THE British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 afforded opportunity for holding a number of conferences on many subjects of imperial interest. Amongst these was one on “Some Living Religions Within the British Empire,” organized by the School of Oriental Studies and the Sociological Society, the purpose of which was to render more widely known the Faiths now prevailing in the Eastern and Western Dorpinions of the British Commonwealth. With this object in view it was decided by the Executive Committee of the Conference that the papers to be presented should be contributed by adherents of each religion, who, while touching lightly on creed and dogma, should treat chiefly of the everyday results of the teachings as evidenced in the personal and social life of its followers.
It was originally intended that the Conference should be held in one of the halls at the Wembley Exhibition, but owing to difficulties which arose with regard to accommodation, it was held at the Imperial Institute, South Kensington, from September 22nd to October 3rd, 1924.
Amongst the twelve or more living religions dealt with, the Bahá’í religion naturally found its place, both because of its own inherent importance and because of its widespread range throughout the Empire, covering as it does not only Eastern but also Western countries.
The Bahá’í paper to be presented to the Conference was written, at the express wish of the Guardian of the Cause (Shoghi Effendi), under the supervision of a committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, by Mr. Horace Holley—the other members of the committee being Mr. Mountfort Mills and Mrs. Parsons. It was subsequently revised by some members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Great Britain, and was read at the meeting on September 25th, 1924, by Mr. Mountfort Mills, the chair being taken by Dr. Walter Walsh, the leader of the Free Religious Movement.
The Assembly came to the conclusion that it would be desirable to bring out more fully the practical results obtained through the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, and a short supplementary paper was therefore written by Ruḥí Afnán with the direct advice of Shoghi Effendi, and was read by the author at the above mentioned meeting.
These two papers are now published in a separate edition for the benefit of Bahá’ís especially, but they will find their place also in the memorial volume of Transactions of the Conference, issued by the Committee and published by Messrs. Duckworth & Co., Ltd.
National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Great Britain,
E. J. Rosenberg,
G. P. Simpson,
Joint Secretaries.
