The Washington herald., 1914-03-18
Who's Who
Among Women
By MARY b. MULLETT.
Copyright. IHs.)

II Elizabeth Knopf had started new
cult II would not have been particularly
surprising. For 1t is really a cold day
in New York when the list of so-called
cults isn't increased by at least one
more novelty.
But. although this young. rich. at
tractive woman had indeed inaugurated
something new, it is neither a religion
nor a philosophy. 1t is concrete
thing in brick and wood and mortar,
and she calls it the Daily Temple.
It isn't a very impressive building
to pose as a temple. Once 1t was q
stable. Later is was promoted to be
a studio. 1t is of cheerful red brick
with white trimmings outside. and the
inscription, Daily Temple" Is as un-
ecclesiastical in appearance as II II
were a plumbers sign.
Inside the place is finished in white
glazed brick. A gallery takes the place
Of the hayloft Of other days. and a
fireplace at one side has happily sur
vived from the studio regime. II IS
simple, cheerful, attractive, but not at
all the traditional temple"
Yet there is more religion per square
foot in the Daily Temple than in any
church on record. At least there may not
be more religion. but there are GER
tainIy more religions
room are no less than six reading
desks. As each one of these stands for
a religion, il is- perfectly apparent
that no ordinary church can compete
with the Daily Temple in the number
and the variety of the faiths preached
there. What these six religions are
may be inferred from the words in
which the purpose of the temple is ex-
pressed:
Dedicated to the humanity of Brahma'
the righteousness of Moses, the knowl-
edge of Buddha, the ideal of Plato, the
law of Mahomet. and the glory and self
sacrifice of Jesus"
Miss Knopfs idea is to bring together
the followers of the great ethical and re-
ligious movements for mutual helptulness.
At the Sunday night meetings each oil the
six reading desks is used by repre-
sentative of one of these religions Some
how Confucius seems % have supplanted
Plato when it comes TO these readings.
But that may be because there are in
modern New York more Chinese than
there are disciples of the Greek philoso-
pher.
There are meetings every evening at
the temple: meetings where the great
questions of ethics and philosophy are
discussed by men of all races and all
beliefs And the temple is open daily
for those who want to come and tax
over personally their problems. their
hopes their aims, their discouragements.
1t is a strange enterprise to be launched
by n Young woman. One of the most
peculiar things about this girlish pro-
moter of unsectarian religion is that she
herself had no religious training at all.
My family are confessed agnostics,
she saws. Il cannot remember that l
ever heard religion mentioned in my own
home NV parents were individualists and
! am an individualist, too. TO the core
of my being"
Miss Knopf. who is a Brooklyn girl by
birth. went abroad after a course at
Columbia University. She was already
confident of her mission" and wanted
to prepare herself for il. When she came
home she began making definite ar
rangementS and two months ago opened
the temple. II is absolutely her own
project carried out by herself even to the
point of providing every dollar of the
necessary money.
While she has plenty to spend for this
work, she is apparently indifferent 10
the ordinary appeals to a woman's
pocketbook She says that ever since
she has been old enough to pick out her
own clothes. she has not owned dress
that cost more than so.
Conducts Program.
Every night Miss Knopf begins the pro-
gram, whatever it may he, with short
service which she herself conducts. She
reads some extracts and gives a short
talk, followed by brief meditation"
The programs differ. Friday nights, for
example, are open question nights. Satur-
days there are lectures by well-knOwn
men and women.
New York is full" says Miss KnOpf
''of course. of young and old, rich and
poor. educated and illiterate, who are
starving for the sort of sympathy and
understanding that comes only through
some sort of spiritual affiliation. These
are the people I want to reach.
My speakers are drawn from every
race religion and profession. Their sub
jects range through every department
of scientific research. religious and secu-
lar propaganda. political opinion and
economic doctrine. Absolute freedom
OF thought and speech is my shibboleth.
Whoever has a message to deliver is
welcome to enunciate that message from
tn" platform of this temple. 1 feel GER
tain that this is what ! was chosen to
do. feel sure of my election to this
work
Coins are in circulation on an average