Blue-grass blade., 1908-08-23

destructive Of the best interests of human
ity Further, 1t is religion, and as much
so as the Christian system. Again, with
all the atrocities accredited to the Turkish
empire, it cannot and does not exceed the
butcheries and horrors committed in the
name of Christ.
But to the point in issue.
Munji Bey, the sul-General of Turkey,
is now in New York. He is represented as
a man of great force and character, which
he must be to be able to hold up Turkeys
end in the United States, considering the
attitude of Christian Europe towards the
Moslem countries. Munji Bey has also
given an interview upon the conditions in
his country, which appeared in the New
York World, in it's issue of August 8. One
statement in that interview impressed us
deeply. He said
For my part, although I was born of
Mohammedan parents, l am a free man,
a Freethinker, F'reemason, and my re-
ligion Is my conscience and my morality.
There are thousands in Turkey who think
alone the same lines that 1 do"
Accepting this as being true, we can
understand the strength of the reform
movement in Turkey At the same time
Russia remains deeply and sincerely
Christian. Place Russia and Turkey side
by side, cast up their separate accounts,
and which is the most degraded, the most
brutal, the most debasing and hurtful to
the racer Here are two phases of re-
ligion. Zach may be known by different
name, but in spirit and purpose they are
essentially one and the same. Born OF
Mohammedan parents, but now a Free
thinker! Those are startling words to
utter in presumably Christian country.
Perceiving the hollowness, the hypocrisy
and shams that permeated the Mohamme-
dan faith, and by experience obtaining an
insight into the same sins that beset the
Christian faith, this eminent Turk, instead
of following the course that has been made
SO popular by Christians, of rejecting his
own faith and accepting the Christian
superstition, he throws all to the winds,
rejects Christianity as we'll as Mohamme-
danism, and declares himself to be a Free
thinker.
To this growing sentiment OF Freethought
in Turkey, the Counsel-General attributes
it's humanizing tendency. Basing his hopes
and expectations upon the thousands" in
Turkey who believe as he does concerning
religion, he predicts a successful and bril-
linat future for his native country, and
the facts of history offer sufficient justifica-
ton for his representations. Once the
benefcent light of Freethought is permit
ted to enter into the minds of men, they
become more human in thought, more human
in conduct, and every effort is expended for
material Improvement instead of seeking
to encourage people to wait for happi-
ness hereafter, which they, by right, ought
to enjoy here. Present conditions, as re-
ported in Turkey, suggest that he is cor
rect The granting Of a constitution by
the Sultan, the abolition of many Moham-
medan forms and ceremonials, the increas-
ing personal liberty, not to men alone, but
to women, point to the truth of what this
Turkish official has said.
Fearing that he might be misunderstood,
misinterpreted and misrepresented, it is
said that he expressed the wish that in
the publication Of the interview he had