Truth | 1906-02-03 | Page 3 | A Moslem View of Christianity

. ; A MOSLEM VIEW OF CHRIS TIANITY. Ameer AH, lato judge of the British i Court of Judicature In Bengal, con- ! tributes the third paper In the Hlbbert v Journal's series of "Impressions of , m Christianity from the Points of View of the non-Christian Religions." Papers Pa-pers 1 and 2, already quoted In these columns, presented respectively the Jewish and the Buddhist points of view. Ameer All examines Christian-j Christian-j ity from the standpoint of Islnmlsm. Many of his statements will probably I bo read with somo surprise. Islam j and Christianity, he claims, have "Identical alms and ideals," and are In substantial agreement in their general gen-eral principles. Ho makes a distinction distinc-tion in regard to what ho calls "modern "mod-ern Christianity," which ho declares Is "overladen with Greek philosophy and Pnullno mysticism." Moslems, ho tolls us, consider that Islam "represents "repre-sents the religion Jesus In fact taught." Tho Moslem belief, ho adds, is probably in accord with that of the primitive Christians of the Eblonites, "tho sect of the poor," to whom Jesus had preached and among whom he had lived. "To Paul, Jew by birth, Greek by education, who had never felt the influence of tho groat prophet, Is duo tho present divergence between Islam and Christianity." Tho Moslem mind, wo are told, rejects with abhorrence the idea that Jesus was "the only-be- I gotten Son of God." It recognizes, nevertheless, tho mystery of tho "im-I "im-I maculate conception," describing Je sus, however, as the "unbegotten son of Mary." Tho Moslems, moreover, do not bellovo that Jesus died upon the ( cross, but hold to tho tradition that j at tho last moment ho was saved by J dlvlno agency from an ignominious death. In this belief, says tho writer, thoy agreo with tho Docetic Christians, Chris-tians, who explained "his disappear-, anco ns more consistent with his Son-I Son-I ship than tho orthodox doctrine." DI- ' vergence, of course, becomes wider still, when consideration Is taken of tho outcome of theso two beliefs in ' Paulino theology. Tho writer con- j tlnues: I "In order to reconcile the two con- ' fllcting theories the Sonshlp of J03us with his death on the cross Paulino j Chrlstinnlty formulated tho doctrine of Atonement, which again Is based on tho dogma that 'mankind sinned In Adam. Islam absolutely repudiates tho doctrine of original sin. Hereditary Here-ditary depravity and 'natural sinful-I sinful-I ness' are emphatically denied. Every child of man Is born pure; every departure de-parture in after life from tho path of truth and rectltudo is duo to education. educa-tion. 'Every child of man,' declared the prophet of Islam, 'Is born religiously religious-ly constituted; It Is his parents who 1 make him afterwards a Jow, a Chris- r tian, or a Sabean. Every human being has two inclinations one prompting him to good and impelling him there-to, there-to, and the other prompting him to evil, nnd thereto Impelling him; but 'the Godly assistance is nigh, nnd he who asks for tho help of God in contending con-tending with tho ovil promptings of his own heart obtains it.' Tho Moslem cannot naturally conceive that tho Almighty Al-mighty Creator of tho universe, the All-good, tho All-wlso, should create a world abounding In sin; that, not successful In rooting It out, Ho should send His 'solo begotten Son to offer himself as a sacrifice to save mankind from eternal perdition. It seems somewhat absurd that because the first man was unreasonable or disobedient dis-obedient enough to eat the forbidden fruit of tho tree of knowledge, ho should not only bo expelled from tho Garden of Eden, but an awful doom should bo passed on all his posterity, from which they would not bo extricated extri-cated until the Son of God should sacrifice sac-rifice himself. To tho Moslem mind, It is incomprehensible that, if tho Father accepted tho life of tho Son as a for- vl rl felt for tho sins of mankind, tho bulk of humanity should still not be exempt from dlvlno wrath, nor those who believe be-lieve in tho Son be free from sin. "Tho Moslem believes that the Idea of atonement In Christianity is a survival sur-vival of the conception which prevailed pre-vailed among all tho nations of antiquity, an-tiquity, nnd which is in vogue even now among somo races, that an angry God can only bo appeased by tho 'sacrifice' 'sac-rifice' of human beings, particularly someone especially dear or especially precious. Tho Islamist does not believe be-lieve that Jesus over wished his followers follow-ers to understand his death as a sacrificial sacri-ficial offering for tho sins of mankind In general or their sins In particular. Tho enthusiasm with which the common com-mon folic had welcomed him unto Jerusalem Jer-usalem had already died out; whilst the bitterness and alarm of tho priests and rabbis had increased. As tho dream of an lnimedlnto advent of the kingdom of heaven faded away, the heart was filled with forebodings of betrayal anil death. And these forebodings fore-bodings naturally found expression at tho Last Supper tho Passover feast which tho Prophet shared for tho last time with his disciples. It was then that he Invited them on all such occasions occa-sions to remember him nnd tho tidings ho had brought. Tho old message was dead In the hearts of men; the now, fresh with hope nnd charity, had broken tho rigorous bonds of tho Levlt-ical Levlt-ical Law. It was tho beginning of a new era a new life; and lie naturally called upon them to forget tho old associations, as-sociations, and not, In future, to connect con-nect tho Passover feast with the deliverance de-liverance from Egypt, but to remember remem-ber It In his personality as a memorial mem-orial of their liberation from tho shackles of a lifeless formalism. To accentuate his advice, and to Impress on them his earnestness, It is possible he told them .when partaking of the paschal meal, to look upon tho bread they ate as his flesh, and tho wine