Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-24
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

What is the background" of the
| "event" which all civilization will cele-
brate tomorrow?
The cynic and the skeptic may dis
count Peace on Earth" as he points
to the wars still raging in Syria and
Africa and China. Yet when in all
history have the minds OF men so
earnestly turned to a Locarno and
other hopes for peace
The American Federal Council of
Churches is contemplating the desir-
ability of ceasing its missionary work
in China, upon the ground that the
Chinese unhampered by sectarian diff
ferences of foreigners, and especially
unburdened of the confusion of Chris
tianity with foreign politics, may be
better able to further the spirit OF
Christianity under Independent Chi
nese direction.
spirit Of tolerance in the world as ex-
lists today.
It was Jesus, the great Jew. who,
when the Sadducees and the Phari-
sees, in dispute as tn what was the
greatest of the commandments, sought
to entrap Him, gave the unanswerable
reply which has been the keynote of
Christianity and of tolerance and
unity Of the whole world for 1000
wears He did not bubble as to which
was Of the greater importance-the
washing of hands or the forbidding OF
murder.
Teacher" said the Pharisaical lie.
galist, which is the first and great
commandment In the Law"
Even the injunctions of the rabbis
respecting the zizith or tassels Of their
scarves were great says DR.. Getke.
author of the Life and Works of
Christ
His reply, as always" adds DR..
Geike, goes to the root of the matter.
simplifying the whole sweep Of the
Ten Words into brief and easily re-
membered principles. He avoided the
least approach to anything that could
offend the most Jealous supporter of
the Old Testament, and at the same
time gave no handle for accusation of
any slight of the rabbinical pre-
Hear, o Israel said He: Jeho-
yah. our God, is one acknowledgements
in which every Israelite, night and
morning. confessed his faith in one
Jehovah. And thou shalt love the
Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and with all they strength. This
is the great and first commandment.
A second is like it: Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as myself There is
none other commandment greater than
these. On these two hang the whole
law and the prophets"
X X r
Within the last week two of the
most outstanding rabbis America
Rabbi Wise and Rabbi -rass-have
declared publicly that tn Jew who
gave that answer was tie greatest
Teacher who ever lived.
The spirit Of tolerance and of seek
ing points of agreement instead Of
points of difference is taken as typical
of today's progress.
A famous German author, DR..
Ferdinand Christian Bauer, says in
his ''Geschichte der Christlichen
Kirchie":
IF one considers the development
of Christianity, it's whole historical
significance hangs only on the char
acter of it's founder. How soon would
all that Christianity has taught of the
true and impressive have been rele-
gated to the role of long. forgotten
sayings of the noble friends of man
and the thoughtful minds Of antiquity
If it's doctrines had not become words
Of eternal life in the mouth Of it's
| founder"
X X X y
In the spirit of frank inquiry stu
dents of history point to the ire
| mendous stride upward and forward
that civilization has taken since the
day when those two great command
ments were quoted.
In the days of Christ any man