On Saying Goodby to My Old Familiar Friend Blogger: Join me at my new home

The moment has arrived for me to say goodbye to my Blogger site. It is hard to tear myself away from its big goofy comfort. It has served me well, but it is time to move over to my new home on Wordpress.

http://bahaiviews.net/

I invite you to join me there.

All of the Baha'i Views posts going back to the very first are on the new site. The old Blogger will remain up. The mirroring I have done for the past two weeks, of carrying stories on both sites, has ended. You will note that I have simplified layout in the new posts on the new site. The typeface is more readable than in the posts I carried over from Blogger. I welcome your feedback as I continue to make adjustments. I will continue to have a blogroll of blogs featured, as the basic re-posting format of Baha'i Views remains the same.

Dearly loved loyal visitors, consider subscribing to Bahai Views. It helps to boost awareness of the site and ensures that you get updates emailed automatically and for free each day. Just push the button on the sidebar at the new site.

Thanks to David Henderson of DavidHenderson.com for his assistance in this move.

On the Use of Study Circles in the Baha'i Community: Grassroots moves

The following appeared as a comment back in January to a post on , the editor of which has included it in a new post, "Worldwide Grassroots Moves Towards Participatory Democracy." It is certainly a wonderful description of Ruhi study circles as are in use throughout the Baha'i world today. -gw

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"Fundaec study circle - completed"

Without wishing disrespect to anyone’s views or beliefs, it is interesting to note that the Baha’i community world wide uses study circles to great effect as a means to develop spiritual insight and better understandings of both the history and nature of the Baha’i community, its aims and teachings as well s prepare participants for service-orientated activities.

There are a series of 8 study circle guides which were originally developed by the ‘Ruhi Institute’ in Columbia and which are sequentially based on developing an increasingly mature grasp of the Baha’i Faith. Each is linked to serve-based activities - for example holding a devotional meeting or running a children’s class; and whilst these may be things of importance only to the Baha’i community, of equal importance might be the structure and character of these study circles (and yes, they have always been referred to as ’study circles’) which sees them as sequential, based on developing a spiritual motivation (a recognition that one’s responsibilities extend beyond one’s immediate needs) and linking this to a specific activity.

Equally the Baha’i community operates on a process of consensual decision-making: there is no individual leadership, no clergy in the community, and decisions are made through a process of ‘consultation’. Small as the import of those decisions may presently be, nevertheless, the skill and discipline that develops as a result of this is having a profound effect on the participants, which of course is the purpose of religion - to provide daily habits and practice (prayer, meditation and participation in community activities) by which one can acquire spiritual virtues - love, compassion, humor etc that distinguish us all as human beings - and which in turn support, sustain and propagate civilization. For the Baha’is the ultimate outcome of this being a global society: ‘The world is but one country and mankind its citizens’.

The effect these study circles have had on even the most impoverished and remote of participants (from my own experience in Papua New Guinea, and accounts from Africa, India and S. America) has been remarkable in galvanising them into service-driven activities, self-development and self-improvement.

It is worth then examining this community and its methodologies and democratic processes more closely. Study circles, children’s classes and devotional meetings in particular are open to public participation.

Over 90% of the children attending children’s classes offered to Secondary schools are not Baha’is, such is the regard that parents have for the programme offered. Interestingly because these classes are offered by volunteers, study circles are an important means of increasing the number of teachers and assistants required.

http://www.pigswillfly.com.au/?p=1667

Top photo: Uploaded on March 8, 2007 by jpeter smith on flickr, licensed uner Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Thumbnails are all from photos of Baha'is in Papua New Guinea taken in 1984 taken by Owen Allen. Click over and see them all full size in their glory: http://www.flickr.com/photos/owen59/sets/72157600217389176/with/494275218/

On Paradox: A higher frame of reference exists wherein conflict is resolved

thecommanderdia goes to a Baha'i devotional meeting on the relationship between religion and science and posts this. -gw

Then, a day came when some scientists, theologians, philosophers and mystics came to understand that their many trees were one TREE located at the intersection of the four paths to knowledge. They then agreed to study the TREE OF TRUTH in collaboration and cooperative good will. They shared their frames of reference and the ladders of their insights with each others without egotistic attachments and were amazed at how quickly higher and higher branches came to be within their view. They learned that for every apparent paradox, there exists a higher frame of reference wherein the conflict would be resolved. They further understood that at the tip of the tree perfect unity would be found.

http://thecommanderdia.livejournal.com/72124.html
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"The very tip-topmost apex branch of the tree outside our third floor apartment's kitchen window." Uploaded on April 3, 2005 by DWinton on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

After Preaching Being Visited by a Sort of Baha'i "Evangelist": If you don't know anything about the Baha'i Faith, google it

Audacious Baha'i. -gw

I received an e-mail after preaching a sermon on the beginning of relationships (Genesis 1-3) from a 25 year old guy who was in the service that morning, who is of the Baha'i tradition. It took a couple weeks for us to finally meet up, but we eventually did get the chance to sit down in a coffee shop and chat about religion. Essentially, it seems that he is some sort of Baha'i evangelist or something, not trying to "convince" me of anything, but rather trying to "reveal" the "real truth" to me.

If you don't know anything about the Baha'i faith, google it and read up on it, it's slightly interesting but incredibly inconsistent in fundamental beliefs, from what I have gathered (I'm certainly not an expert). This study has had me thinking on the cultural beliefs of this country/continent...

http://tedunham.blogspot.com/2008/04/truth-will-set-you-free.html

{Photo: Uploaded on October 7, 2006 by calebunseth on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On Religious Debate on TV: I was very impressed with the Baha'i and Catholic guests

The political season is filled with TV debates. Religion, it can be argued, is never really out of season, and you can find a debate or two of the religious kind on TV as well. -gw

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The Illustrious Ya

(putti_plush)

I have been watching the debates of John Ankerberg. He is an Evangelical Christian TV host of his own ... TV programme. What I love about some of his programmes is that he'll bring on people of other faiths to debate with Christianity. He is obviously biased BUT he does let the other faiths speak! I appreciate that he lets his "opponent" guests speak without interruption, and that if one of the Christian guests is getting uppity, he'll stop the squabbling. ... I was very impressed with the Baha'i and Catholic guests. ...

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The evangelicals were also horrible against the Baha'i guests. The Baha'i layed out their beliefs very clearly and succinctly. Then the evangelical went BUT NO YOU'RE WRONG. It all came down to how to interpret the Bible, with one side interpreting one way, and the other side a different way. Throughout the entire debate, you could hear the evangelical go "you are so funny. You are speaking, but I hear no words." ex:

"YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN JEEEESUS., YOU BELIEVE IN BAHA'ULLAH."
"We believe that Baha'ullah was the return of Jesus Christ, one of many incarnations of God to teach Man."
"SEE YOU JUST SAID IT, BAHA'ULLAH."

"We believe that Baha'ullah and Jesus are the same person."

"TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, YOU JUST SAID IT!"

"Two different names, sir."

"JEEEEEEEEEEEESUS!"

http://putti-plush.livejournal.com/152537.html

On a Baha'i-Inspired Drum: 9-point rim, dreamcatcher-style star

Mini 6" Baha'i Inspired Drum (Item number: 330227617944)
Type: Handmade drum
Material: brown bear hide, and cedar 9 point rim, dreamcatcher style star with 19*5 beaded
Style: Naive, Primitive

Caught my eye. -gw

On mOna Flags Down the Divine Essence: God is alive on her journal

mOna sends encouraging words. She is that kind of person.

Her LiveJournal "Inkblot: Interpret as you will" site is substantial. A few months ago mOna took herself into account and concluded...

My new pillar of faith might just be the phrase "True loss is for him whose days have been spent in utter ignorance of his self." ...

Do you know what my priorities should *actually* look like? Well here's an idea:
1. Spiritual awareness (mostly maintained through meditation and prayer)
2. Teaching the Faith (to receptive people)
3. Being of service to others; bringing people joy
4. Doing well in school

Here is a subject mOna addressed yesterday... -gw

God Speculation
The premise: The concept of God is ridiculous because people claim that everything was created by something much more complex than us that we can’t understand…but then that would necessitate something even more complex creating that “God,” and you have this fantastic chain of “Creators of Creators.” Well, I’m not going to lie. That is quite ridiculous.

Michael relayed to me a concept embodied in the phrase “Ground of Being,” basically stating that everything more complex was built up from simpler things, down to energy and whatever is even more foundational than that. Instead of a most complex creature, we have the “Ground of Being,” the most foundational condition of reality. So he’d say something like, “I don’t thank God for creating me…I give thanks to the Ground of Being for giving me Being.”

"Flagging down the divine essence"

WELL…you know what? I would say “yes, right on.” Why? Because the Baha'i writings don’t define God as some more complex creature; rather, God is the “Divine and Invisible Essence,” the “Preexistent Reality.”

“Preexistent Reality” and “Ground of Being.” Think about it! Both imply a sort of foundation of existence. And, as in my previous speculation, I will carry forth the point that whatever you may call the foundation of existence, on which all existence depends, it must of a certainty encompass all possibility.

In other words, that which is more foundational encompasses the possibilities of whatsoever complex manifestations are derived from it. To specify is to define, and to define is to limit. Hence, the foundation of all being is the most undefined and the most limitless.

http://users.livejournal.com/m0na_/20326.html

{Photo: Uploaded on October 26, 2007 by itsjustanalias on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On the Definitive Large-Picture Version of a Year of Service Remembrance: Louhelen '04-'05

This post is sepia tony, tonie, tone. Click on the link and the loading alone may tax your patience. Your computer screen may be stretched to the max. Here is the large-picture version of a Year of Service remembrance. In this case, service of a Baha'i youth at Louhelen.

