Religion and the WarYale University. Divinity School
Religion
Religion and the War
Yale University. Divinity School
World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Religious aspects
Participation in the great conflict by the Christians and
non-Christians of mission lands has had mixed results. On the one
hand, any delusion as to the civilization and attitudes of so-called
Christian countries has been dissipated by the undreamed of savagery
and international hatred which they have seen. This has led to
opposition to missionaries on the fields, especially in Persia and in
Morocco, where a Moslem said to Dr. Kerr: "Why don't you turn your
attention to Christians? With all our faults, we have some religion
left, but the Christians have none." On the other hand, it has
revealed to the peoples so aiding their European rulers their real
values to them. This has given to Indians especially a renewed
determination to secure from England _quid pro quo_ in the form
of greater political liberty and social privileges. While this has
been especially emphasized by Moslems and Indians, it has affected the
Christians with so great a spirit of nationalism that the recent
All-India Christian Council sent a deputation to the Viceroy
requesting the Government to recognize the 3,876,203 Christians of the
1911 census as a community deserving political representation in the
Imperial Legislative Council. The increasing demand of all Indians for
greater freedom led Parliament to send out a Commission to investigate
the situation; and while their report at time of writing has not been
published in full, the people of that Empire are assured of many
alleviations of existing disabilities. The independent Powers of the
Far East also will be benefited in many ways through their coöperation
in the war. A greatly feared backset to the cause of missions in
China, through the exposure to fierce temptations and from the harsh
treatment unavoidable in war of its labor contingent in France, has
been met in part by sending to those camps many successful
missionaries from North China, as well as a delegation of Christian
Chinese studying in American institutions. In Mesopotamia, also,
similar work undertaken by Indian missionaries will do much to lessen
the ill effects of the war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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