The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-11-28
BELIEVERS IN GOD. JESUS AND
THE BIBLE.

BELIEVERS IN GOD. JESUS AND
THE BIBLE.
The Molokan sect is so-called ra-
tionalistic one, founded not on dissen-
sions upon subjects of purely Theology
icGl doctrines or forms of church rit-
uals, but upon discardng all the ex-
ternal accessories of the Greek Church.
The Molokans are Christians. believe
in God, in Jesus Christ, in the Bible
but they discard all rituals, all formal
ity in worship, all the idolatry and
pomp OF the Greek Church, which
works exclusively upon the imagina-
tions and superstitlons of the ignorant
masses. Any meeting house will do for
church for Molokan. Any place
is good enough for worship of God. No
external signs are necessary, as they
believe that religion lives in the hearts
OF men, not in specially provided edi-
fees They have no special priests.
Any elder of good life can preach and
solemnize wedding or funeral.
DIVORCE, LIQUOR AND TOBACCO
FORBIDDEN.
no divorce. Marriage is for life. Liquor
of any kind is strictly forbidden, as
well as smoking. They believe in the
right of every man to interpret the BIZ
BILE as his own conscience dictates. and
have and recognize no written books
on religion of any kind except the
Bible and book Of psalms which they
sing at their church meetings. The
few prayers they use are committed to
memory by the elders acting as priests.
Their only occupation Is agriculture,
and horse, stock and sheep-raising in
connection with 1t. They live In COM
munities of different sizes, the villages
comprising from forty to 500 families.
The land is owned in common, and re-
divided at certain intervals according
to changes of working forces in fami-
lies. Each village has its mechanics
of various trades-carpenters, black
smiths, tailors, shoemakers. In Russia
they produced and manufactured prac-
tically everything they needed in theii
own homes.
Notwithstanding the fierce opposition
of the Russian government to the edu.
cation of the masses, among those ZOO
people who are now in Los Angeles
there is not a single illiterate person
and they seek education as an abso-
lutte necessity.
THE CREAM OF RUSSIA.
BY all fair-minded men in Russia, the
dissenters among the present class In
general and the Molokans in particular
are considered the cream of the people
They are the only part of the masses
who know how to think and who dc
think. Any obligation voluntarily as.
sumed by Molokan will be carried out
regardless OF anything. Their word in
all business matters can be implicitly
relied upon.
The Russian in general quickly adapts
himself to any newconditions of life, and
the Molokans in that respect had a
varied and very bitter experience. They
have every time proved themselves
fully able to conquer even the wilds
have no doubt whatever that they
will quickly acquire the necessary
knowledge of local conditions and
grasp what is really wanted. Culture
of sugar cane is new to them, but Il
is so simple, that with intelligent SUI
pervision they will learn 1t fully before
the first season will be over.
NUMBER AND STATUS IN RUSSIA
AS to their numbers in Russia, they
can be only estimated. Official govern
ment statistics as to all the rational.
istic sects are very unreliable, the ten.
dency being to minimize them. Still
even the official figures of the last CEN
sus of the population of the Empire
In 1897 admit that there are about 2OO,-
600 Molokans in Russia. That figure
can be accepted as the possible mini
mum.
Outside of the compact settlements
In the Caucasus and in Middle Asia,
there are unknown thousands of them
scattered all over central and Southern
Russia. They are extremely dissatis-
fled with their condition there, and are
leaving daily for the United States
Once satisfactory location is found
their numbers can be increased at will
without any assistance except suitable
land.
The American press usually calls the
Molokans the Russian Quakers. In re-
atty they embody in their faith but
few OF the Quaker doctrines but, for
want of any closer comparison, on ac-
count of the vast differences in condi-
tons OF life in Russia and America,
that qualification perhaps may answer.
Honolulu, II, l., Nov. 25. 1905.