A Pulpit for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

PORTLAND, Oct. 10. — (To the Editor of the Telegram.) — In your paper today I notice an account of the refusal of churches and societies to offer ‘Abdu’l-Bahá their platforms. As minister of the Temple of Truth I wish to make a partial correction of this statement, by saying to your readers that as soon as we heard of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s coming to Portland we hurried as fast as we could to offer him our platform, believing that he has a great message of truth for the unbiased and fearless seekers of truth. We are not afraid of any teacher. If we haven’t the truth, we want it bad enough to run the risk of getting it from a man who has nothing in his heart but universal love and good will for all people and religions. If we have the truth, our people could not be led to astray by the reasoning of any teacher. It is not churchanity with us, but Christianity in its original essence that we aim to express and give to the world. The church at large in refusing their platforms to such a noble man as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá only confess their weakness, through fear that their people are not able to discriminate between truth and untruth. Surely the prophecy is being fulfilled that “judgment must begin at the (so-called) house of God.” This is manifest by the apparent disgust of the multitudes for the orthodox clergy, and their manifest absence in their congregations. Heartily and lovingly do we welcome ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to our platform, ready to receive with grateful hearts any good he may have to give us that we do not already possess. Thanking you for the permission to correct the public mind with regard o our society, the Temple of Truth.

PERRY JOSEPH GREEN,
 Minister.