The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-23
CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA.


 partial Students.
 India differs from Japan in that the
 traveller in the latter country thinks he
 knows much about 1t before he arrives
 there, and after being there six weeks
 he is sure he does; while the traveler l in India comes in conscious state of
 ignorance, which consciousness contin-
 ues to grow upon him as the weeks go | by. The people, their country, their re-
 ligion, their social customs, their man
 ner of thought, life and religion arc all
 mysterious and inexplicabe even to
 themselves. How, then, can the for
 eigner ever learn their secret?
 A recent traveller and writer known well upon two continents, after q tour
 in this country, declares that hitherto
 the various marks worn upon the fore
 head of Hindus have been interpreted
 as race marks, but he has learned that
 they denote exclusively the caste of the
 wearer. Repeated inquiries over a wide area of southern India reveal no ground
 whatever for either interpretation, but the one and only answer obtained was
 that these marks indicate the different sects of the Hindu religion This shows
 the peril of generalizing about any thing.
 We have been taught to believe that all the native inhabitants of India are Hindus, but we find upon the ground that the people of this country are di- vided into three great classes--H Hindus, Mohammedans and Christians, not nec essarily a scientific division. but a workable one. These divisions are based upon religion alone, while the multi tudinous divisions among the Hindus are made also along caste lines. These divisions in some places in southern In dla are becoming the source of misun- derstanding and even conflict. They were established centuries ago and are supposed to be inHexible. Modern edu- cation has come in and is elevating some of the castes which were regarded as low, and for whose elevation no pro- vision is made, by the Hindu system. The result is conflict between castes, which has recently led to much blood- shed and is at present in the higher courts awaiting decision Even the courts will not be able to maintain for ever the present arbitary divisions in the relgio- social Hindu life.
 India differs from every other country In the world in four respects, namely, in regard to economic. social and religious conditions and ethnology Each one of these affords boundless opportunity for study, and the student who wishes to master any one in any measure must expect to spend years in the country. nI.1 Ip difficult by the fact that each one of these four departments acts and reacts upon the others, AS, for instance, in many cases, when a Hindu becomes a Christian, he must perforce change at once his occupation and his social standing in the community.
 It may be said, with some degree of that each one of these top ics, except the race question, turns In no small measure upon religion. Hence it is evident that the introduction of into India must work great changes in the industrial and social life of the country. We see upon every side indicatio that such transformations are taking place. It is also equally clear that no great change can take place in the social life of the people. l and that it will be most difficult to &C., much for their material i'm provement, until they break away from | 3 religious system, or lack of system, | that has brought them into their pres- ant helpless condition and which con- 1 fesses itself powerless to work any change. A thoroughly educated Hindu and an official in the gov ,rnment, told the deputation of the | American board that the constitution of | he Hindu religion made it impossible Or the Hindus to do anything to re- move the social disadvantages under which the low castes and out castes of india live He said, We regret our in ,blity to do them any practical good, md welcome the help that comes to hem from embracing Christianity
 Broad minded and intelligent Hindus Ire carefully observing the changes aking place through the introduction if Christianity into the country, and many of them speak with great free lom upon the subject Varada, Rao Avergal, B. A., B. L., assistant sessions udge of Madura, one of the very high st positions filled by a Hindu in this ountry, in an address read to the eputation in the presence of several undred Christians and many Hindu ,entlemen, said: "The Hindu who has dopted the Christian faith has won the pprobaton of the ruling class and the )ve and esteem of his fellow subjects n the manner of domestic life, in the ules of conduct which he prescribes to imself for observance in society, in the 1eals that he sets himself to realize, @ is a conspicuous example to his con- rere. who has not followed him in his hange of faith So. also. in the ma arial and physical advantages sur lunding him. We find his aims are igher and better conceived than those [ his neighbors." Much more was said ' y the judge in favor of our work, but lis quotation is sufficient to show how hristianty is regarded by many non hristians, who have studied it's influ nee upon the life of those who accept The most of these do not look upon
 as spiritual force, but simply as ,ligion that has power to change for le better the social and economic con tions of those who accept it. The deputation came out to study the 1 ission work of the American board, Id in order to do this 1t has endeavor- to become acquainted with the work ot only of our own society, but also of her boards working in India. The