The news & observer., 1905-12-26
Dr.. Moment on Rome's S
CataCombs.
JAPANESE FESTIVALS
Rev. w. Sakakibara Lectures Interest
ingIy on the Religion of Japan.
Strong Sermons and Beauti-
full Christmas Music
Sunday.
Sunday.

Sunday was a beautiful day, and on
preached, bringing the congregations
into nearness with Him who gave His
life for a world Lying in darkness
and the shadow of death. and to guide
the feet of the people into the paths
of peace" Strong sermons were
preached in all the churches, and the
sunlight of the love of God was
brighter in the souls of the children
of light than the glad beams of the
sun without shining ngod people
and had. flower and barre nrock.
In some of the churches there were
conversions. marking a new birth CO
Christ in the hearts of men, and there
was q marriage in one while a funeral
service was held in another.
The song and musical services were
joyful and inspiring, and hTndreds
of hearts were made lighter and hap
pier by the sweet words of stirring
songs, which have taken the place of
the heavenly voices of angels heard
twenty centuries ago. Raleigh possi-
bly, has the most delightful vocalists
i'm the State, and these women and
men sing with wonderful power fill
ing the mind, heart and soul of the
listener with thoughts and feeling
which do not come fro mearth
Two of the most unusual and most
interesting the sermons preached in
Raleigh were those of Rev. Alfred II.
Moment d. d., at the Presbyterian
churcn Sunday evening, and Rev. w.
Sakakibara, a Japanese minister and
student for the degree of d. D., at
the Good Shepherd church at the
Christmas carol festival also Sunday
evening.
Japanese Festivals.
1.-TWO old religions in Japan are
Buddhism and Shintoism. Buddhism
was founded by Buddha. the great
philosopher. who was born in India.
about 5000 years ago. He was a
reformer-social and Spiritual-his
sole purpose was to reform and he
degraded and corrupted society of his
country by establishing a system of
moral philosophy known as Buddh-
ism to-day. But as his doctrine
being so profound and mysterious or
binary people couldt not comprehend
it as such. so they began to take up
Buddha himself as a god and Wor-
ship him contrary to his will. Not
only so. but they also made images OF
their god (Buddha) and by and by
they became image worshippcrs.
Therefore. so-called Buddhism to-day
is practically degerated form OF
Buddhism.
"Buddhists are commonly very re-
ligious, or rather superStitious. AS
their faith is they are extremely obe-
dent and faithful to the dead. espe-
cially their ancestors who are now
dead. one great festival they OBJ
serve is called by the name of Bon.
Bon is celebrated for the reunion of
the dead and the living. The families
on earth are to meet their departed
ancestors on this occasion. The oc-
casion is. therefore. a mighty thing
for the Buddhists. This occurs in the
month of August-August IA, ID and
16 Before the evening of the 18th
all sorts of preparation is to be made,
such as cleaning and decorating
houses, yards and especially ceme-
teries. Graves must be we'll deco
rated with flowers and lanterns. And
nj the evening of the 18th, when all
is ready, two men from every house
go to the cemetery after the ances-
tors. one carrying a torch light and
the other bearing ladder, they
proceed to the spot where ancestors
are waiting them. AS soon as they
get to the graveyard the man who
has the ladder stoops down in
front of the principal tomb while the
other man is calling the ancestors to
come out. The spiritual guests, az
they call them. come out one after
another and climb up to the back of
that 1adder-bearer.
Then they, with their guests, go
back to their home where the rest
of the family are anxiously waiting
the coming of their ancestors. Every
thing in the guest chamber is ready
fer the guests-delicious things to eat
and to drink. The festival begins
very merrily for three days on.
about Shintoism. This is the ma