On Five Things Found in Rebekah's Purse: The First Three
Rebekah has been tagged to reveal "Five Things" in her fridge, her car, her closet, and her purse. There a story in her purse. Here are the first three out of...
5 things in my Purse
1. My small Bobbie Brown compact holding 4 lipsticks in one compartment that slides back to reveal two eyeshadows and brown powder liner - and the perfect little application brushes. With that compact, I could make myself presentable if stranded for days.
2. A Starbucks card, loaded with lots of money so I can satisfy those needs that pop up on many occasions. You must always be prepared.
3. A brochure describing the Baha'i religion. A very sincere woman at a lovely restaurant, where my friend treated me on my birthday, gave both of us a brochure. I don't really know why, but I could not bear to deny her. I would have liked to sit down and talk with her. From our very brief conversation, it is clear that she has lived a life filled with many challenges I have not had to face. She moved here from Iran several years ago and religious freedom was just one of the things she was seeking.
Rebekah, "I'm It," Rebekah's Musings
1 comment:
thanks for the explanations and esp. the excerpts of that book for such a lousy reader (me):D
there are points that are worth arguing, but maybe later, i need to think more.
but what struck my attention this time was this post on 9 reasons for being a Baha'i; i find some reasons really logical and attuned to the human's demands and the changing time... and actually somehow human-centered(!!), however, i find it more relying on the fact that beleiving in this faith is not only for the virtue of having a religion and "salvation" and believing in God and... all the stuff usually other previous religions insisted on, but on this important thing of being IN the community and by that you mean being active and feel supported and relaxed and less lonely...!
seems there is a big emphasis on the community and togetherness, than just believing in it !
i don't know if the fundamentals of Baha'i are really set this way, or this is only the author's viewpoint, or simply this is the way the Baha'is are trying to ask others in, or simply this is the way Baha'i faith has turned out to be after more than 100 years or so(am i rigth on the years?!)
anyhow, it was interesting...
another point is, well it's a question: (according to the same 9 reasons...) howcome the Baha'i beleivers want and think of a better world, whereas(as far as i rememebr i read either in one of your posts, or one of those links)they are told to avoid opposing the ruling system of the country they live in and instead they are recommended to leave for another counry?!
i mean how can you actively have an impact for the betterment of the world while you don't fight with suppressive regimes for example?
and actually i don't understand why you guys can't fight with the totalitarian, suppressive, unjust regimes/ruling systems?!
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and now back to me:
yeah, your guess is right, i have lived in iran for most of my life and have been over-exposed to a few twisted versions of islam back there; and maybe this is the reason why i am so sensitive about religion now.
however, i have seen many muslem iranians who just have become very indifferent after they had the chance to freely choose not to follow it openly. i mean, there is a difference b/w someone who becomes indifferent and someone who takes up a critical position... i was indifferent for some time... now, though, i try to challenge those who are either indifferent or still beleive (esp. those who blindly follow it_ esp. some rituals_ like out of a habit, or out of a hidden fear!)
wow, i remember my best high-school friend (with whom i was a close friend for even some years after high-school until she got married and left for another city and...got too busy with a kid and working full-time ...and got more distant!)was a Baha'i. i saw closely how they were under pressure, she couldn't go to university while openly preserving her faith, her brother had illegally left iran years back(during the iran-iraq war, i guess); but they were very nice people in fact; i remember when the first time i saw this photo of Baha'ollah in her room i asked who he is; when she said he is our prophet, i felt a lil' weird, becuz we had been over-repeatedly told and taught at school that Mohamd was the last prophet! then i thought how hard it should have been for her to keep silent all the time at schol when we had to read those islamic teachings...
she later said they had been taught their teachings in different classes, though.
wow... how funny it sounds to me even remembering them...!
i wasn't more curious than that,becuz i (and i guess she as well) knew Baha'i was a big taboo in iran, and i was from this shi'i background; although my family weren't pushy, they were and still are sort of strong believers... !
even our mothers were friends(not close though), however, her family never wanted to try to even talk about their faith to us in an inviting way whatsoever!!
i just remember i used to ask my friend a lil' about their rituals, and she used to say (with a complaining tone) she had to also fast!!:D:D
....
well, i don't want to talk of my memories, but good ol' days!! though we were always shut down about almost everything!
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