The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-05
Missionary Work IN Turkey-And the
Turks Work on Missionaries.

In speaking of the killing Of Christian milf
sionaries In Turkey 1t seems that The Augusta
Herald has brought down an old house on It.
self. The editor OF the Press and B4nnere x.
tends his sym paihies TO the Herald while con.
graduating that paper for the courage OF It's
con victions upon the greatest imposition mat
this country has ever palmed off on conhdipg
Christians. Good and pious people of this
country are wasting millions OF money on
missionary schemes that can never avail any
thing, except TO direct attention from our
own needs, and the resultant injury to the
church.
We copy this editorial from the Herald:
A little paragraph in The Herald has iur.
nished the occasion for a very severe curtain
lecture by our amIable and very straightlaced
contemporary at Americas, the esteemed
rimes-Recorder. s>every body Knows, ev-
erylhlng Is grist In the paragraphers mill. IL
Ia his business. II he can, 10 help drive aull
care away a little al least, by whimsical snort
line comment on passing events, ana ne taxes
greater latitude than the sermonlzer because
be knows that be will not be taken too &C.
riousty, except perhaps by some one predls-
posed TO fault hndiDg.
The little paragraph was to the effect that
"If those american missionaries had remain
ed at home instead Of trying to proselyte the
Turks In Asia Minor they would not have
been massacrtd" The s-Recorder de.
clares that "Tbis Is as unkind as 1t Is unjust
and uncalled for" and then breaches a hal
column sermen on the com endao e zeal and
fruitful labors of the devoted missionaries IN
the great heather lands OF Asia, Africa aoo
the Islands of the sea-" who have accepted
the spirit Of Christ's mandate to "G0 ye into
all the world and preach the gospel"
We are favored by living In a CHRISTIAN
land, where churches abound, and where In
all the churches (almost) the support OF ioi-
eign missions II one or the chief lines o
church activity. Vast sums Of money are co!
lected from our people annually for the sup.
port of these missions and missionaries, enc
money flows out OF the country IN an endless
stream fer thisp purpose, even while we reac
: OF sweat shop horrors at home, OF the armlel
! OF unemployed and OF the suffering and phys
l ical and spiritual degradation due TO poverty
and its primal causes In our country. Yet ht
who would dare to step out OF The ruts OF Till
time IGNORED custom Of this missionary ira
I dition and question is applicableness unde
, present conditions must do 30 at the peril 0
being promptly excoriated by some Root
. brother, who probably never has given tn
D subject any thought, and In this matter act
with the Intelligence OF the proverbial sheel
+ following the bell welher.
OF course II was very unfortunate that thes
e two missionaries were killed In that feartu
massacre, just ss 1t was unfortunate tina
those hundreds OF other victims we're Killed
. He must be a brute who does not pity thes
D u~nfortunates. But, is IL not true that II thos
O two missionaries had remaiDed at home the!
: would not nave shared the fate OF the otne
NlCIiuI> " lhI5 Seh sAS
!, be unjust?
lThere are no heathens In Turkey. The Arme
= mans are Christians; and the Turks are no
Christians. not because they do not know {
Christ but because they will not accept him
q No Turk was ever con to Christianity
unless 1t was for some loaves and fishes, an
none ever will be. Then the mandate quote
e 10 regard to missionary effort does not appl
y 10 mission work in Turkey.
j. The fact is that missionary work In Turke
does not come within the scope OF the Bib
Injunction. 1t Is misdirected zeal. The mol
q ey required for Its support could be much be
= ter applied in other ways, and the men an
q women engaged In this work could be en-
q ployed where devoted missionaries are wors
n needed or have q chance 10 really spread III
gospel. or course, II they prefer Turkish sts
I, lions this is their privilege: but II there, lib
% the innocent bystander In q family row. an
of them get hurt, II Ia true that this would NJ
have happened II they had remained ava
from u place where they really had no bus
l ness to be.