# The Temple of Understanding

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-temple-of-understanding/139456>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-temple-of-understanding/139456 "2002-11-29T05:16:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![psiclone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@psiclone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiclone)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-temple-of-understanding/139456/1 "2002-11-29T05:16:01Z")

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I purchased a pamphlet book Called The Cult of the All Seeing Eye, by Robert Keith Spenser (Copyright 1964), which included a discussion about the Temple of Understanding which was to have been  
built in the USA in the Early sixties, but wasn’t. It may have been sponsored by the United Nations and the pamphlet wrote in opposition as if the pamphlet was by John Birch Society types. Who was to build the Temple and why wasn’t the Temple built?

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**Author:** ![psiclone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@psiclone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiclone)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-temple-of-understanding/139456/2 "2002-11-29T06:11:57Z")

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I did find a site on the web at [http://www.templeofunderstanding.org/](http://www.templeofunderstanding.org/)

It does not appear that the Temple was ever built although they refer to an office in Washington D.C.

Any additional information would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-temple-of-understanding/139456/3 "2002-11-29T10:33:25Z")

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i think the words interfaith probably killed it. its smacks of ecuminiclalism which is another word for non fundamentalism  
each to his own, but be true?  
“Our common bond is a love for liberty and our rejection of totalitarianism in any form.”  
it is interesting and its ‘word language’ belies its underpinning objectives.  
i guess it may have been voted ‘un american’ in the truest sense of the word.  
john birchers know what i mean…🙂