A DANGEROUS MOVEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12991, 4 June 1904, Page 9

A DANGEROUS MOVEMENT

INCITING A REVOLT.

Press Association—By Telegrabh—Copyrighl' CAPETOWN, June 2.' (Received June 3, "at 9.53 a.m.) ' A prominent chief among the Zulus has stated.that ho is co-operating with, the missionaries of the American Mliiopion Church, and that lie is trying to incite the natives of South Africa to a general revolt. The pseudo-religious movement known as Ethiopianisrn is a, very iinportaat, if ono of tho less obvious, factors in tho problem of government and social progress in South Africa. It might bo inferred from tho name .that there was some connection between this movement and th& ancient Ethiopian Church, hut such is not the case. Tho modern nativo oreeel of Ennopianism , 19 on offshoot of the American Episcopalian' Methodist body,, of , which rommunity a largo number of wealthy negroes are. mem*, bers. From them (according to a writer in Chamber's Journal recently) tho whole, scheme, of Ethiopiauism emanates, and 1 by thorn it is financed. Ethiopianism :g the Christian religion adapted by and .taught by natives. "Tho gospel of Ethiopianisn, ,, wroto the writer already referred to, "presGnte an emasculated Christ sot in tho contra of a very abbreviated Decalogue." Ethiopianism countenances polygamy and certain other highly undosirablo customs, including the 'lUpusting "beer feasts." While this strangt) creed makes acquiescence in the narrowest literal interpretation of tho firsß six commandments compulsory, it considers tho rest to bo "admirable, but ticablc." The essential constitutional feature of this church is that candidates for holy orders must be blacfc. In other words, the colour and, thereforo, the race distinction is marked very emphatically, and under the apparent spiritual mission of a, religious community which ispcrforco con-, fined to Africa can very plainly be perceived' tho really political character of the. object it is desired to promote, and which ia summarised in the cable message in the' words " Africa, for tho Africans." Although tho corporation has become ono of a purely African national description, tho palian Methodist body of America, still supr plies funds. .Ethiopianism has scored wide* spread successes in South Africa, mainly oh account of the story assiduously propagated by tho black ministers to the effect that the whito ministers desire to keep their converts in perpetual tutelage, and so retain a largo part of the European contribxitions sent out for tho native church. Tho creed spread in Zululand, Basutolanil, Pondolaad,. Cape Colony, and elsewhere, and although a few chiefs hero and there would have iiono of It, tho large mosses of the natives ombraoed it eagerly. Ethiopianism is a very dangerous , and disquieting influence, both on account of its ■selective principle, which panders, to the extraordinary vanity characteristic .of all inferior raeos. ami also because it perpetuates tho belief that " the governing raoo is unable in tho eyes of the Almighty to minister to the superior souls of black people." It crates schism amongst Christian communities. At first, no doubt, ,it was professed from purely religious motives by !argo numbers. ■ A few years ago,, how , -- ever, soinp thousands of Ethiopians seceded to the Anglican Church, as they questioned the validity of their orders, and since then, the Ethiopians have frankly degenerated into an. unscrupulous political and- racial organisation, 'i'ho Ethiopian communion possesses, nevertheless, a number of educated men in,its ranks, and it-tends students to tho Amoriean negro universities.