The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-15
RELIGION Of CHINESE
Is f.ot Worship but Merely a
System O. Ethics.
ioIaraism Is an Exec ption-dosIens in
Republic Are Very Numerous ano
Cs.out-F aith in Their Se-
lief is S-r-na in Them

10oy ICIlOw the SlEICdl tCceA-tAoS VI
Ccn1uciIs, the great sage OF China.
" H. lived from $50 to Al B. C. The
doctrine CT Confucius deals with mans
relations to man, and not win his
relations or responsibilities TO God Ii
can therefore not be considered re-
ligion, but a system Of ethics. The
true followers of Confusius can prop
erly be said to be irreligious, using
the word in its best sense.
Besides the doctrines of the sage
most Confucianists have religious no
tons, borrowed either from the Budd-
hist or Taoist religions, or from both.
These religious notions do not tend
to become convictions influencing the
lives of the believers nor to bind them
together in religious communities.
Worship, with the great majority OF
the Chinese, is an individual matter
One does not see people gather to-
gether in the temples for ensemble
worship. This condition Of affairs ac-
counts in part for the strange indiffer-
ence which the Chinese show toward
their own religious systems. There
are very few fervent Confusianists.
Taeists. or Buddhists. The vast ma
jority of the Chinese do not take relig-
ion seriously.
In this respect the Chinese Moham-
medans present striking contrast to
the rest of their fellow countrymen-
Excepting the Christians they seem to
be the only Chinese who are conscious
of having a religion and whose lives
are shaped by religious convictions.
They stand more or less apart and
aloof from the rest of the Chinese
Firm in their conviction that they
alone know the true God they despise
their idol worshipers. Many Chinese,
especially those who have been edu-
Gated, are ashamed to admit that they
have any religious convictions.
The Mohammedans, on the contrary,
affirm with pride their adherence to
the doctrines of the prophet. An Amer
lean professor in the Chinese govern
ment university tells of an incident
which illustrates the frank ard cour-
ageous way in which the Chinese Mo
| hammedans profess their faith. The
professor in question was conducting
a recitation in western history. The
! topic of the day was the rise and
spread of Islam. The professor asked
one of the students to state the lead
ing features of the Mohammedann re
! ligion. The student made a good reel
tation and enumerated the elements OF
strength in the Islamc faith.
The professor then asked the stu
| dent to point out some of the faults
| and Weaknesses Of this religion. The
! student answered firmly but respect
| fully, Il know of none; | am a NOLAN
| medan." Needless to say the profee
sor marked the recitation perfect. Ir
! the same class of fifty students tbs
i MOhammedan was the only one who
was willing to admit that he had any
! religious convictions. The fidelity Of
! the Chinese Moslems to their religion
| and the proud and manly way in which
they profess their faith are refreshing
to any one familiar with the indiffer
ence and callousness which the aver
age Chinese manifests towards al
things spiritual.
Mohammedanism in China date:
| peror Hsuan Tsung Of the Tang dynas
ty invited 1000 Arabs to come to hi:
assistance in a war against the Turks
By the assistance Of the Arabs the EN-
peror was able to recover his two CAPT
tails, Sianfu and Honanfu, and to drive
the enemy back to their home on thu
northwest frontier. The Arab troops
who had probably come from SOM
garrison on the frontier of Turkestan
never returned home, but remained
in China, settling at Sianfu, wher'
they married Chinese wives and thu
became the nucleus of Mohammedan
ism in China. This Mohammedan col
ony not only maintained itself, Blu
grew rapidly and became the paren
Of other Mohammedan colonies il
western China.
These colonists were greatly IL
creased after the conQuests of Jenghi
Khan had opened up a highway be
tween the east and the west. His sue
cessors Ogotai and Kublai Khan wer
probably the most tolerant rulers O
their age. During their reigns a foo
of Mohammedans of all kinds, Arabs
Persians. Bokhariots and Turks too
J advantage of the hospitality Of tn
Mongol rulers and settled in the leac
ing cities of China. These immigrant
mixed with the Arab colonists OF tn
: eighth century and thus formed
, body OF believers whose descendant
today number some 10000, 900 souls