The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-01
NEW RELIGION IN Old ASIA.
Disciples ~ Beha Growing strong
There as Wen a. IN America.

AllfWANAarA CsNuNth
The recent aIysu. In Wisconsin ~ a
missionary TO preach the doctrines of
Bablsm, the new Asiatic religion. will
give some interest 10 the following ar.
tlcle on Rabism from The Ethuic Re-
liSions and Their Expansion" IN North
American Review;
Prayers are e. be said three times
day. The worsh,per Is 10 turn his face
towaM ",he Most Holy Religion" by
which Acre Is Apparently Interested
All congregational prayer Is abolished.
eNce7, ir The case NJ the burial service.
The Blbl year. which, rs we have said,
contains nineteen months of nineteen
days each begins on the Persian New
Years day The year contains s65 days
in all, five lntercalary days being addad
Fasting from sunrise 20 sunset Is or
dainei during The last month OF the
year
Menllclty IS prnhiblted In the follow
ing terms; The mos. hateful OF man
kind before God Is he who sits and
bsgs take bold ~ the robes OF means.
relying IN God. the Cause Of causes"
The use = knives and forks In eating.
instead N the hands. Is enjoyed. Clean
llHess IS insisted on.
Marriage Is enjoined On ALL Wives
who ior a period Of nine months have
had no news ~ their husbands are per-
mi;tei - marry again. but Il they are
nailent Il is better. since God loves
those who are patient II quarrsls arise
between a man and his wife. he Is not
TO divorce her AZ once. but must wait
tor a whole year, 80 that perhaps. ne
may become recnnclled 20 her. The
kings u the earth are exho-. ID 10
adopt and spread the new faith. The
sacred books are 10 b. read regularly.
but never so long az 10 cause WEAKNESS.
Enemies are 20 BE- forgiven. nor most
evil be me- with evIl.
Bch1 died In 1891. AZ the age Of 7I, |
In Acre, which town he had never been
permitted u Leave He was here visl,-
ed by the faithful who regarded Acre
as an object Of pilgrimage. and also by
Inquiries. He was regarded by the
faithful as God Almighty himself. and |
the respect and reverence they paid him |
We're unb1unded. He had four sons, !
of whom the two eldest were Abbas Ef- |
end and Aga M1hammad All
On the death % Beha. Abbas Efendl. |
az he Oldest son. became the spiritual 1
head u the Behals. though II appears |
thar his claims 10 the position were not |
admitted by all. for he found. at the |
first a rival IN the person Of a certain |
Aga MIRA Jan u Kashan. who had |
been tn amanuersis Of Beha. This |
rivalry dld not however, have any ap- !
preclable effect IN the position OF Abbas /
Efenii. who receives. at any rate from /
the vast majority Of the Behals NJ to- !
day 4 vHneratI1n equal TO that accord |
I'd N hI5 father.
Aga Mohammad All, since his fathers |
death has lived a life Of retirement and |
seclusIOn. II is known that nc was |
unable N approve the course adopted bv |
1.s brother, Abbas Efendl bu: he has |
always Ttrenuously avoided an open /
quarrel with him. and has refused 10
give written answers to the large num-
Der n Babls who were anxious 10 know
HE views His main object has been
n avoid any further division in the
3aH church
In conclusion. few words must be
lald In regard 70 he whereabouts and
,onl.tlOns " the BabIs az the present
lay. II IL impossible 10 obtain reliable
itatlstics az 10 their actual numbers.
'ut one million Il probably near the
mark The majority lnhablt the large
owns ~ Persia. such as Tpheran. Tsp-
ihan, Yuzd and Herman. Prosecutions
ire nowadays Of rare occurre ice.
h1ugh the Babls can never feel really
ecure within Persian territory. Three
ears ago. Teher8n alone was said 10
ontain upward ~ ten thousand Babis.
nd no doubt heir numbers have great
y Increased IN the interval. II IL hard
o say precisely what degree 0f eau
Ion they consider requisite. or 10 what
xtent they are known as Babls 10 the
u'hOr'ies and the pOpulace IN gen.
raj. Certain II is that many distin-
Uished persons are known by all 10
elOng 10 no apparent inconvenience. {
ne B3b's are law-abidlng citizens and {
y their business on an equal footing I
IN Mussulmans No Babl. however,
'n0 II known 20 be such. IL allowed 10
nter a mosque. They have no place of
'OrshiO " their own. but hold their (
leet.ngs generally after sunIown, In !
he houses Of various members Of The !
1mmUnity.
The prese II writer has attended many
these gatherings and has always
)me away deeply Impressed by the
implicitly, earnesiness and courtesy Of '
le Rabis. Al these meetings a practical I
zamDle " the Babl principle of equal $
y Il 10 be seen. Here we find. side by ]
lee, learned doctor, an officer. a mer- I
nant and servant, sitting, as the C
er'lanq say "On four knees intent on ?
.scussing the latest news Of the Babis ]
other parts of the world; listening 4
the recitation Of a poem by some D
abb poet. or hearing the contents Of n
le latest 1aWh" from Acre During z