Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-12
RELIGIOUS WORK IN jAPANiS
OUTLINED BY DIR. SIDNEY GULICK
Resume of twenty-five Years
Work Among the Japanese
Interests Many

THE Signs Of Ne Times in Japan
was the subject of an interesting adj
dress delivered before a large num-
Der Of persons by Dr. Sidney L. Gu
lick In the parish house OF Central
Union church Wednesday evening.
For the past twenty-five years DR..
Gulick has been in charge OF the the
illogical department OF Doshisha uni
versity, Japan, making him exceed
ingly well qualified to speak on the
subject As he said at the beginning
OF his talk, he could merely touch on
few Of the many topics that would
enter into such discussion.
After giving review of the social
and religious conditions of Japan for
the last thirty years, the speaker
showed the present day results OF
those thirty years and the needs and
possibilities Of social and religious
life in the japanese empire today
Dr. Quick is man who knows
Japan, and his address showed
mastery knowledge of the past and
present conditions. Coming at the
critical time in the international af-
fairs OF our own nation, the words of
a man OF seasoned judgment and ripe
experience in Japanese affairs are
, enough TO make one stop and think.
DR.. Gulick first called attention to
the fact that the eyes OF the world
were centered upon the new republic
of China, and said that there are
critical conditions arising in Japan of
Immense Importance OF which the
world Is not as yet aware. These
conditions he set forth In the follow
ing manner:
Growth Of Thirty Years.
I'm order to see the signs of the
times in Japan we must first look at
the spiritual background OF this ma
ton. Thirty years ago Japan was
where China is today, and since then
we have seen her row into a power
full nation. But during that time her
leaders have had little or no use for
religion. They considered it as the
Romans did in the time of the early
Christians. As for their own lives,
they had no use for them. 1t is
true that a gospel has been prac-
tised but ii has been a gospel of ma
terialism and practical philosophy.
They have studied an ethics of their
own, but Il is an ethics without a
substantial foundation, and it has
grown up out of traditions immemori-
al. This materialism resulted in lux
ury and Hcentiousism, and until late
ly Japan and her leaders have been
satisfied with this materialistic doc
trine. II has been taught in the
schools and anything pertaining to
the spiritual life has been dis
couraged. The only worship has
been that Of ancestral and emperor
worship.
"But lately Japan's leaders haze
come to see that their materialism
does not bring them permanent re-
suits. They are beginning to realize
that the spiritual life of nation is
the foundation. that will give il stabil-
ity. One of the first things to open
their eyes was the discovery of plot
to kill the emperor. 1t was disclosed
that 40 Japanese were willing to die
in order that the emperor might be
killed. In America or Europe. where
anarchists are continually being sup
pressed, such a condition would not
have stirred the nation as it did in
Japan, for in Japan the emperor is
worshipped and 1t was hard for the
Japanese to conceive how any Of Their
countrymen could wish to cause the
death of their ruler In order to rem
edy this lack of reverence for the
emperor, an edict was issued for the.
enforcement of emperor and ancestral,
worship throughout the public schools.
Teachers were required to take their
pupils to the sacred shrines of the
dead and make them bow in. reverence.
Each child was compelled to carry a