The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-02
Bahaissn and Its claims.

ana It's SIolns.
A good many readers will be CRATE
full for the report Of a religion organ
lied in revolt from Islam and propa-
gated In rivalry to Christianity. which
Is given by SAMUEL GRAHAM WILSON,
u. D.. in Bohuism aud Its Claims
tRevel). There are Bahai congrega-
tions In sixteen States Of this Union.
In Canada. Hawaii, South Africa. Eng
land, Germany and Russia. as well
as In India and Burma. DIR. Wilson.
not dreading the overthrow OF Chris
tianity. yet acknowledging for Bahaism
some success, examining its claims
and the facts in connection with them.
finds that Of those who have shown
favor to this religion some are mere
seekers after novelty. some regard Its
prophets as true religious teachers.
some see in 1t an ethical system only.
and some recognize in Abdul BAHIA
Christ in the second advent: not a
formidable following.
Bahuism derives from Babism. Bah
ism Is an offshoot OF Persian Shah
ism. the Religion of the Twelve"
which considers the twelve Imams the
rightful caliphs Of Islam, in succession
to Mohammed. The Twelfth Imam,
who disappeared 975 years ago. is en-
pected to reappear as the Mlhdi.
Those through whom after his disap-
pearance he communicated with the
faithful were called Bah. the gate"
Among the Shiahs there have been
sects innumerable. One called the
Sheikhis, founded by Sheikh Ahmad
Of Ahsa, 175:-1S:7. believed that there
was always in the world one perfect
Shah, representing the absent Imam.
OF course In his time Sheikh Ahmad
vas the perfect one.
!Ahmad's successor. Hail KAHN Of
Resht. announced. when about to die.
that the Manifestation was near at
hand. In 1874 OF his disciples,
Mira All Mohammed OF Sh!raz. pre-
scented himself as the Promised One"
He took the old title OF Bah. and his
followers were called Babis. Extend
ing his claim. he presented himself as
the Mahdi. His revelation. "Bayan,"
ne presented "a the abrogatlon OF
Islam and the Koran. At Mecca he
proclaimed his Manifestation. On his
return to Sh.raz he was put in prison.
In the extreme northwest of Persia.
His prosecuted followers organized in
surrections. which. the expected d.
vine interposition failing to material
i2e, were suppressed. with crueltles
and slaughter. The Bah was done TO
death at Tabriz. IN 1850.
OF many p~retcnders. the finally
successful was BAHIA Ullah. to
whom most OF the Babis attached
themselves, taking the name OF Bahais.
BAHIA described the Bah as his fore
runner. and superseded the Bayan and
other Bah writings with revelations"
OF his own. His cut did not make
Roadway as fast ms Babism had done,
and was conducted for years with
secrecy. BAHIA died AT .Acca in May Of
1892. his seventy-ifth year. .After his
death the customary dissensions &C.
CURED, the successful claimant Of the
right Of succession being Abbas
Enendi. only son OF the oldest wife.
He adopted the title of Abdul Bahia.
servant of Bahia" He IL is who. am
bilious TO make his faith n world re-
l!gion. has inaugurated propaganda in
Western lands. After the. proclama-
t4ol vi SoiiotlNhtiOllil isp'iAN iu VI
key he lived in Egypt. lie has made
several journeys to Europe, and one
10 this country. as the Infalliblc Inter-
prefer Of his cult. Careful estimates.
d%iscarding the claim OF n membership
Of millions, allow II from 100000 TO
not more than zoe, 900 followers in
Persia.
Has Bahaism any qualities that sup
port its ambition of universally? The
author examines its enuous consti-
ton, its writings, its ethics; and the
result Is not snch as to cause concern
to Christians. The examination il
an intellectual curiosity. BAHIA Utah
Is a faker, a propagandist for profit
Of one sort or another. and that il the
be-all and end-all Of him as n factor
invites investigation simply because
1t exists. Its relation to the social
structure. 10 politics. the position OF
, woman, education and so on Is en-
~cellently and authoritatively analysed
by the author. His criticism of II is
less interesting where II Is theological
or otherwise profound than where 1t is
unaffectedly human. as in this: Copy
ing from the Bah. BAHIA has seen 1T to
regulate the calendar. Following the
Zoroastrian custom, BAHIA ordains that
the year begin at the vernal equinox.
March 81. because that Is the spring.
time. the time Of the renewal of vege-
table life. Good. But In Australia IL
is the time of death. OF the approach
Of winter" DR.. Wilson adduces this
as an example of the lack OF "univer-
sal" provision. II typifes his criti-
cism Of Bahaism, which condenses TO
the statement that Il is a religion
Of laws, not Of principles.
What Of the Bahaic invasion OF
America? The Bahais pray. 20 Bahia
Uilah. Confirm Him in the servitude
Of the East: so that He may not spend
all His time in the Orient. hat he
may return to America and occupy
His time In the Western world
Christian missionaries first brought
Bahaism TO notice in this country.
They saw In 1t n movement that gave
promise OF destroying Shah solidarity,
hence a contributor to the opportunity
for Christian evangelization. Before the
Congress OF Religions at Chicago in
1898. the Worlds Fair year, the Rev.
DR.. II. II. Jessup described BAHIA Utah
as "a famous Persian sage, the Babi
saint. head OF hat vast reform party
Of Persian Moslems who accept the
New Testament as the Word Of God
and Christ al the d~eliverer of men;
who regard all nations as one and all
men as brothers" Soon afterward