Home Missions is giving a very valuable and varied service to these Americans from old Mexico.
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The Orientals of America form a distinct group. Marked racial differences and their background of the mystic, age-old East leave them separated and apart in a conglomerate civilization whose assimilative power is the wonder of the age. They form thus far the largest body of "irreconcilables," to use Prof. Lowell's term, found in our land.
"It is indeed largely a perception of the need of of homogeneity as a basis for popular government and the public opinion on which it rests, that justifies democracies in resisting the influx in great numbers of a widely different race.
"One essential condition to a democracy is that people should be homogeneous to such a point that the minority is willing to accept the decisions of the majority on all questions that are normally expected to arise." [Footnote: Public Opinion and Population Government—A. Lawrence Lowell.]
The German poet, Goethe, a most penetrating thinker, declared that the prime quality of the real critic is sympathy. There is no other realizing and understanding approach to a man or a race. "The significant ideals, the organized energy, the sustaining vitality of an alien people must be sought and understood in order to come into sympathetic touch with them." This is the only key to mutual understanding and respect.
It is especially needful that the Oriental should be considered from this standpoint: in varying degrees, according to their race and standard, they lay a grave responsibility upon Home Missions. By the tens of thousands they are here, Hindus, Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese, bringing their ancient faiths, raising their temples in our Christian land. Mohammedanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Brahmanism, and many other alien and heathen faiths count their adherents by the thousands, while many one-time Christian folk are turning to the modern forms of these religions.
The fact that rescue homes for Chinese slave girls are a feature of Home Mission work among Orientals tells its own story of degrading customs transplanted to America's shores.
Through colporteurs, evangelists, deaconesses, schools, homes, hospitals and churches, Home Missions is giving the Christ to the Orientals; and they, returning, carry the "new life" gained in America to their great awakening lands where rests so much of the world's future destiny. A great international evangelism is being poured out by Home Missions; for these Christians that are "scattered abroad go everywhere preaching the gospel."
A noted Japanese evangelist, Rev. Kiyomatsu Kimura, for six years pastor of the Congregational church of Kioto, known as the Moody of Japan, because of his great power as a soul winner, has been visiting this country, preaching to his own people (January, 1915).