Evening Post. SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1925. "CHINA'S ANTI-CHRISTIAN DRIVE"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 52, 29 August 1925, Page 6

Evening Post. SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1925. "CHINA'S ANTI-CHRISTIAN DRIVE"

Mr. Stanley High contributes to the New York " Nation " a strifeing and disturbing artiole on " China's Anti-Christian Drive," which also appears in an abbreviated form in the " Weekly Westminster." The outlook for Christianity in China, as Mr. High describes it, iB far from promising, and the ascription of his pessimism to bias or ignorance seems to be conclusively forbidden by his association with the Amerioan Methodist Board of Foreign Missions. It is, oddly enough, in the great success of the Eleventh Conference of the World's Student Christian Federation which was held at Pekin in 1922 that he traces the rapid rise of the anti-Christian sentiment in China. This Conference was attended by delegates from about forty nations and • addressed by many distinguished leaders of the Student Christian movement. But the publioity given to it stirred the enemy to action, and the adjournment of the Conference was promptly followed by the organisation of a , Student Anti-religious Movement in the Chinese capital, with several professors of national standing as its sponsors. After a year it seemed to have shot its bolt, but it received a new impetus from the anti-imperialistic movement which began among the students in 1924, and in double harness the two have made a very formidable combination.

The object of the Anti-Christian Federation was declared in an inaugural manifesto to be "to actively oppose Christianity and its various expressions with a rationalistio consciousness and a scientific) spirit." The objections to religion in general were stated as follow:—i

t It li conservative and traditional and It does not make for intellectual progress. 2. It encourages denominational prejudice and hatred. It does not make for the unity and harmony of the human race.

3. It develops superstition (meaning apparently " superstitious belief ") In superhuman beings. It does not make for scientific enlightenment. 4. It cultivates the attitude of dependence as over against the development of self-realisation.

6. It suppresses individuality. It does not develop the human instincts.

All these general infirmities of religion are shared by Christianity, which suffers also from two special troubles of its own. In the first place, "it contains dogmatisms and monopolises good teachings of the past " —a singular testimony to the comprehensiveness of Christianity. It was said by a parodist of the old Broad Church theology that its Christianity had become so broad as to " include any ra-* tional denial of- itself." The Chinese anti-Christians appear to be urging this charge against Christianity in all seriousness, but we may safely assume that the real gravamen of their indictment lies in the second of the specific charges— viz., " it is the forerunner of imperialism and foreign exploitation." It is this aspect of Christianity whioh has appealed to the " rationalistic consciousness " invoked by the manifesto and swollen the present agitation to its dangerous height.

Another series of counts Is directed at the Christian Church as distinguished from its creed, and deals with its defects from tho standpoint of the militant patriotism of China:—

1. It nlways allies itself with the in fluential cla.ss.

2. It draws people info ita member ship by material temptations. .

3. It is largely composed of eaters on religion (sic.) as well as hypocrites.

4. It | interferes with the civil and military affairs of China and other nations.

. 5. It sometimes meddles with persona.! affairs.

6. It Rubstitiitos God for gods and develops a servilo attitude towards for cigneiT.

What " eaters on religion " may be seeing to baffle Mr. High himseli. but th.6 other charges are

bably not one of them that does not contain a considerable measure of truth. That "it ■ substitutes God for gods " is indeed a charge to which the Ohuroh is proud to plead guilty, and there is not one of the others that does not touch politios and patriotism rather than religion. It is sad to learn from Mr. High that even the Y.M.O.A. is not exempt from the suspicions embodied in the third clause. From last year's Summer Conference of the Y.M.O.A. at Geneva, Wisconsin, a message of inter-racial goodwill was brought back to Ohina by an Association representative.

A few months later, says Mr. High, this representative addressed a great meeting of Ghin63» students in Shanghai. In the hall where the assembly met the Geneia message was conapiouonly displayed on several laxge placards. At the conclusion of the meeting it was found that across the face of each of these placards there had been inscribed the Chinese character meaning " Hypocrisy."

That the agents of Bolshevik EuBBJa have helped to influenoe the anti-Ohristian and anti-foreign sentiment of Ohina is not denied by Mr. High. He mentions that, as far back as 1925, Chancellor Tsai, head of the Pekin Government University, welcomed one of these agents at a dinner and " declared that the Russian Communists were outlining a programme which China oould well adopt"—a fact whioh it will be well to bear in mind when the opinions of Chinese professors are next oited in proof of the paoifio intentions of the Shanghai rioters. But Mr. High declares nevertheless that "it is wholly superficial to conohide that the present anti-Ohristian movement in Ohina ia fundamentally, a result of Bolshevik propaganda." Bolshevik influences are making the most of a splendid opportuniity, but that opportunity has been created by the development among the Chinese of an eager rationalism, a jealous resentment of foreign interference, and an antagonism to Western eduoation and Western religion as emblemß and bulwarkß of Western rule. . " There is no denying the fact," says Mr. High, "that in Ohina, as throughout the East, the prestige of the West went into a slump as a result of the war." With the help of the influences we have named, the Soviet Government hopes to kill it altogether.

In the presence of such a combination both the Christian churches and the Christian nations will need new methods and a united front if they are to succeed.

The Christian Church in China faces a mighty atrugzle with Communism, writes Mr. . Philip N. Yontz, in the " Outlook " (New York). The stakes are very high—a nation with 400,000,000 people, one-fourth of the world's population. The attack of ,the Soviet Government has already practically destroyed the Orthodox Christian Church in Russia. the Christian Church in China will meet a similar fate unless it is strengthened by a more modern and vital faith. A united Church which all denominations support, a ready appreciation of China s ancient culture as the basis for any. intellectual renaissance, recognised racial equality, a Christianity that allies itself with modern science, and a just foreign policy on the part of Christian Governments are the elements which give Christianity a strong hope of final victory.