The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-14
many RELIGIONS
SHELTERED | HERE
Absolute Freedom Of
Belief Proved by Re.
cent Census.
EVEN HE "A THEN
REPRESENTED

81 ~
Confucianism, Buddhism and
Scores Of Other. Beliefs and
Forms Of Worship Flourish
Under the Tolerant Folds
Of the Stars and Stripes.
Surprising Figures.
Washington, August 1s.-Religious
freedom in the United States shelters
under Its tolerant and ample folds
thousands OF representatives Of a
numbrsof the so-called heather beliefs,
in addition to more than zoo various
sects OF Christianity. according 70
census bureau statistics dealing with
the religious life OF the country.
Among the former are Buddhists,. Con-.
4 1ucianists and Bahaists who arc en-
eaged In an organized way in the
spread OF their doctrines in this coun.
try.
The data forming the basis OF the
volume in question was gathered in
i 1906. It Is now. in proof. but there Is
no assurance us to when 1t will be
Eiven to the public. In addition to,
statistics Of the various denominations.
the work will present brief history
of each; also the pertinent facts re-
6arding their doctrine and polity. The.
compilation Is the work of Or. 7. c.
Bliss.
Up to the time OF the investigation
there had been no effort to effect any
organization for the promotion OF
5Confucianism. but the text tells OF q
society OF the Chinese sa ge's follow
ers which was organized in New York
City in 1907 among the Monaghan stu
dents in Columbia University. Con-.
tending that Buddhism is only sys.
tenn oftethics. they undertook to DEM
ons.rate that confucianism was reas1
religion. and so regular system OF
services was established by we'll de-.
hned organization.
Many .JosAv lIouses.
The organized followers Of Buddh..
Ism are Chinese and Japanese. Their.
churches, known officially as TEN
Piles" by the irreverent. are referred
TO as "Joss" houses. There are six
ty-two Chinese and twelve Japanese
!. temples in this country. the former
being distributed over twelve. the lat
ter over three States. California shel.
tiers all but three OF the Japanese and
moro than half of the Chinese houses.
About forty which went down nnder
a1he San Francisco cataclysm hah TO
manned In ruins tor the time OF the
enumeration.
Sew York boasts fifteen OF the Chi.
nese temples. the remainder beinG
scattered over ten States. mostly y.
the West. Tn Chinese Buddhlsts has
only one priest in this country, and
conduct no recognized system OF wor-
ship. There Is no record OF nienner-
ship; they have no sermon: keep no
Sabbath and have no religious service
The only use for thei tersples are as
places ut which Individual devotees
may consult their patron saints. Three
deitles are recognized IN the American
temples The God kuan, a mighty
duke OF the ancient Han dynasty; the
Goddess OF Fortune and the Goddess
OF Mercy.
The American Japanese Buddhista
are OF the progressive Shin Shtu sect,
which is missionary In. character
They discard the ascetic practices OF
4ha more austere Buddhists Of Asia,
allow the priests TO marry anu nave aas 9
no ban on meat or other food. The
societies are we'll organized, each hay.
dng priest General headquarters
arefin san Francisco, and they hayo
moth Journals and schools devoted to
the propagation OF the faith. In 1906
their membership in this country was
2.sS7. Of which 77s were females.
There Is no Shintoism. an exnlana-
t&ion OF which is found in the fact that
sthls religion attaches itself too close
ly to the person OF the Japanese En-
3eror. s, sa.,..
y 1, md
resented by the Vedanta Society, with
ORGANIZATIONS in New York, Pittsburg,
San Francisco and Los Angeles. u
cwas organized by some Hindu teach
,ers who came here in 1899 to the
Z MWorld,s Fair. It's name came from an
ancient Hindu philosophy, meaning
6.the end OF all wisdom. tits non.
Vegetarian, seeking to harmonize al
religious systems. o ~, ,ns pnilosoS
kaveTfour bodies with 1886 members In
khe United States. j.
Il While Bahaisnn. strictly speaking, is
nom Christian and foreign, It's follow
"a are native and not necessarily un-
christian. This is q comparatively.
new sect, growing out Of the teach.
hngs Of a Persian leades& OF the mid.
Gale Of the last century,. named Al
Hohnmmed. He claimed to be the
y manifest and called himself Bah Or
erhe Gate" Later came BAHIA ul la
4 who claimed to be the one whose COM M.
ing had been foretold. and from him
s. The ealiname OF the body Is derived. n
I zoos he had 1880 followers in, the ,.
6nited States, who worshipped In
Il twenty four places through fourteen
fetates. They teach tolerance. love.
charity,and regard all 3relig ions as as. d. d.
d vine. Hence, they profess not to \ In
s kerfere with the dinary q ctrinal be-
I Aiefs Of their menlbers.
Il $50 s53as Another church of$s Asiatic origin.
Aut still Christian, Is the Armenian,
which has seventy three or anlzatio ions
i In this country. most Of then. in the
Eastern States twenty-nin in Massa-
,chusetts alone. Their communica
IRE generally Armenians. many OF
whom fled to this country to escape
persecution. 81. III
A 6 The Greek Church.
.5 The Eastern Ortiz doS churches Or
Greek church. has 12s.6o6 communi-
m, cants Thisis the sta teE churchS of Russ
4, IA ~ 4. raaca sSS Of the churches