The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-01-17
a
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. D.

| L
| Los Angeles, Cal, Jan. 15.-For these
times of multiplied and conflicting
religious beliefs that vex and confuse
| the earnest soul the preacher in this
sermon supplies the only test whereby
the truth or falsehood of any religion
IL to be discovered. The text is Mat
thew v, IA, "Ye are the light of the
| world"
At no time since the beginning of
the world has man been confronted
with such multiplicity Of diverse and
even conflicting systems of religious
belief as now. Yet all of these sys-
tens appeal with more or less force for
| his acceptance and support. In the
! east Mohammedanism, Confucianism,
Buddhism and similar beliefs maintain
the ancient vigor of their creed in the
appeal to human credulity and super
stition, while Europe and the western
world have their numerous systems Of
creeds and "cults," each presenting its
claims for mans belief and allegiance.
Thus the great problem presents ITSELF
Are these systems of religious belief
and worship really eticacious? Are
their dogmas. tenets and creeds, their
ways Of thinking and living, their So
cfhl, fraternal or religious spirit as Or
ganizations-are these things what
they ought to be or what they claim to
be! Are their teachings true? And
how may we distinguish beyond all
doubt the true from the false?
An infallible test is supplied to us by
Christ himself by which we are en-
abled to decide as to the real value
OF any religious system. He tells us
that we may know whether its claims
are valid by its effect on the lives of
its sadherents. aye shall know them
bystheir fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns or figs of thistles? Even 50
every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit, but corrupt tree bringeth forth
evil fruit"
An Illustration Of this test is furnish
ed by the fakirs of India. The princi'
pie OF self denial is commendable, and
we admire men who sacrifice their COM
fort and devote themselves to service
for the world. But the principle ceases
to be admirable when it produces vol
untary squalor and filth such as are ex-
hibited by the fakirs. 1t must be a
corrupt tree that produces specimens
OF humanity 80 debased and disgusting
as these men.
not seem to me to be men or even wild
beasts: They were a lower creation.
They seemed to have crawled out of
tho darkest caverns Of an inferno.
have seen them with their matted hair
and filthy bodies; 4 have seen them
with uncut finger nails six inches long
and twisted about in all shapes;
have seen them, as John L. Stoddard
describes them IN one of his lectures:
"A combination Of beggar, fanatic, i'm
postor and spy. In disgusting sur
roundings resembling garbage heap.
q score OF these men were seated. en-
tfrely naked, upon mound Of ashes,
In which they rolled repeatedly. They
even rubbed the dirt all over their
bodies. which had been previously
creased In order to retain It Their
hair. matted with filth, reached nearly
to their waists and was painted vel
low. and on this they threw occasion
ally handfuls OF dust and ashes. A
sickening feeling came over me at the
sight OF this human degradation, espe
dally when remembered that there are
IN India more than million of these
half craEed mendicants and frauds,
who ara revered and almost worshiped
BY mult1tudes Of men and women, who
viii actually stoop and kiss their feet.
"Ars these the fruits Of India fakir-
ismr you ask. els that the result of
the oath OF poverty under which some
Hindooss worships Then I want none
OF IT. Away with tt Its fruits are
worm eaten and filthy diseased and
bad" BY the fruits found in the lives
OF the believers ye must judge the re-
suit OF 4 creed or system OF belief.
Not True worship.
Why do you not worship God as do
the dancing dervishes Of the east?
How do they worship himp you ask.
Instead Of entering little church, as
you or /. to kneel In prayer, they begin
to move around In a circle They keep
on eircling around and around until
your brain gets dizzy with looking at
them. They dance on and on, more and
more furiously. until after awhile some
work themselves into the most violent
FORUMS Of physical hysteria or In utter
bodily exhaustion drop in their tracks
ina dead .sWoons oh" you say to me,
that II no true worship of God. The
hoHGod does not expect any devotee
to make an imbecfIe out Of himself.
Away with the worship Of the dancing
BY the fruits Of d creed or
d cut, studied in the lives of the men
and women who believe in and practice
Il. yoh can Judge the truth or the falsi
u Of the teachings.
BY the same criterion according to
which we Judge the failures Of the
false religions the world Is to judge the
failure or the efficacy OF the gospel Of
Jesus Christ The Saviour, In the
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