RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 876, 23 July 1910, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

MODERN MISSIONS. VINDICATED BY SIB H. JOHNSTON. A special interest attaches to Sir Harry Johnston's thoughful and thought-stirring article in the "Nineteenth Century" on "The Negro and Religion," hecanse twenty-three years ago ho wrpto an article in the "Nineteenth Century" adversely criticising the methods of British missionaries. Ho noiv admits that the Christian teaching of nearly all missions has since that day undergone a remarkable- development—that it is more, concentrated on tlio essentials of religion, and supplemented by attention, to the industrial side of the convert's life. "If a surprise visit could be paid," ho sr.j - s, "to the churches and schools of the" British Baptists and the Belgian Roman Catholics in the Congo Basin, it would be certainly noted that the instruction given was singularly alike mid singularly successful in turning tickle savages into happy, industrious men and women. As long as tim ideal of Christianity in its humar. relations is maintained by white men in Africa, I do not think there is much danger of the advance of Islam." Sir Harry Johnston tells us that the 200,000,000 of African an.,' American negroes bulk larger in the white man's mind than do the 500,000,000 of Mongols, that as a world-worker the Negro will work 280 days as against the Chinaman's 150 days in the- year, and that both as a soldier suit! in tasks requiring deftness of fingering or great physical exertion the Negro has proved his value.. "What religion lie will adopt -excites grave concern in thoughtful minds. Sir Harry finds in their common Christianity the explanation lvhy "all white peoples are converging in a spirit of brotherhood." Nearly all the Negroes and Negroids of North and South America would as Christians line up with the white man; Christianity "has rapidly-. broken down thu barrier between the two races"— .white and black. "But for the influence of' Christianity there would have broken out, over and over again, a sharp racial war between Negroes' and Negroids on' the one hand and whites on the other, in various parts of America. Hut fot the influence and the preparatory work of the Christian missionary societies in Africa, but few of tho modern European protectorates or colonies could have bneli founded or maintained." Sir Harry thinks it wonderful that Islam, with its lax ethics and its lay propagandists, has not made greater progress in Africa, and adds: "What has surprised mo is the avidity with which, when it is offered to him in any reasonablo form, the Negro adopts Christianity." "Christianity has spread far more widely amongst the coast tribes of West Africa than publicists sown to be aware." One motive is that tho Nugro "wants to be like the real white man, not the white/ brown." Ho "likes religion." This very interesting paper concludes with a note of warning:—"Bui if, in South Africa and elsewhere, the observant Negro sees that though Christianity is preached by its official exponents it is not in any-way whatever practised by Hhe laymen of European race, he may in his despair turn for his. guidance to the Mohammedans in a spirit of deliberate revolt against the injustices of European civilisation."