Al things "considered, the disbelievers in Christianity made themselves heard hardly at all this [Christmastide. So unlike the yenrs Jwhen the Russians held forth, and lever since up to 1939, For the atheists, in ther zeal, had literally flooded the town with their writings [abusing those who hold to the Fait their runners had carried these! tracts into the very churches where Christmas services were being held. [Smal] riots had been started at of worship, and attending services had been covered with mud as they left for! home, 1930 ig another year again, Unlike its practic years, the Muni always more anti-Christian than its jcoller.zue, the Provincial Kuomin~ tang, did not spend rinch money advertising hatred of the church! jand all that it stands for. Its! mouthpiece, the "Kuangehow Daily") did bear an article in its Christmas Eve number directed against the Faith of the true believer, but its: tone, on the whole, was mild, It was' rather the handiwork of one }who honestly believed Christianity to be based on wrong principles! than the product of tke pen of one: who bears antipathy to all who' Saviour, profess belief in one God and in the
Because the air was not charged with the spirit of antagonism, the churches were better attended than has been the case for some years! ast, Of the men and women who went to take part in the Christmas services, many are non-converts who went because they have relatives or friends who do belong, and thus} were, glad to accept the invitation to be present.
Scores and scores of _non-
Christians sent greeting cards to whom they loved the best. Presents moreover, were exchanged by' many who only did 0 because) December 25, is slowly becoming a holiday for the sceptical as well a time of In the Southland, a certain amount of hatred for the church)
Jand its doctrines is still met with, but it comes in streaks only; there fs no determined programme of Jopposition. Now and again some lone or other body of communicants Jor some school or other where the Bible is read and studied feels the' thand of the narrow-minded unpersuaded ones. Last week the Kai Ming School of the American, Southern Baptist Mission at Shiuchow was closed due to the fact that the pupils were being given (Christian instruction, The local school inspector came! un while the boys and girls were at their prayers; he heard the meaning Jof certain passages in the Holy Scriptures being expounded, and h went away in deep dudgeon. Secking out the Shiuchow magistrate, he had plenty to say. The Kai Ming School had been' registered with the Government, and hence nothing of a religious nuture should be taught there, and so followed the order prohibiting one and all from attending the school, the Christian school that registers with the authorities mey run into shallow water. Fortundiely, many' inspectors who are themselves oven atheists of deepest dye respect. the beliefs of people who do not think the same as they do. Instances could be given where this type of ingpecter "has dropped Christian mission school and sat through its religions services and] gone away in a happy frame of rind without a thought en his head lof reporting the principal for} thaving' violated the regulations. a best from Hanchuan was anchored in a creek near Yinwuchow with several men living on board. They went to investigate and. found two men and the missing child. The men claimed to be the boatmen and. suid that the kidnappers had gone. on'shére, but they are being detain:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.