The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-08-12
CHRISTIANITY In CHINA TODAY
Friends Peace Committee


taken root, and the Christian move
ment is becoming thoroughly Chin
csc, according to DR.. T. z. Koo, Ma
tional Secretary of the Y. M. G. A. in
China and one of the members of the
National Christian Council. DR.. Koo
discussed the problems of Christian
ity in China at a recent dinner in the
Union League Club in Philadelphia
on May 3rd. Roland S. Morris,
former Ambassador to Japan, pre-
sided.
To understand the present situa-
ton in the Chinese Christian move
ment said Mr.. Koo, it is necessary to
know something of the national
background. The modern era in
China is about sixty years old, and
since 1900 national consciousness
has been developing very rapidly.
The final overthrow of the Man
chus, in 1911, filled the young Chin
ese with the thrill of triumph A
great wave of joM and hope swept
the country. The dawn of the mil
lenium seemed at hand. They set
up the republic.
Then came the reaction. They
found that the vast bulk OF the ma
ton was untouched, that they were
in the position of man trying to
swing an elephant by the tail. The
handle of the few thousand educated
younger people too small to move
the dead weight of population of
four hundred million. They turned
away from politics.
Through six. definite movements,
organized one after the other, they
undertook to educate their country
and arouse sense of patriotism.
| The National Student Union sent
groups OF it's members to every part
of China to present the needs OF the
nation to all the people. The Rem
aissance Movement, under the lead
ership of DR.. HUI Shih, developed a
written language. Ineligible to the
| people, replacing the classical lang
dage whose enormous difficulties had
proved an insperable barrier to the
spread of education. The Mass Ed
language attacked illiteracy with
amazing results. The Labor Move
| ment and the Farmers Movement or
ganized these sections of the popula-
lion for service to the nation. A
Citizens Training Program under
took to prepare good Chinese citi-
zens.
Now, from Siberia to Indo-China,
from Shanghai to Tibet, China has a
sense of nationality. National con-
seriousness has developed.
China, now conscious of itself as
nation, is seeking three things. One
national government, better stand
ard of living and equality with other
nations are the desires of the Chin
csc people.
Christianity in China, the modern
movement, is nearly hundred years
old. During the first seventy-tive
years of that century, Christian work
was entirely alien, carried on by
Boxer Rebellion, in 1900, many OF
the native converts suffered martyr
dom. The sufferings OF these Chin
ese Christians rooted Christianity
firmly in their country. An indi-
genous Christian movement now
exists in China.
The force of circumstances is
shaking off the guiding hand OF the
foreign missionary. This is what
the missionaries have been working
for for a hundred years. Chinese
are taking over the chief responsible
| ity for Christian work. The mis-
sionaries will probably return, not
as missionaries, but as members OF
Chinese Christian bodies.
But the missionary movement has
an important future. The great con-
:eption of human life, in Hindu
thought is the relation of man to
| Iod. In Chinese thought, it is the
relation of man to man, and In west
.rn thought it is the relation OF man
to matter. There is no basis fol
| claiming one OF these better than the
others, but each must go to the
| homes of the others, freely and con-
tinuously. Therefore there must be
missionary movement always.
Jesus Christ is the greatest repre-
sentative of each conception. Never
was there a higher conception thar
lis has been ever advanced; and
lis mastery over matter was at once
complete and perfect In spirit. The
missionary of the future must seel
o aid the synthesis OF the three
great conceptions that Jesus mean
when He said, Il am come that "
may have life, and that we may have
it more abundantly."
Watch a good woodsman light his