New Ideas in India During the Nineteenth Century: A Study of Social, Political, and Religious DevelopmentsMorrison, John
Religion
New Ideas in India During the Nineteenth Century: A Study of Social, Political, and Religious Developments
Morrison, John
Christianity and other religions; India -- Civilization; India -- Religion
he takes to mean that "God is the Father of all nations and religions,"
and that _therefore_ "it does not matter much to what religion a man
belongs, so far as the future of his soul is concerned." Does not that
signify that he himself is stripped bare of belief? From which modern
notion, that religion does not matter much, he next argues that a man
ought to deny himself the luxury and "satisfaction of breaking his
religious fetters," _i.e._ of seceding from his own faith and joining
another. He ought to stick to his community, says this writer, and "have
the satisfaction of working for the elevation of his countrymen." There
we have the new political consciousness. The writer, it should be added,
says some plain things about the need of social reform.
[Sidenote: Three dynamical elements of Christianity.]
As proved by observation in India, the dynamical elements of
Christianity may be briefly enumerated as follows. Monotheism, tending
more and more to the distinctively Christian idea of God, Our Father, is
commending itself, and being widely accepted. Secondly, in a remarkable
degree, Jesus Christ Himself is being recognised and receiving general
homage. In a less degree, and yet notably, the Christian conception of
the Here and Hereafter is commending itself to the minds of the
new-educated Hindus. In the new religious organisations also, the
Christian manner of worship and of public worship commends itself almost
as a matter of course. In none of these spheres am I describing the
outcome of visible conflict or of any loud controversy. Rather,
Christianity brought close to the religious instincts and the religious
ideas of India has been like a great magnet introduced among a number of
kindred but non-magnetised bodies lying loosely around. In the presence,
simply, of these dynamical elements, or in contact with them, Indian
religious thought is becoming polarised. Towards and away from the same
great points, Indian religious thought is setting. These dynamical
elements of Christianity, and the illustration of their power, will be
considered in the following chapters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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