Archive for May, 2010

…what’s wrong with “multifaith?” Nothing, except that to my ear, “multifaith” strongly connotes more than two religions. The word does reflect the reality of a small but growing cohort of interfaith kids (those with, say, one Jewish grandparent, two Christian grandparents, and one Hindu grandparent). On the other hand, it seems to invite the all-too-frequent criticisms of “mile wide, inch deep” religious education. Teaching more than two religions with depth and meaning is a daunting task, though one that is admirably tackled by Unitarians, and Baha’i.

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a friend visited our apartment tonight in order to talk about the Baha’i Faith. Halfway through the evening, I discovered that she is also into raw food! I’ve found that a significant portion of society responds to non-mainstream views on food with dismissal at best and outright malice at worst, so on top of the enjoyment of an evening dedicated to discussing the Baha’i Faith, I couldn’t believe my luck that we got to have a pleasant conversation about raw food as well!

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The Arts Task Force for the 2010 Association for Bahá’í Studies Conference invites proposals from artists interested in presenting or performing at the conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Rethinking Human Nature”. The theme Statement can be found at http://www.bahai-studies.ca/node/707.

We are looking for artists to present or perform material that explores of the theme of “rethinking human nature” — including art that deals with transformation, emotive and spiritual depth, upliftment, human potential, aboriginal and other diverse perspectives.

Artists from all disciplines are encouraged to make proposals: dance, theatre, poetry, music, visual art, video art, and so forth. (Please note that time and physical restrictions do not allow for full theatre or dance productions. Visual art is usually presented by being projected as installation/ exhibition of actual work is not generally feasible.) All conference participants, including those submitting scholarly presentations or artistic presentations for consideration by the conference organizers, are required to pay conference registration fees. In cases where financial assistance is required, we ask that you contact the ABS office.

There are four possible ways artists might be utilized at the conference:
1) Devotions—as readers, musicians, singers, projected visual artists, dance/movement artists.
2) Main stage performances—we have a few slots, utilizing any of the disciplines listed above.
3) Late night performances—whether planned or “open mic,” we need people interested in sharing their gifts and perhaps serving as MC(s).
4) Short presentations before break-out sessions (i.e. presentations of various simultaneous topics). We will compile a “resource list” and ask presenters if they would like a short piece (music, poetry, dramatic reading) at the beginning of their session.
Note: There may be collaborative possibilities at the conference and beyond.

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When I was first introduced to the Baha'i Faith, the Baha'is I knew were conducting a devotional gathering at a nearby home. The first time I gathered with the Baha'is to pray I was struck by the simplicity and focus of their approach to communal prayer. There were no rituals. Socialization waited until after prayers were done. Participants would recite prayers individually as they felt inspired. They would sing songs even if nobody else knew the words to sing with them.

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Fortunately for attorney Stacey Mitchell-Frazier, her husband, who had been raised in the Methodist and Anglican churches, did not have a problem with the fact that she subscribed to the Baha'i faith.

"It was something that was placed on the table pretty much immediately and up front, and he has been supportive. I don't try to force him to do anything, he doesn't try to force me to do anything, I think he knows that I am strong and committed in my views and somehow we have been able to work with it," she said.

She said although her religious practices require a great deal of time and commitment on her part, this has not affected her three-year-old marriage.

In fact, she said her husband has been very supportive.

"He has been to Baha'i events, I went to pilgrimage to Israel two years ago and he came with me. He has been to Baha'i observations, we have said prayer together and I have used Baha'i writings on different things at our house and so he has participated in those things," she said.

She said a mutual respect for each other's beliefs has made it easier for them to live harmoniously, even long before they were married.

"; that's not a helpful process, in fact it would be an insulting activity," she said.

"Sometimes there are differences yes, but the truth is religious beliefs is a personal thing and one has to be respectful of different things, you are not always going to agree on the details, but I find that a lot of times, the fundamentals are similar."

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/I-m-Catholic–my-fianc-eacute-is-Rastafarian_7611831

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Zabine Van Ness: Everybody has a part to contribute according to their passion and commitment.

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Abstract
This paper comprises of a systematic study of the work of Baha’i farmers, food growers and sharecroppers who, for over half a century (1906–60), toiled on the lands in ‘Adasiyyah, a village in the north-west of Jordan. The history of this community has been reconstructed from written and oral sources. The author presents the early history of this community from the time that ‘Abdu’l-Baha purchased the land for it. The earliest settlers were Baha’is of Zoroastrian background who moved there from Yazd in Iran. The author describes the gradual growth of this community, some of the problems that they encountered and the guidance that ‘Abdu’l-Baha gave them. In particular, the author concentrates on the agricultural development of the community’s lands and the innovations that they introduced, some of which were subsequently taken up by other farmers in the area. Some conclusions are drawn about the features of Baha’i development in rural areas as advocated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha: the importance of agriculture to rural development; fairness and moderation in the landlord–tenant relationship; the importance of prayer and consultation in community decision-making and resolution of conflict; and the importance of developing self-sufficiency and self-reliance in rural populations.

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