The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-05
CARVER EXPLAINS THE THREE RELIGIOUS
 SYSTEMS OF JAPAN
Address Yesterday Proves Feature of Paptist En- campment at Pelham
 Heights

1
 religions that are non-exclusive, so that the same man adheres to all three re-
 ligions and worships in the forms of all. | But so 1t is in both Japan and China. After a brief summary of Japan's won derful rise from a mediaeval hermit na- | tion in 1854 to a progressive, frst-class power of the modern world, the speaker proceeded to explain the three religious systems of Japan.
 | Shinto is the native, hereditary religion | of Japanese as a Japanese. It 1neul- cates loyalty to the empire and to the Emperor as the embodiment of the na- | tons history and ideals It has priests, teachers. temples and shrines. For many | 1t is no longer regarded a religion but cult of patriotism doing honor to the he roes of national life.
 Confuciansm, imported from China in the first Christian century, is the religion
 of Japanese as man in the social organism. It emphasizes the obligations of the five social relations taught by
 Confucius, subject and Emperor, wife and
 husband, son and father, brother and el-
 der brother, friend and friend It is an ethical code for social life here and now. |
 priests. Thus far mans relation to the | purely spiritual world and his own fu- | ture life was left unprovided for. About | 550 A. D. Buddhism was brought in from | China and is the religion of a Japanese
 as spiritual being with a destiny Tn | future life. It is the most extensively organized and is more truly a religion
 than the other. 1t has numerous tenn
 pes and priests, schools and papers and, ] especially under the impact of modern
 ideas, has inaugurated an aggressive pro- | paganda. With all these systems there | is much confusion from which many make
 no effort to escape. Others seek to solve l it by further definition and sects have arisen. The latest Japanese census rec
 ognized F sects of Shnto and seven of
 Buddhism. So that denominationalism is present in Japan as it is in every land | and in every religion.
 | But there are certain forms of religion l common to most Japanese. Among these the most important are: | l. The universal loyalty to land and na-
 tion; patriotism is the deep passion of all. ?. Reverence for and often worship of ancestors.
 3. Definite worship in the home, at l shrines. in temples.
 4. Universal observance of priestlY rites | at funerals. Japanese, like Americans. are all religious when weath comes. and | want the priest for burial if never before. | The impact of western civilization and modern ideas has affected the religion of | Japan in all directions. Mainly the effort | is seen in three directions There is very widespread skepticism as to their old faiths and agnosticism as to religion In general. There men have sought sat | isfaetion in new sects. the most import
 ant of which is known Tenrikyo This | is a new religion known chiefly in the
 last 10 years, and now having not fewer | than five million followers It has appro priated much from Christian teaching. Then the influence of Christian missions ! is a great factor in the new situation. | The hundred and fifty thousand Chris l tians have an influence far out of pro- 1 portion to their numbers and are recog-
 nized by the government as a chief source of hope for the religious foundation for
 the future greatness and worth of Japan. Professor Gaines Lecture | The theme of Professor Gaines second | lecture was Memory and Imagination. | The speaker pointed out the fact that | every experience we pass through makes
 a real and permanent change in the brain
 and thus impressions are made and habits are formed which affect the whole sub sequent mental life. The soul has the
 power of living over again these past ex- 1 perences, and in this process 1t often
 is true that we not only recall the experi- | euCt, DuL We enIltn II as we i've llIOuS II | it again.
 1 Superintendent M. c. Reynolds of the I Baptist Orphans home, situated near | Evergreen, arrived here with r of the l little dependents. The arrival of these
 children affords opportunity to the | Alabama Baptist people to meet and see
 some of the good work that they are do- | ing in caring for and keeping up the Bap- | tist Orphans home.
 | Programme for Wednesday:
 Mission Study" auditorium, by the | Rev. MT Purser.
 Primary Sunday School Work" wom-
 ans building, by Miss Bowcock
 Junior Sunday School Work" tent by | Miss Forbes.
 | Word Religions auditorium, by Dr. | Carver.
 wv. M. V. Hour,' auditorium, by Miss | Metcalf.
 Personal Soul Winnings" tent by Mir. | Garland
 "Eficiency Hour" auditorium by Pro- | lessor Hendricks.
 "Chidrens Hour," womans building,
 "Quet Hour Service,"s auditorium, by I MT. Garland.
 Music, auditorium, by MT. and Mrs. Renolds.
 Home Made Psychology" pr. Gaines. Stereopticon, by pr. Phillips.
 Recent Arrivals
 The following persons arrived on late trains:
 Miss Phobe McVey, Miss Mamie Wal lace, Miss Willie Jean Stewart, Birming- ham; Miss Emma Ward, East Lake; John | w. Phillips Mobile; A. K. Wright. Ems ley; J. M. Head, Andalusia; MT. and Mrs J. B. Davie, Blocton; Miss Oda Palmer Birmingham Miss Annie Dobbins Line vile; MT. and Mrs Lacky, Ashland Miss | Annie Mae Gibson, Ashland: Miss Lillie
 Penn. Brighton; Miss Penn. Brighton; B
 F. Ellis. Mrs. B. M. Ellis. Mrs. R. l. Sutton, Miss Durway, Miss Virginia Dun- way, Robert Sutton, Miss Maud Sutton Miss Eulala Medley, Miss Teresa Medley l Miss Mary Day and Miss Carrie Davis