Instead of "Stop, drop, and roll," the watchword is "Load and scroll." Scroll down to the first pic and then text. The site, Servant in Training, is what happens when your dearly loved middle son plays with code. But you gotta admit, the effect of the large pic-format is transporting. -gw

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http://tarazullah.blogspot.com/2008/04/one-year-lifetime-of-growth.html

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"Spiritual gifts" of service "have been the means of spreading unity and concord on earth"

- Abdu'l-Baha

On a Temple Trophy: It's only appropriate that the winner should return with fond memories of India

This is four-month old press release for a story that was carried on a number of golf sites. It's old news, but not to me. Thanks, Barmak, for passing it on. -gw
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EMAAR-MGF LADIES MASTERS TROPHY UNVEILED

BANGALORE – The EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters trophy, a stunning piece of art, was unveiled on Friday at the Eagleton Resort clubhouse.

Senior officials of Ladies European Tour, golf in DUBAI, the promoters and organisers of the first Ladies Euopean Tour (LET) event ever to be held in India, and Women''s Golf Association of India were present at the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Mohamed Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAI, said: "The trophy has this Indian feel to it as it is designed in the shape of Delhi's world-famous Lotus Temple."

Since the tournament is being held India, it's only appropriate that the winner should return with fond memories of India," said Buamaim, who was flanked by, Alex Armas, chief executive of LET, Champika Sayal, secretary-general of Women's Golf Association of India, and Anjani Desai, the senior lady of Indian women's golf.

The Lotus Temple is a very recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith, located south of Delhi. Shaped like a half-opened Lotus flower, this temple is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility. Since its inauguration to public worship in December 1986, the temple has drawn more than 50 million visitors, making it the most visited edifice in the world.

Fariborz Sahba, a Canadian architect of Iranian origin, spent 10 years in designing and project management, and with the help of a team of about 800 engineers, technicians, artisans and workers brought to realisation one of the most complicated constructions in the world.
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http://www.emaarmgfladiesmasters.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=37&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

On Handling Tests the Media Deliver: Guidance received

China is under scrutiny, a focus of media attention, some considered unfair. Here are some words of guidance that I surmise were sent to a blogger, a Chinese Baha'i emotionally affected by the coverage. -gw

地球乃一国，万众皆子民－巴哈欧拉
The earth is one country and mankind its citizens - Baha'u'llah

I understand your concern. This is a severe test for you to be detached from all this garbage that is in the media and the stupid things that are being said. If you can remember what 'Abdu'l-Baha went through with the Covenant Breakers, His own family, turned against Him and did everything they could to get Him killed... you may be able to begin to learn how to deal with this sort of thing. Of course you are angry, but as a Baha'i you need to take a higher position of detachment from this. It has been predicted that the world will go through great turmoil before we can ever come to the realization that we have to work together. Education is needed, but it isn't easy when so many people think they already know it all.

But then there are the more silent ones, who are disturbed as well, but don't know what to think. This is the time for you to be strong, not angry, not take sides, not be defensive, not be consumed with the challenges of the media who are happy to have a big story to promote. Surely you can get together with the other friends in your community for support. In this world at this time, there is nothing that is in balance. The last thing we Baha'is should do is take sides in political or other divisive issues.

I can't say much more. But I will be in the USA as of May 1, until mid June. It is my plan to try to use the fact that I live in China to help diffuse, to educate others. The only answer is unity. We have to work for that." If a thought of war comes, destroy it with a more powerful thought of peace". If a person has ten bad qualities and one good, focus on the one good. Look for a point of unity - reason - when speaking with others. Understand that the last thing the people have is knowledge of China in the west. There is nothing that is clearly right for one group of people and clearly wrong for the others. Unless we work together and open our minds and hearts to others, be patient in teaching them, learning from them, we can never come to unity or harmony.

2008年4月15日-一些回复

http://yiyiyaya8.blogspot.com/2008/04/2008415.html

巴哈伊世界 * 巴哈伊祷文 * 巴哈伊资料

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{Photo: Chinese bowl at the Baha'i World Centre, Haifa, Israel. Uploaded on February 12, 2007 by .leila on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On a Pilot Project in the Phillips Neighborhood: A lil about the Baha'i Faith

Tags: phillips minneapolis, Uploaded on March 1, 2007 by oh estelle on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

This guy has the outward orientation of a Baha'i teacher. And I love the fact that he really mixes up the type sizes and typefaces on his blog. -gw

Phillips Jr. Youth Class #2
Reflections on Teaching with Anna's Presentation II
Phillips Jr youth class #1

Beginning a Jr Youth class is amazing. It can be so intimidating, but once action takes place, the momentum is really driving.A friend and I just had the bounty of helping to start a new Jr. Youth class in Minneapolis in the Phillips neighborhood. How fun. Seriously! We met with the parents last week and they were all excited. We taught them a lil about the Baha'i Faith, they all seemed relatively interested, and signed all the kids up.Total kids- 6 Total time-7wks (pilot project)
Reflections on Teaching with Anna's Presentation I

Have you counted your b-lessons today?
Where I spell out realizations, events, epiphanies which I believe are both lessons of life that are helping me progress, as well as blessings of God in my life. Peace on that.

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Tags: Minneapolis Phillips Ventura Park neighborhood snow
thawing. Uploaded on March 18, 2007 by Transguyjay on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

On Daft Like Dar: Every column began with a news item and a Baha'i principle

A Yale Baha'i looks at his world through the lens of his Faith. -gw

The historical Darius
My column, “Daft Like Dar,” has been my attempt to engender dialogue inconspicuously. My pieces are an extension of the conversations that have enriched my life at Yale, forced me to reckon with the formerly unknown and hopefully shown others a perspective and a lifestyle they hadn’t yet encountered. When I wrote about Internet neutrality, I drew on the Baha’i principle of independent investigation of the truth; my thoughts on the presidential election reflected the Baha’i admonition that partisan politics are inherently divisive. Every column began with a news item and a Baha’i principle. If these columns spoke to you, I recommend you look into both.

18 months later, a voice of the Bahá’í Faith signs off
Dariush Nothaft
Daft Like Dar
Published Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I can only hope that the combination of sincere dialogues and an unfailing sense of moral rectitude in politicians can take its effect sooner rather than later. The world faces many challenges today; to overcome them, we must first overcome our own divisions and prejudices. As is written in Baha’i scripture, “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

Candidates’ loyalties should lie with all humanity
By Dariush Nothaft
Presidential candidates should ideally appeal to a loyalty to humanity, rather than one to party. Only then will we unlock the true capacity of American loyalty. Only then will we witness the American dream fulfilled.

Shifting focus from anti-terror to pro-alliance
By Dariush Nothaft
America can be the ethical leader we imagine it to be; I’m sure many people like my grandfather are just waiting to be convinced.

Emphasis on The Canon glorifies Us vs. Them
By Dariush Nothaft
The question is not which philosophy is read, but rather how the ideals of each — most of which are unfulfilled — can be used to realize their promises in a way that benefits everyone.

Advice for America: Align by ethics, not policy
By Dariush Nothaft
Alliances between democracies can be more difficult at times, because other countries may disagree with the American agenda. But in today’s world, an ongoing conversation is infinitely better than a schoolyard posse.

Vigil-goers express solidarity, open conversation on race
By Dariush Nothaft
I am proud to have gone to the vigil, and was profoundly touched by the words I heard strangers and friends speak. I hope that if any of you shared the sentiment of the News, you ask your friends, neighbors or colleagues about the vigil. Be ready to listen. This is an ongoing conversation.

Iran should not deny education to Baha’i
By Dariush Nothaft
The case of the Baha’is in Iran reminds us that we must sharpen our wits when dealing with repressive regimes, lest they take our trust as naivete and use our good intent against those they repress. We must use the avenues of international diplomacy to remind Iran that what they are doing is wrong, so that these avenues can become well worn, and can be more easily used for future issues. This would benefit all minorities worldwide, not only Baha’is.

'Virtual' religion raises interesting questions
By Dariush Nothaft
The concept of Internet-administered religion merits further scrutiny.

On Ridvan: He forbade the use of the sword

On Ridvan. -gw

The First Day of Ridvan Holy Day ... marks the end of the dispensation of the Bab and of the first epoch of the Heroic or Apostolic Age of the Baha’i dispensation (BBD 72-79 cited in Campbell and Momen 1996: 69).

“On the same day Baha’u'llah [made] three important statements to His followers:

1. He [forbade] the use of the sword.
2. He [stated] that no other Manifestation will appear before one thousand years. This is later reiterated in the Kitab-i-Badi and the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
3. He [stated] that from [that] moment, all the names and attributes of God are manifested within all created things, implying the advent of a new Day" [RB1 278-80] cited in Campbell and Momen (1996: 70).

Maureen Flynn-Burhoe
http://hdcommittee.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/timeline-of-events-related-to-festival-of-ridvan/

Source: Campbell, Glen; Momen, Wendi. 1996. A Basic Baha’i Chronology. Oxford: George Ronald.

{Photo: "The Swords of Qādisīyah, Baghdad," Uploaded on October 4, 2007 by James Gordon on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic}

On Human Cells, a Lotus flower, and a 9-Pointed Star: Inspired combination

Human cells, a lotus flower, and a 9-pointed star -- combine for inspiration. -gw

After many long hours and annoyances with Photoshop I finally finished my Business Card and Logo. I wanted my logo to combine spirituality and science, so I used a nine pointed star which is the symbol of the Baha'i faith and reshaped it to resemble a lotus flower. I then used a microscopic photo of human cells on a petri dish as a pattern to fill in the nine pointed lotus shape.

http://zarahheathwaite.vox.com/library/post/logo-and-business-card.html

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{Re-posted with permission}

On Green Faith Heros: Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Baha'is in service together

Youthful Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Baha'is gathered together to perform remarkable service, as described by Anne on her blog Let It Shine with LOTS of wonderful pictures. -gw

Today about 100 youth from the Interfaith Youth Group of Greater Philadelphia became Green Faith Heroes by cleaning up Cobbs Creek Parkway in Philadelphia. Participating congregations included the following: White Rock Baptist Church, Quba Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Al Aqsa Islamic Society School, Beth Am Israel synagogue, West Catholic High School, First United Methodist Church of Germantown, Mishkan Shalom synagogue, Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Germantown Jewish Centre, Masjidullah, Masjid Mohammad, Main Line Reform Temple, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Archbishop John Carroll, Villanova Foundation for Islamic Studies, BAWA Fellowship and the Bahai Fellowship.

