Missionaries in the field have, of course, a personal view which we must
not overlook, as it is entirely creditable to all parties concerned. The
more strenuous forms of mission work in barbarous countries demand, and
get, the highest type of human devotion and courage. It is a healthy
sign that the public should support such enterprise and that men and
women should be readily found to undertake it gladly. There is a great
gulf between such gallantry and the calculating spirit which works from
a "strategic centre," to bring about a serious political situation which
others have to face.
Let us now examine the Islamic attitude toward Christianity.
The thoughtful Moslem generally admits the excellence of occidental
principles and methods in the practical affairs of life, but insists
that even earthly existence is made up of more than civilised amenities,
economics and appliances for luxury, comfort and locomotion. It is when
he comes to examine our social life that he finds us falling very short
of our Christian ideals, and he argues to himself that if that is all
Christianity can do for us it is not likely to do more for him, but
rather less. He admits that his less civilised co-religionists in
Arabia, Afghanistan, etc., lack half-tones in their personalities, which
are black and white in streaks instead of blending in various shades of
grey. He considers that Islam with its simple austerities is better
suited to such characters than Christianity with its unattainable
ideals. He himself has visited Western cities and observed their
conditions shrewdly. He regards missionaries as zealous bagmen
travelling with excellent samples for a chaotic firm which does not
stock the goods they are trying to push. The missionary may say that he
has no "call" to reform existing conditions in his own country, just as
the bagman may disclaim responsibility for his firm's slackness; but
such excuses book no orders. The travelled Moslem will shake his head
and say that he has seen the firm's showrooms, and their principal
lines appeared to be Labour trouble, profiteering and diluted
Bolshevism, with a particularly tawdry fabric of party politics. He
respects the spiritual commercial traveller and his opinions, if sincere
(he is a judge of sincerity, being rather a casuist himself), but
wherever he has observed the workings of Christianity in bulk it has not
had the elevating and transcendental effect which it is said to have;
that is, he has not found the goods up to sample and will have none of
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account