Omaha daily bee., 1912-05-18

10 Be drawn sway from the worship OF
one set OF words 10 another without be-
Ing convinced that the new form has q
more vital force than the old.
TO them. unfortunately, Christian
doctrine must seem mostly q form Of
words. since It's very propagation among
untruth, Christianity they say, was
permitted 10 be preached because Il
taught virtue: we find that Il teaches q
great many things which are not virtue.
such defying tho law Of the land; and
II Ia. IN fact. a political and not a re-
lisious propaganda Readers win make
allowance for the Chinese point Of view.
But. again, what has Christianity 10
offer 10 china7 The spiritual consoia-
tons and upliftinEs OF our religion do not
have the same appeal 10 people whose
fundamental idea Of virtue 10 stoicisni.
and whose mystical side has never been
developed
In fact. when We remember how little
the chlnarran 10 aware Of his own need
OF religion. II is hard to formulate in
words any exact spiritual benefit which
we can promise him In exchange for
ons-chel'sheu customs ana uadiuons'
~ so''ow an e.pres.lon. inc eonvie''oh
" s'n snu ehe sonsns ior ssvAuon 90
NY shMr ln.o his purVeW or me- and
wnsn we rsileo. .naI many ,n'nss wh'oh
80 =. - - y"
things home to him.
But Christian civilization. without
J cs,a.. "a az - .s " on
s,,ass.,,s. ~. 49,. " .s
- as.'s", y. ~psu 's. .ne
| s,,- an ue@ ~
oss'u"ns ~ ore, soou iru'' si'er = 'ons
80 =, 49, ''sn son"ee.on Wi'h us
nA'su soeshe' .nu h's ssss was tne
e' ~. ee
~ opeuA, snuer o1i'e'al pauohsss,
:. s'se'ei .onese eNeh ~ rekihs. pro-
n,o'eu MISSIONARIES out secular IN
one o' inc signs OF new
o.osf OF .nInss' ~ must De rsmsmbered
'nat surnea WORE mas been greatly
numbered py me Chinese hatred OF mutila-
uon, "ien rendered operations In hos
p''as inc SUBJECT OF nishtfui misre-
presentations.
| rms most christian form Of teaching
the aiievianon OF human sufferine-has
mao 10 usnt hs way through many OBJ
Hso'es' ana has Illustrated well the vida
sun which separates the eastern ana
western modes Of thought.
1T 10 notorious that q nav ara has
begun In China, and that the new learn.
Ing 10 no iengsr 70 be desplsed. but IA.
become the fashion. The insecurity ~
the Manchu dynasty IN the midst Of th.s.
new conditions drove the court ana ~.
fioials into an attitude Of great compl.l..
anoe TO foreign powers. and now wa sss
q Chinese Christian elected At the head
Of the republic which thu reform p.r,y
wishes TO essahliah.
Is this the beginning of n frssh era IN
the history Of Chr,stianity7 pesn,,s
everything. the Chinese atthuas. n.
false position created BY the extra-tsvva.
toriai rights of missionaries. the trans.
parent political designs Of tho.a vrho rr,.
tect Christianity. despite all these and
many othsr handbags. are ". We, 10 So
Christianity as a practical ana ess,c,.,,
force In the reslrth Of the Chinese peo.
lie?
Chinese philosophy and morality Az
breaking down Of themselves before th4
impact OF nnaterialsm. and dark as tia
outlook has been and stlil 10 for thu
prsad Of the dogmas OF Christianity,
there Is reason to believe that the efforss
u Christian man 70 raise the Chinese
tandard at just those points where Il a
owest-in humsnitarianism, respect fof
women. and freedom from DEGRADING
superstitions--will eventually win for the
eligion which prompted them a recoxnk
Ion which no mere Electrical propaxan,
ism could attain.
But the question Of religion IN chins
not. 10 the mind Of the writer, only
'oncsrned with the future Of Christianity
Trough the amaisam Of Confueisnl.u
.soisn. and f2t,ddhf.rn fxhteh for -