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http://anne99.blogspot.com/2008/04/green-faith-heroes-interfaith-youth.html

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{Re-posted with permission}

On Divine Phenomena: We accept any sign from God to encourage us in our way

BBC News

Ethiopians looked to the sky and what did they see?

"The ring of light caused by sunlight refracted by ice crystals hung in the sky for almost an hour before it finally faded and disappeared."

Baha'i Views is the place to come for calamitous news of blight and other catastrophes, rings around the sun and other signs from God. Here we sit in wonderment, grateful to God. Thanks to Barmak Kusha for passing on this bit of news from his virtual stomping ground, Northeast Africa. -gw

Churchgoers who had flocked to see the visiting Patriarch of Alexandria, Pope Shenouda, acclaimed the phenomenon as a miracle, or at least a sign of a blessing from God.

Pope Shenouda himself believed it was a signal from above.
"We accept any sign from God to encourage us in our way," he said, "and confirm that we are going right in our way."

Abuna Paulos, the Patriarch of Ethiopia, added his voice to those who believe in signs from God.

"If God reveals himself from the sky," he told a press conference, "we believers do not get surprised. We only rejoice and double our efforts to thank God. Thank you, God, for revealing a sign."

http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?title=sun_halo_wows_ethiopia_amid_poll&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

On Responding to Aggressive Questions: A much-loved Baha'i video classic shows how

Message from Marco. -gw

I found amongst my old VHS tapes, one with a BBC Northern Ireland program called "A to Z of Belief - The Baha'i Faith". It was broadcasted in 1990. I remember how I enjoyed this program in those days. I also remember how some friends were shocked about the "aggressive questions" being asked. Some friends from Northern Ireland commented that programs about other beliefs were far more aggressive. I converted this VHS tape to a MPG file and uploaded into YouTube. Because the tape was an old one, the sound is far from perfect. You may see the video here:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMtppOFE7Yk

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AIlsXT-jxs

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AP7tcafZRw

Warmest greetings,
Marco Oliveira

On Baha'iBlogs on iPhone: That's Baha-iBlogs

iPhone lovers who love blogs can stay abreast of the latest post on their most favorite site. Yes, that's Baha'i Barney's site up on the screen.

The new Baha'i Views at http://www.bahaiviews.net/ is all plugged in for iPhone.

Thanks to David of http://www.davidhenderson.com/blog for the photo. -gw

On the "New" Baha'i Views: Free sneak preview

Have you seen the "new" Baha'i Views? Sneak preview, here. Grand opening coming soon. -gw

{Photo: Uploaded on October 14, 2006 by Ran Yaniv Hartstein on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On Creating Communities: Many tents, one campground

There is a new look to Baha'i Library Forum. The logo for phpBB graces it. The administrator Jonah has seen fit to utilize software from phpBB, which has at its theme "creating communities." That'a a phrase that goes right along with the fundamental purpose of the Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah gathers many communities into one campground, thereby bringing peace to the world. -gw

Since its creation in 2000, phpBB™ has become the most widely used Open Source forum solution. ... With millions of installations worldwide, it is no wonder phpBB™ is one of the most popular ways to create and support a community.

http://www.phpbb.com/

On the View From Within the Baha'i Paradigm: There are no sides or feuds here

My perusal today of the Baha'i Library Forum reveals content of great merit. Brettz9 is masterful and succint in his summary as to why the application of the terms "liberal" and "conservative" are inappropriate for use "within the Baha'i paradigm" and in his discussion of different uses of the term "enemy" in relation to the Faith. He builds his case by incorporating the Writings and has pulled together relevant quotes.

Here is my red letter edition of his text. -gw

here are no sides or feuds here, no liberal or conservative camps within the Baha'i paradigm. The only possibilities for those within the Faith are Baha'is who seek to adhere to the Baha'i Administrative Order, those who are yet unaware of the teachings on the subject, and those individuals who try to subvert the faith to their own ends (whether they become Covenant-breakers, leave the Faith, become inactive, or return to the Faith). This Faith, even more so than any before it, has an ultimate authoritative voice on what is or is not allowed, as well as who or who is not a member, so it cannot be compared to Christian or even Muslim sects where the passing of the Founder led to unclarity about the rightful Succession.

http://www.bahai-library.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9079#p9079

nemy belongs to a special category of words which can sometimes indicate a mutual relationship and sometimes not. It is also used in the Writings both in a sense such as a categorization to avoid:

Let them see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, but think of all humankind as their friends (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, sec. 1)

yet the word is also used to describe a condition of opposition by at least one party:

This revelation have We given thee in Our holy Tablet, lest thou sorrow for what hath befallen Our House through the assaults of the enemy (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, section 58

umerous and powerful have been the forces that have schemed, both from within and from without, in lands both far and near, to quench its light and abolish its holy name. Some have apostatized from its principles, and betrayed ignominiously its cause. Others have hurled against it the fiercest anathemas which the embittered leaders of any ecclesiastical institution are able to pronounce. Still others have heaped upon it the afflictions and humiliations which sovereign authority can alone, in the plentitude of its power, inflict.

he utmost its avowed and secret enemies could hope to achieve was to retard its growth and obscure momentarily its purpose. What they actually accomplished was to purge and purify its life, to stir it to still greater depths, to galvanize its soul, to prune its institutions, and cement its unity. A schism, a permanent cleavage in the vast body of its adherents, they could never create. (World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 195)

"...the believers need to be deepened in their knowledge and appreciation of the Covenants of both Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. This is the stronghold of the Faith of every Bahá'í, and that which enables him to withstand every test and the attacks of the enemies outside the Faith, and the far more dangerous, insidious, lukewarm people inside the Faith who have no real attachment to the Covenant, and consequently uphold the intellectual aspect of the teachings while at the same time undermining the spiritual foundation upon which the whole Cause of God rests. In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 15 April 1949 to an individual believer, published in "The Light of Divine Guidance", vol. 2, p. 84)

his certainly would never justify calling someone an enemy nor feeling any personal animosity toward them, but it should indicate that there certainly can be persons who oppose the Faith, either internally or externally. For the internal cases, we know that these can never cause any permanent schism, but they can certainly cause temporary disruptions if Baha'is are not well-deepened and responsive, both as individuals, and more importantly, the institutions charged to deal with any internal challenges. ...

he House of Justice has referred to continued association with those who have attacked the Faith as being potentially "spiritually corrosive". I also don't think going out of our way to glorify such persons has any merit whatsoever. While Shoghi Effendi was willing to describe Mirza Yahya in God Passes By as "good-natured yet susceptible to the slightest influence", I don't think you'll find any dedicated tributes to the positive qualities of opponents of the Faith within his writings!

s with any human being facing someone who is actively opposing them, it might be tempting to make broad strokes against them, yet we are told in no uncertain terms to avoid doing so, and on the contrary, be willing--where called for--to indicate an enemy's merits (again, by "enemy" I am being descriptive, not indicating we should look at others as our enemies, besides acting under the statement I cited earlier about the need to be an "enemy" of the enemies of the Faith in the sense of not being content to let them spread untruths or create disruptions).

ften those will masquerade under the banner of "unity", when their intention is solely to disrupt, create doubts and divisions and nothing short of "vigilance" can avoid the commotion caused by those intent on deliberately raising havoc.

http://www.bahai-library.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9111#p9111

Letter photos all Creative Commons licensed:

Alphabet: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mag3737/363561145/

T: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanmkr/404800525/sizes/o/
E: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2339898183/
N: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanmkr/368955517/

T: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bip/109784933/
T: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanmkr/330018732/sizes/sq/

T: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cassidy/4286022/
A: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quasimondo/304542538/

O: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/19489030/

On the Hour Is at Hand for Baha'is in Oregon, Texas, and Missouri: Dramatic expansion, vigorous consolidation

TEACHING.BAHAI.US continues to be must-reading for any Baha'i. The hour of dramatic expansion and just as vigorous consolidation, is at hand. Here are snippets from recent postings. Click over and get the complete scoop.-gw

Experiencing the Receptivity in Portland
Breaking news—Portland, OR (A) is on fire! On fire with teaching, that is. This cluster just recently launched its first Intensive Program of Growth, and the inspiring stories of the direct teaching efforts of the friends during their first expansion phase are flowing in. ... And like numerous clusters around the country, they are keeping a wise balance between expansion and consolidation activities.

Campus Course Bridge to Teaching
...they approached the Comparative History of Ideas Department (CHID) about offering a Spiritual Empowerment course on campus, which would include Ruhi Book 1. Today was the second day of the course. During the first class we did introductions and a brief power point presentation to the Faith (a multimedia Anna's Presentation, if you will). The course has 15 participants - 8 Baha'is and 7 non-Baha'is. None of the non-Baha'is are personal contacts! For today we assigned One Common Faith and the 2002 Letter from the Universal House of Justice to the world's religious leaders.

Overcoming Fears, Finding Joy
Over and over, we are receiving accounts from the friends whose initial anxiety about door-to-door teaching was replaced by enthusiasm after they participated on a teaching team.

Unity of Spirit in Jackson County
We are now at three new Baha'is! There are 19 different seekers that have attended firesides to date during this effort. 6 more have attended devotionals. All have been through personal contact.

Breakthrough in St. Louis and Kansas City
St. Louis had 29 new believers during its just-concluded expansion phase. Kansas City saw 9 in the first two days of its newly-launched expansion phase.

Breakthrough in Tarrant County: 39 Declarations
Our cluster was blessed to have been selected along with two other clusters from the Dallas area by members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for a training field for Auxiliary Board members and resource people from all over the Country. They participated two full days in a Seminar followed by two days of teaching in each of the three clusters along with a few local members from each cluster. The result was astounding as there was a total of 59 individuals in three clusters who accepted the message of Bahá’u’lláh after receiving Anna’s Presentation. 39 of these souls live in our cluster.

