Archive for November, 2006

Speaking of holidays, llcoolvad likes them. She takes one of those religion tests on the Internet, but she doesn’t agree with the results. In the process of blogging about it, she passes on her impression of the Baha’i Faith, sort of like a one-person focus group. -gw

OK, *** SOOOO *** not accurate that I match more stuff in Mormon, Scientologist, or Christian Scientist faiths than in Jewish or Roman Catholic. And Jehovah’s Witness? Seventh Day Adventist? This is all just filler. I’m an atheist, people. Secular Humanist. I’ll take the UU, that’s fine. The Quakers, Nontheists, also fine. Anything crazy? Not fine! No sacred undergarments. No thetans. No “clear”. I don’t know what Jainism is. I always think of Baha’i as flaky 60s-leftover faith. I like holidays, so there is no Witness here (or wait, is that the Adventists? feh!). Stupid test!

llcoolvad, “Meme,” Then She Appeared

Sometimes the mentions of “Baha’i” on the internet are just that. Mentions. But even a mention can convey some small aspect about the Faith. -gw

Now, she’s declared that since her secretary scheduled her off for Boxing Day as well as Christmas (she’s Baha’i and doesn’t really care either way, but the vacation is nice) that we’re going to marathon the entire first three seasons of SGA (everything we can pull) in 2 days.

“Can you hear me now?” Detail of the “whispering ceiling” in the registry room at Ellis Island. Designed by the same person who designed the ceiling of Grand Central Station. It is possible to stand on opposite sides of the balcony and have a whispered conversation thanks to its acoustical properties. Uploaded on October 4, 2006 by Ed Karjala on flickr.

Architecture offers many examples of “grand designs.” The man responsible for the design of the ceiling brickwork of the picture to the left created such a grand design. From Ruhi Book 6 comes this quotation for memorization which references God’s grand design. -gw

Now is the time, O ye beloved of the Lord, for ardent endeavor. Struggle ye, and strive. And since the Ancient Beauty was exposed by day and night on the field of martyrdom, let us in our turn labor hard, and hear and ponder the counsels of God; let us fling away our lives, and renounce our brief and numbered days. Let us turn our eyes away from empty fantasies of this world’s divergent forms, and serve instead this pre-eminent purpose, this grand design. Let us not, because of our own imaginings, cut down this tree that the hand of heavenly grace hath planted; let us not, with the dark clouds of our illusions, our selfish interests, blot out the glory that streameth from the Abhá Realm. Let us not be as barriers that wall out the rolling ocean of Almighty God. Let us not prevent the pure, sweet scents from the garden of the All-Glorious Beauty from blowing far and wide. Let us not, on this day of reunion, shut out the vernal downpour of blessings from on high. Let us not consent that the splendors of the Sun of Truth should ever fade and disappear. These are the admonitions of God, as set forth in His Holy Books, His Scriptures, His Tablets that tell out His counsellings to the sincere. “The glory rest upon you, and God’s mercy, and God’s blessings.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 263-264

“Joburg,” uploaded on August 6, 2005 by skymyr on flickr
The National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa hosted a banquet for the Birth of Bahá’u'lláh on the 11th of November in Johannesburg where some 170 non-Bahá’í guests and about 110 believers attended. The occasion not only celebrated the Holy Day but also the 50th year of the anniversary of the election of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South Africa. The Bahá’í Community was indeed privileged to receive a message of congratulations from the State president of this country, Mr. Thabo Mbeki.

+

Kirstenbosch, famous South African bontanical gardens. Uploaded on September 3, 2006 by Victor Geere on flickr

MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF SOUTH AFRICA

> I am most honoured to have this opportunity to extend warm greetings
> to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South Africa on
> this important day, the 11th of November, in which you celebrate your 50th Anniversary.
>
> That you are today turning fifty testifies clearly to your
> steadfastness and to the pivotal role you have played and doubtlessly
> will continue to play in advancing the cause of unity and amity in our beloved country, South Africa.
>
> Since its formation half a century ago, on 11 November 1956, the
> National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South Africa untiringly
> has promoted the spiritual, moral and material development of Bahá’ís
> in this country as well as that of the South African society in
> general. In this regard, your notable participation in the National Religious Leaders Forum has also contributed immensely in ushering in an age of hope in our country.
>
> The fact that your anniversary falls in the same year in which we
> commemorate our country’s land-marking events, such as the tenth year
> of our democratic Constitution which recognises and promotes religious
> freedom, points further to the historical position you occupy in our country.
>
> Accordingly, on behalf of the Government and people of South Africa
> we say congratulations and best wishes to the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South Africa on your 50th Anniversary.
>
> May you have more successful and fulfilling decades ahead!

