The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-06-01
Continued from page %
SOUTH AMERICAN CATHOLICISM.
Methodist Psychology.

WShtS6t9@ SF@H0l09ys
DR.. Speer's "encyclicaP is an cpl
sode in the present controversy. Our
concern is with Bishop
Bristol and DR.. Rice.
One need not read very long the
addresses of the two Methodist mis-
sionaries before coming to understand
the peculiar psychology from which
those addresses are born. First, there
is here the intense pre-existing hatred
of Catholicism, and because of this
the readiness to seize upon every
straw that seems to tell against the
detested foe and quickly develop into
a weighty sheaf. Next there is the
absolute color-blindness, the determin-
alton to see only what is black, the
inability to discern in men and condi-
tons color of whatever other kind,
however much this color be bright and
shining. And, then, owing to the over
mastering anxiety to condemn what is
hated, there is the utter absence of
logic, of power to connect cause with
effect, to free conclusions from Incl
dents and circumstances that give to
them no support whatever. This is the
Bristol-Rice process of reasoning:
Catholicism predominates in South
America: therefore nothing there is
good: therefore what there is bad is
the direct result of Catholicism. Thus
conclusions are formed-conclusion
all the more readily formed, that, it
is foreseen they are such as will win
applause at Methodist Quadrennial
Conferences, and draw from Metho-
dist treasures the silver and gold
wherewith to replenish the local COM
missary departments.
South American DeIinquencies.
Delinquencies there are in South
of neglect of religious
observances, of unbelief in all religion,
of breaches of the moral law. The
order of the day is: see those, see
nothing else: report those, report
nothing else. Let us imagine for a
moment similar methods applied by
missionaries from South America to
our own fair portion of the Western
hemisphere: what awful tales those
missionaries could bear back to their
homes, with which there to regale
those men and women who stand by
breathless, hungering and thirsting for
evil sayings from the cities and fields
of Yankeedom!
Delinquencies there are in South
America. The order of the day is:
put all those to the count of Catho-
licism, no matter how much Catholic
ism condemns them, or labors to era
dictate them. Imagine a South Amer
lean, enemy of the several Protestant
bodies of North America, Methodism
included, using similar logic in max
ing up his reports of the whitening
influences of Professionalism under the
Starry Banner: easily would the re-
ports equal the fiery TRADES poured
out in Minneapolis against Catholicism
in South America
In parts of South America there are
situations, political and racial, that
have held in check the best efforts of
the Catholic Church in the work of
sanctification and civilization. A large
portion of the population is aborig-
inal: to have brought this portion to
it's present level of morality and reli-
gion was huge task. The order of
the day is: this sadder portion of the
population you must particularly OBJ
serve-forgetful of the good done
among them, with eye-single to what
has not yet been done and report it's
condition at that of the whole popula-
ton. Pay no attention to impediments
put in the Church's way by political
and civic strifes: for the harm done,
no matter how or by whom, blame the
church, calling it the foe of all pro-
gress, the author and ally of all decay.
Imagine, again, South American
ing the Protestant religions of North
America-seeing our Indian tribes, our
newly-liberated Negroes, passing by as
unseen the best in our population:
what terrifying tableau of useless
ness and prevarication on the part of
NOEIu Am0T1Cdu TEOL0SIduClSm SuOu1u
his book be, particularly SO, were the
tableau traced by a hand quivering
with hatred of Protestant sects, quiet
ed only when the lines it draws are
most sombre of hue.
Bishop Bristol and DR.. Rice deal in
generalities: no detailed answer is
called for, or, indeed, is possible, until
they provide us with their bill of speci-
fications.
Fundamental Doctrines.
Dr. Rice's resolutions, presented to
and later approved by the Conference,
charges Catholicism in South America
with depriving the people of the Bible,
perverting many of the fundamental
doctrines of Christianity and fostering
superstitions. On another occasion
have dealt with the accusation that
the Catholic Churchs deprives the peo-
nla of the Bible Az tn SunerStitiOnS