Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-30
FOUR CHINESE RELIGIONS.
Fight COnfucianism,
Buddhism and Mohammedanism

Missionaries Fight Confucianism,
Buddhism and Mohammedanism
Another serious difficulty the mis-
siOnary N China has to contend with
is the complicated form of the religion
OF the Chinese. Instead of one system
Of doctrines and teachings, there are
three great and separate religions,
dwelling side by side and with little if
| any friction or want of harmony. Al
| though radically different in their
origin, characteristics and general aims,
each seems to be complement Of the
other. A Chinaman may select and
follow as much Of all three as he
pleases, without being inconsistent.
The missionary has therefore to study
all three religions in their history,
doctrines and practical influence upon
the heart and everyday life or the peo-
pie before he can hope to meet them
on their own ground and answer all
their objections to Christianity. He
has three separate citadels to attack
instead Of one.
The writings of CONTIGUOUS are the
source whence the officials and iterati
derive their theories of government
and social duties. The ethics of Con
fuciOus pervade and influence every
phase Of Chinese life. The doctrines
taught by their most holy sage are
cited as the infallible criterion Of up
rightness and integrity in public and
private life, and were disseminated
several centuries before the coming of
Christ. They were not original with
C0nfuctus, but rather the teachings of
the ancient kings and sages, who
fOurished in the far-off Golden Age of
China, when the evils of bad govern
ment were unknown and when the
Chinese seem to have recognized and
Worshipped the true God Confucius
confessed to be only a reformer, a
transmitter, and not the author of a
new religion. But it is almost i'm
possible to estimate the enormous ho,d
this system with its time-hOnored clas-
sizes now has upon the educated and
thinking men of China. It's teachings
are Of a high moral order, yet they
are as much disregaTded in everyday
affairs as Christ's teachings are disre-
garded among ourselves. The Chinese
know what is right, but fail utterly to
practice it.
Then there is Taoism, the second
form of religious faith and practice,
originating with the philosopher Tao
list in the century when the Jews re-
turned from Babylon. It's ancient
classic, the Tao-teh-king, comes nearer
to the philosophy Of our Old Testa-
ment teachings than any other book in
the world. Had this system remained
in it's original purity it would have
served as an excellent basis for Chris
tianity. Unfortunately the Taoists
went astray, hunting for the philoso-
piers stone, the elixir of immortal
ity with other vague conceptions, and
then fell into the grossest superstitions
and demOnOlatry. The evil influences
of modern Faoism upon Chinese soci-
ETY. are tremendous, and it is greater
C0nfucianism
These two great religions, Confu-
ciansim and Taoism, did not satisfy
the longings of the soul of the China
man, nor did they afford comfort or
s0lace in the many troubles and sor-
rows Of life. To supply this want
Buddhism came from India some time
before the birth of Christ, but it was
not until shortly after that event that
the emperor Ming-ti had his wonderful
dream, and as a result sent messen-
gers to India to invite Buddhist teach
ers. After experiencing many vicissi-
tudes, Buddhism became firmly estab-
lished. The worship of Amida Buddha
with the Goddess Of Mercy became
prevalent, while temples and mOnas-
teries, priests and nuns were soon to
be found everywhere The Western
Paradise, the Buddhist Hells. the
| transmigration Of souls, the vegetarian
diet, the doctrines of Karma and Mir
vana, and the worship Of the goddess
Kwan-yin, who has power to save and
to bestow sons upon her votaries, are
all SO firmly engrafted on the ordinary
! Chinese mind that it seems impossible
! that they should be modified, much less
! effaced by the teachings of Christian
! ity. Yet the missionary is expected to
go forward boldly to attack this giant
| also, in the name Of the Lord, and
armed only with his sling and his
| stone.
| LAS if all these difficulties were not
| sufficient, Buddhism had hardly settled
/ down tremendously with it's two sister
! religions when Mohammendanism en-
tered the empire, pushing its way into
! imperial notice with great effect, and
! contesting with its monotheistic doc
! trine against the corrupt religious
| practices that had grown up in the
! other three divisions. It came to stay
in spite Of numberless prosecutions and
! TebelliOns in which millions of Moham-
medans have been put to death. Most
Of the MOsIem Chinese now occupy a
very strong position in the whole of
| northwest China. Others are scattered
over the face Of the empire, many of
! them being rich and enjoying official
positions. Although opposed to the
main features Of Christianity, the Mo-
hammedan faith is not entirely with
ont its advantages to the work Of the
Christian missionary. The denuncia-
| ton Of all idolatry, the worship Of
the true God, the observance Of the
Mohammedan Sabbath, and the teach