The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-10-05

L .
men Here come the nGltitu6eS st
special ssaSo2S and festivals 10 praise
their mighty protectors. and 20 pray
for the blessings desired
Who thar has seen these wor~
SSirSrS can Go0es the Esai and the
sar1sSSrsSS of many q thsmS See thai
r,oShsr with her infant Soa tied on
her hack with folded hands and ~
rsatsG elSppingS she Is hsSssching the
powerful spirit whose shrine this is
for the recovery, il may BE-. % some
loved one 81 ho1s. rauttsrinS cease
les mystic SyilahlsS, Manu- AniGS
ButSu. Manu- AroiiS ButSn- See how
faithfully that Young woman with teSr-
f1l eyes Is Elling up the number OF
her prayers, making the hundred cir
clss OF the temple sound. Behold yon
lspsr. amounting his Srnitrsn body with
the sacred incense ashes and holy wa
ter. Intoains the while with monotoa-
Gus voice the single prayer, Manu- MyO
He Zen Go kyo- And what means
that chorus q many voices ~ the tomb
o. Kate hiyo MSSa. the general who
three hundred Years ago conquered
kC-s&g Il i the united PRAYER Of poor
possessed victims 70 rhs divine hs&lSr
who has the power 70 cast out the Spir-
its q tie fox. the badger and OF other
animals and even the spirits Of evil
men and q demons The prayers in
toned with The beat Of 3 drum, con-
tiuus with Increasing vehsnsnes until
one or more OF those possessed over
taken With violent commissions. Loses
al consciousness OF himself &nd his
surrourGirgs-S0m form. doubtless,
q hypnotic trance
Or should We visit. strictly BuGdhfS-
c5e temples we should see idols fnnu-
-srabls. OF kw2nnon. The Goddess OF
Mercy. with her many hands OUT
stretched 70 Szvs; q Buddha himself.
seated in calm meditation Of the Shi-
tsnnO. who guard the four quarters OF
/ heaven 10 keep the demons from dis
/ rurbins Buddhz'S Nirvana. These,
with u,ulritudeS mere Of idols snd So
cred objects. claim the devotion OF pi-
Gus wOrshiuers- Fur although Buddh2
himself rejected all belief in superior
f beings or GODS who could help men in
{ the battle Of life. il Is the irony of
history that popular Buddhism, wheSh-
er in japan or in ether lands, is grOSS-
" poIyUhsiSrtc and iGOlatrOGS-
But with 2Il the holy objects and
zods offered the piouS wOrshiper By
Shintolsm and Buddhism. We have not
ysC exhausted the list Of the ways in
which The demand Of the human heart
for : suitable expression Of its Utmost
needs has found uttsranee- In every
ncc-ChriSCizn home in Japan you will
ind the kamiGan2" or gOd-shelf;
hers each night Sre placed the little
oil lights before the ancestral tablets
And 81 stated periods the entire family
will Szrhsr before these memorial tab
/ lets and offer formal worship 10 the
shirts Of their departed ancestors,
Who though unseen are thought 10 be
actually present
What now Is the attitude Of Christ
and his g1Spsl 70 al this polytheiSIic
Worship Is II only wrong. and
wholly wrO1g9 Must II be condemned
and destroyed. root and branch? Is
I there nothing IN 1t We can apprOyeE
Al what I convincing testimony II Is
TO the need the profound need OF the
heart with its QuenehlesS. unS4EiSfed
{ TC1singss What an aching void Is
-csre. How man longs for blessings
aid peace and Tor assurance IN his
/ troubles and doubts in his efforts and
{ fisappointuents and gTisfsl
But before answering my question,
{ Z would call your attention 70 the fact
t1zr these poIytheistie native religions
are doomed 20 surs destruction: and
/ the hand that destroys them is 70 be
The relentless hand Of science IL Is not
/ svanssIisric activity nor missionary
/ work. rather II Is occidental science
/ and civilization that viii bring them
I 70 ths+r inevitable doom The more
/ than 80 600 public schools 10 be found
I today II al parts OF this far Eastern
I Land with their 10000 normal trained
| school teachers and with more than
z four and ouehzf million pupils, OF
-hor one and oz-half millions are
I sirIs-sehooIs devoted "a the principles
I Cf Western learning teaching chemis-
~ and physics anatomy and aSIron-
I ony-these ara undermining the old
faiths and oyerLhrowing the old super
4 stirutfo1s Is 10 protestant schools or
evaugzlistic preaching could ever hope
70 do.
/ Can IL continue 70 worship the sun
Who has learned that II : but mighty
molten mass Of ustter7 Can he still
I =orsnfu the OCEAN who has learned
/ that all its tides and storms are ruled
not a he had supposed By : multitude
/ Of zodst but By fnfz1iole laws, most OF
which are veil known 10 man? Can he
3 continue IN the old-Iims way 70 Eor-
/ shin the shirt Of ancestors who finds
10 possible place for their active
agency il this world Of kw2 Impos-
zfb-e- and as z consequence, there are
today in japan millions Of the upper
and efuczted eIzsses Who do not |oT-
ship
I Modern civilization. With its science
and law with lis trzrsIztio1s Of Spea-
cer and Tyudzu and HuLleE, has de-
z-roysd tha belief OF the educated in
I The Old objects q worship, and las
10 substitute 70 offer. No. NJ friends.
I Il i lot Christianity that i 10 say,
formal organized eTzngeIistie Chris
rfzufry. which has Destroyed and Is
{ continuing 20 DESTROY the old ethnie
religions. and with them the social
z-ructure bzsed UPON them Be not
/ Deceived Il L occidental. that l. 10
( zzy- Christian civilization and lean
/ fug- And these japan VIII have Ehsth-
g ~ seud them the gospel Or not The
religions problem which co1fronts the
I Orient Z not whether II shall choose
ths old OF the new religion; the ques-
L rfou L uot between Christianity and
the EEhrIc faith; the problem is