The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-11-24
OF JAPAN.
BISHOP McklM, OF TOXIC, SPEAKS
AT ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.
WONDERFUL PROGRESS MADE.
Well Known Bishop Shows Many Points
of Interest in the Work of the Church
In the Orient-Nineteen Years
Bishop.

Few of us have more than general
hazy knowledge of Japan. Some of US
have read Pierre Lofts romance,
" Madame Chrysanthememe," and
have been entranced by the softn 70
luptuous life in the island empire; some
of us have read sketches of the war
between China and Japan and have
been impressed by the prowess of the
Japanese. Very few of US, however,
have interested ourselves in the spread
of christianity in the empire. 1t was,
therefore, surprise to those who
heard Bishop McKim Sunday night at
st. Matthew's church to hear what has
been done by American missionaries in
Japan.
Bishop McKim has been missionary
in the islands since he left Nashotah
seminary nineteen years ago, and can,
therefore. speak with authority OF the
life and struggles of the missionary.
"Japan,u he said, "has made Won
derful strides in civilization during this
century. In material progress she
stands prominent among the other ma
tions. She has postal and telegraph
systems that are, in my opinion, better
than ours in the United States. The
Japanese Steamship Company is the
largest in the world, with boats touch
ing at every we'll known port. In edu-
cation her schools and colleges COM
pare favorably with those of other
countries. In religion, however, she
has made no advance. She has more
ligion. The two so called religions,
Shentoism and Buddhism, are not re-
ligions in our sense. Shentoism is a
dedication of inanimate objects; it
teaches patriotism and loyalty. Bud
hism is an ethical system. 1t is spirit
ualism without spirit, philosophy
without sympathy, a world without
nature. The best Budhists will not
say that theirs is religion, but an
ethical system.
"Did you ever hear of Buddhist
home for orphans, Buddhist imbecile
asylum, Buddhist home for destitutes2,
never did until a short time ago, and
they are starting these institutionseIn
imitation of the Christians. For thlr-
teen hundred years Buddhism has pre-
vailed in Japan, it's first missionaries
crossing over from COrea.
"Three hundred years ago some
Roman Catholic missionaries landed IN
Japan. They met with success and
encouragement, but they joined in
political intrigues and were driven out
from the empire. Then followed a
cruel massacre and persecution OF the
followers of Christ. A law was passed
against the sect and every japanese
must once a year trample the cross
under foot. This law was in force
until 1889, when it was repealed and
religious liberty proclaimed.
81 know not how any American
woman can favor Theosophy and incline
to Buddhism, for by the teaching OF
Budha woman has no soul. Her posi-
ton is degraded one. If we complain
of the laws of divorce in this country,
think of those in Japan. A woman is
divorced by a simple bill of writing
from the man ard for the simplest
reason-she talks too much, she is not
a good cook, she goes out too much, the
mans mother does not like her. This
last is the chief cause of divorce. The
mother law is a. power in the Japan
csc household, and che wife is servant.
The woman gains a soul only
through metempsychosis, when by a
series of TRANSPORTATION her soul be-
comes that of man. In the Buddhist
Nirvana there is no feminine gender.
What fearful idea their Nirvana is
future of hamilton, complete annih-
ilation!
"When went to Toxic nineteen
years ago, the Christians were repre-
sented only in Toxic and Osaka. We
had forty five converts, no native
clergymen, no woman workers. Today
we have places of worship in forty five
cities; we have three thousand converts
and seventeen woman evangelists. We
have missionary station in Formosa,
under the charge of aJapanese clergy
man.
"It is a mistake to think that the
Japanese re opposed to Christianity.
I am frequently receiving letters asking
for men to tell something of Christianity
but we cannot respond, for wehave not
the men and often we have not the
money. Thirteen members of the leg
islature are converts and communicates
of the Episcopal church. When the
Empress received an invition to send
two delegates to the Woman's Fedora
ton of clubs in Denver, she chose as
the delegates two--of the communicates
of our church.
Commodore Perry, in 1854, opened