The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-01-04
JAPANESE ON OUR THEOLOGY.
How the Teachinss of Christianity
Were Viewed in the
Last Century.


At the beginning of the last centur,
an italian priest named Joan Baptisti
Sidotti was directed by the then Pop
Clement XII. to go to Japan and preacl
the Gospel. Sidotti reached Japan II
six years and landed along the soutl
shore of Kyushu, the southern island OF
the japanese group. He was dressed in
Japanese clothes, wore a sword and had
his hair dressed in the japanese man
ner. He had procured the costume
and sword in Manila, where there were
many Japanese. This happened in the
year 1909 A. ID. Sidotti was taken to
Toxic, then called Yeddo, and placed in
confinement, but was treated with con-
sideration. He had many interviews
with councillor of the shognu named
Arai Hakuseh. He told Arai the book
of Genesis and Of Christ's life, but said
nothing of Christ's teaching nor of the
precepts of Christianity. The following
are portions of Arai's comments upon
what was told him, and they are re-
markable for clearness Of thought and
AiBAANAtJ anu VI SldltulGHLs
Furthermore, the teaching of the
west (Europe) says that Heaven and
earth and all things could not have
come into existence of themselves, but
that there necessarily must have been
in existence being who created them.
If, however, the idea that nothing can
come into existence Of itself be correct,
the question naturally arises: Who Gre
ated God? If, however, God came into
existence Of Himself, why could not
earth and Heaven have come into exist
ence of themselyes?"
ut sounds like childish talk when the
followers of the foreign teaching say
that the breaking of Gods command by
Adam and Eve was such great sin that
they themselves could not have expia-
ted it, but that 5000 years afterward
God was obliged to appear upon earth
in the person of Jesus Christ and ex-
plate the sin Himself. Whoever gives !
a command has also the power to for
give the breaking of that command. |
What, then, stood in the way of His
pardoning its infraction, especially as
the whole misdeed consisted merely in
the eating of an apple? Was it neces-
sary for God to become man in con-
nection with SO insignificant an affair?"
"The teaching of the west also says
hat God sent great flood upon the
sarth and therein were all mankind
drowned with the exception of Noah
md his family. But if God is the Crea-
or OF all things, and their great prince
md father, what reason had He for de-
troying His own creations? Why did
lie not make man in the beginning
rood and obedient to His teaching? If
ie did not have the power to do this,
ow came it that He had the power to
reate the world? And if mankind, on
he other hand, was created so stupid
s not to understand the teaching of
Iod, was this so great a sin on their
art that God, the Creator and Father
+ all things, should have destroyed
Sidotti having described to Arai the
uropean custom of crossing ones self
hen meeting another person and hav- /
lg explained that the purpose of this
lstom was to protect the individual
gainst lightning, the devil and other
se things, Arai remarked; at is very
that God, the Christian God. :
lould first have created lightning. the
svil and similar bad things and then
ught mankind how TO project them
Ives against these things. 1t would
i've been much simpler and surer not
have created lightning and the devil
all In regard to the supernatural :
e Christians appear to be upon the L
me low level as the common people
re in Japan"
The above was translated from the
'rman of an article written by DR.. L.
nholm, professor in the University of
'kio, and published in the Mittheilun-
n der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Ma
r und Volkerkunde Ostasiens, "a Heft A.
nd vi. Seite 1895. August, 1884, VI
Homing Pigeons Long Flight.
homing pigeon owned at Church. in