Pray for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

PRAY FOR ‘ABDU’L-BAHA.

Methodists Hope He Will “See Light” and Go Home.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, high priest of the “universal” religion, who has been winning converts among Washington society women by means of his daily receptions here, was the subject of fervent Methodist prayers last night. The Rev. Dr. James S. Montgomery led the congregation of the Metropolitan Memorial M.E. Church, Four-and-a-half and C streets northwest, in a plea that ‘Abdul be made to see the error of his teachings, and go back to the sands of Persia, with a broader vision.

The prayer followed a sermon entitled “The Popular Appetite,” in the course of which Dr. Montgomery directed attention to the “Bahá’í cult fad.” He said he deplored the tendency of people nowadays to flock behind a sensational leader of so-called “new thought” in religion.

“While I make fun of no man’s religion,” said Dr. Montgomery, “and allow every individual to have his own religious perspective, I have watched the efforts of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, head of the ‘universal’ cult, with distress. While I must conclude that the Bahá’í movement is born in sincerity, for man do not die merely for opinions and whims, and that ‘Abdul is doubtless sincere, as the basis of his teachings is “the root of all knowledge is knowledge of God,” I do hope that a sojourn in this country will cause him to see the light, and that he will return to his Eastern home a greater man. The incarnation of Jesus Christ, the keystone of our holy faith, is unknown to the teachings of ‘Abdul. This is to deny the foundation stone on which Christianity must rest for its glory and for its perpetuity. It would be well if some of those who have listened to ‘Abdul’s lectures would take the role of teacher themselves, and convert to Christ this remarkable priest of the ‘universal cult.’”