Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-01-23
PlcAN temple MAY
Be BUILT INSTEAD
Of HOME FOR Cult
Liberal Colony in Maine Torn
by Followers of Bahaist
Cult.
An Eliot, Me. dispatch to the New

Green Acre fellowship. known
world wide as one of the most unique
religious organization and exponent of
free thought is torn by dissenting
factions. The colony here on the
banks of the Piscataqua. whose popu-
Boston and Cambridge people, is
threatened with disruption.
The outcome rests in the election of
a board of trustees. Arrayed in OPP
posite factions are the followers of the
oriental prophet. Observation-Disclosures,
and known as the Bahaists, and the
original Green Acreites. who became
pilgrims to this nov amous ground
to give expression to their ideals of
universal brotherhood and free relig-
1Ous thought in it's broadcast aspect.
The Bahaists want a pagan temple"
erected as their shrine. They have
selected for the site of this edi1ce the
beautiful pine grove where he Green
Acreites for years have held their OUT
door meetings.
Ever since the visit Of Abdul-Baha-
Abbas In 1912. the Bahaists have been
PROSECUTING among the pilgrims of
Green Acre. They have built up a rival
organization. which is now strong
enough. they believe. to consummate
their plans for control.
They want the temple erected in
time for the visit of the great prophet
Abdul-Baha. The funds for the temple
are available through the agency of
the legacy Of $4,000 left to the Green
Acreites by Mrs. Helen Cole, Of New
York. and to be devoted to the up
building Of the colony. Its terms arc
broad enough to be applied by the
trustees for the purpose of temple
erection. 1t Is planned by the Bahaists
to place busts of Zoroaster, Sakyi-
1undi. Mahomet. C%onfucius. Buddha,
Comte. Christ and others about it's in
terror. Statements Of these great
teachers are to be inscribed on the
front wall of the auditorium. The in
terror will be finished plainly and will
seat about 700.
The temple will be for the
ton of the Baheist creed, but teachers
OF every faith will be invited there and
scholars of every denomination will be
asked to expound their different the
cries. even as they are today. There
will be a wide diversity of religious
thought assembled under the roof of
the new planned temple. Hindus will
be invited to the shrine. and a sep
arate screened partition will be pro-
vided for the Swamis. priests Of the
oriental cult. which numbers among
Its following many Of the population of
India and Japan, as we'll as Persia.
The temple will be known as the arena.
In the. meantime the aged founder OF
Green Acre. Miss Sarah j. Farmer, is
unapprised of the facts of the internal
strife among the colonists. She il
housed at q sanatorium at Portsmouth.
By two guardians. Her intimate
friends declare she would be greatly
opposed to the Bahaists' activities.
Green Acreites. who are opposed to
he new order Of things, say that the
Bahafsts are taking advantage OF Miss
Farmers illness to promote the CAM
paign and acquire the t~rusteeship of
Farmer will be we'll enough to take
personal care Of her proprietary rights.
Green Acre has often been criticised
~ the orthodox denominations for its
t~0lerations and the liberal views held
and expressed within its precincts. It
sands who have come here to enjoy the
vide range Of thought expressed be.
meath lts open shrine In the famous
pine grove2 And In spite OF the at
tAcis Of. its critics tho colony has
Grown wonderfully.
founding such q place an Green Acre.
y today was conceived by Miss Sarah
j. Farmer a. che sat In the midst Of
throng crOwdin9 the auditorium OF tho
worlds parliament OF religions at tho
Chicago Worlds fair. She realized, she
ID the ordinary human heart: how real
the human lack Of n that knows
o0out, but does not know God: how
dt1eati1fied tho intellect which super
9tltOn has disturbed and q ha1
not answered. Therefore Miss Farmef
where once . year In the cool spaces
nesdde the flowing waters there the
~sntsllectually oppressed could gathe1