Wondering about the community site? I have assembled some scripts for the use of the my local Baha'i Community.
If you have never heard of the Baha'i Faith before, it is a globe-encircling religion that believes, among other things:
- We should investigate reality and search for truth
- All of humanity is equal in the eyes of God
- Religion should be a source of fellowship
- Science and Religion should agree
- All forms of prejudice must be erased
- We should eliminate extremes of wealth and poverty
- An international code of human rights should be established
- Education should be universally accessible and compulsory
- An international language should be established
- The equality of women and men is a prerequisite for peace
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past century, you are aware that anyone could watch the first fifteen minutes of the evening news and understand that the world is in dire need of a peace-making influence.
When governments of the world get asked where peace comes from, the answer is usually a military solution of some form. But is this a solution? Consider the world-shrinking effects of efficient long-distance travel and instant communication around the globe. If we scale our view of nations and consider them as members of one family (for what is a nation, if not a collection of families?) living in a great big house (the earth) would you tell a sister that the way to make peace with her brother would be to go pick up a sharp stick? Of course not!
Some greater force is needed. As one reviews history, one can see periods of time that a greater force has brought peace - specifically, consider the time of Christ. He united the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians in a time when war was the order of the day. Or consider Moses uniting the tribes of Israel - these were times of divine influence in the world by the Messengers of God, as borne out by the holy books They left as testament, the endurance of Their inspired messages over the ages and the undeniable value of Their influence.
You might be tempted to cite recent history as an example of how, if these Messengers were divine in origin, their influence would not seem to be beneficial. Did God intend that men standing under his auspices should buy some time on a TV set to defraud the faithful and solicit money? I can only answer that imitation is not illumination. Divine power is like the light of the sun - always there, never ceasing, but it requires us to open our eyes to receive it's full benefit.
From a personal standpoint, I'd have to say that two of the greatest things that I get out of being a Baha'i are a sense of a "meaning of life", and a freedom from worry. Regarding the former, consider this passage from the first book of John in the bible, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." If we imagine everything in existence to be a symbol ( a letter ), when those letters are brought together they take on a new, independent meaning. A life of their own. Consider this line from the writings of Baha-'u'llah', "...He who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through whom the letters B and E have been joined and knit together."
As to freedom from fear, consider this passage from Psalm27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ... Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident." And consider this passage from the writings of Baha-'u'llah', "...The fear of God hath ever been a sure defense and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world. It is the chief course of the protection of Mankind and the supreme instrument for its preservation."
There are a huge number of resources on the web that cover the Baha'i Faith in more depth. If you'd like more information, check out www.bahai.org.