Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-28
SonrnaI xrlS G0lries.
SINGLE COPIES THREn CENTS.
Tuesday, August 2S, 1888.
TWO NEW RELIGIONS.

Two new religions are announced. One has made its. appearance in far-of Finland and is calculated to be popular with women. The adherents of this religion call then- l selves ''pure by excellence profess the su- periority and supremacy of women and de- mand that they should control the family. In, every house where the new doctrines are practiced woman elected by her compan- ions is invested with sort of directing power, which gives her the right to infiict penance and even rigorous ehastisement. The new creed requires that all disciples shall confess their sins to certain women at least once week.
 The other new religion has come to light in Schuyler county, Illinois, and does not appear to be as good religion for women as the Finland religion is. In fact it appears to be pretty bad religion for women and men both. Its founders are two ex-Methodist clergymen named Obenshain and Rayburn, who were driven ont of the Methodist church for advocating false doctrines. Both are magnetic" and profess to heal the sick by faith and prayer. They call themselves and their followers Pilgrims. Obepshain has ''revelations'' when he thinks they are necessary. He has taken spiritual wife, in the person of girl who did housework h his family and is young and pretty. The height of grossness and impiety seems to have been reached when Obenshain arose in one of the meetings and stated solemnly that God had told him in a vision that 8 new prophet who would dictate to the world would be born within year. and that Oben- shain should be the father. A few nights after 8 married woman arose and said that she too had had vision from God, and that she was to be the mother of the new proph- ct. It is almost past believing that the un. reasoning disciples, the womans husband included accepted this statement with shouts of joy. The disgust of the community, how ever, grew beyond control at this open display of stupidity and vileness, and one night the tent of the Pilgrims was demoI- ished and the faithful temporarily scattered, Obenshain with his Spiritual wife, and the future mother of his prophet on either side of him, and the womans husband bringing up the rear. But the Pilgrims prosper in spite of the assaults upon thend and measu- rably perhaps because of them. The organi- zation now numbers over three hundred, among them many rich and influential fami- lies; active missionary work is being done in the neighborfng counties, and the local conviction is that it is useless to try to inter. fere with them any further Obenshain in recent talk with 8 newspaper reporter said There is g fellowship between two religious souls that the world knows nothing of. and it is this fellowship they call loose- ness. We regard our relationship most sa- credly. The Methodists fight us persistently because MT. Rayburn and were formerly Methodist ministers. They fssl ghsy have lost their power and are therefore venseful. think our organization will increase and some day become a recognized power.
 How popular this naw religious movement will become remains to be seen. Unfortu- nately the history of such affairs shows that many men and women can be humbugged by almost any kind of false prophet or false prophesying. Mormonism is an example of how vile religion" can grow. Perhaps the Pilgrims will not become as numerous as the Mormons, but they have made a very ominous start.