Opening the doors to a declaration
Here is a truly moving account of a declaration during the first expansion phase of the Intensive Program of Growth in St. Louis, MO (A).

http://teaching.bahai.us/

{Photo: Uploaded on May 21, 2007 by dklimke on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On Keeping Note of the Baha'i Holy Days: The Baha'i calendar for Mac iCal

The official calendar of Baha'i Holy Days is available as a download for users of Apple Mac computers only at http://www.arlingtonbahai.org/ (see the link in the sidebar of the site). -gw

On Making Mention of God: Recite ye the verses

Baha’u'llah said …

Recite ye the verses of God every morning and evening. Whoso reciteth them not hath truly failed to fulfill his pledge to the Covenant of God and His Testament and whoso in this day turneth away therefrom, hath indeed turned away from God since time immemorial. Fear ye God, O concourse of My Servants.
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Let me make mention of Baha'i Words - http://www.bahaiwords.com/. Each day, a new prayer or words from Baha'u'llah or Abdu'l-Baha will appear. Visitors can subscribe and have all updates delivered automatically each day via email. Pretty neat, huh! -gw

On the House of ‘Abdu’lláh-Páshá: Windows on the world

House of ‘Abdu’lláh-Páshá,
Uploaded on April 8, 2008 by Man United on flickr,
licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Wow. -gw

On Defense of Faith: Religion is social

An interesting exchange regarding defense of faith. -gw
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Re: Defending the Faith of God
From: Kent
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...So I need to remember that religion is personal, only for me, and not push it on anyone, not defend it to anyone. And try not to be shocked by how badly anyone treats my religion, or our fellow humanity.
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http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.religion.bahai/2008-02/msg00083.html

Dear Kent, I would have to disagree with you there. Beliefs and faith is personal, but religion is social. The term religion comes from the Latin word *religio* which means to link or bind. It is what links us in community. But belief is a matter of personal conscience. Warmest, Susan
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http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.religion.bahai/2008-02/msg00085.html

On Religions That Talk About Jesus: I forgot about Baha'i

Some people -- alright, a whole lot of people -- don't get metaphor, don't understand figurative speech. Which is why Baha'u'llah wrote The Kitab-i-Iqan. -gw

(One) reason I am not a Christian is the sheer lack of evidence. Right from the start, Christians can offer no evidence for their most important claim, that faith in Jesus Christ procures eternal life. Christians can't point to a single proven case of this prediction coming true. They cannot show a single believer in Jesus actually enjoying eternal life, nor can they demonstrate the probability of such a fortunate outcome arising from any choice we make today. Even if they could prove God exists and created the universe, it still would not follow that belief in Jesus saves us. Even if they could prove Jesus performed miracles, claimed to speak for God, and rose from the dead, it still would not follow that belief in Jesus saves us.



http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2008/04/why-i-am-not-christian.html

The comments section to this post on Exchristian.net carries mention of the Baha'i religion. -gw

cipher wrote:
... And I don't know where you get this business about Jesus being mentioned in other world religions. You've got Islam. That's it.
posted: April 10, 2008 EST

Astreja wrote:
Mikey, there is much, much more to the world's religions than Christianity, Islam and Bah'ai. Those are, to the best of My knowledge, the only major religions that talk about Jesus. ...

posted: April 11, 2008 EST

cipher wrote:
I forgot about Baha'i!
posted: April 11, 2008 EST

Exchristian.net seems to fit the category of an apostate site: "This forum exists for the express purpose of encouraging those who have decided to leave religion behind," specifically the Christian religion. It is a full-service anti-Christian site, a part of a larger online oppositional coalition of anti-Christian websites, offering

Testimonials Letters News Rants Forums Submit A Testimonial Front Page Archives Podcasts Videos Recent Comments Live Chat

Anti-Christian testimonials, rants, forums -- Exchrisitian.net has much in common with apostate sites of other religions, including Baha'i. It 's focus is upon negation. Read Ciphers "About Me" for an example of the worldview of one website reader. Ex-christian.net is not a place for concious affirmation.

The Baha'i view of nature and history takes into account that there is a tearing down simultaneous with a building up, but the Baha'i religion is primarily associated with a process of affirmation, not negation. Religions are born, they grow to maturity, they achieve their purpose in God's great scheme, and then they wither and die, to be superceeded by a new religion. "The Baha'i Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to unite all the races and people in one universal Cause and one common Faith." -gw

On the Online Newsletter of the International Baha'i Community: One Country

January-March 2007 (Volume 18, Issue 4)
For artist Duffy Sheridan, painting is a means to “elevate the human condition”
Perspective: Climate change and the oneness of humanity
Focus on the empowerment of girls at 2007 UN meeting on women’s status
Design for Bahá’í temple in South America wins citation
In Iran, Bahá’í schoolchildren are now targets of persecution
Congo Republic issues stamp for World Religion Day
In Papua New Guinea, mothers take charge
Firing of Egyptian Bahá’í draws international scrutiny, highlights rights concerns
The new atheism, reconsidered

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Archive List:

2007-2008

2005-2006

2003-2004

2001-2002

1999-2000

1997-1998

1995-1996

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Every article of One Country, the Online Newsletter of the International Baha'i Community, is deserving of its own blog post plug. -gw

On Being Prepared: I am going to put some declaration cards in my purse right now

"Be prepared to move fast when opportunities present themselves." Uploaded on December 30, 2006 by wildphotons on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic.

Consolidation story #3. A conversation between two Beloved of God after their consolidation efforts. -gw

Chris: This is so amazing!!!!

Helen: Amazing is right! And brought to mind that part of the long Healing Prayer "I call on Thee O Unfastener, O Counselor, O Deliverer! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!" It really sounds as though you were able to offer Baha'u'llah's healing medicine at just the right time Counselor Chris. And a valuable learning too, we need to make like the boy scouts and "Be Prepared." I'm going to put some declaration cards in my purse right now.

Chris: Not Chris at all............. Oh..... Counselor Baha'u'llah........... It is so true He is the Healer,the All Suficing...... In tears we beseech Him saying...... Gosh you really get the learnings, Helen!! I left my prayer book at home that is stuffed with declaration cards. The one in hand was not as prepared! Yes to Scouts! Yes to being prepared!!! Let's stuff our purses!

On the Spirit of Service: It's your business

Larry Miller, Baha'i, has been a significant voice to American business. -gw

"Religion is on the march in both the East and the West. The pendulum has swung from a time when religion guided all of our affairs, to a time when religion and faith were presumed to be an illegitimate topic for consideration in public institutions. It is now swinging back to a time when we are seeking an integration of personal faith and public life.” - Larry Miller in onecountry.org

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I came across a review of a book, Spiritual Enterprise: Building Your Business In the Spirit of Service, by Lawrence Miller, which talks about the spiritual principles that lie behind all successful business organizations. ...

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“Honesty and trustworthiness are not only the foundation of virtue but of economic activity as well,” Miller writes, outlining how honesty and trust are essential for wealth creation, innovation and leadership.

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Spirit at Work
By Noreen Kelly April 10, 2008

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http://noreenkelly.com/trustmatters/?p=58

On Removers of Difficulties and a Declaration: She introduced me as her Baha'i counselor

Consolidation Story #2. Chris does a home visit to the woman who was our very first declarant in the first 90 minutes of teaching in the Hilltop neighborhood, Tacoma, the day after Naw Ruz. -gw

I went to visit D today. I called before going to her Grandmother's where D is a care-provider. D sounded very low. She said she was having a confusing day. I suggested that our visit might lift her spirit so she said to come up. When she opened the door she was crying. We went off to a quiet courtyard and said prayers. We said prayers for the departed (her friend died this past weekend), prayers for assistance, for healing and remover of difficulties. We talked, she emptied, I listened and then I offered to share more on Baha'u'llah....it was getting colder sitting outside so D offered to go into the apartment. Her mother K was there and D introduced me as her Baha'i Counselor!! Yikes!

I shared that i was a Baha'i and asked K if she knew about the Baha'i Faith. K shared that D was being pressured by friends who said the Faith was a Cult. Okay.......i pulled out our trusted Anna and we went in there! We made it through the sufferings and influence of Baha'u'llah and the teachings on Unity....and K starts bobbing her head agreeing with everything. When we finished the quotation on the circle of Unity she was crying.......I asked her if she also believed that Baha'u'llah is the Manifestation for this New Day and she said Yes!! (OH George I needed to be smooth and start filling in her name but alas i didn't bring a card!!)

Then the phone rings and D starts crying too. Her friend's husband was just put in jail for driving without a license and he has 4 little girls at home. I suggested we offer a powerful prayer revealed by the Bab...Is there any remover of difficulties........ everything suddenly quiets and in we are hugging! These are difficult times but there is a power beyond our understanding when we walk in prayer..... remember Baha'u'llah's imprisonment, banishment and sufferings...... all because He loves us. You will get through this. Before parting D's Grandmother comes in (she has Alzheimer's and Cancer) she want's to know why I am in her apartment. D and K introduced me as the Baha'i Counselor and laugh!

We promised to stay connected. I will call her tomorrow and try to set up a time to visit Friday or Saturday............. D shares that she will say the prayers, over and over...... This is so amazing!!!! Love you all....
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{Photo: Tacoma apartment building, Uploaded on February 26, 2008 by jacicita on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On Savannah GA, Cluster 19 WA, Madison 19 WI, and Albany Plus NY: It's all one neighborhood

http://www.bahailife.org/

Tonight we await the possibility that one of our new declarants and her mother will come over to the weekly devotional meeting in our home. Watching the Baha'i Newsreel last night about that neighborhood in Savannah, Georgia, I felt a sense of oneness. We are doing in our own Hilltop neighborhood what they have been doing in theirs. We are one with them. And the friends in Madison. And the friends in Albany Plus. And every other locality that is arising in the present glorious moment. -gw

Last night I attended Feast at the Baha'i Center in Madison. I really enjoyed myself. There were about 25 people there. While my home Cluster has recently been promoted to B Cluster status (Yea!!! Albany Plus) the Madison area "Wisconsin 19" has just been promoted to A Cluster status. The business portion of Feast was spent preparing for their first Intensive Program of Growth.

