WANGANUI WELCOME

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 208, 31 May 1935, Page 12

WANGANUI WELCOME

— 1 ' — Dr. Toyo Kagawa CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, May 30. The noted Japanese social worker, philanthropist, missionary and journalist, Dr. Toyo Kagawa, was extended an enthusiastic welcome at Wanganui to-night, when he addressed a packed house at the Opera House. Dr. Kagawa, wkho is accompanied by his secretary, the Rev. S. Ogawa, arrived in AVanganui this afternoon. To-mor-row morning he is to confer with representatives of the churches and the Young Alen’s Christian Association, following which he will conduct a service at Trinity Alethodist Church. Dr. Kagawa is accompanied by the Rev. J. R. Blanchard and Air. L. J. Greenberg, general secretary of the Y.AI.C.A. Dr. Kagawa was welcomed to tonight’s gathering by the Alayor, Air. AV. J. Rogers. Dr. Kagawa said Japan owed much to New Zealand for sending over missionaries, who were very popular because of their-courage. He reviewed the history of Christianity in Japan, and said that ther(*werc 300,000 Christians including 150,000 Roman Catholics in his country. After the opening of doors to Christianity in Japan, the movement had become most sincere, the practice of poligamy had ceased and the divorce rate had been reduced from 30 per cent, to 11 per cent., which was better than New York and many other'parts of the world. All the world’s religions were going through some form of transformation, the Buddhists were now reciting a portion of the Sermon on the Mount at their morning devotion and were'placing the likeness of Christ in their altars, beside that of Buddha. Secular Buddhism, Dr. Kagawa said, was corrupt. With the mark of Buddha everything. was forgiven. Its followers had no sense of crime and believed that when they mentioned the name of Buddha their forgiven forever. He had been sent to study the ethics of Buddhism, but he had no desire to learn its principles when he looked around and saw the moral corruption of his friends. He had been taught English and converted to Christianity by an American missionary. Dr. Kagawa outlined some of the work which he had accomplished in Japan on behalf of the workers in the slum areas. In 10 years the whole of the slums had been wiped away. He outlined the consumers’ co-operative movement, which was being put into practice with 5,000.000 members sharing the profits. Its basis of success, he said, was real economic ethics and a spirit of Christian brotherhood. "Because we do not practice love of the Cross and love of brotherhood, we suffer to-day,” he said, in concluding his address. “Let us practice this love and the nations of the world will be better off.”