The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-07-07

He took for his
text the words, s'The Father of mer-
cies, and the God of all comfort
. Corinthians g.
The Pastor stated that when in In
dia, China and Japan last year he was
impressed with the intelligence of
many amongst those peoples He Wis
tied their temples 10 ascertain the sta
tus of the worshipers. Many seemed
sincere, absolutely ummindful of any
thing except their own worship. He
made inquiry as to whether the idol
was regarded as the god. or merely
MS reminder Of their god He was
assured that the idol WIS known to
be metal, stone, etc, and was used in
much the same way that Catholics use
the crucifx-not as woirhiping the
image, but merely TO assist in fixing
reverence and the spirit of worship
Our Creed Idols Worse.
Pastor Russell said that at first he
felt disposed to chide the heather for
the hideous features which they give
their idols. But little reflection
brought him shame md confusion. He
perceived that the crecds of Christen-
dom are idols. set before our mental
eyes. with exactly the same hideous
features as the tangible idol before
the natural eyes of the heather. Each
creed shows a slightly different image
of God, but all picture Him as most
atroclous character. more hideous by
far than are the idoas of heathendom
How could anybody make an idol
that would speak such horrible things
rs all Of our creeds portray by descrip-
ton? What artist could picture a God
celebrating upon the creation Of the
human family with provocative pow
ers. and before beginning His work
planning and arranging a great place
called He'll land some say another call
ed Purgatoryl, creating flre-proof dev
Ills to man these, laying up fuel to last
throughout eternity. and then starting
humanity with the foreknowledge
that thousands of millions would spend
eternity in those horror chambers?
No heather was ever capable of such
imagination and hence none ever pie
tured such a God. either In clay met
ais. stone or with pen. 1t remained
for the most cultured and civilized
peoples, who had most enjoyed Gods
favors, TO mIsrepresent Him most, and
then to carry those Misrepresentation
to the heather.
The Heather Know 1t, Too.
Missionaries have indeed reached
few, said the Pastor but their number
is small; so also their intelligence. The
more intelligent are agnostic. Chris
tianity has led them TO doubt their
own religions. but has given them
nothing instead
When some high caste natives learn
ed that the Pastors preaching differed
from that of the missionaries. they
sent a committee asking BIN to remain
longer and assuring him of audiences
of the higher caste natives. They ex-
planned that they could not receive the
white mans religion because it plctur-
ed a God so terrible and so unjust as
TO be repucnant to their minds Their
own religion taught them to be kind,
even to dumb brutes.
The Pastor felt Obliged to apologize
for all Christendom. He explained that
certain parallels and symbolic pas
sages have been misunderstood: and
while we bad the best intentions, ST
tan has kept Christeudom in darkness.
aud led rs to picture In our creeds u
God who was unjust unloving, and
using His Power contrary TO every
principle Of righteousness.
He told them, further. that the dawn
Of the New Age is upon us. the thou
sand years Of Christ's Reign. Gods |
faithful people are gradually coming |
to better understanding Of the BIZ
BILE He urged them TO cling TO the 81 |
bic and assured them that he was |
endeavoring to arrange so that they |
may get better understanding of |
what the Bible really teaches.
Good Tdinss to Every Nation.
Pastor Russell's visit to foreign lands |
was strictly in the interests of the true
Iiospel-"Go0d tidings of great JOY"
The Association has had sermons
translated into Japanese. Korean, Chi |
nese. and the six principal languages
IF India, and millions of copies are in
The hands Of the people Considerable
fresh interest has been aroused reo-
pie in those lands have begun to study