I ask that you pray for their success. The program kicks off next weekend - on Ridvan. This group has opted to go door to door through several neighborhoods combined with an outreach at nearby University of Wisconsin - Madison spearheaded by the College Club. Counselor Birkland is coming to go door to door as are their 2 Auxiliary Board members and the entire RBC.

In listening to the congratulatory letter I could not help but notice how close Albany Plus is to being an A status..as best we can tell we have about 10 less believers that have completed the Ruhi Series. This area has Children's classes and a special class for Junior youth - our area is heading towards regular children's classes again, and maybe in multiple areas. They have multiple weekly devotional gatherings and have a cadre of 25 non-Baha'i's attending Ruhi and or devotions. Of course having a neighborhood based Baha'i Center helps greatly.

Bushism's
some positive stuff in negative world
http://jackbush.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/04/feast-in-wiscon.html

On a Big First Step of Consolidation: We felt a little awkward at first, not having met her before

Three dear souls, two adults and one young child, visit a new believer, one of three from Tacoma's recent door-to-door campaign. -gw

We visited with her this morning and presented the first of the Book 2 deepening themes to her, on The Eternal Covenant of God. We felt a little awkward at first, not having met her before (and this being our first time doing the practice of Book 2) but we launched right in and soon were having a warm dialogue as we worked through the material. We used the quote cards "á la Anna's presentation" which worked well, and we left her with those five quotes. Also I took a cd from our children's classes which has about 7 tracks on it of prayers and quotes the kids have been working on learning this year, and a flier about our children's classes. Her husband was cleaning up the kitchen as we were talking and although we introduced ourselves and he smiled, he kept on doing his work but at one point very deliberately came into the living room to turn down the tv volume for us.

She is married and has two daughters, age 6 and age 3 and two cats. She is from the Tacoma area originally and has 2 sisters and 1 brother. Her sister is currently serving in Iraq and will be there until January. Prayers for her protection please. She currently works at a plastics factory, but is trying to get a job at Walmart where she previously worked.

We told her about Feast, but she's working this evening, and we mentioned study circles and encouraged her to bring the kids to children's classes. We exchanged phone numbers and asked if it would be okay for us to come back next Wednesday and she said that would be great.

Thank you for your prayers and this wonderful opportunity to practice our skills acquired from Ruhi. We really enjoyed our morning.
With much love...

{Photo: Flitzy Phoebie}

On To-Dos and New Learnings: Thanks for all the help

For those who may have noticed less activity that usual on http://bahaiviews.blogspot.com/, it's because I have been working on http://www.bahaiviews.net/. There is still a lot to do. I have a lot to learn. But my deepest thanks to my consultant, David of www.davidhenderson.com, who is providing such substantial support in making this transition possible. I stand on the shoulders of giants like David, and will stand even taller in the days ahead as I get my balance up here. That is David's photo above used for my new header, taken just a few weeks ago this very blessed spring season. -gw

On Ridvan Links: Sources of inspiration for reaching and teaching

"Detail of the benches in the Ridván Garden, ‘Akká, Israel"
Baha'i Media Bank

With the Baha'i Holy Day of Ridvan in mind, Jeanette and Vahid call our attention to more great sources of inspiration they have gathered together on their website, Reaching and Teaching Efforts. -gw

Dear Friends,

Happy Ridván

"Upon Our arrival, We were welcomed with banners of light, whereupon the Voice of the Spirit cried out saying: 'Soon will all that dwell on earth be enlisted under these banners.'" Bahá’u’lláh

To see different Ridván videos and the video of Israelis and Palestinians together singing songs of Love and Peace and witness a glimmer of that Great Spirit, please go to http://teachingandprojects.com/ then,
1) Click on " Art and Music " on the left hand side of the page
2) Scroll down to Happy Ridván

Also in the same page you will find the Arabic chanting of the Tablet of Ahmad that hopefully will be a source of inspiration and help to you as much as it has been to us.

At your request, we will enumerate some of the additions and updates to the above site since we last posted it here, as follows:

1) In the “Home” Page
· Multimedia: Audio, Video, Images, Blogs and Podcasts
2) Children and pre-youth
· Spiritual Education Lesson Plans

3) In the “Art and Music” page
· “Happy and joyous Naw-Rúz and Ridván” Slide shows
· Happy Ridván - Persian Tar and Poetry
· “Happy Naw-Rúz “From Radio Nasim Persian
· Chant of Tablet of Ahmad in Arabic
· Bahá’í Short Obligatory Prayer in English and Arabic
· “O GOD” PRAYER IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC
· DOUG CAMERON MONA WITH THE CHILDREN
· Universal peace brotherhood video
· A tribute to Bahá’í artists around the world
4) In the “Other Religions” page
· “World Religion Day” Interfaith understanding and harmony site
· Teaching Christians Effectively Seminar 10 hour seminar by Dr. David Young
· Prophecy Fulfilled Planet Bahá'í
5) In the “Other sites” page
· “Radio Nasim” Persian radio site
· Arabic Bahá’í Dialogue Room for Religions and Faiths
· Gathered information on the postal stamps and material related to the Baha'i Faith
· “DivineNotes” Collection of Baha'i-inspired music in various languages
· A Bahá'í Faith Page
· Bahá'í Faith Index
· The Wilmette Institute on-line courses on the Bahá’í Faith
· True Seeker, various Writings website
· Bahá’í videos available from around the world, about 586 different videos or 72 hours of videos

With best wishes for all,
Vahid and Jeanette Hedayati

http://teachingandprojects.com/

Photo above: "Fountain and benches in the Ridván Garden in ‘Akká (Acre), Israel" Baha'i Media Bank

On Little Stories and Old Photos: I've been working on a blog

There is a story here. -gw

I’ve been working on a blog for my oldest son’s daughters … little stories and old photos of our travels from upstate NY, to California (by train and car over a 3 month period) and finding the Baha’i Faith. Then on to Mexico where Jorge and I married and then returning to the US. It is important for me to write down what I remember, because each year that gets more difficult.

Susan, Another layer of the onion Never too old to learn new stuff

{Uploaded on August 6, 2007 by Cowtools on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic}

On Not Yet a Baha'i: But studying it

Arsinoe is a student of faith, the Baha'i Faith, but not yet declared. -gw

Officially, I am not yet a Baha'i as I have yet to declare. However, I have been studying the faith for a year or so now and have known about it a bit longer. Believe it or not, i first heard of the faith on a chat show. One of the participants mentioned that she was Baha'i and as I had not heard the word before I began to investigate. At the time I was studying both Religious Studies and Religious Education at GCSE level and thought it important that I learn what I can about the different pathways of Belief. But it was only ever the Baha'i teachings that stayed with me and intrigued me in years to come. I know no one else who is a Baha'i. My Parents are from a C of E and Jehovahs Witness background respectively and there was little discussion in our household in regards to other cultures and ways of being. One of the things I have come to love about the faith is its acceptance of all people and its recognition of our essential unity. It allows for exploration and demands very little of you other than your individuality and world embracing vision. I also love how the Baha'i faith is very much rooted in practicality. It allows you to live your faith and contribute actively in the world powered by your belief. These were two aspects I had been looking for in a religion and the Baha'i way has provided me with both :)

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http://www.experienceproject.com/uw.php?e=191592
Arsinoe,"Be The Change That You Wish To See In The World - Ghandi"

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Studies

On Blessings upon Blessings: Pilgrimage dates received

"19 April 2007. you can't imagine how fragrant, how beautiful, how comforting, how divine the scenes and breezes are."
Uploaded on April 19, 2007 by .leila on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Letter received. Blessings upon blessings. -gw

Dear Baha’i Friends,

In response to your letter indicating your preferences for pilgrimage dates, we would like to inform you that you have been scheduled to come to Haifa for pilgrimage starting 13 April 2009 and finishing in the evening of 22 April 2009.

During this time, the celebration of the First Day of Ridvan will be commemorated on 21 April. To allow for the attendance at this Holy Day observance, the House of Justice has decided to extend the period of this pilgrimage by one day.

With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Department of Pilgrimage

On Martha's Barn: Drawing on the inspiration of early Baha'i Martha Root

I am happy to pass on news of this wonderful endeaver promoting the ideals of Martha Root. -gw

Hi George,

Martha Root has inspired countless individuals to live lives of deep religious faith and audacious conviction. For more than a decade, her childhood home has been the site of a rebirth of activity bringing people together to honor her life, promote arts and education and help future generations.

Recent efforts have been centered around and devoted to the restoration of Martha's Barn, promoting the ideals of Martha Root and the creative arts. It is time to proceed with the next phase in the development of the Barn and the MRRM, a non-profit 501 c3. To help focus those efforts, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new website, www.marthasbarn.org.

The Martha's Barn website highlights the barn restoration efforts, the life of Martha Root and the MRRM Foundation's mission. It also offers visitors an opportunity to help with the titan task ahead: to finish the barn restoration and proceed with the mission to promote education in the arts and encourage non-violent conflict resolution training and use.

Please spread the word, post info on your Blogsite and encourage your friends to visit the website and register for eBlasts and eNewsletters. The website, by design, is organic and will be updated frequently, so you are invited to visit often. We welcome your comments and input.

We humbly ask for your encouragement and support.

