The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-30
AS SEEN BY THE RABBIS.
The Value of Mission Work From n
Jewish Standpoint

| held in this city during the last week is
4 shown in the sermon preached yesterday
4 by two eminent rabbis. Rev. DR.. Pereira
/ Mendes and Rev. DR.. Joseph Silverman.
DR.. Silverman. from his pulpit in Temple
Emanuel, praised the missionaries for
being the advance guard of civilization in
many countries and among many peoples.
! but condemned the pill and tract" meth
DDS which they had taken into Palestine.
| He protested against conversions OBJ
! tanned by bribes." DR.. Silverman appealed
for the founding of more Hebrew missions
in Palestine to counterfeit the efforts Of
the Christian missionaries.
There may be some justification for
converting the heathen.'' he said. for
Christianity can give him in place OF his
idols a belief in a personal Saviour. and
can exchange his barbaric religious prac-
tees for uplifting influences of mind and
I heart But there is no justification for
converting Mohammedans. Buddhists. or
Jews, for Christianity has nothing to offer
better than their own religions"
Dr.. Silverman said attempts to convert
the Hebrews were an insult to their in
telligence.
We are now witnessing the great and
interesting spectacle of the church mill
tant gathered here from all parts of the
world to hear reports on foreign missions
and deliberate on plans for future religious
propaganda. Skeptics by attending the
conference can learn that the foundations
of a universal church are being laid broad
and deep in the enlightened countries Of
the world
We ought not to underestimate the
educational. moral. and harmOnizing in
fluence Of true missionaries in bringing
religion to the heather. in breaking down
idols and superstitiOns and giving the bar
baran the true idea Of God and making
the world a better place to live in. The
| missionary is the advance guard of civili-
cation.
But while there is much to praise,
there are features of the missionary work
that fill us with indignation. One is the
missions to the Hebrews. In Palestine
they have maintained churches. clinics,
| hospitals. and corps of nurses and doctors
to attend the physical and spiritual wants
of those whom they can entice into their
missionary stations. The clinics are pro-
vided with tables for medicines and tables
for tracts. They give the patient pill
and a tract and tell him: Here is medi-
would seem ludicrous If it were not for
the fact that the missionaries are very
serious in their religious fervor.
But the method, after all, is a kind OF
| bribery to induce people to leave their re-
ligon for the sake of gaining physical
relief. The method has been much con-
demned in this city. and to a considerable
extent abandoned. | heard a missionary
to Palestine say he encountered obstacles
as q missionary. but as a physician he
gained the confidence of those Jews whom
he sought to bring to the light of Chris
| tianity. He described the manner in
which some Jews accepted the medicine
and tracts. They took the medicine gladly,
! but reluctantly took the tracts. They
| looked cautiously around to see if anyone
was noticing when they accepted the
| tracts. fearing accommodation BY their
brethren.
AS | listened to this missionary. and
saw how his people believed his words,
| felt almost impelled to challenge him to
state facts without color of his own inter-
| pretations, ambitions, and hopes
We know the feelings and sentiments
/ Of the Jews the world over, and never
| doubt their loyalty to God and the religion
Of their fathers. The missionaries COM
| plain that they never get at the hearts Of
| the Jews. and don't know why. They
| never will know why, for Christians never
| can thoroughly understand Jews.
1T is true. jews in Palestine suffering
/ poverty and illness may for the sake Of
| their families take occasional relief and
medical treatment from Christian mis-
| sionaries. but il seems unfair. irreligOus
/ and un-Christian TO force the Sick ard
I needy to surrender their religion for the
| sake Of obtaining needed relief.
Sc int fol fo~ hn
! lists The lovers of Palestine should in
/ vcstgate the tactics Of the missionaries
| there and place the facts before the
| world. Political Zionism may well be
! postponed until We have remedied this
I crying evil Our present agencies for re-
! lief and medical treatment in Palestine
/ seem to be inadequate. and there is need
| Of providing Jewish missions for Hebrews
! to cOunteract the efforts of the mission
! aries"
| Dr. Mendes. Of the Spanish and Portu-
! guese Congregation. said: 1T is a wonder
/ full proof Of the possibilities Of civilization
/ to have in this city a conference such as
| has been holding its meetings within the
( last week. That delegates can come from
| all parts Of the world in the sacred cause
/ OF religion Is grand evidence of the on
| ward march Of humanity. 1t is a Christian
/ convention and it has special reference
/ to missionary work. All honor to the
I brave Christian men and women who give
/ up all home ties to go to strange lands
and endure any hardships for what they
/ deem right.
What saith the jew concerning this
! conference and the mission work of the
/ Christian Church?
To such conferences, to such magnif-
cent enthusiasts for mission work to
such earnest men and women. wha
[ are trying to gain the vast multitudes OF
/ pagans to loyalty to the Cross. the Hebrew
/ has this to say: Brothers and sisters, You
/ allege that Judaism was too repe!lent TO
win the outside world and. therefore. the
/ daughter faith sprang into existence II
/ this be true wherefore is il that there are
after nearly two thousand years Of effort.
such countless millions of human beings
who are MOhammedan Brahmin, Buddhist.
/ Confucan. or heather?
There IS not a single one of the So
/ called great powers of the world which
does not give the lie to Christianity today
! For where is peace and where is good
/ will when huge armies are held in the
leash and the ironcIad monsters Of the
( deep are ready to belch destruction from
their death tubes.
Can the uniHtclligent heather be won
/ over by cruelties and monstrous treat
ment to which they have been. and are
. subjected by French. Germans. Belgians
and Beers in Africa? The story of the
I Beers flashing Kaiir women with hide
whips was indeed a sad object lesson OF
/ Christian love.
Most Hebrews are better Christians
than most Christians are. For Hebrews
follow the religion Of the Founder Of the
/ Christian faith. and keep the laws OF
| Moses and the Prophets as he kept them
/ 4 few bad characters among the Jews will
! -I--.r. he found EaalN 10 hecnrnn .hri.-