Editing Hiram Maxim (section)

== Philosophy ==
In addition to his engineering endeavors, Maxim, a lifelong [[atheist]]<ref>{{cite book|title=A Rationalist Encyclopaedia: a book of reference on religion, philosophy, ethics, and science|year=1950|publisher=Watts|page=384|author=Joseph McCabe|edition=2|quote=He was a member of the firm of Vickers' Sons and Maxim. Maxim was an aggressive Atheist (personal knowledge) and the compiler (with the present writer) of the collection of solid criticisms of religion...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Freethinker, Volume 92|year=1972|publisher=G.W. Foote|page=45|quote=Now Maxim really way a militant atheist!}}</ref> "compiled and edited" a book he called ''Li Hung Chang's Scrapbook''.<ref name="Hiram Stevens Maxim 1913">{{cite book|title=Li Hung Chang's Scrapbook|author=Hiram Stevens Maxim|publisher=Watts & Co|year=1913}}</ref>
This book was addressed to [[Li Hongzhang|Li Hung Chang]] (also spelled Li Hongzhang and Li Hung-chang) and endeavored to address a belief that "The Chinese were generally puzzled as to how it was possible for people who are able to build locomotives and steamships to have a religion based on a belief in devils, ghosts, impossible miracles, and all the other absurdities and impossibilities peculiar to the religion taught by the [[missionary|missionaries]]."<ref name="Scrapbook Foreword">''Li Hung Chang's Scrapbook'', Foreword, p. x.</ref>

Maxim held European missionaries in China in low esteem, for reasons described in the scrapbook. He stated "...it was my aim, in compiling for His Excellency a scrap-book with explanatory notes, to put the Chinaman right in this respect. I wished to show that we were not all fools."<ref name="Scrapbook Foreword" /> His scrapbook comprised some 400 pages with 42 illustrations, presenting his views on The Nature of Christianity; Christianity in China; and his conclusions on subjects including Miracles, Spirituality, Faith; and the influence of the Bible on the civilization of Europe and America. He concluded his scrapbook with an appeal to the Missionaries and his thoughts on the reason for the failure of what he described as "Missionary Propaganda" in China.