Hide Article Text (OCR)
Mohammed Webb Preach as Polyga my to Good Christians. People of This Country Condemn the Prac tice in Their Ignorance, FORCED TO DROP THE SUBJECT Audience Repeatedly Manifest Dis pleasureslowa Opens Her Cele bration at the Fair With a Large Attendance, Chiaco, Sept. 20.—The harmony that has characterized the sessions of the world’s parliament of religions since the opening day was for the first time slight ly disturbed today. Scores of thousands of professing Christians have listened without demur and, as a matter of fact, with absolute interest, to the advocacy of Buddhism, Confucianism, Zoroastrian ism and other isms, but they drew the line at polygamy, and when from the platform it was declared that a polyga mist could also be a Christian they lifted up their voices in indignant protest. The gentleman who thus put his foot in it was Mohammed Russell Alexander Webb and his topic was “The Spirit of Islam.” Amidst a number of protests from women and men he went on to say that polygamy was a matter of conditions merely. Once he was opposed to it, but now he knew that it could be beneficial. It was necessary, however, to understand it, and no one was qualified to judge who did not know its theory and practice. The peo ple in this country were not qualified to judge of conditions existing in another. A man could be a good and pure man and practice polygamy if it was in the proper spirit. A mighty protest, louder than all the rest combined, went up at this juncture, but, nothing daunted, the speaker went on to say that if they knew as much of the subject as he did they would know that a polygamist could be a Christian provided he did not manifest a spirit of sensuousness. This time the protest was so vehement that the speaker concluded that he had said enough, and with a final defi ance to the effect that they were con demning something they knew nothing about, he switched off to a talk on Mohammedanism. This also, he claimed, was not understood, due largely to the fact that there was no English history of Mohammed that was not full of prejudice and error. The congress of the Society of Friends ‘was given up today to a general discus sion of the subject, “Our Young Mem bers; the Duty of the Society in Guiding Them to a Conception of Their Responsi bilities in Mature Years; Their Social Needs and Opportunities as Members; Would a National Organization Be an Aid in Promoting Their Interest?” ‘The Religious Doctrines of Unitari anism” was the subject assigned for the day’s congress of that denomination. That nothing might be overlooked, the topic was divided into six sections. The first paper, on ‘The Human Roots of Religion,” was presented by Rev. FR. Hornbrook of West Newton, Mass. Following him, Rev. S. M. Crothers of St. Paul, Minn., read a paper on ‘‘God,” and Rev. J. H. Crocker of Helena, Mont., spoke of ‘‘Jesus’’ The other subjects were: “Man,” by Rev. H. M. Simmons of Minneapolis, Minn. ; “The Problems of Evil,” by Rev. 8. R. Calthrop of Syr acuse, N. Y., and ‘‘The Life Eternal” by Rev. M. J. Savage of Boston, Mass.
Newspaper Details
Lincoln Nebraska State Journal
Lincoln, Nebraska, US
Thu, Sep 21, 1893
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Muhammed A.
USA 16 Feb 2026
Other Publications Near Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln Evening Journal
Lincoln Daily Star
Lincoln Daily News
Lincoln Star
Lincoln Nebraska State Journal
