Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-09-07
WILLIAM J. BRYAN
ON THE MISlNTERPRETA OF
PROVIDENCE.
The Monstrous Theory Advanced That God
Caused the War in the Philippines in Aid
Of Evangelical Churches. Bryan's Com
moner Makes a Commonsense Reply.

OF Evangelical Churches. bryans Com
monsr Makes Commensurate Reply.
A reader Of The Commoner has sent
in a pamphlet printed by the Missionary
Society of one Of the protestant churches
which sets forth doctrine that is as
un.Chnstian as it is un.American.
The pamphlet describes the cohver-
sion Of Filipino some sixteen years ago
and the evangelistic work Of his son, and
concludes as follows:
Is this not one evidence that God was
preparing man to preach the truth as
soon as political and religious liberty was
given to the Philippine islands, and a
new evidence that God is using the wars
of our times for the evangelization of the
nations?
The person who forwarded the pam.
phlet takes execution to The Commorer' s
position on imperialism and declares his
belief in the doctrine that God uees the
thirteen-inch gun to spread his Gospel,
and no one can read the pamphlet with
out feeling that the writer OF it is be-
lever in the doctrine that wars can be
justified as means Of extending the
i, Christian religion. Not only that, but the
pamphlet shows that the main work OF
this protestant preacher is to convert
Filipinos from Catholicism to Protestant.
ism. Americans being. believers il:
religious liberty recognize and defend the
right Of Catholic to convert a protest
ant to his faith and the right ef a profess
ant to convert Catholic to his faith. but
to justify war ON the ground that it is a
divinely appointed means which enables
one part of the Christian church, or to
enable any part OF the Christian church,
to proselyte among unbelievers, is totally
at variance with our theory of govern
ment and our ideas OF religion. Some
have vaguely limited that our Philippine
policy can be defended as a missionary
policy, but so far as the editor of The
Commoner knows this is the first writ
ten argument prepared for circulation
which attempts to justify imperialism on
the ground that it is a divinely appointed
system.
1t certainly does injustice to the MEM
bers OF the great protestant denomna-
ton responsible for the pamphlet for the
members OF its CHI rch have given as con-
elusive proof, as the members OF any
OF 1er church, that they believe in the
power OF the Christian religion to propo-
gate itself by appeals to the heart. The
very fact that one OF the Filipino mis-
sionaiies desc ibed in the pamphlet was
converted sixteen years ago is evidence
that even under Spanish rule it was pos.
sible for the protestant religion to make
a convert. The fact that the convert
was banished not only did not injure his
cause, but really gave it prominence.
"The blood OF the martyrs is the seed OF
the church." is an old saying and its
truth has been shown many and many a
time. Persecution never destroys an
idea. The very fact that man is will
ing, If necessary, to die for an idea is the
most potent Argument that can be made
in defense OF that idea.
The pamphlet assumes that American
rule in the Philippine islands is neces-
sary to religious liberty. For it says;
During the year 1898 in the provision OF
God for the religious liberty Of the
Philippine people three events occurred,
% Pauline Zamora returned to Manila
~ Nicholas Zamora, his son, graduated
with honors for the priesthood from a
Roman Catholic college, and, (3) the
American flag floated over Manila"
1t is a gratuitous assumption to say
that American rule in the Philippines is
necessary to religious liberty. II any
reader doubts that religious liberty is
possible under Philippine republic. let
him visit Mexico, Catholic country,
and he will find that the Mexicans.
without the aid of any outside influence,
have secured and are enjoying absolute
religious freedom. Protestant churches
can be found in Mexico; while they are
not numerous and while they are not
large in membership, they enjoy all the
rights and privileges enjoyed by the
Catholic church or any other church,
and the protestant missionaries who 60
to Mexico are just as free to preach their
doctrines in Mexico as Catholic priest
is to present his views and the beliefs Of
his church to protestants in the United
States. The same can be said Of Cuba,
which is also Catholic country.
The doctrine that "God is using the
wars Of our times for the evangelization
of the nations" is not only an assump.
ton, but it is an exceedingly dangerous
doctrine. If those who believe in the
protestant form Of the Christian faith
have the right to wage war against a