Evening star., 1922-04-29
BY FRED b. SMITH.

Chairman Of Commission on Councils Of the
Churches Of the Federal Council Of Churches.
(Mr. Smith. a well known business man.
church leader and Y. NJ. c. A. speaker. is max
ing q trip around the world in behalf Of in
auspices Of 'V the World A aiisnee for a inserna.
tional Friendship Through the Churches and
America. He has made seye.aI trips a. ound
the view Chri.tianity held IN the for east
ticls was written n in BOmbsS. indisJ '
- Is Christianity warning, blood
thirsty religion?
To the average western Christian
ridiculous and unworthy of serious
consideration. But to one just finish
ing three months in the far east as a
messenger of world peace and an
advocate Of the Christian religion as
the fundamental doctrine In produc-
ing 1t this question seems very real:
indeed. it comes with such force that
it seems to be about the most i'm
portant one before the human race.
II an ordinary man who had never
heard OF Christianity ST ould read the
descriptions being written and spoken
OF this faith by the people of the
, orient and then follow the same
method concerning the claims for it
being made by the disciples OF the
occident he would never suspect that
It was the same religion.
Gets Assurance of Welcome.
Before leaving New York I received
a perfectly splendid letter from a
great Indian Christian. extending an
early assurance Of welcome to his
country. but giving this strange coun-
so, not to use sGh.e the word S"s cSristianity ] Yin in
speaking in India. 1t Is heer regard
ed as the name of a western re-
ligion which has failed. You can
preach Christ. but you cannot preach
Christianity"
Another noble native minister i'm
mediately after my second public ad-
dress in India took me aside and said:
You must know that all the educated
people In this country look upon
western vests ,; Christianity a: a warrins: warm g.
translated q part Of an article In a
prominent paper in which the writer
associated Mohammedanism and
Christianity as being kindred faiths.
but gave the Moslems the advantage
Of sincerity In that they freely advo-
Gated the sword, while the Christians
talked and professed peace, while they
were waging the worst wars in all
I could multiply these illustrations
little less severe in the latter. The
Hlndus, the MOhammedans and the
Buddhists are filing the far east with
descriptions Of western Christianity
as q bloodthirsty, war-loving and
promoting orgsni.ation: Only one OF
iippantly say they have no founda-
ton for their arguments
Notes Deep Desire for Peace.
A against this eastern conception,
! have q glad memory of how deep
is the desire for peace. brotherhood,
and q world Of friendliness upon the
part Of those true western Christians
interest being manifested In the World
Alliance for International Friendship
Through the Churches. Now I have
just received the bulletin of the Fed
eral Council OF the Churches Of Christ
in America and the report Of the
at Chicago. in December. 1921, hlled
with zeal for q warless world. read
with Thanksgiving the Message to
the Churches calling for the invest.
viii" abound. I am made conscious Of
the reality Of the fact that this fed.
eral council. representing 10000. 900
Christians. IL making international
Justice and good WILL Its most con-
spicuous responsibility. I have been
reading some British religious peri
odicals and they are filled with the
hope Of no return OF war.
The east says: "Christianity. q can
non ball, . submarine and gas bomb
are synonymous"
The west says: Christ Is tho Prince
of Peace and the Christian
Church Is the Instrument to make
that doctrine effective throughout the
world" However implicit may be this
belief, the cold fact Is that thus far 1t
has not produced that result even in
nations where 1t has held q prepon-
derance Of the people. Singing hymns,
saying prayers and passing peace
resolutions do not remove this i'm
pression. -
In view of this tragedy in the his
tory Of the church and the human
race the one commanding necessity
for the leaders Of Christianity in the
nations, where this faith prevails Is
to 80 reassert the cardinal doctrine
which the angels sang at the birth OF
to all men"-that the organized
church shall in reality be put upon
a peace basis. In this hour nothing
else matters much.
Christian Cause Needs Aid.
New church edifices, more preachers,
mora money, more members and even
more foreign missionaries are quite