Note 225 — Chapter XXVI · THE TUG OF WAR—THE BATTLE OF DIVERSE CREEDS IN CEYLON

Perhaps I ought to say ‘no objection by those really concerned.’ In point of fact, a party-cry of ‘religious intolerance’ was raised a few years ago by certain wealthy Hindoos, who, although too indifferent to establish schools for themselves, made this a ground of attack on missionaries, who rightly insist on all children who attend Christian schools coming with clean faces, that is to say, without the temple marks of cow-dung ash on their foreheads.

So many Europeans seem to think that they cannot yield sufficiently courteous recognition to heathen customs, that the strong words of Bishop Copleston on this question may well be remembered: ‘It matters everything what we teach by our action to our heathen neighbours and to our Christian people. Let us teach that the symbol of Siva—if it means anything but a dirty face—is an outrage on the majesty and love of the One True God, that it is what Scripture calls “an abomination,” to be abhorred by all loyal children of the One Father. And let us remind our own people that there is such a thing as a sound and truly religious intolerance, which is not tolerant of affronts to our God; which will not treat as one among many forms of religion the worship of idols and the denial of our Lord.... Our heathen neighbours will have reason to thank us in the end, and in the meantime will respect us, if we are determined both to speak and act the truth in love.’