“THE CULT OF OMAR.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2334, 27 September 1921, Page 2

“THE CULT OF OMAR.”

A WAVE of excitement has been coursing through the historic town of The Pas, in Manitoba, owing to the Church of the Cull of Omar having suddenly expired, writes the Auckland Herald’s correspondent. Founded on the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a new religious organisation born in The Pas this spring, it sprang into immediate importance, but the beginning of August witnessed but three of its original members admitting that .they still held firm to their beliefs. The exodus from membership started when a

new convert made the 'statement that the whole affair was arranged with,the object of getting a Government permit to purchase liquors from the Government store under guise of its necessity for sacramental purposes. Officials of the cult now deny that they had any such intention. Many leading business and professional men of The Pas were members of the cult, and the movement had assumed an importance and standing that was thought to threaten the temporary disruption of the local churches. Ministers were alarmed and amazed to read in a local paper the names of the members of the Cult of Omaiy some of whom were leading members in the orthodox denominations. Following the statement of the truant member as to the alleged purpose of the society, the movement collapsed rapidly. The “first disciple” of the cult issued a statement saying he and his followers had embraced the Rubaiyat because they found in it the truth of life. “Wine is necessary,” he said, “in the form of our devotional service, and our intention was to ask the Government for a permit to secure a moderate amount for baptismal purposes only. Reports .issued by rival religious bodies that (lie cull is a subterfuge to a means of getting liquor is a libel and a lie.”