Warm Regards,
Teresa Pettersen
Art Leopold

education in the arts/sciences,
non-violent conflict resolution,
historic site restoration

On Unity Works: Resources for Baha'i Education and Children's Classes

Unity Works/Resources is a family initiative. Randie and Steve have taught Baha'i children's classes and conducted workshops for years and, as international pioneers, developed educational materials for elementary aged children. -gw

Welcome to the UnityWorks online store, offering practical, low-cost downloads and other materials designed to serve the Bahá’í community. Please visit our companion website (http://resources.unityworks.net/) for additional product descriptions and to order our teacher’s guides. Selected items are also available from: Bahá'í Distribution Service and Special Ideas. Enter ‘Gottlieb’ in the search box.
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https://store.unityworks.net/

On Baha'i Perspectives: Rapidly accumulating a rich archive

Baha'i Perspectives in its short three months of life already has a substantial archive of essays from ... a Baha'i perspective. The blog is a collective endeavor, and we know that such efforts usually have greater efficacy than individual efforts alone. Here are topics covered so far. -gw

Topics:
Alcohol capacity cause children consumerism court culture development disarmament education ego environment equality expenditure fasting freedom gender identity justice Kenya knowledge leadership love materialism men moral motion oneness persecution Poverty queen marie racism religion Ruhi books social networks sustainability Uganda unity water women world-citizen
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Baha’i Perspectives
“If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and goodwill.”

On Religious Diversity: Kevin's walk takes him among nine religious traditions

Kevin has designed a new logo for his blog that includes the Baha'i 9-pointed star. -gw

The above logo satisfies several requirements at once: you see a guy with a backpack walking along, which we automatically associate with treks. You see red, white, and blue, which represents the United States of America. And you see nine symbols of various religions, which should imply, even to the casual observer, that the walker is somehow walking past or through or among these traditions.

http://kevinswalk.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-logo.html

Kevin is the author of a book on religious diversity. He...

currently lives and teaches in Seoul, South Korea. He is an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and holds degrees in French (BSLA, Georgetown University) as well as Religion and Culture (MA, Catholic University). Kevin's areas of interest include interreligious dialogue, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, Buddhist studies, and comparative religion.

http://www.cafepress.com/bighominid.117261169

On Nicholas Being the Host: Rupa-rupanya the musical concert was about his religion, Baha'i

"Melaka at Midnight" Uploaded on November 12, 2006 by Stuck in Customs on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

A post by Alex in Melaka.
But first, a translation...
ஆங்கிலம்: Apparently
மலாய் translation: Nampaknya / Rupa-rupanya
Apparently the musical concert was about the Baha'i religion. -gw

As some of us knew...we were invited to Nicholas thong's house for some open hse and also 'musical concert'. At 1st, i was driving out to leave from my hse. Reachin the Bkt Beruang traffic light and received a missed call from Tzong meng (coz i was driving) . At the traffic light....waited and called him. Make a U-turn back to fetch him coz i aso abit sien driving there alone....and the weather was
RAINING quite HEAVILY. Reached there around 730pm (the initial time was 7pm) together with steph, her mom, teck and ester. Soonheng went to send bagi back home and reach here 1/2 hrs later.As usual.... Teckpeng who was holding soonheng's cam...
then had our food.... spaghetti and pizza. Nicholas being the host....din help out to serve us...LOL whereas his Baha'i fren served us. *bad huh*Well....every1 didnt know what the 'musical concert' was till the thing starts. Rupa-rupanya is about his religion, Baha'i.

http://chkalex.blogspot.com/2008/04/3rd-of-april-part-2.html

On the Well-Being of Mankind: Unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established

humanitarian news and analysis
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs


DUBAI, 3 April 2008 (IRIN) - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given US$26.8 million to Cornell University in the USA for a new global project to fight wheat (stem) rust disease, which specialists say poses a threat to world food security.

[Read this report in Arabic]

“International coordinated action is the only possible way to address problems of this magnitude. This project is a step towards re-invigorating and focusing such coordination,” Rick Ward, the project coordinator, told IRIN on 2 April.

According to a Cornell University press release, “the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project [launched on 2 April] will bring together 15 partner institutions to combat the emergence of deadly new variants of stem rust that can spread quickly, reducing healthy wheat to broken, shrivelled stems.”
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http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=77586

How remarkable is this news story? This is the world we live in. A threat to one is a threat to all. Our salvation is collective, not individual. Only as we work in collaboration with others can solutions be found to the world's problems. This is the Baha'i perspective. Baha'u'llah came not for mere personal salvation, but to address the ills of an entire planet that require recognition of our essential unity for their solution. -gw

Our world has entered the dark heart of an age of fundamental change beyond anything in all of its tumultuous history. Its peoples, of whatever race, nation, or religion, are being challenged to subordinate all lesser loyalties and limiting identities to their oneness as citizens of a single planetary homeland. In Bahá’u’lláh’s words: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” May the publication of this translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas lend a fresh impulse to the realization of this universal vision, opening vistas of a worldwide regeneration.

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE, "Introduction,"The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Author: Bahá’u’lláh
Source: Bahá’í World Centre, 1992 edition
Pages: 254

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{Photo: "wheat 2.0," Uploaded on July 24, 2006 by flyzipper on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic}

On Women, Faith, and Abuse: Lessons learned from the Baha'i religion

Baha'i Layli Miller-Muro is scheduled to be interviewed as part of a radio program on "Women, Faith, and Abuse" to be aired April 6th on 40 radio stations. Click here to listen live: http://www.wamu.org/programs/interfaith_voices/ Happily, all Interfaith Voices programs are also available as podcasts. Thanks to David for the heads-up on this. -gw

Women, Faith and Abuse - Begins at 22:59

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so this week we take a look at the uneasy intersection between religion and sexual violence. How does faith exploit women...and how can it be a force to heal them? We begin with

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Dr. Joy Schroeder, author of Dinah's Lament: The Biblical Legacy of Sexual Violence in Christian Interpretation. She says as far back as the third century, Christian scholars--most of whom were men--have interpreted Bible stories about rape to blame the victims.

Nicole Sotelo, author of Women Healing From Abuse: Meditations for Finding Peace, explains how scripture, which has so often been used to harm women, might begin to help them.

And

Layli Miller-Muro, a Baha'i woman and founder of the Tahirih Justice Center, shares the lessons she's learned from a religion which regards women and men as equals.

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Interfaith Voices is an independent public radio show providing engaging and informative discussion on the key public issues of our day through the lenses of many different faith perspectives. We foster religious tolerance and educate our listeners on the broad diversity of religious traditions and viewpoints in the United States, Canada, and around the world. Our purpose is to promote interfaith understanding through dialogue.

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http://interfaithradio.org/audio

On the Triumphant Conclusion to Tacoma's IPG: Let the consolidation begin

The Joseph extended family is our family. That's how the Baha'i Friends in Cluster 19 look at it. Betty's baby is surrounded with love. Betty herself had a chance to take in the love inherent in Anna's presentation during our teaching campaign.

We had a houseful Friday night. Here is little Toby with pony-tail in the kitchen with dear Nancy, our neighbor and Baha'i caterer for teaching project, our Auxiliary Board Member Shawn, Institute coordinator Deb, and half of Chris, our project coordinator.

Toby and Shannon and all the kids were on the way to Unity Works, the regional native gathering out at the Brighton Creek Baha'i Conference Center that takes place every six weeks. But first they were able to join us for dinner.

The younger children enjoyed playing with the Tinker Toys I had bought to have on hand when kids come over. Two youth sit under pictures of the three imprisioned Baha'i youth of Shiraz.

Saturday was a teaching day for us. Dyed-in-the-wool Baha'i teacher and septuagenarian Liliane was able to join us. Here getting a hug from his wife Debbie, Tim came over to pray for our efforts out on the chilly patio, hence the warm blankets. Seen sitting with my wife, Laurie came over with an Alaskan version of Anna's presentation to test out teaching. Our generals, Deb and Chris, poured over the spread sheet that contained the names of the dozens of potential members of our circle of interest, the sweet fruit from our door-to-door teaching efforts, before we discussed our Saturday strategies.

Last Sunday, the last day of our Intensive Teaching Program, was also the first day of consolidation. Last night I spoke with our new declarant, warm and welcoming Alisha, about having her children, ages 3 and 6, begin attending children's classes and set up a home visit on Wednesday mornings for her to continue her study of the Baha'i Faith through use of the deepening themes of Ruhi Book 2. Today I will do return visits to Hilltop homes. Our conslidation is off and running.



See pictures of Tacoma's IPG that are now up on the TEACHING.BAHAI.US website.

On a Voting Member of the Baha'i Community: Count him

A few years ago a soul declared his belief in Baha'u'llah after hearing a brief presentation about the Faith (but not Anna's) on a warm Saturday afternoon in March. He soon was enrolled and then encouraged to attend Baha'i activities, which included a simply wonderful Feast and a totally delightful first meeting of a Ruhi class. But then, poof! he disappeared. Inactive Baha'i? Apparently not. His mail-in ballot for the election of the Spiritual Assembly was just received. -gw

An elected Baha'i Spiritual Assembly Uploaded on May 8, 2007 by Dr Phil on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

On Baha'i Bingo: I used to be a Baha'i, she cried

As Baha'is are reaching out, both collectively and individually, they are discovering I-Want-to-Be-Baha'is, Baha'is, and I-Used-to-Be-Baha'i-and-Maybe-I-Want-to-Be-Baha'i-Agains. While we here in Tacoma were out teaching door-to-door last week, we called on two homes where there were Baha'is we didn't even know were living in our community. We also, as reported, found three I-Want-to-Be-Baha'is. In Australia Leila found an I-Used-to-Be-Baha'i at school, much to her delight. -gw

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she was standing there, with her hand clasped to her heart, and eyes and mouth wide: I used to be a Baha'i! she cried.

http://lovefromleila.blogspot.com/2008/04/bingo.html

On Circles of Interest and Disinterest: Yours for the blogging

This is a circle of disinterest. Doesn't care about blogging, yours or any other hepcat's. Not what the Baha'i International Teaching Center is encouraging us to nurture. It is our circle of interest on the internet that we wish to expand with each and every blog post, as Praveen's marvelous slide show inspires us to do. Take a look, if you haven't already. -gw

Page 9

Blog
– What's it??
An Interactive website
where one person [blogger]
shares information on a
particular topic which is
viewed and responded by
his circle of interest on the
internet.
Page 10
Blogging opens new avenues for sharing the message of Bahá’u’lláh.
It is a grassroots participatory undertaking
Page 11
Blogs can serve as an instrument to draw that particular
community of interest to the Revelation and to Bahá’í
community activity
The networking phenomenon associated with blogs allows for
information to reach potentially large numbers of like-minded
people

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http://bangalorebahais.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/bahai-participation.pdf

On the Panama Baha'i House of Worship and Mona: First came Martha Root and then came Baha'i-inspired schools

On Panama Travels: THE Panama information site - hotels, real estate, travel news and more, information about ... the Baha'i religion.

