South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-20
REY. DAVIS TELLS
OF NEAR EAST'S
RELIGIOUS CONTEST
Christianity COntending With
Northumberland, Says
Pastor I'm Sermon.

/ The contest between Christianity
and danism in the Near
! East was portrayed Sunday by Rev.
L. S. Davis. pastor Of the First B2p,
! list church. IN a sermon on The
/ Crescent or the Cross" The subject
/ of the sermon was chosen in con
nection with the observance Of Near
East Relief Sunday.
Mr.. Davis said in part:
Geography teaches that there are
/ five spheres OF influenee-the Brit
/ ish channel the straits OF Gibralter.
/ the SUez canal. the Panama canal
and tho Dardanells. The Dardanelis
I are holding the attention OF the
world today 1t is the only spot on
\ the planet where three continents
meet. Here Asia, Europe and Africa
come together.
More than one thousand years
have gone since Mohammed swept
I like a flame OF fire northward from
/ Arabia Mo6ammed was the
/ founder Of MoEammandism. de was
born in the y1ar $40 A. D. Left an
/ orphan he was reared by ricn
unce. He travelled all through that
ancient world. He married the rich.
EST widow of that day. She put her
fortune at his disposal
Conquers East
After 10 years OF meditation IN
the desert he returned 10 the city.
He brought with him his faith in
one God. He preached for three
years and won 13 converts. Ambl-
tfous for success he decided TO adapt
his religion TO the desires Of the peO-
pie. In a time when poligany and
polytheism were universal he failed
in his appeal to conscience. He now
/ determined TO succeed by accepting
the wish Of the people and made
PCligamy the cornerstone OF his re-
Hgion.
He painted heaven a land flow
ing with wine and honey. All oil
whose homes were palaces where
all wore garments of gold thread
where the warrior never grew old
His heaven was an enlarged harem
Within II years he conquered
the east. Moving westward he soo1
conquered more than 10000 cite:
: and castles. At last in 1886 he con
quered Constantinople. For a thous
and years this city has controlled
the destinies of three continents
Today We see the efforts OF the En-
glish, French and Italians endeavOr
ing TO get possession Of this marrow
neck OF water. For 450 years tn
Mohammedan has held this cit!
| which was fOGnced by Christian
and named af.er a Christian emper
Tor. he has held even the towI
where Christ was born as well as Je
rusaIem. The contest today is be
tween Christianity and MGhamedan
ism.
'Mahommedanism stands for tw'
crimes. polygamy and slavery. TAX
away polygamy and slavery and vol
have taken the heart out Of the Ko
ran. The Koran teaches the SLAYER,
1 of woman. II has cursed the IA
east as we'll as the near east.
a Past of Armenians
Paul preached among the Ar
< mcnians. Here he founded the sever
churches. The Armenians wer
> among the first TO bow TO tn
g Cross. The first martyrs wer
= among the Armenians. In the las
D war the Turks killed Of the men, sc
y lected the girls for his harem, an
1 allowed the old women and mel
e and babies TO die Of starvation. VIVA
:. agonies they have endured the pas
four years. II ever an entire ma
4 tion entered into its Gethsemeny tn
e ArmeniauS did.
j In the World war the Armen
{ iaEs played a noble part, renderin.
J, valuable aid to the British army /
9 Mesopotamia. They furnished near
~ 100000 men. But the Allies hav
!. not kept faith with the Armenians
The Near East Relief work is tn
= most stupendious ever known. 1t
the most efficiently managed. Nor
Z than $50, 600 orphans are cared 70
by this organization. 1t require
ten tons Of flour every day Their
is only one nation that has an
thing to give and that is the Ameri
: can nation. If this appeal Of a starv
ing nation IS heard 1t must be hear
$ by us. Inasmuch as We have don
I Il unto the least OF one OF these Iii
= tie ones, ye have done 1t unto me.