Once a year talent show done by the staff for the staff at the Baha’i World Center. An amazing concert. Watching a group of people from around the world with all sort of background come together to produce this amazing night is breath taking.
+
May and Naim, “Sounds of the World,” Akhtarkhavari-Ru
+
{Re-posted with permission}

Image of Egyptian newspaper article accompanying current post on Baha’i Faith in Egypt

Baha’i Faith in Egypt is one of the best Baha’i blogs in the world, a blog of substance and topical interest, covering, as it does, the controversy surrounding the treatment of Baha’is in Egypt. This background adds another layer of significance to this post on the blog Randomness: My random thoughts. The randomness of my life. Boring tidbits from a blogger in Cairo by the name of Dee-Vine. -gw

I have this friend. Let’s call her Sammy. We run in different crowds so we were not that close, but this one day she called me and she was feeling terrible. She had broken up with her boyfriend; they’d basically been together their entire lives and he was the only comfort in her life. I don’t know why she thought of me, but she said she just wanted to talk and I immediately went over with chocolates and a bucket of ice cream and spent the entire day there. I did what I do best; I listened, and I comforted her. That was about a year and a half ago. That day brought us a lot closer.

“Well… I’m a Baha’i now.”

Uploaded on September 30, 2005 by alias65

I didn’t know how to react. I just kept silent, a smile frozen on my face. She probably sensed that I was uncomfortable. So she went on speaking. She told me that she converted a few weeks ago and that she would love to tell me more about Baha’ism.

He explained to me the basic principles of Baha’ism, which I honestly don’t even remember right now. So I don’t know. What exactly is Baha’ism? And how exactly am I supposed to react?I suppose I’m not going to love her any less just because I don’t believe in her religion. I love my agnostic friends just the same even though I disapprove. We just don’t discuss the issue.

I would very much rather not discuss this with her. But it’s the big pink elephant in the middle of the room, how can we not talk about it?

Dee-Vine, “The Big Pink Elephant,” Randomness

Dee-Vine has a NeoCounter to track visitors to her site. Where have the visitors who clicked over to read this post come from? -gw

Since 19/11/2006
Egypt: 162

United States: 18

Kuwait: 4

United Arab Emirates: 3

Canada: 3

United Kingdom: 10

Japan: 2

Saudi Arabia: 1

Ukraine: 4

Israel: 1

Portugal: 1

Austria: 1

210 visitors in 12 countries
NeoCounter

{Re-posted wth permission}

Lisa got married, and posted about it. However, the post wasn’t quit complete, Lisa wanted me to know, so she put her post in context. First her explanation and then the post. -gw

The context is that Uncle John said this grace at my wedding for 250+ people of various ethnicities, ages, and religions. (We live in Hawaii.) I had asked him to say grace the day before because my dad was all upset that we weren’t and my fiance gets all knee jerky about any sort of Christian things.

My uncle John attends and sings in the choir for First Presbyterian Church currently. I remember my first thanksgiving with them when they lived in Tacoma. They had been teaching a teen sunday school class all year that explored other religions. They didn’t just lecture at the kids, they actually took the kids to the different places and had things going on with different religious leaders. I accompanied them to a Thanksgiving Baha’i ceremony, which was kind of like the whole class in a nutshell. My uncle is a retired airforce university math professor and has taken his family to live all over the world. He’s pretty interesting. He did that prayer all on his own, and Jon was very happy with it. Jon was at first really freaked out over any sort of religious anything. I sort of had to force this one to make my dad happy. Uncle John didn’t know about any of this yet came up with it on his own. He rocks my socks. What I like about them is that they are so deeply religious to the point where they are not afraid of other religions, or the opinions of other religions, but find them as interesting to explore as say, another culture’s food. Why should another religion threaten your own if you believe whole heartedly in your own? Like, how could my love of Italian food threaten my love for soba?

Lisa, Voices from the Urban Archipelago

{Re-posted with permission}

“Persian statue at the Louvre, “
by That Standards Guy! on flickr
Houston is a Paris, France-based blogger. -gw