Why religion on a travel site? Because of the Panama Baha'i House of Worship. What struck the travel writer Cailey most about the work of Baha'is?

Because of the Baha'i-inspired Mona schools operating in the hinterlands of Panama. Thanks, Amy, for suggesting this site. -gw

How did Baha’i end up in Panama? A female Baha’i journalist by the name of Martha Root first came to Panama in 1919 spreading information about the religion. In 1946 an official Spiritual Assembly was created and progress occurred from there.

After researching a bit about Baha’i in Panama, what strikes me most is their outreach with the Ngabe-Bugle people. The Bahai’ community runs 10 schools in the region where they otherwise would not exist. These schools are only accessible by horseback or on foot. It seems as though the Mona Foundation has teamed up with the Baha’i run schools to help in a joint effort.

To learn more visit the following websites:

http://www.monafoundation.org/

http://www.panamabahai.net/

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One of Seven: Baha’i Temple in Panama City, Panama "Dedicada a las poblaciones indígenas del continente americano la Casa de Adoración Bahá`í se alza sobre una colina dominando el océano Pacífico muy cerca de Ciudad de Panamá" Uploaded on November 17, 2007 by Francisco González/Spain on flickr

"Badi School: Pronunciamiento en contra de la pobreza y por los objetivos de desarrollo milenio" Uploaded on October 18, 2007 by Stand Up and Speak Out on flickr

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Panama - Badi School & Univ

Meeting with Ngobe-Bugle Teachers in Panama
Three teachers, a couple of parents and one very determined young boy of 12 crossed five mountains in the rain for nine hours and negotiated over three swollen rivers just to meet with us about their hearts desires for the children. Full Story

Please enjoy a brief 6 minute video of the Molejon people taken by Matthew Salton during the 2006 Mona Foundation visit: view video.

http://monafoundation.org/

On 2 inspire.us: 2 B 1

Check it out! http://2inspire.us/about/

Even though it doesn’t always look like it, we are moving towards a peaceful world. While the media would have us think that we are an impossibly malevolent and spiteful human race, we are actually growing more peaceful every year.

From Leif this website tip and Facebook group. -gw

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2inspire.us - What News Ought to Be
Facebook Group

On Father, forgive them, they know know not what they do: Or do they?

More on the meaning of natural disasters, from anon, by email. -gw

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Drought in central parts of Iran, including Shiraz, is so bad that the Friday Prayer Leaders and Representatives of the Supreme Leader are asking people to perform prayers for rain, and to ask God to forgive them whatever their sins have been and to return the flow of the rains... Hmmm.... I wonder what those sins may have been?... Hmmm....

خشکسالي به علت کفران نعمت
رايج شدن برگزاري نماز باران در شهرها - پنجشنبه 15 فروردین 1387 [2008.04.03]
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خشکسالي به علت کفران نعمت (ROOZ)

On Authentic Community: Shared in common is their adherence to the Baha'i Faith

This is the website of members of the Baha’i Faith in Arlington, Virginia. The Arlington Baha’i community is as diverse as the country in which we live. All races, ages, and social classes come together to create a warm and authentic sense of community. What the members of this community share in common is their adherence to the Baha’i Faith.

http://www.arlingtonbahai.org/

A quality community blog format, crisp and clean. -gw

On Needing a Savior: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do

Lisa has a look at the Baha'i religion. -gw

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to explain my craziness... - Lisa -

i have over 30 kindergarteners stuck in my head and they rule my world. JC is their daddy and that should explain it all :)

the baha'i faith has come up in conversation lately and i know very little about it all... so i looked it up on wikipedia, the world wide web's guide to everything...

a faith based in solid teachings, where the spiritual unity of humankind is pertinent... there are rules and such, somewhat based in the Shi'a Islam foundations, but a religion of its own... my question for any religion is how does one "reach" God, if possible within those beliefs, or the ultimate goal of those beliefs, if its not God... humans have a soul, therefore can relate to their Creator and it is their duty to acknowledge their Creator through his messengers and conform to their teachings, which include (but not limited to) Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, and Baha'ullah, who founded the religion... through recognition, obedience, service to humanity, regular prayer and spiritual practice will allow for growth towards God in this world, and when the soul passes on to the spiritual world, that growth is a basis of judgment and advancement in the spiritual world, and eternal life is spent on a scale of closeness or distance from God... blurbing straight from wikipedia...

a tall order... makes me think Christianity is too easy... believe in Jesus and be saved... actions will show that faith, but its not what we do, who we are, what we say, just that we believe... with my understanding, i don't believe that we can ever do enough, be obedient enough, serve or even love enough to be considered just enough to be close to God, i firmly believe we need a Savior for that... so for me, Baha'i wouldn't cut it... but i like the ideals, i like how you have to work, how working these things out in ordinary life is stressed... maybe i need to make my faith less theological and more practical in my life... that's not a maybe...

Posted by i am 6 yrs old in my mind at 12:43

Carrying the hammer
"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" Luke 23:34

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3 comments:
Susan said...
Hi, I was a Christian who became a Baha'i some thirty seven years ago. I didn't become disillusioned with Christianity or anything, it is just that when I read the life of the Bab and Baha'u'llah and compared it with the life of Christ as contained in the Gospel they seemed so much alike to me. Either both were true or both were false. Having said, that I think there is one key difference between Christianity and the Baha'i Faith and that is that Baha'is don't think so much in terms of individual salvation. If we did, maybe just believing in Jesus would be enough. Baha'is are out to transform the world through action in the world. We can't do that with faith alone, we must follow the *teachings* of our religion.
30 March 2008 23:44:00 PDT

George Wesley Dannells said...
With your permission I would like to excerpt from this post on Baha'i Views and link.
31 March 2008 21:43:00 PDT

i am 6 yrs old in my mind said...
hey, well i must say i'm surprised by the two comments, being i don't know either one of you, so i'm gonna reply just a bit... mr. dannells, you can link that article if you like, after scrolling through your blog, i'd just like to set up a disclaimer that these are solely my views, as briefly informed so mostly uninformed as they are, and simply what i got from personal conversations and wikipedia and how it all came out in my head... and susan, really appreciate your input -- i agree christianity has a strong focus on salvation, which is something i need in my flawed life, and i echo that i like the action of the baha'i faith... and i know that there are many christians who are highly motivated and active in the world because of their faith, i'd be lying if i said that it wasn't part of my inspiration in life... individual salvation through faith, reconciliation with God, global healing through action, and aiming for peace... thank you both again for checking in on the mumbles of my mind! :D

http://lisas-hammer.blogspot.com/2008/03/bird-of-humanity.html

{Both the post by Lisa and the comment by Susan are re-posted with permission}

{Photo: "Kindergarten," uploaded on December 3, 2007 by pinreader on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic}

On the Declaration of a Friend: When IPG energy spreads far beyond the cluster

I somehow missed this delightful story on TEACHING.BAHAI.US when it was first posted. -gw

Monday, March 10, 2008
Declaration of a friend
What happens when everyone studies Anna's presentation and that our cluster's Intensive Program of Growth teaching energy spreads far beyond the cluster? J_____ , a Muslim friend/colleague of mine from Michigan now living in Hawaii, responded to my encouragement to contact the local Baha'is in Hawaii (after she commented on a Baha'i quotation I shared with her), went to a fireside this week, then met with a Baha'i who invited her to enroll, and she did! Just like that!

http://teaching.bahai.us/2008/04/what-happens-when-everyone-studies.html

"This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness." (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 6) - In Anna's presentation

{Photo: Uploaded on June 15, 2007 by caribb on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic}

On the Work of Newly Declared Baha'is in Supporting AIDS Orphans: Service to humanity

Chris and his wife Deb are newly declared Baha'is in our Lansing, Michigan, area community (along with two others, all since January 2008!) and his work on orphans in Uganda is highlighted in the Friends of Nyaka blog.

Ned has emailed me with word of a blog post about two new Baha'is and their work with an AIDS orphan school in Uganda. -gw

I talked to all the children in every classroom. I told them that I work for Nyaka AIDS Orphans School and it is my job to make sure they are well taken care of. This, in typical Nyaka fashion, was greeted with applause and smiles. As a member of the Bahai’ faith, service to humanity is very important to me. Throughout my career, I have worked with abused children, autistic children, and refugee youth in foster care. I feel that all of my efforts in those arenas have been beneficial to the population I worked with. But with my work at Nyaka, I feel this is my calling and this is the most important project I’ve ever had the privilege of working on.

http://michiganfriendsofnyaka.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/nyaka-testimonial-2/
Friends of Nyaka Weblog:Volunteers hoping to make a difference for the children of Nyaka and Kutamba AIDS Orphans School in Uganda.

On Baha'u'llah Being the Return of Christ: Unbelievable?

A British Baha'i was interviewed on a Christian radio program about Baha'u'llah being the return of Christ. The actual interview portion begins about the 17 minute mark of the program, so after download advance to that point. -gw

In his book "Letter to the Christians" Jeremy Fox, argues that Baha'u'llah the founder of the Baha'i faith is the second coming of Jesus Christ, as prophesied in the New Testament. Robin Thomson of South Asian Concern argues against this interpretation of scripture. For more on the Baha'i faith listen to the episode of Unbelievable of 9 Feb.

Unbelievable? 29 Mar 2008

Did Jesus prophecy the Baha'i faith?

