Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-09-26

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
ried 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 a 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
leader Of a 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.
Accommodation 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"
peaceably II there is no opposition. but
with the iron heel. II 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 1t polytheistic because OF the
three persons In the Godhead. In or
der to account for Christ, the Moham-
medans teach that Just before Christ
was crucified, the angel Gabriel ar
ranged for some one else, who looked
like Christ, to be crucif1ed 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 a
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 1t
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 care
not" and Of those made from the 9TH
er lump he said, these to hell and l
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 sinfurnature Of Adam.
Second. sins Of ignorance are not
counted as 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
ent power of sin. To match this
strange teaching regarding sin, the
Mohammedans have planned a heaven
full Of sensual indulgences where they
expect to rest upon gold touches, be
attended by celestial beings and be
always eating and drinking.
The treatment accorded Mohamme-
dan women Is almost as severe as can
be found under brutal paganism. A
man may cause his wife to leave him
by saying, Thou art divorced" Her
duty to him Is implicit obedience and
reverential silence In his presence. A
Mohammedan woman's hope OF heaven
IL to have a husband and thus to ret
In TO be his attendant.