The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-19

Ine (nlneSe .SnFlStlan AHuIch VI AHc
ture VIII Be Different In Form From
Western misunderstanding Cannot
Understand Why There Should Be q
Southern Methodist Church and An
English Baptist Church.
(By The Religious Rambler.)
Amid the uncertainties OF the present
Chinese situation only one thing is sure,
and that is, that reform Will win no mat
ter which party comes out on top. New
China will be a westernized China. Now
the startling probability arises that new
China may be officially a Christian ma.
ton. This is the proposition Of some OF
the young leaders, as we'll as of some
of the high Picking officials.
All Of China is eager to take on the ives
tern ways. Newspapers, the telegraph and
telephone, and postal system, railways.
street cars, automobiles and bicycles-all
these are now welcomed. Queues are be
ing cut foreign style clothes, which means
European dress, are being adopted by the
progressives. There is real reason to be-
Iieye that a clear break with the old faiths
of Buddhism and Taoism may be made, at
least so far as this can be done by gov
numerous Christians among the reformers
have their way, Christianity may be pro
claimed as the state religion.
Old China and The New Faith.
Even if the revolution had not broken
out, it is extremely likely that the Picking
cabinet would have proposed this reform
for itself. Less than six months ago, His
Excellency, Chow Tze Chi, one of the high
officials in Picking, declared Buddhism and
Taoism are practically dead. The time
has come for China to adopt a new ma
tional religion. The people need the re-
stra;nt and stimulus of a spiritual force
to keep them steady during this transition
period; SO that they may not run off into
materialism and anarchy. as in Japan. I
favor adopting Christianity as the national
religion. 1t is the religion Of democra-
cies."
This official was not himself a Chris
tan. Nor was he of the school which bids
represented that group Of fa~r-sighted
statesmen who observe that China needs
the conserving and inspiring power of a
vital religion, even more than she needs
the appliances of the Occident.
Ccnfucianism Not a Religion.
This same man went on to say that Con
fucianism IS not a religion. and that there
is nothing Inconsistent with Confucianism
in the adoption Of Christianity. Contrary
to the popular impression, this is quite
true and the belief Of many missionaries.
The one sticking point IS what lnterpre-
tation shall be placed upon the Confucian
teaching Of reverence for ancestors. Some
missionaries say that reverence for ances-
tors does not necessarily imply, worship
nese philosophy in this respect as a real
Interpretation Of Christianity's teaching.
Certain OF the older school Of Chinese
statesmen, like Chang Chih Tung. insist
ed that Confucianism was a religion and
should be China's only religion. As a mat.
ter Of fact. CONTIGUOUS himself disclaimeu
any intention Of founding a religion. His
was a system Of ethics which may be en-
tirely supplemental to Christianity
Therefore, to adoptx the faith Of the
West would not necessarily mean to sur
China's thought and life for more than
two thousand years.
A Crisis for Missions.
American and British leaders in mis-
about vast Establishments as a conse-
quenee of the present revolution. They
see in the unsettled state Of the country,
and in the practical stoppage of mission
work in all the interior Of China, an op-
portunity for the re-alignment of the mis-
sionary forces, and an entire reconsider
alton of the whole question Of Chinese
Most OF the missionaries have been sum-
moned by their consuls down to the coast
and to the port cities on the Yangtze.
Free from their accustomed labors, and
with no such tragedies to engross them
as those which disorganized the mission
airy body in 1900, the missionaries are able
to obs>Sve that ''aIl things are made new -
aud that the time has come for the TAX
ing up in the new OF the whole problem
Of China and missions. The questions Of
union in medical and educational work
of apportionment of fields; Of relation to
unoccupied territory Of the o~vercrowding
of missionary work in the port cities, may
all be surveyed in the new, and practical
by q fresh start made on a newer, broader
scale that will command the attention Of
the nation.
There should be issued an address to the
Chinese people, setting forth the claims
OF Christianity upon China, and it's en-
tire adaptabiEty to the Chinese character
and nation. A representative body, au-
thorized to speak for all the Chinese mis-
sions. to the public and to the government
and to the outside world, Is one of tht
serious needs tn t is likely to be met ae
the present time.
A New Chinese Church..
The spirit OF nationalism. which is re-
existed In China for nearly a decade. and
is responsible Tor the present existence
OF an independent Chinese church. Mis-.