The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16
HERE'S The NEWEST RELIGION
MADE OFT IN DENVER AND HAS
ONLY A FEW JOTARIES YET.
Temples q Hall bedroom With an Occult
Light In It-Fath . tumble of 1heos-
Ophy. Christianity. Secret society
Ritual and Communism III II Spread?


Out in the West whence come most of
the new things in these days. there is bud
ding still another religion. Its temple at
present is a hall bedroom in SUBURBAN
street Just outside Denver, and all OF Its
votaries can easily get in. But then Chris
tian Science started in a small way
That there il great future before the
new faith it's founders and high priest
and priestcss are sure, because photo
graph was taken Of the house in which they
practise il, and when the negative was
developed there was a streak OF light across
| the face The photographer said it was
defect in the film, but the high priestess
demurred strenuously to that.
She said il was occult light and tha, same
light centred at times about the ark oil
the new religion in the hall bedroom up
stairs. The suggestion that this might he
due to a defect in the window glass she re-
pudiates with indignation
The name Of the new religion is Kosmon,
which doesn't mean anything at all really,
but il is interpreted by the faithful as sig
nifying the era Of the earths history in
which man attains physical and spiritual
balance. The faith itself is tumble Of
lot Of things-a whifY of Theosophy,a pinch
of Judaism, a sprinkling Of Christianity
and a few scraps of fraternal-order sym
bolsm. all mixed we'll and favored with
cooperative communism.
Ii has enlisted four or five votaries,
has an official magazine. The Light Of
Kosmon, and is attracting the attention OF
the dissatisfied in religious matters. Cranks
are plentiful in Denver. Services are held
daily. at sunrise and sunset. and on Sunday
evening there Is a more formal service
when white robes are worn, incense IS
burned and the high priestess goes into
trance in which she delivers lectures under
the guidance of spirits-the asst al kind
The high priestess lis "A ciairvoyant, but
| she says that has nothing 10 do with hosinon.
In private life she is Mrs. r. p. White, and
she is now about 80 years old and has five
children. Her husband, who helped her
to evolve the new faith and shares with her
the honors, is professionally stenographer
for a Denver firm of attorneys.
They met in a cooperative colony in New
Mexico. and when il disrupted they were
married and set about making hosmon'
They have planned it all out now and estab-
lished il in a temple and community house
Just across the Platte River from Denver.
The surroundings are not inviting. just
to the left is a planning mill and in the rear
is a celery field The temple itself looks a
little the worse for wear.
A homemade implanted veranda built
by the toll Of the disciples themselves mas
been added to the front windmill AID
pumphouse are now In course OF erection
Inside the temple a steep stairway leads
to the eanctuary-the converted hall bed
roon-iu which stands the sacred ark of
kosmon containing the laws OF the order OF
Emet hachayah, Inch Is the name gwen 10
the disciples Of the faith that is another
| invented word. .Emeth' means faith in
| the Creator and -chavah' brotherhood.
and there you are.
The window was taken out Of the chapel
when it became that and stained glass was
substituted for the plain hat Ia how the
occult light reaches the ark 1t Is about
two feet square and made OF polished oak
in the best lyle
Above il hang a censor in which. when
| formal services are held incense Is burned,
| Mrs. White makes the incense herself and
puts IL in the censor in little chunks which
look like cones OF charcoal
On the north wall OF the room hangs a
string OF Oriental sounding bells such as
are sold In the department sdm stores here
On a small table nearby lies the folded
yestment of the high priest, which is simply
| a white linen apron hung from the neck
| Attached to the breast Is gilded rim which
| A book case containing sacred literature
| a potteryware urn containing the incense,
| a ray before the ark. a three branch cande-
stick and two or three chairs complete
| the sanctuary furniture. The chairs ara
more for ornament than use, IA the faithful
stand while at worship.
On the walls hang symbols Of the order,
such "a are used by fraternal societies.
One is the wine glass, the symbol OF broth
erhood That completes all there is to
see.
At sunrise and sunset, when It il time
for service, the high priest dons his apron,
smites the Oriental chimes with a wooden
hammer, beginning at the largest and
running down to the smallest. The disci-
Piles assemble and stand while prayers are
said.
The worship consista of a ritual very
much like those Of several secret societies
jumbled together. The order has a cate
chism describing the mystic prayers.
symbols and hymns,
This Is the morning prayer:
Glory be to Thee, Thou All Light Because
Thou hast created me alive win strive with
all my might to be upright before Thee. I
have faith that Thou hast created me wisely,