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Saturdays 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Each Saturday, in the award-winning programme Unbelievable, Justin Brierley asks questions like: Can Christianity live up to the claims it makes?
Can we trust the Bible?
Why should I believe in Jesus over anything else?
Justin tackles these and other issues, on a show that gets Christians and non-believers talking to each other. The studio is packed with guests from all walks of life, talking about the differences between their beliefs. An atheist, agnostic or person of another faith appears each week to discuss their views on the world and why they don't believe in Jesus. At the same time, a Christian guest is given the opportunity to defend the faith.

http://www.premierradio.org.uk/shows/saturday/unbelievable.aspx

On a Daughter Buried and a Son Born: Drinking Deep from the Cup of Love

"Pilgrimage," a lovely post about visiting a town the Greenish Lady once lived in includes this paragraph. - gw

Driving on around the lake, a drive that was so familiar to me at one time, I just enjoyed being in that countryside again. I stopped at another graveyard, where friends had buried their little daughter, Grace Alice, who died a scant couple of weeks before my own son was born. Her white gravestone bears an epigraph from Baha'i writings: "Let her drink deep from the cup of Thy love"

http://greenishlady.blogspot.com/2008/03/pilgrimage.html

See also: http://greenishlady.blogspot.com/2007/09/sunday-scribbling-hi-my-name-is.html

On Giving Up Atheism: I've already had a request for Baha'i

At a friend's suggestion stand-up comedienne Laura is seriously looking for some "choice wine." -gw

So, on Facebook, a friend made a genius suggestion about what I could give up next year for Lent. She suggested giving up atheism. ... So suggestions of religions to practise / gods to believe in for next Lent please. I have already had a request for Baha'i. The only thing I really know about Baha'i is that you're not allowed to drink alcohol, so I figure I'm halfway there already.

"Belief system"

Laura's Plog:

Welcome to Laura's Plog. I originally started writing to encourage more stand-up material, but it's kind of evolved into its own thing. Enjoy - I am!

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{Re-posted with permission}

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He who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favour will circle around My commandments that shine above the Dayspring of My creation. (Kitab-i-Aqdas, para.4, page 20)

On Sweet Music: One look at each other in the Beijing airport and we knew it was meant to be

From Sarmad, this good news. From Iran to Africa to India to Africa to China. Must be a Baha'i. -gw

I'm getting married on Saturday to an amazing girl -- one I've been friends with for 7 years. It's amazing. She's Varya. :-) The name says it all. :-)

Varya and I met 7 years ago in Panchgani, India. We stayed in touch on and off as friends, occasionally communicating via email, chat and a couple of phone calls. In January, we got closer through a very special phone call, and met on 26 January in Beijing. One look at each other in Beijing airport, and we knew it was meant to be.

The wedding is in Beijing in Elika Mahony's home -- the very same Elika whose music inspired us in Pune and Tanzania for years. I first heard her music on Vandana's computer in Pune in 1998, where Vandana was working on the first ever issue of our Maharashtra Baha'i youth magazine, Harmony. Amazing!

5 April 2008. Fantastic!

http://garmroud.blogspot.com/2008/03/here-comes-beautiful-bride.html

About Sarmad
Where can one begin? Born in the Land of Ta, grew up in a little town in the mountains of Iringa, Tanzania. Spent childhood and early teens exploring the wilds of Africa. Went to the Land of the Indus Valley for college, did electronics engineering and computer multimedia. City called Nagpur -- lovely but HOT in the summers! Traveled most of the length and breadth of India in early adulthood on various Baha'i projects and with a choir and performing arts group. Best days of my life! :-) Returned to Iringa, Tanzania in 2003, taught primary and secondary level mathematics, computer skills, music and sports. That was super in itself -- I love working with children especially! Fresh, young, innocent minds, free from selfishness, motive, prejudice and greed, vices that afflict so many "adults" in these modern materialistic days. Worked for 1.5 years in Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, with a business machines company in Customer Care. Now in Zhuhai, Southern China, checking out one of the coolest cities in one of the coolest countries on earth!

http://garmroud.blogspot.com/
Galaxy Guide: "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole world..." -- Baha'u'llah

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{Re-posted with permission}

On Baha'i Administration on Planet Baha'i: Open doors

Tags: Mansion blue shadow light ...
door - - Interesting discussion on the Planet Baha'i forum about Door to door teaching. I am hoping to drop in myself and share some of my experiences.

Planet Bahá'í
There is a wealth of information about just about everything Baha'i on Planet Baha'i, including a nifty collection of articles about Baha'i administration.

Bahá'í Administration * Bahá'í Elections * Bahá'i Government * Being Organized * Consultation: Decision-Making in a New World * Every Decision Is Spiritual * The Local Spiritual Assembly * Voting the Bahá'í Way * What's the Big Deal About Bahá'í Administration? * Who Needs Campaigns?

http://www.planetbahai.org/cgi-bin/main.pl
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Photo: Uploaded on May 15, 2007 by .leila on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

On Going Door-to-Door to Teach the Baha'i Faith: It had been their dream all their life to do this type of teaching in Iran

I knew that immediately after the Baha'i Fast reports of teaching projects launched would be flooding into TEACHING.BAHAI.US. Sure nuff, the posts are up, way up. Heard on the street: In the past three months there have been more enrollments than in any year in several decades. Here are some excerpts from recent TBU postings. -gw

Snohomish County moves into intensive HVs/Fireside invites
Over 500 homes were visited and 60 names of individuals who require follow-up of some kind were collected; 38 are considered high-priority that will be re-visited throughout this week and next weekend. ...

One husband and wife, who recently arrived in Snohomish County as refugees from Iran via Turkey, spent every possible moment they could going door-to-door even though their English-lanugage skills are quite limited. They said that it had been their dream all their life to do this type of teaching in Iran and they never had an opportunity as it was never safe to do so. They were not going to let this chance go by! Oh, it was a bounty to have these dear ones with us!

Another woman joined the door-to-door effort only because she felt such a strong reaction against the idea of it! She said that she had to try this to "see what it was all about". At the close of the campaign on Sunday, she thanked many of the friends for the experience. She found it not only dignified but exhilarating and went away as a convert to the venue.

The friends encountered several Russian-speaking pure hearted souls on Saturday. As there were no Russian speakers among the friends, one of the teams recruited a warm contact, a native Russian emigrant who has come to several Baha'i gatherings over the past half year, as a translator and revisited a few homes on Sunday. Our Russian translator not only translated for the friends, but went beyond and began to teach the Faith himself, encouraged by the others.

"Door to door," Uploaded on April 8, 2005by J.L. McVay / StereoactiveNYC on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Trainings for Teaching through Magdalene Carney Institute
West Palm Beach, Florida

· 58 teachers participated in direct teaching.
· 77 people were taught using Anna’s presentation.
· 83 people requested a follow up visit.
· 19 children and 5 junior youth from non-Bahá’í families would likely take part in children’s classes and junior youth groups.
· 7 new believers (3 of which declared at a follow up visit later in the week)

Don't wait to teach
The Universal House of Justice has urged the friends not to wait until they become A clusters to teach. The believers in South Hampton Roads, VA (*C) have taken that guidance to heart.

· Anna’s presentation used in direct teaching generated the enrolment of 4 new believers.
· The number of friends engaged in direct, collective teaching rose from 5 to 25 in a period of three months.
· The number of children in neighborhood children’s classes rose from 0 to 8 in the past six months.
· A new Ruhi Book 1 study circle was formed with 5 people including 2 of the new enrollees.
· About 20 new receptive souls were identified for follow-ups, including hearing Anna’s presentation through a home visit and being invited to the core activities and firesides.
· 16 children were identified as possible students, requiring follow up with parents.
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http://teaching.bahai.us/

On the Video "Ya Bahá'u'l-Abhá": It's about surrendering yourself to the positive

Ya Bahá'u'l-Abhá! -gw

I'm leaving you guys with a video of what has become my favorite song of all time.

it is by the Colombian singer Leonor Dely. I received this video today as a gift from a friend of mine. She knew how much I loved this song and I was shocked that she remembered me to send me this video. This song is titled "Invocation" (Ya Baha'u'l-Abha). A friend, a Baha'i, told me this song is about devoting yourself to Baha'u'l-Abha. I believe Ya Baha'u'l-Abha means "O Glory of the Most Gloriest." Leonor Dely is part of the Baha'i Faith. She takes Bahá'u'lláh's words/scripture and puts it into music and then this masterpiece comes out.

I am not part of the Baha'i faith, however, the music makes me feel I am part of the beauty that is Leonor's spirit thus the Baha'i spirit. I say this because the couple of people I know who are Baha'i are a couple of the most beautiful beings I have ever met, inside and out. My one Baha'i friend told me it makes him cry when he hears this piece. When I heard this I felt so much more connected to them as a person because they didn't know that my spirit flies whenever I listen to this gem.

Music does this...it trully connects the human spirits and peace is met for those few moments..

When I first saw this video earlier today, it made me cry because the beauty of Baha'i Temple which is shown here with the song in the background was just so overwhelming for me. I think also because of the personal things I've been going through, seeing this video with the music set the tone for me to cry... to release.. it felt good and painful at the same time....

I've been watching this video on repeat since I got it this afternoon! :)

Such a powerful piece if you just immerse yourself in the music with an open mind...

Although I don't practice the Baha'i faith, this song is also a positive song for me. It is about surrendering yourself to the positive, to life, to whatever sets your spirit to fly...whatever that may be...it's about unity...the oneness of you and life, the universe, the spirit...

http://avianaonline.blogspot.com/2008/03/open.html

AVIANA......Coming To An Arena Near You!!!!!!!
You'll remember me a few years from now when you hear my name on the radio or tv. I am a musician/songwriter. Add comments on music, life, your dreams & positive stuff. This site will follow my progress into the music business! Peaceful, creative, positive people allowed! .........“The life you have lived does not have to be the only life you will live.” “Follow your personal legend but make destiny follow you.”...."It's never to late to live your dreams in our reality.".....AVIANA‘05

{Re-posted with permission}