The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17
RussIA,s ABHoRRENcE OF pAGANs.

The element of humor does not enter
largely into the Russian character, and the
tiresome controversy with japan is not
conducive to it, but fine flash of it ap-
pears in a statement Of a high Russian
official. A correspondent cables an inter
view with the Russian minister at Korea
in which he says that Russia would re-
gard the landing Of japanese troops in
Korea as an unfriendly act, and would de-
fend the independence of Korea against
pagan invaders" This is the first time
that the religious question has cropped out
In the controversy. Can it be possible that
what we call Russian aggression really
springs from her determination to become
Defender of the Faith. and that. her ap-
preparation of Manchuria and menace of
Korea are part of plan to repel pagan in
vaders?
1t is true that from a Christian point of
view the japanese must be regarded as
heathens or pagans. Their religious be-
liefs may be divided under two heads-the
Shinto and the Buddhist. The Shinto faith
makes japan the country of the gods and
the Mikado the direct descendant of the
Sun goddess. Buddhism is largely the re-
ligion of all Oriental peoples. and, while it
makes them sentimental and stoical, it does
not necessarily make them vicious. It's
teachings are calculated to awaken men
to a sense Of their shortcomings and cause
them to long for perfection. 1t encourages
90 L.,
migration of souls, and the highest reward
10 the true believer is to be absorbed into
Buddha and to attain to absolute perfec-
ton. There are good Buddhists and bad
ones. just as there are good Christians and
bad ones, and 1t may be that on final
balancing of accounts a good Buddhist will
fare better than q bad Christian.
But the Japanese are pagans while the
Russians are Christians. The latter must
be because the Russians themselves admit
it. The Japanese love flowers. birds and
nature in all its forms. they are bright
and cheerful people and harmless if not at
tackled or imposed upon. All they ask is to
be let alone. If attacked imposed upon
they fight like Christians. The established
church in Russia is the Greek Church, the
most corrupt form of Christianity on earth.
According to the Russian standard of
morals, a person can practice any FORM of
rascality known among men and still be a
good Christian-that is, a good Russian
Christian. The mob that massacred the
Jews at Kishineff and the local officials
who winked at the massacre were good
Russian Christians In fact, it was their
hatred of the Jews that led to the massa-
ere. The two Russian lawyers who prose
cuted the leaders of the mob in the recent
trials at Kishineff have both been sent to
Siberia Russian Christianity does not
permit any such interference with religious
rights-or, should one say, rites?-as they
were guilty of. In Russia the persecution
of Jews is regarded as Christian duty.
Russia going to war to repel a pagan
invasion of Korea-by the way. the Ko-
reans arc pagans as we'll as the japanese
would be the greatest Christian passion
play of modern times. Nothing at all COM
parable to it has occurred since the Cru
sades. The combined efforts of all the
foreign mission societies in the world would
be weak and feeble propaganda com
pared with that of Russia, reused by a
sense of religious duty and inspired by zeal
for the faith, going to war to keep the
pagans out of Korea.