Evening star., 1909-07-11
THE. 5AHA7 0NaAa e5c1zooL 7z WzAs1nazano'E

connected with the Assembly in the
trumpet to command attention. Among
these. Miss Laura Barney and her moth
er, Mrs. Albert Clifford Barney of
Sheridan circle, noted for deeds of char
ity, have been "adherents'' for half a
dozen years. Miss Barney has spent sew
eral years in the orient, and is a capable
linguist having made numerous trans
lations of, Bahai literature from French
and Persian. She is also an accredited
instructor and a pleasing speaker.
Charles Mason Remey, son of Vice Ad-
miral Remey. is also among the most
active and influential .adherents," hav-
ing visited Akka and Persia several
times and is now about to begin tour
of the world in the interests of this
faith Mrs. Josephine Cowles is one of
the earlier converts" who has also
visited the orient Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph
Hannen have just recently returned from
a pilgrimage, and are teachers. There
are also many others whose zeal and
talents merit attention, for every Bahai
is herald of the faith that is in him.
The group of 'adherents' of this faith,
in each locality, is known as an 'as-
sembly," and there are now officially re-
ported thirty-five of these in the United
States. These, in their organized form.
are known as the "Bahai Temple Unity"
DR.. Getsinger and Mr. Remey were dele
gates from Washington, was held in Chi
cago.
1t is not a simple matter to give def
milton of the Bahai belief. While they
dsclaim being, called a sect of any re-
ligion, they also specifically decline to
profess to have new religion" Their
teaching seems to include about all that
is commendable in all religions. and they
n eycII1Ia ANYTHING from
that has merit and has had fruit. 1t
does not simplify the case. to attempt to
liken them to any of the Christian sects.
as they profess to accept both Christian
and Jewish Scriptures of inspired ORR
gin; and not only that. but they include
Of like relative value the writings in the
Koran, the Zend Avesta. the books Of
the BuddhiSts and the BrahmanS. But
they make 1t plain as their belief that in
spired revelations came by stages, by cy-
cles. to different peoples. and that each
must be taken In it's relation to every
other, and to the times in which they
were severally spoken.
But they turn for their source of specific
authority to the modern prophet Bahia
'o'llah, who was is. they believe, the
supreme manifestation" who fulflls in
himself the older prophecies and who be-
comes, by his enlightened writings the
latest and best spiritual interpreter of
all that came before him. They believe
in one God, and that all those who have
spoken for him. the Buddha, Moses,
Jesus and Mollammed. are his "manifes-
tations," but that Baha'o'llah is the .'su-
preme manifestation" 1t is not hard to
appreciate, therefore. the fact so charac-
teristic of the Bahais. that Converts
from all religions make up their enthu-
sastic e''adherents: and yet lot 'con-
verts'' really. as no one is required to be
less Christian or less Islamic. or less
Bhuddistic, SO far as real spiritual life is
concerned In fact the soul of Bahaism
appears to be to get and live the real
thing no matter by what name il may be
called as in the Supreme Spirit all is one
Opinions change as growth progresses.
The regular meetings Of the Bahais in