RELIGIOUS FRAUDS IN JERUSALEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 82, 6 April 1918, Page 17

RELIGIOUS FRAUDS IN JERUSALEM.

A CITY OT" IMPOSTURES. To Western civilisation Jerusalem Is the Holy City—the cradle of Christendom, Yet it has been well said that those who would > keep this conception of Jerusalem clear and unspoiled should never go near the city. Since the days of Christ, the Romans, the Crusaders, and the Moslems each m turn laid the city to waste: it has been devastated by fire and earthquake and ravaged by pestilence. But always its associations brought about the building of another town on the old site, and to-day is is computed that the remains of the Jerusalem of the New Testament lie 50 to 60 feet below the present surface. Remembering this, the traveller expects to be shown traditional landmarks and conjectural survivals of Christ's life and death, and for the rest is content with the knowledge that he is on holy ground con»«=created through the ages by Its connection with the great events of human redemption and the birth of a world-wide faith. But he will probably depart from the city with feelings akin to dtagust and indignation. He will find that Jerusalem Is to-day a city of fraud and lies—a museum of netltiocs objects of Christian Interest ana spurious relics of the Redeemer. PBIESTLY DECEPTIONS. The modern pilgrim to the Holy City has claims made upon his credulity that are as ludicrous as they are revolting to his sense of decency, and these claims are made by those in whose hands is vested the guardianship of the sacred memories !of the city- Before the war every year [ saw thousands of Russian peasants attain- ; ing a life's ambition by making the i pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and there -were ; few more pathetic sights than the emotion lof these religious, simple people as they ! prostrated themselves before the fraudulent , exhibits. Their •"in-finite capacity for be : lieving** made them highly suitable material ; for the heartless deception of the crafty ; priesthood of the Greek and Latin Churches. . The first point of Interest to which ; one turns in the Holy City is the Church lof the Holy Sepulchre, which purports to Ibe the shrine enclosing our Lord's tomb I and other objects connected with the j Crucifixion. That all the alleged sites of j the chief events of Christ's death are ] crowded under one roof is of itself sufficient ito excite suspicion regarding their j authenticity. The church, is really a group I of chapels, all decorated with much gaudy '; tinsel and coloured lamps, and each dedl- ! cated to some particular event, in our

what purports to be the actual tomb is shown—for a consideration —but, as no effort was made to locate Christ's tomb until some three hundred years alter the Calxary mcd two hundred and sixty years after the city had been razed to the grouna. and as there are fifteen traditional tombs In and about Jerusalem, the visitor 01 appraising mind is naturally sceptical regarding that in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

And he Is enc__rag-_ In his view by other palpable fran-s ar c dlsplayeo. For i____nce. the Sto-e of Unction, on , which Nlcodemus 1- said to have anotntea onr Lord's body, ls on Tie*. _et there are records to chow that the stone was placed there at the beginning of the -i—c- " tees—- century! , A SPURIOUS MIRACLB. What was srlgmat_»_d by the ->te Dean Stanley as "probably the most offensive Imposture to be found in the world" ls the annual "miracle" of the Holy Fire, which te performed at th* Haste- festival. It Is believed by the credulous—and the priests do what they can_to encourage the , b_Uef—that at this time Fire from Heaven I descends upon the tomb in the Chapel of j the Sepulchre. T_o_s— n ds of pilgrlzn. j gather outside the chapeU and wait e-pec--1 tantly for the holy flame. And they are j not disappointed, for eventually a bundle of j lighted tapers is passed through a hole' lin the wall, and a terriflc struggle ensues as the pilgrim* Sg-t to light their ca-d-sa

at tie flame. inftthur fclaephemous side-show in the city Is tee Via. Dolorosa —the path of pain —by which Christ Is said to have walked from the place of Judgment to Calvary. This U a dirty, mean street of modern aspect, in -which the fourteen "6tations or tie Cross" are marked. At one point is ■bown the spot at which J«SUS took ap tie Cross, at another is an inscribed stoce. which purports to mark the plare at which He sank beneath the -weight or His burden, ana at yet another a hollow in a stone Is pointed out as having been made by the pressure at Christ's hand as H e stopped to rest. Such handprints and footprints are j plentiful in Jerusalem. To enumerate the many other instances of gross imposture perpetrated by tne religious authorities would fill a falr-s!ie<i book, bnt enough has been ebown to lndl-; cate the sacrilegious spirit in which the associations of the HOI 7 City are kept. The j blame for the present state or affaire—one i writes with a knowledge only of pre-war 1 conditions in the city—must be apportioned between the Greek. Armenian, and Latiu Chnr«lK»- The first two anProtestant, and to some extent In commonlon with the AncUcan Church, whlcb. fco-wever, has no real status in the holy places. Much of the imposture can »<• attributed to Jealoosy Ixtvreen the rival t Churches, and to the desire for ascendancy ; Ko deception seems to have beea considere.! . too mean if the possible result -was to the | detriment of the othr-_- "Ctrfetiaii" I Churches, and theft, arson, and even i marder have alfn been methods adopted to j i this end. I

The posting or Turkish soldiers In the Orarch of the Holy Sepulchre, "to k«*i' order among the Cbristiaue." Is a striking commentary, and It is little tronder that Jew and Mostem alike hare viewed, with unconcealed disgust, .-rots-ds or fanatics calling themselves Christians flylDg at each other's throats over the alleged tomb of

their Founder. Sow that the c*»il aatiorfty Is likely to be" In the nande of a TV«stern Christian Po-srer. It is fervently to be hoped that some strong effort -in be made toy «»e Chnrches in this coantrr to prevent the idolatrow and Wasphemons practices that ha-re been tn vogue.