Dr Duff

Dr Duff

Publications & Reports

Bleek uses Francis Xavier to illustrate that accommodating a diversity of opinion is not the same as agreeing with or believing in that same thing. Xavier's standards of belief are archaic in a modern secularised state where religious affiliation should not interfere with a citizen's political privileges. However, mutual respect facilitates coexistence. He speaks critically of Rev. Dr Alexander Duff's comparable religious intensity and persecution of native Hindus in an ecclesiastically despotic manner typical of colonial bishoprics and their High Church party clergy and missions. Duff's unlawful interference with Hemnauth Bose, a Hindu minor, and Sir Mordaunt Wells's humane ruling ordering the restitution of Bose to his father suggests that a difference of religion does not entitle the church to deprive natives of their natural rights. Bleek further cites the similar case of Grish Chunder Ghose (also involving the Scotch Church's Dr Duff) and the Italian Mortara case as examples of this morally confused extra-faith interference by Christians in their attempt to Christianise. Bleek feels this goes against the first principles of Christianity. He ends by remarking that we are responsible for our actions, even if done in emulation.

Printed newsprint glued on paper

23/06/1864

Two cut out columns of newsprint text, positioned vertically parallel, pasted onto a plus-sized A4 unlined sheet with visible warping. "Dr. Duff" is subsequently handwritten onto the mount/paper backing.