Parliament of Religions and Declining Missionary Faith
By Editor
REFERENCES to the Parliament of Religions held in connection with the World's Fair at Chicago are still heard from various sources, and the more thoughtful of them speak in nothing but deploring terms of the exhibit at that time of modern Christianity and the western religions. The Living Church, of Chicago, ascribes a general falling off in missionary offerings during the past two years partly to the influence of the Parliament, as the representatives of heathen religions received the impression, and so scattered the report in their own lands, that Christianity was a failure, or no better than their own religions. This feeling, too, it claims, has spread to a more or less extent among Christians themselves. What a criticism upon the so-called popular Christianity of our times! No wonder that people desiring consistency in religion are losing faith in a profession having within it no divine power. To all such we would say, Turn from the false teachers and theories to Christ himself as revealed in his word. Study that word for yourselves. Therein is light and power which will sweep away the sophistry of western as well as eastern heathenism. And yet, the former display not being satisfactory, it is now proposed in certain quarters to convene another similar assembly. It will then no doubt be discovered that the eastern and western religions will have approached still closer in a common bond of fellowship. But can it be said that the standard of either will be raised?