298 DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION 



the Israelites, and brings them together again to over- 

 whelm the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. It is his voice 

 that thunders from Mt. Sinai, and his finger that traces 

 the commandments to rule the hves of his chosen people 

 upon the tablets of stone intrusted to Moses the Seer. 

 At the behest of Joshua he holds the sun and the moon in 

 their courses above the vale of Ajalon so that there will 

 be more time for the destruction of the Philistines. In 

 brief, Jehovah is the eternal god of law and power, de- 

 manding sacrifice and priestly atonement, and promis- 

 ing happiness eternal upon the bosom of Abraham to 

 those who recognize their responsibility to him and 

 obey his precepts. Again, there are three fundamental 

 beliefs, that differ from those of Christianity as the 

 Talmud diverges from the New Testament scriptures. 



Mohammedanism is another outgrowth from this 

 group of religions. The teachings of the Koran give the 

 institutional and ritual forms to the same three elements 

 distinguished above. God is the identical single God; 

 and Mohammed is His Prophet, as Jesus is the New 

 Prophet of Christendom. The true believer's responsi- 

 bility entails active warfare upon the heretics, that is, 

 those who do not accept the Koran. The immortal 

 state of Mohammedanism is a very different thing from 

 the heavenly bliss of Christianity, for the promised 

 rewards are such as would appeal to the warm-blooded 

 Southern temperament. 



Turning now to Asia, we find in Brahmanism and Bud- 

 dhism two systems of religion that are related to one 

 another exactly as are Judaism and Christianity. The 

 analogue of the Old Testament is a group of priestly 

 hymnal writings known as the Vedas, which date back 



