The Seattle Republican., 1901-05-31

ern Drop It From Their R1t-
uals- -Michal G.. Mulhal Collects
Data Concerning Worlds Chris
tians - Catholics Lead The
World With Methodism a Close
Second-Other Denominations
Doing Well.
If the various religious denomin-
ations do not eventually do away
with "hell,' then they will come
pretty nearly doing so. The Pres
byterianS have already to some ex-
tent discarded it from their rituals
and substituted in lieu thereof "eter-
nal punishment" which is not so
harsh to the ear as "hell" Now
comes the United Brethren at a ses-
sion which has just closed and has
decided to strike the word ''helP'
from its ritual and substitute in lieu
thereof 'hades" For years different
Christian bodies have been advocat-
ing the discontinuance of the word
'Ehell," in the sense Of it being an
actual place of fire and birthstone,
as has mankind been taught for 10
these many years. Even Hard
shell Baptists and Shouting Method
lists do not take much stock in the
hell and birthstone idea and the
more advanced ones are now advo-
eating that ''helP' is the mere miss
ing of heaven and the subsequent
tortures of the soul in so doing.
Perhaps there is no such place as
''hell," but there must be
place of an opposite nature Of
hell from which those who do
and live right in this world
finally land, and even if the punish
ment there be no more than the tor
lures of the souls in the way of re-
morse for missing heaven, that
should be sufficient to prompt the
living to seek to avoid it.
Despite the adverse criticism that
Christianity is not gaining ground,
Michael G. Mulhal, the noted stats
tician, who has been at work along
these lines for good many months,
has finally given out the following
figures in regard to the increase Of
Christianity, its subdivisions and its
present status throughout the world:
Beginning with Europe, the fig
ures are as follows: Christians, 34S,-
100000; Mohammedans, 100000;
Jews, 6,500,000. In America there
are 126,4OO,OOO Christians and
100000 pagans. No enumeration
is made of Jews. In Asia there are
100000 Christians, 100, 100000
Mohammedans, 100000 Jews and
667, 100000 pagans In Africa there
are 4, 100000 Christians and 36,OOO.-
900 Mohammedans, 400, ,OOOJewsand
81, 100000 pagans, and in Oceanica
there are 100000 Christians, a.
100000 Mohammedans and AGO.
900 pagans.
Summing up the worlds religious
population, exclusive of the Jews in
America, the result is as follows:
Christians, 100000; Moham-
medans, 176,800,0OO; Jews. -
100000, and pagans, 764, 100000.
We are not able to understand why
the Jews in America are not includ-
ed in this table. Possibly the omis-
sion is purely typographical. We
hardly think it likely that they could
be included under the head of either
Christians or pagans.
OF course this enumeration is not
based upon strict lines. Mr.. Mul-
hall simply takes the worlds popula-
ton as he finds it and treats it broad
ly upon the score Of religious affilia-
tlons and affinities without under
taking to be minutely accurate. For
instance, he credits America with
1876, 100000 Christians and 1.3OO,-
600 pagans, dividing the population
between the two. Classifying the
population with anything like exact
ltude, we should say that America
ought to be credited with II, 600. 900
Christians. We seriously doubt if
there are actually this many church
members. Mr. Mulhall classes as
Christians all who are not avowed
Mohammedans, Jews or pagans.
Another table which Mr.. Mulhall
furnishes is one showing the relative
strength of Catholics and Protest
ants In the various missionary fields
OF the globe. India is credited with
100000 Catholics and 534 900
Protestants; China with 1,116,OOO
Catholics and $4,000 Protestants.
Siberia with 10000 Catholics and
10000 Protestants; Syria, 663,oOO
Catholics and 10000 Protestants.
Africa, 100000 Mohammedans
and 1,74O,OOO Catholics and 100000
Protestants.