On Instability and Uncertainty: I've been feeling more spiritual lately

"Uncertainties," uploaded on April 18, 2006 by Linda's Manymuses

The Internet provides many opportunities for meaningful exhange with spiritually-minded people like Jakob of An erratic moonlight dancer. - gw

jakob (androgylicious) wrote @ 2006-08-14 03:40:00:
As strange as it sounds, I've been feeling more spiritual lately. I think it has something to do with all the instability and uncertainty in my life. I never know what to do when I feel this way. I don't have a religion. I'm not sure if I want one. I've really come to view religion much differently than I used to, though; especially over the last couple of years. I believe that religion can be a source of inner power and strength and I want that. I think that religion may provide a practical way to live one's life that helps ensure happiness and maybe that is what I need. I'll never be the type of person who worships a God because I'm afraid of going to hell or anything like that, though.

http://www.crystalinks.com/bahai.html

But it doesn't seem like there is any religion I'm particularly satisfied with. The religion that most appeals to me is the Baha'i Faith, but there's a lot about it that I don't like, as well. I don't think my polyamory would be accepted and I wouldn't join any religion where it was not. I truly believe it to be a superior relationship form and I refuse to ever adopt the idea that I should limit my love to only one person. It seems that Baha'i also frowns on homosexuality and even while I'm not gay, I kind of use the homosexual issue as a barometer for a lot of things since it says a lot about acceptance.

I see the UU Church more like a philosophical circle that pretends to be a church, so I'm not sure I consider it a religion, per se. But it still seems like I fit in there better than anywhere else.

Of course, it's not that I can't be spiritual all by my lonesome. It would just be better to be a part of something and have people to go to in order to seek advice and knowledge.

george_wesley 2006-08-14 03:08 pm

I found your post through doing a blog-search for "Baha'i." Your comments under "spirituality" are very interesting, and I would like your permission to re-post them on my blog, if you would be comfortable with that.

You are correct that the Baha'i Faith "frowns" on homosexuality (and polyamory, depending upon how you define it). But the perspective on it is very deep, in my view. You might enjoy reading this: http://bahai-library.org/conferences/sexuality.society.html

Baha'is believe there are laws governing our personal behavior that are as real as gravity. Violate the laws and our lives become complicated and painful. People do it all the time. Entire cultures live in violation of these laws without apparent recognition of the connection between choices and consequences, intended and unintended.

androgylicious 2006-08-14 04:12 pm
I'm glad you posted this. I was actually reading through the Baha'i website right when you sent this message. The article was interesting and somewhat enlightening, but I'm not sure if it answers my concerns or not. I don't see sexuality as the core of my being, but I couldn't practice a religion where I was prohibited from pursuing love the way I understand it (and I define as "polyamory" for lack of more precise definement). I simply can't abide by artificial distinctions that box me in and prohibit me from displaying love to others. In any case, I'm going to try to learn more about this whole subject (sexuality and Baha'i).

Michelangelo's Adam

But quotes like this remind me why I am so interested in Baha'i:

"We are all human, all servants of God and all come from Adam's family. Why, then, all these fallacious national and racial distinctions? These boundary lines and artificial barriers have been created by despots and conquerors who sought to attain dominion over mankind, thereby engendering patriotic feeling and rousing selfish devotion to merely local standards of government."

And you have my permission to post my comments on your blog :)

george_wesley 2006-08-14 04:43 pm
Thank you so much! I'll re-post later today during my break.

How did you hear of the Faith in the first place? Are you in touch with Baha'is in the DC area? There are thousands of Baha'is in the vicinity.

All of the core activities of the Faith are open to all: the devotional meetings, the children/adult classes, the Ruhi study circles. You don't have to be an enrolled member to participate. That, too, is typical of Baha'i openness.

androgylicious 2006-08-14 04:54 pm
Honestly, I can't exactly remember how I first heard of Baha'i. As funny as it sounds, I think I was looking through the phonebook in Atlanta one day browsing through churches (for no other reason than boredom) and "Baha'i" caught my eye simply because I had no idea what it was. After that, I must've started reading about it a little bit (just out of curiosity), finding what I could on the net. That would've been back in maybe 2003 or 2004. I hadn't thought about it much since then until this sudden resurgence in interest. I'm not in touch with any Baha'is in the DC area. I actually was on the Baha'i site the other day trying to see if it had any info about Baha'is in either Baltimore or DC, but couldn't find anything there (I did find address info by doing a search on Yahoo, though, but no details).

androgylicious, "Isolation" and comments, An erratic moonlight dancer, LiveJournal