Untitled article by Bishop Atticus G. Haygood

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · February 2, 1893

“A Complete Exhibit of Religions.”

By Bishop Atticus G. Haygood

[This article, by Bishop Atticus G. Haygood, which we abridge from the Nashville Christian Advocate, needs no comment. It is worthy of serious thought.]

THE humbug of our times is the proposed “congress of religions,” to be held in Chicago in connection with the big show in September.

Having discovered Columbus, the American people now propose to manifest themselves to the world. . . . That nothing may be lacking, all the “religions of the world” are summoned to appear, make processions, exhibit inventories, give “reasons for the faith that is in them.” . . . Over this “parliament” of all religions (Anglomaniacs prefer the English term to Congress) much ado is being made by sundry papers—some infidel and some “inclined to piety.” The meeting will be for the most part taken up with palaver, tongue-fence, and brag. Yet the “Son of man” said: “The kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation.” Can even an unbeliever conceive of Him as making out a programme for such a conglomeration of orthodoxies and heresies, infidelities and heathenisms?

A marked copy of a paper, standing for the beliefs and history of the sect called Methodists, sent to this writer, gives a brief, broad statement of the great and “complete exhibit of religions.” This paper says, and many write the same things:—

It is proposed to have in connection with the World's Fair a series of world conventions, representing the chief departments of human knowledge and effort, and the principal one of these will be the congress of religions extending through the month of September, 1893. Halls and churches that will accommodate 30,000 will be found ready for this series of conventions, which will give a complete exhibit of the religious forces now shaping human thought and life. The denominational congress will come first, and will occupy a week or more. Many of the leading denominations of the country have already planned for these. The Congregationalists and Lutherans especially have arranged for these on an immense scale. Then a week has been assigned for the Evangelical Alliance, whose meetings will be of immense interest, etc.

A number of our papers—to say nothing of a conference or two—are in a state of excited sensibility on the subject as a crowd of school girls might be if invited to a swell wedding in a much decorated and very “tony” church. The general superintendents of our church are earnestly called on by resolution and editorial assurance of “general approval” to see to it that the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, be represented at the great talking match and general “exhibit of the religions” of all nations.

It is thought by some good people that it would be an irreparable calamity if Southern Methodism should not have a good place in the procession. We also must flaunt banners, beat drums, blow horns, and make other noises to let the world know that we are somewhat ourselves. It is even counted a sort of greenness and narrowness not to see at once that we must be there—making for the eyes and ears of men an “exhibit” of our religion—“to be seen of men.” There was a Teacher once who said terrible things about those who make a show of their piety; but men forget Him and his teaching.

The Chicago management is without bias; all are invited, and upon terms of perfect equality. Protestants and Romanists, State churches and Free churches, Greek Church and Mohammedans, Buddhists and Touists, Trinitarians and Unitarians, Evangelicals and Universalists, Christians and idolaters, all are invited and begged to come. If any have been overlooked there has been no intention to be unfair. The “medicine man” of the Apaches should be there—as good as some of the rest; also the “rain-makers” Rider Haggard describes (from whom General Dyrenforth might get some valuable hints); also the priests of “Darkest Africa.” Why not the voodoo negroes of Louisiana swamps? They could give a trick worth knowing to the Buddhist priests, to say the least of it.

In some way the dead and gone religions should be represented. There might be histrionic substitutes (a sort of pious theatre for church members; even preachers) for priests and teachers of Egypt and Assyria and Phenicia. They might at least build a duplicate of Nebuchadnezzar's lofty statue of Bel-Merodach. The Greek and Roman temples should be reproduced, and learned men, personating the soothsayers, should show the moderns how to predict future events by watching the flight of birds or gazing upon the entrails of a sheep. If the false religions are to be honored, give the dead ones a chance.

And why not ask Herbert Spencer to make an “exhibit” of “agnosticism”?

A “complete exhibit of religions”! Was such a phrase ever penned before? What will be exhibited? Doctrine? Government? Experience? What is there to show? Will they debate doctrine, or settle disputed questions by arbitration? Will they argue about government? or tell experience? or only brag about numbers? If this last, the game is lost by Protestantism to the Romanists, by Christianity to Mohammedanism, by all to bold and dirty heathenism. . . . The whole

conception is preposterous—the gathering of an ecclesiastical menagerie as diverse as that which floated in Noah's Ark.

Why should the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, care for representation there—in that crowd? Why should we be longing for “recognition” at Chicago—in this congress of all sorts, from Methodists down to Asiatic idolaters?

If we will only stand by our work of saving souls; if we will only repent of the worldliness that is spreading among us like a fretting leprosy; if we will only return to the simplicity and earnestness of our Methodism, we need not worry about being in this Chicago game of brag. A thousand revivals of religion—“pure and undefiled”—between now and September, 1893, will be worth more to us than the recognition of all the world.