Greeks in America - eBooks4Greeks.gr

62 THE GREEKS IN AMERICAto tlie patriarcli as the liead of the Greek race aswell as the church. He held a position similar tothat of the Jewish high priest under the Romans.This helped the Greeks to keep their language,customs, rites and traditions as a race in the midstof trying circumstances. They feel they owe it tothe influence of their church. Church and race beingidentified, the Greek Church has become the symbolof nationality in the estimation of the Greekpeople. The threads of religion and nationality areso woven that it becomes difficult, if not impossible,to separate them. The one cannot be touched withoutaffecting the other. Many religious observances,customs, festivals, usages are rather national affairs.The bishop and the priests, like the patriarch, arenational, as well as religious leaders. In spite ofthe ignorance of many priests at present, the peopleesteem them as they see in them the priest whotaught the children in cellars at night the Greeklanguage, and kept the torch of patriotism burningin the darkness of Turkish tyranny.Protestant missions to the Greeks.—^We see theabove points illustrated in the Protestant missionarywork among the Greeks. Protestant missionarieswere sent to the East early in the 19th centuryby Presbyterians and Congregationalists mainly toevangelize the Mohammedans and the Jews. Thedoors were closed to the Moslems. No Moslem wasallowed to profess Christianity openly. Thus themissionaries turned their attention to the variousChristian races or churches, as Greeks, Armenians,Syrians, etc., who had all been oppressed under theTurk and left in ignorance and darkness throughwant of education. Although they had kept theChristian name and customs, they often lacked itsspiritual and moral influence in their daily life.Educational work.—Thus missionaries went to