The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-15
Oppression of Christians by
M0sIems the Cause
A LONG STANDING GRUDGE
The Greek Orthodox Church the
Tie That Binds-Pan Slavish,
Pan Islanmism
-. (By the Religious Rambler.)

Wy LIN CIlS1Ou S I&1AlOiCI, .
There is a deeply human side
human because religious-to the pres
ent trouble in the Balkans. The ne
gotiations of the diplomatists and the
talk Of military movements obscure
the fundamental issue which has called
to arms hundreds Of thousands Of
men on both sides OF the Turkish
frontier. Four nations, erstwhile
rivals, have combined to make COM
mo- cause against their ancient foe,
the Turk. The explanation lies in
the strength of the religious tie. These
four nations, Greece, Bulgaria, Ser
via, Montenegro, are Christian ma
tiOns, and the motive that has called
them to conflict is the inextinguish-
able fear and hatred of their ancient
MOslem oppreSSOr. To be ignorant
Of the religious factor in the Balkan
trouble is to miss the main highway
through the situation.
Dramatically, curiosity, it is the call
h led the apostle Paul to cross from
Asia into Europe which has been
needed by the four Balkan powers
Come over into Macedonia and help
us" The co-religionists OF these
Christians have been prosecuted to
an insufferable degree by their Moslem
rulers n neighbors. All appeals for
help to the promises Of the Turkish
government and to the conscience of
ChriStendom seem to lave failed.
Therefore, the neighbOring Christian
powers who hold to the same branch
OF Christianity as the prosecuted
MacedOnians, are Offering armed re-
lief.
The "Great Idea"
It is simply impossible for a west
erner to realize the depth and inten-
Srtu - rl -
motive in Near Eastern life. In this
part Of the world there is no state
church, and a mans religion is sep
arate from hts politics. In the Levant.
however. religion IS all and in all
though by religion is not meant ne
cessarily personal piety. Everybody
adheres to some form OF religious
faith. In the four nations which are
now turning a warlike front toward
Turkey, the Greek Orthodox church
is the state religion. Having this in
common, Bulgarians and Greeks. who
not many years ago talked Of war be-
tween themselves, find the tie that
binds stronger han all considerations
that separate.
The magnitude of the Greek Ortho-
dox church Is surprising to Ameri-
cans, who commonly divide Christian
ity into Professionalism and Roman
III LIZ ACS1OA Ol4uSI ulS-
cussion both Of these forms Of Chris
tianity are comparatively negligible;
the mighty Greek Orthodox church,
which likewise sways the Russian
Empire, and which is as truly a politi-
cal force as 1t Is a religion, dominates
the people. There is a romantic touch
to the situation, for the Balkan Chris
tians all dream Of the day when Con
stantinople, the capital which bears
rho n 0YN NJ Tho G~ot Th~i<;o~ o-o
peror and which was once the CAPT.
tai OF a Christian world empire, shall
be wrested from the Turk and shall
again be a Christian city. What Is per-
maps the greatest church in the world
Is now a Moslem mosque-the church
OF st. Sophia in Constantinople. A
traveller through the Balkans finds
pictures Of st. Sophia in the homes
OF the people. It ~viSualizes their DO
Altical aspirations. One hears talk OF
the great idea" which rules the
hearts Of these men; and when inter
preted, 1.-The great idea" is found tC
be the return OF the cross to ST
Sophia, which is now Surmounted By
q crescent.
The Dividing Line Of Religion.
Religion regulates life in tn.
Levant: it separates the adherents O.
different religions in a single city int
there is a Greek quarter, IN Armen
fan quarter, and a Moslem quarter fl
Constantinople. Servants Of differen
religions often will not work or ca
together. The Moslem C~ircassian
have moved from Russia into Turke:
in great numbers simply because the:
want to be under the caliph. On tn
other hand, h Christians In Cret
are in constant ferment and protes
because they do not want to be unde
the Turkish government which favor
Moslems and Expresses Christian.
How sharp h dividing line Is ma
be seen by the figures from the pow
ers involved. Bulgaria, which, llk