should we
say II the very Patagonians We're to turn
round and ask us: How can you believe
that the Son of God sent unclean spirits
into herd of swine so that about two
thousand were choked In the sea? We
know how shocked Huxley was by such a
not the Patagonians be even more shocked
and more perplexed at the meaning of it?
world. such as Brahmanism, Buddhism.
Zoroastriansm Judaism and Islam the
tactics have generally been TO single out
some palpable blot In each of them and
then TO condemn them altogether Ii
seemed enough TO point out that Mo-
manned sanctioned polygamy to condemn
the whole of Islam while ii was forgotten
that nearly all the essential doctrines of
the Arabian prophet were the same as
those of Moses and Christ, were borrowed
in fact from the Old and New Testaments.
1t is well known that poygamy as prac-
ticed by Mohammed was an act of kind
ness for women who wanted a protector
who could not have lived in their country
without belonging to somebody. without be-
ms protected by a husband; that IL was
not. as in the case of David and Solomon.
a mere sanctioning of RIGHTEOUSNESS. In
the same way Brahmanism Is pushed aside
because 1t sanctions idolatry. though the
idolatry of the Hindus, at least of the high
er and educated classes. Is as far removed
from the worship of stocks and stones as
that of an enlightened Roman Catholic
WIKI regard TO Buddhism. the custom of
prayer wheels is often pointed out as the
worst degradation of religion. But / must
confess had little to say when a Japanese
Buddhist to whom l had pointed out the
absurdity of such a custom. replied: These
prayer wheels are only meant TO remind us
of Buddha" and when he added with a
smile. lis il not better 10 use a wheel even
when IL is moved by the wind or by water
than 10 employ. as you DO In your college
chapels a human being whose chief object
IL seems 10 be to get through the service
in the shortest time possibiey