God and my Neighbour Part 21

Then how are we to account for King Asoka?

The King Asoka of the Rock Edicts was as spiritual, as gentle, as pure, and as loving as the Christ of the Gospels.

The King Asoka of the Rock Edicts was wiser, more tolerant, more humane than the Christ of the Gospels.

Nowhere did Christ or the Fathers of His Church forbid slavery; nowhere did they forbid religious intolerance; nowhere did they forbid cruelty to animals.

The type of character displayed by the rock inscriptions of King Asoka was a higher and sweeter type than the type of character displayed by the Jesus of the Gospels.

Does this prove that King Asoka or his teacher, Buddha, was divine? Does it prove that the Buddhist faith is the only true faith? I shall treat this question more fully in another chapter.

Another Christian argument is the claim that the faithfulness of the Christian martyrs proves Christianity to be true. A most amazing argument. The fact that a man dies for a faith does not prove the faith to be true; it proves that he believes it to be true--a very different thing.

The Jews denied the Christian faith, and died for their own. Does that prove that Christianity was not true? Did the Protestant martyrs prove Protestantism true? Then the Catholic martyrs proved the reverse.

The Christians martyred or murdered millions, many millions, of innocent men and women. Does _that_ prove that Christ was divine? No: it only proves that Christians could be fanatical, intolerant, b.l.o.o.d.y, and cruel.

And now, will you ponder these words of Arthur Lillie, M.A., the author of _Buddha and Buddhism_? Speaking of the astonishing success of the Buddhist missionaries, Mr. Lillie says:

This success was effected by moral means alone, for Buddhism _is the one religion guiltless of coercion_.

Christians are always boasting of the wonderful good works wrought by their religion. They are silent about the horrors, infamies, and shames of which it has been guilty.

Buddhism is the only religion with no blood upon its hands. I submit another very significant quotation from Mr. Lillie:

I will write down a few of the achievements of this inactive Buddha and the army of Bhikshus that he directed:

1. The most formidable priestly tyranny that the world had ever seen crumbled away before his attack, and the followers of Buddha were paramount in India for a thousand years.

2. The inst.i.tution of caste was a.s.sailed and overthrown.

3. Polygamy was for the first time a.s.sailed and overturned.

4. Woman, from being considered a chattel and a beast of burden, was for the first time considered man's equal, and allowed to develop her spiritual life.

5. All bloodshed, whether with the knife of the priest or the sword of the conqueror, was rigidly forbidden.

6. Also, for the first time in the religious history of mankind, the awakening of the spiritual life of the individual was subst.i.tuted for religion by body corporate.

7. The principle of religious propagandism was for the first time introduced with its two great instruments, the missionary and the preacher.

To that list we may add that Buddhism abolished slavery and religious persecution; taught temperance, chast.i.ty, and humanity; and invented the higher morality and the idea of the brotherhood of the entire human race.

What does _that_ prove? It seems to me to prove that Archdeacon Wilson is mistaken.

THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?

What _is_ Christianity? When I began to discuss religion in the _Clarion_ I thought I knew what Christianity was. I thought it was the religion I had been taught as a boy in Church of England and Congregationalist Sunday schools. But since then I have read many books, and pamphlets, and sermons, and articles intended to explain what Christianity is, and I begin to think there are as many kinds of Christianity as there are Christians. The differences are numerous and profound: they are astonishing. That must be a strange revelation of G.o.d which can be so differently interpreted.

Well, I cannot describe all these variants, nor can I reduce them to a common denominator. The most I can pretend to offer is a selection of some few doctrines to which all or many Christians would subscribe.

1. All Christians believe in a Supreme Being, called G.o.d, who created all beings. They all believe that He is a good and loving G.o.d, and our Heavenly Father.

2. Most Christians believe in Free Will.

3. All Christians believe that Man has sinned and does sin against G.o.d.

4. All Christians believe that Jesus Christ is in some way necessary to Man's "salvation," and that without Christ Man will be "lost."

But when we ask for the meaning of the terms "salvation" and "lost"

the Christians give conflicting or divergent answers.

5. All Christians believe in the immortality of the soul. And I think they all, or nearly all, believe in some kind of future punishment or reward.

6. Most Christians believe that Christ was G.o.d.

7. Most Christians believe that after crucifixion Christ rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven.

8. Most Christians believe, or think they believe, in the efficacy of prayer.

9. Most Christians believe in a Devil; but he is a great many different kinds of a Devil.

Of these beliefs I should say:

1. As to G.o.d. If there is no G.o.d, or if G.o.d is not a loving Heavenly Father, who answers prayer, Christianity as a religion cannot stand.

I do not pretend to say whether there is or is not a G.o.d, but I deny that there is a loving Heavenly Father who answers prayer.

2 and 3. If there is no such thing as Free Will Man could not sin against G.o.d, and Christianity as a religion will not stand.

I deny the existence of Free Will, and possibility of Man's sinning against G.o.d.

4. If Jesus Christ is not necessary to Man's "salvation," Christianity as a religion will not stand.

I deny that Christ is necessary to Man's salvation from h.e.l.l or from Sin.

5. I do not a.s.sert or deny the immortality of the soul. I know nothing about the soul, and no man is or ever was able to tell me more than I know.

Of the remaining four doctrines I will speak in due course.

I spoke just now of the religion I was taught in my boyhood, some forty years ago. As that religion seems to be still very popular I will try to express it as briefly as I can.

Adam was the first man, and the father of the human race. He was created by G.o.d, in the likeness of G.o.d: that is to say, he was made "perfect."