The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 116

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116

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

sponse to the mocking challenge of his tormentors
as to what the outlook for Christianity in Burma
might be: “It is as bright as the promises of God.”

Despite the work of Judson and others, Burma
is still “the land of Buddhism and pagodas.”
Pagodas, the Buddhist shrines, are found almost
everywhere, and some are buildings that cost almost
fabulous sums to erect. At Rangoon, the capital
and chief port of Burma, a city of more than a
third of a million of inhabitants, is one of the
most famous religious buildings in the world: the
* Shwe Dagon pagoda, covered with gold plate at

aids

Golden Pagoda (Shwe Dagon) at Rangoon.

a cost of a million dollars. This Golden. Pagoda
stands upon the site of an old temple that had been
built five hundred years before the birth of Christ.
It rises from a stone platform in mighty rings and,
as it goes upward, gets smaller and smaller, till
at last it ends in a golden spire hundreds of feet
high. It is surmounted by a golden umbrella,
studded with precious jewels. On a bright day the
tower blazes in the sunlight as though it were solid
gold. The pagoda is said to be built over a casket
containing eight hairs from the head of Buddha!

' Burma a Challenge to the Christian Church.
Though a field for Protestant effort since the

‘day Judson set foot on its soil in 1813 and the
scene of Roman Catholic missionary endeavor for

more than 300 years, Burma remains a land in
which Christianity has made but slight impression
on the people. Christianity has made great and
wide-spread conquests among the Karens of Burma,
so that according to some authorities twenty-five
per cent: of this people have become followers of
Jesus, but among the real Burmans there are only
15,381 Christians. The Burman is still held
securely in the toils of Buddhism, and for years to
come Burma will remain the land of pagodas.

Theoretically Christianity occupies the whole of
Burma, but actually missionary work is conducted
from widely separated centers. Thirteen foreign
societies are working at seventy-three residence
stations with a foreign staff of 356 laborers. This
foreign staff consists of 108 ordained and twenty-
nine unordained men, of 102 wives and 117 un-
married women. ‘The native staff comprises 328
ordained men, 2,049 unordained men, and 962
women. The native church has 1,132 organized
churches, of which no less than 898 are self-
supporting. A great number of village schools are
conducted by the various missionary societies, and
high schools, industrial schools, and schools for the
training of teachers are flourishing. At Rangoon
there are two large colleges and a mission press.
F. J. L.

Luther Conference at New Orleans, La.

Luther Conference convened at St. Paul’s
Chapel, Rev. I. H. Wildgrube, pastor; June 17—21.
The speaker for the opening service was the Rev. W.
Beck, of Mount Zion. He chose as his text 1 Pet.
2,9. His theme was: “The Royal Priesthood of
the Christian.” The speaker vigorously attacked
and condemned the pernicious, now greatly agitated
theory of evolution; namely, that man, contrary to
the Book of Genesis, is descended from a lower form
of animal life. The speaker urged that we freely
exercise the blessed privilege that God confers upon
us in the text, and that we earnestly, zealously, and
now above all times “show forth the-praises of Him
who hath called us out of darkness into His mar-
velous light.” ;

Thursday, June 18, in accordance with the
usual custom, the chairman, Teacher A. Wiley, de-
livered a brief and encouraging address to Confer-
ence. The chairman flayed evolution also, exhorting
us to stand firmly and unitedly on Jesus Christ, the
solid Rock, that Christ be boldly lifted up for the
salvation of man, and that we faithfully abide by
the pure Word of God, avoiding and shunning all