The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-29
THE ISLAND or CEYLON.
Rellgious and Social Conditions as DE
scrlbsd by O Christian.

serlbsd by Christian.
To rup rnvro. M TIVE suN-sir. Allow
ma to nuaa,ion aoms NJ the statements made
INV the vo,ns Gin galeae doctor In New York
in the co,,rss ~ an interview with repre-
serAntiva ns vonr nnner
PERHAPS Won nre not aware that DIR. Vim
cant Wire,nn iya Ia tina member of Christian
family in CeyIon. l met his brother. Mr.
" l. Wiuet,in1a, at the revival meetings
conducted hv me Rev James Lyall OF the
scotch A merican Free Methodist Church.
pe vns GREATLY NAMED that his brother, who
left Ceviop as n Christian with a letter OF
introduction TO some prominent Americans
from his parish priest, should have drirted
into heathen darkness in Christian America
The mass of ruins at Anurajapoora are In
such a dilapidated condition that they no
more than merely suggest the past greatness
OF a degenerated nation They are inter
estinR only from an arch gical point Of
view. and to the architect for their massive
workmanship and skilful carving. while the
frescos are equally interesting 70 the artist,
The civilization Of our ancestors is entirely
due to the favorable conditions under which
the island was placed, being rich with pearls.
sapphires and rubies. All the richest and civ
ilized nations Mt the time sent their merchant
fleets laden with silk. carpets. horses, sandal
wood. chariots and slaves TO barter Tor the
gems Though DR.. Wigetunga attempts to
prove that there Is civilization outside Chris
tianity. feel confident that there is ample
80 '" -" IL .,,,,,,,a,jon ond Christian
mere mercantie ci'h'Aa''oh anu VII 'e'""
civilization. ,,.
between a mere mercantile civilization ANAL
..". ~. .e,i..,aa $500, ,na chr,o-
gamated WIN renslous eh'hus'asm aho .h. Is
tian civilization which mas nghtened the
darkness of our beautiful island in the in
terror OF Cevlon: for the missi orary activity
n concsntrntsd in Tho tow -. md aSin,n,ng
villages rather than in the heart Of tn. island.
A majority Of the maritime Inhabitants
are Christians: chiefly in int the hex" Randy prov,
their waists. They dare not cover their
The ord;ns,ion Of the nriss,a =, the Siam
sect is confined to the hiah caste only. There
vaddahs tho do.oands NJ. - mo ahorioines
rsom n.ths s tss evna,on sos the reron
Of the cinsaiess ' people had n reached til the
brought r sad tdnE' to these un
dense forests; they cover their naEedness
sists OF tho f flesh Of wild animals and honey.
The cinsalese people are, generally soeakine,
illitsrate. small percentage being educated.
and education has greatly Identified itself
with evan Relizatlon The missionary schools
in the land are far more than the Govern
ment schools A large majority Of the sdu-
GATED classes are Christians. so much so that
the various professions are not represented
by Buddhists The central PROVINCES are
still ainOst neglected cOnseou emily the work
education II is impossible to emancipate
people from heather darkness and their cus-
toms and habits.
Pail Cthe language in which the sacred
books are written) and Sanskrit 1.-The Ian
guage in which the medical books are written)
are the cIassica languages OF the Gin Raiese
The priests alone are educated. Tho layman
knows more OF Christianity taught him in
the missionary school than Of Buddhisnn the
religion he professes Ignorance has STEPPED
the Gin ralese in superstition. 40 that In time
Of illness ne has greater faith In deyil-cere-
incantations from tbs sacred books ''"' '"'
DR., WigetunRa SAYS that Christianity
made women the scapesoat for az
buddhism. the prevailing religion q Ceyion.
OF women NAV remind him that in those
narts Of CeyIon where there Is stli heathen
5arkness one wife il brought for several
brothera He further states that the mis-
sionary knows nothing whatever OF Buddh-
iami PERTAINS he ia NOT aware that 9oeerlv
Snsnce Hardy and Conieaton ore leadine
authoritiee on that subject
Cevion IL one NJ the greatest homioidal
countries az the world: vet crime among the
Protestant Christians Is almost nil. This il