The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 152

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152

frank and outspoken. Antiforeign outbreaks have
become more frequent. These outbreaks were in
very few instances actually antichristian in char-
acter; in most cases they were of a political nature ;
for the Chinese feel that the Powers took undue ad-
vantage of their plight and that justice demands
a readjustment of treaty terms.

Not unlike other nationalities the Chinese are
apt to confound “foreigner” with “enemy”; but we
feel that the time is not far distant when China will
see her great mistake and more generally realize that
America and England are her best friends and that

Christian missionaries will be a great asset for her.
The present dark shadows, so harmful to the good
name of China, will be scattered by God’s grace
through missionary and other agencies.

In judging past outbreaks against missionaries
and mission-property and recent prohibitions to teach
the Christian religion in mission-schools, it is im-
portant to remember that this opposition is not so
much antichristian as it is antiforeign. The Chinese
are not strongly attached to any particular religion.
Many a Chinese is a Buddhist, Taoist, and Con-
fucian allin one. So, what is objectionable to them

/18 not the Christian religion, but the foreigner who
" teaches it. When once Chinese Christian churches

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

become self-propagating and self-supporting, oppo-
sition will largely cease.

The wholesome influence of missions for good is
acknowledged by the leading men of the Chinese
republic. A prominent Chinese official thus ex-
pressed himself some years ago: “We take pleasure
in bearing testimony to the part taken by American
missionaries in promoting the progress of the Chi-
nese people. They have borne the light of Western
civilization into every nook.and corner of China.
They have rendered inestimable service to China by
the laborious task of translating into the Chinese

Fourth General Conference of Our Colored Mis

language religious and scientific works of the West.
They help us to bring happiness and comfort to the
poor and suffering by the establishment of hospitals
and schools. The awakening of China... may be
‘traced in no small measure to the hand of the mis-
sionary.” F. J. L.

oe

The Challenge of the City.

The movement from country to city, concerning
which so much is said to-day, constitutes a standing
challenge to the Church. To the superficial reader
of the census figures this movement may not be
immediately apparent. Our rural population grew