River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-07-04

TENS of religion.
great care must be exercised in
searching for the points of contact
less we strive to make them points
for the amalgamation of Christianity
with the non-Christian system. Mo-
manned Is considered the last of the
great prophets who inaugurated these
| great religious systems. He was born
in Mecca about 500 years after Christ.
At the age of twenty-five he married
wealthy widow for whom he had car
rfed on business, by caravan, between
Mecca and Damascus. Later he be-
gan to have religious aspirations and
on various occasions while in seclu-
sion in a cave experienced strange
Authorizations that he attributed to
the influence of angels He consid-
cred himself constituted prophet by
Gabriel and took up the work of re-
formation. He became bitter against
idolatry and opposed some of the In
constituencies of his time. However.
as years went on, he became grasping,
which caused him to break his own
laws and do inconsistent things. To
| justify himself In this, he claimed he
had received revelations granting him
special permission to do them. He
soon took up the sword and became a
leader OF band of brigands. After
his death, Abu Bekr took up the work
and began the conquest OF Palestine
and Syria. 1t was carried on by his
successors until Asia Minor and North
Africa, were conquered. They then
attempted to get into Europe through
| Constantinople on the east and Gaul
on the west. They were driven back,
which delivered Europe from the yoke
of Mohammedanism. The conquest
then went to the east toward India,
and southwark into the Sudan In
Africa.
Mohammedanism is a mixture of
Paganism and Judaism. 1t is strong
| ly Monetheistic; teaches absolute pre-
destination and that only Moslems are
saved. It's spirit is rule or RUM"
peaceabiy II there is no opposition, but
with the iron heel, If necessary. Mo-
manned got his idea Of God from Ju-
daism. He took only the attribute OF
Justice and made a god of law to
whom he gave absolute sovereignty,
but attributed to him little interest in
the veal or woe of the human race.
Since he considered God to be but one
person, he became very bitter against
Christianity on the ground that he con-
sidered it polytheistic because or the
three persons in the Godhead In or
der to account for Christ, the Moham-
medans teach that Just before Christ
was crucifed, the angel Gabriel ar
ranged for some one else, who looked
like Christ, to be crucifed in his place.
Mohammed IN order to secure for him
self divine authority asserted that he
was the paraclete whom Jesus had
promised. He considered Jesus
mere prophet and inferior to himself.
He himself being the last of the
prophets of God. The Mohammedan
view OF creation is very much similar
to that found in the Bible. However.
the creation of man differed In that It
| is said that God took lump Of clay
and broke it into two pieces, creating
mankind from them both. or the one
he said, These to heaven and l care
not" and of those made from the 9th
er lump he said, These to he'll and
care not"
Sin to the Mohammedan is far DIFF
ferent from sin to the Christian. In
! the first place, sin has nothing to do
with our nature, for man inherited
none of the sinful nature of Adam.
Second, sins of ignorance are not
counted az wrong doing. Third, only
the wilful violation of known law is
considered sin. Their belief In predes-
tination and fatalism makes their fu-
ture fixed so that salvation through
atonement is not necessary. Neither
have they any provision from the pres
emit power of sin. To match this
strange teaching regarding sin, the
Mohammedans have planned heaven
full of sensual indulgences where they
expect to rest upon gold couches, be
attended by celestial beings and be
always eating and drinking, but never
satfated. Mohammedans look upon
the resurrection of the body as real
and literal. They teach that 1t will
be produced by living principle re-
siding in one of the bones Of the body
which viii be impregnated by a forty
days rain before the resurrection oc-
ours and will cause the bodies to
gprout forth like plants The source
of this teaching and of the Koran,
their sacred book, might be termed
mechanical inspiration They believe
the Koran to be uncreated and eter-
nal, the original copy being kept under
the throne Of God. Teh Koran is small
er than our New Testament.
The treatment accorded Mohamme-
dan women is almost as severe as can
be found under brutal paganism.
man may cause his wife to leave him
by saving, "Thou art divorced" Her
duty to him is implicit obedience and
reverential silence IN his presence. A
Mohammedan wcman's hope of heaven
fs to have husband and thus to get
T., ~ - h4a affandanf