they drank ns his blood. Tho Moslems Mos-lems think this to bo a more natural explanation of his words If ho over used them than to supposo ho meant to convey, mystically disguised, an unnatural Idea, which does not commend com-mend itself to reason." The doctrlno of "justification by faith," says tho writer, may bo said to derive support from tho sayings of Jesus ns reported In tho Christian gospels. Ho charges Paul with having hav-ing interwoven Into his system, as nn Integral part of Christianity, tho literal lit-eral construction of theso words to mean that "so long as people believed in Jesus, conduct Is Immaterial." Tho Moslem, ho adds, "naturally regards tho doctrine of 'justification by faith' as disastrous to human morality." What, ho asks, did Jesus actually teach? And ho replies; "Tho Islamic belief Is that his mission, mis-sion, like that of Mohammed, was to re-enunclato tho eternal truths of God. and to recall humanity to the Inevitable Inevit-able track of spiritual evolution. His ethical precepts, whether direct In form or dressed In parables, are thus common to all higher religions. There is no question of borrowing from one source or nnother, for God Imparts Ills truths to all Ho chooses for His work. Jesus was thus not tho first to Impress Im-press on the conscience of mankind tho duties of self-sacrifice, self-abnoga-tlon, devotion to God, love of humanity. human-ity. There were others before him, as others after him, to preach the practico of peace, humanity, charity, good works, submission to God's will, forgiveness of Injuries, and tho do-nlnl do-nlnl of self. "Buddha had preached In the oast that a perfect life could only bo acquired acquir-ed by 'abandoning tho world.' Jesus, accustomed from childhood to conned wealth with oppression, and its acquisition ac-quisition with corruption and deceit, naturally believed that holiness could only bo attained through poverty nnd asceticism. The Essenes and Eblonites Eblon-ites insisted on their members leading n llfo of absoluto self-denial. Tho Es-soninn Es-soninn hermits, clad in tattered garments, gar-ments, living on meagro faro, moved among tho humblo denizens of tho countryside, nnd preached that the favored fa-vored of God woro tho poor, tho lowly, low-ly, tho downtrodden, the merciful and tho peaceful. Tho preachings ol these pietists found an echo In the teachings of Jesus. Like thorn, ho went among tho poor and distressed, bringing them solace and healing theli physical ills; like them, ho enjoined his disciples to practico humanity and solf-denlnl." Tho summary of tho Moslom view Is that Jesus did not preach a religion of universal application, but that his mos-sengershlp mos-sengershlp "was essentially a link In tho chain of man's spiritual development." develop-ment." Ameer All admits that Christianity Chris-tianity appears to satisfy tho spiritual aspirations of many cultured minds in tho western world, but Its deficiency ns an effective moral religion aiming at universality, ho claims, is duo to tho fact that It Is "devoid of positive prescriptions." pres-criptions." "Though Idealistic and elevated In Its conceptions, It does not appeal to tho Intelligence or henrt of tho neutral man," to whom religion owes tho duty of "elevating him towards to-wards humanity." Tho postlvo merits of Jesus ns a spiritual father nro thus sot forth: "Withal, tho Moslems regard Jesus as one of tho greatest moral toachors of tho world, and love and revere him as such. The Jews had turned tho Lovltlcal law, with all Its minutiae, Into a fetish; Jesus redeemed them from its bondngo. Ho was tho first among his nation to teach In the truest sense that tho kernel was of greater value than tho shell, tho spirit than the letter. In an ago when hardness of heart was a virtue, and poverty a crime, ho preached charity and lovo, companion to tho poor, pity for tho orphan. Ho taught tho sacrodncss of truth, justlco and purity, tho blessedness blessed-ness of humanity. Ho widened tho narrow horizon of Judlalsm, nnd raised its ideal. His mcssengcrshlp was essentially es-sentially a link In the chain of man's spiritual development. But Jesus had appeared In the midst of an organized society subject to ono of tho most civilized governments of antiquity. His precepts were, therefore, of a general character, naturally wanting in that deflniteness which alone mnkes them of practical valuo to tho uncultured nnd undlsclpled mind. Principles, Inculcated In-culcated by revelation or philosophy, nro sufficient for the higher natures: a Marcus Aurellus could exist Independently Inde-pendently of Chrlstinnlty or Islam But for lower minds, positive rules nro essential, and whero religion does not supply them, Its deficiency must needs bo supplemented by the secular law. A religion without rules acceptable to tho consclencp of all humanity Is mero philosophy, which leaves untouched un-touched both tho heart and mind of tho ordinary man. Tho lives of tho l ministers, often elevating In their ex- I ample tho weekly sermons, eloquent I nnd appealing act but as a rlpplo on ' the surface. Tho worshipper carries into his home little of what ho hears. Tho terrible crimes against women and children which ono shudders to read of dally, tho savagery with which ' parents maltreat, nay, murder, their own offspring, nro all duo to ono causo tho absence of posltlvo prescriptions. Tho natural man is a savage; drink, lust, or greed turns Into a veritable beast. "llcllglon has to olovnto him to-words to-words humanity. To effect that purpose, pur-pose, to humnnlzo tho homo, to regulate regu-late tho domestic relations, to mako tho parents remember that children ire n sacred trust from God, It must bo directory like tho secular law, In the outward dealings of man to man. Rules against drunkenness, rules pros- j crlblng cleanliness, charity, dovotion, ; duty towards tho bondspeoplo, pity for f the dumb creation, form thus tho very essence of an cffectlvo moral religion 1 aiming at universality." Literary Dl- ' gost. '