Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-02-28
Is Christianity True or False
The Real issue in Missions

ST. Augustine says, He who conceals
useful truth is equally guilty with the
propagation of an injurious falsehood."
The proposition is self-evident; for the
concealment a truth, which, II publish
ed. would dispel error. shows that he who
conceals 1t is not deeply devoted to truth
nor profoundly opposed to falsehood.
Such a person lacks both faith in truth
and love for truth. He does not regard
1t as an Indispensable thing to be sought
at all cost, nor does he esteem it as a
sacred thing to be defended with all
courage, He does not look up to it as
having a sovereign right to occupy ex-
clusively the whole domain of human in
telligence; he is ready to concede certain
areas to falsehood for occupation by err
ror. In his inmost soul such man really
has no reverence for truth nor aversion
to falsehood.
These principles are applicable to truth
of every sort in all its forms. There is
no useless truth nor useful error, and a
truth-loving soul stands for the truth
in all fields and opposes error every
where. But some truths are higher than
others; some are more Indispensable to
life than are others, and more influential
IN shaping human destiny. Mathematical
truth, for example, is important; but
there are mathematical truths of which
men may be ignorant without impairing
their characters or imperiling their well
fare. This, however, is not the case
with moral truth. In the region of moral
and religious truth there is not a prin-
ciple of which men may be ignorant
without injury to their lives in this
world and in the world to come. Moral
and religious principles concern our rela-
tions to persons, both divine and hui
man, and ignorance of them or indiffer-
ence to them is fatal to life. To with
hold moral and religious truth from those
who have 1t not. is, therefore. treason
to God and inhumanity to man. 1t is to
deny to human souls the vital atmos-
phere without which they can not breathe
and live. 1t is to allow suffocating false
hood to do its deadly work of sitting vir-
tue and smothering hope.
In the consideration OF these princi-
pies we find the basis OF the work of
foreign Missions, and in them we dis
cover the nature of the issue involved
in that work 1t proceeds on the theory
that the christian religion is true, and
that the faiths of heathendom are so
far false that they mislead and destroy
men. If we doubt the truth of christian
ity, or If we accept pagan cults as true,
of foreign missions. At bottom therefore,
the real issue in foreign missions is
whether christianity is true or false, and
the great enterprise of foreign missions
is bringing this issue home to the hearts
of processing christians as never before.
1t is a testing issue which reveals the
very inmost thoughts of men as to the
religion which they profess to believe.
1t uncovers shanis and hypocrites in
that it shows through their opposition to
foreign missions their utter lack OF faith
in christianity. The doubt which they
have disguised to friends and neighhors
Is disclosed by their unwillingness to
have the religion of Christ propagated
throughout the whole world. If they real
ly believed in their hearts that christian
ity is true, they would desire its speedy
proclamation in all lands and its prompt
acceptance by all souls. Nor would they
sickle about preaching the gospel at
home first before going to other lands
with it." man who believes that he
has in his possession an important
truth, never seeks to hold 1t within geo.
graphic limits. A statesman having an
economic or governmental truth. which
he genuinely believes, will not tarry In