대한매일신보 사설, 1905년12월1일: ”信敎自强”

普天之下全球之上에 億萬人生이 互[…]競爭者는 勢力[…] 是以로 國土와 人民이 恒常弱肉强食과 優勝劣敗를 不免하니

現今世界에 처하야 自强力이 無한 者는 名雖人也나 人類의 待遇를 不得하야 奴隸와 牛馬를 作하야 奴隸와 牛馬를 作한 者는 自身의 行動을 不得自由하야 他人의 驅使를 被하고 宰割을 聽하다가 畢境種類가 滅絶하는 境遇에 至하노니 此는 世界人生이 歷歷히 目睹한 者라. (…). 人類中自强力에 緣起한 바를 攷察하니

無形의 自强과 有形의 自强이 有하니 有形의 自强은 財力과 武力등이 是也오 無形의 自强은 信敎力이 是也라 無論何國하고 其始也에 必皆無形之强이 先立하야 其效果가 有形之强을 成就하나니 彼美國의 獨立과 希臘의 獨立이 皆其人民의 信敎力으로 由한지라

是以로 國家의 財力과 兵力이 비록 虛弱하나 自國의 宗敎와 自國의 歷史를 能히 保存하면 獨立精神이 不之全滅하야 畢竟國權을 恢復하나니 無形之强이 豊不可畏리오. 今에 大韓現像을 觀한 則有形之强은 固無可論이나 無形之强은 甚有其望하니 何也오 하면 宗敎社會가 是라.

現今大韓國中에 耶蘇信敎徒가 數十萬에 達하였는데 箇個히 一死字로 自警하야 國家의 獨立을 不失하기로 上天에 祈禱하고 同胞에 勸諭하니

大韓에 獨立根基라 彼淺見之徒는　此를　冷視하나 余輩는　此信敎者의 效力이 不出幾年에 必有可觀이라 하노라”

(<대한매일신보>, 한국신문연구소, 1977, 제2권, 1353쪽).

“Generally, all over the globe under the Heaven, the myriads of people are always competing with each other. Both lands and peoples cannot avoid [the laws of] ‘the struggle for survival’ (yangnyuk kangsik) and ‘survival of the fittest’ (usŭng yŏlp’ae).

In today’s world, those lacking the force to strengthen themselves, albeit called ‘people’, are never treated as such. They live as slaves, cows, or horses, cannot secure their freedom, are being lorded over by others, and, having been subjected to others’ rule, often get exterminated altogether in the end.

That is what has been witnessed by the peoples of the world, and how is it possible to describe this dreadful situation in words? Let us investigate what pertains to the self-strengthening abilities of the humanity.

There are both immaterial (muhyŏng) and material (yuhyŏng) types of self-strengthening: the former means such things as religious beliefs, and the latter – finances, armies, and so on.

Of course, in any state from the very beginning the immaterial strength precedes the acquisition of the material force: for example, the independence of the USA or Greece all are owed to the strengths of the religious beliefs [of their respective peoples].

So, even if the finances and army are weak, so far as the religion and history of the state are preserved, its independence spirit will not come to the end.

How cannot the immaterial strength be respected for the sake of restoring state’s sovereignty? In today’s Korea, it can be argued that the material strength is next to nothing, but we dare say that the immaterial strength of religion and society gives grounds for expectations. Today, the number of Christians in Korea reached several tens of thousands, and everybody of them, even in the point of death, prays the Heaven for the maintenance of Korea’s independence, and recommend [Christian religion] to the compatriots. This is the fundament of Korea’s independence. Some shallow fellows view these developments cynically, but in a few years they will surely see their results”

빅명수, «한국민족주의자들의 종교 이해 – 대한매일신보의 논설을 중심으로», 한국기독교와 역사, 제5호, 1995, 2-31쪽:

http://user.chollian.net/~ikch0102/nm5-2.htm