Evening star., 1925-12-01
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL !. COLLINS.

| ligion, as professed by the Protestant
and Roman Catholic churches, are
recognized as teaching men to do
| good, and to do to others as they
would have others do to them. Here
after, those who quietly profess and
| teach these doctrines shall not be
harassed or prosecuted on account
of their faith. Any person, whether
a citizen of the United States or Chi.
nese convert, who, according to these
tenets, peaceably teaches and prac-
| tices the principles of Christianity.
shall in no case be interfered with or
molested."
| That agreement dates back g. wears.
and Christians have been prosecuted
| in spite of il. The Boxer rebellion
| was largely aimed at Christian mis-
| sionS and converts. The riot last
! Spring, in which British and Japanese
| police fired fatally upon the mob,
! brought a violent reawakening of an
| tagonism against all foreigners, partic-
ularly British, and including Chris
| tianS. The masses Of Chinese are un-
| able to differentiate between foreign
/ Christians and their opium-trading
| Chinese territory.
! Very recently the 5000 Baptist CON
verts in South China held a conven-
| ton at Shanghai, at which they de-
! clared independence from American
| BaptistS and appointed a board of 80
| to manage the Baptist churches of
South China. On that board are As
| Chinese and Is American mission.
aries, the latter to act in an advisory
! capacity only. The convention issued
a statement from which is quoted:
Not long ago Great Britain and
Japan committed very unrighteous
and cruel deeds in Shanghai. This oc-
casioned the people to speak i'll all
| the more against Christianity, claim
ing that the Christian religion de-
| stroys the national character Of its
converts; they are 'denationaIized'
and the churches are factories for
the production of homeless slaves"
! Missionaries are said to be forer1In
ners of invaders Of China, etc. Thus
it is simply true that under such con-
| dlt1ons 1t has become very difficult 10
| carry on the work and affairs of the
| Christian Church Nevertheless. we
know that Gods spirit is sustaining
and comforting us in our endeavor to
press on and forward"
| X * *
| w me the ABOVE has to do only
with Baptist missions, the report of
the committee Of reference and coun.
sci, Foreign Missions Conference of
N. A, states:
! one aspect is the renewed en-.
phasls on the old doctrine. the mis-.
! slonary must decrease and the Chinese
increase. The present situation warns
us that in spite of difficulties and OBJ.
stacles, the burdens must be shifted
Ihey> must be dumped onto the Chi.
nese, II necessary, in order to get the
change effected. So long as the mis-.
s1onary acts as patron saint and Lord
Bountiful.' the Christian cause can
never come to vigor Of expression or
vitality Of character. The missionarv
must decrease so that the Chinese
can increase. If the present
movement in China means anythinp
it means that the sooner the Chinese
Church Is in control Of the Chinese
the sooner the world can discover
whether Christianity as q way Of life
has taken vital hold on China. If
it has not, the efforts Of 1875 years in
China are in vain. If it has, then we
do not need to worry about the way if,
which Chinese Christians carry on.
In either case, it Is time to put the
issue to the test"
X X y \
In the face Of the awakening Of ma.
| tionalism and military independence
and tariff autonomy and reputation
Of extraterritoriality Of what COM
parative consequence Is it whether
Russia or Japan gain military control
| over Manchuria? The Quarter-World
! moves!
Copyright. 1925. by Paul v collins.>