Roma Writes: Thank you Nadar for sharing your faith with us. In this community we have a very diverse (but caring) group in many aspects. By each person's willingness to share what is important to them we come to love and respect, not fear, differences. Like the 3 women who wrote the book called "The Faith Club", respectfully communicating and listening helps us to discover that we do not always have to agree to love one another. May this ability found in this community spread itself over this Nation and World.
A message from Nadar:
On Faith" panelist Kenneth E. Bowers is the Secretary General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í Faith. Prior to being elected to the National Assembly, he served as an appointed member of the National Teaching Committee, the principal arm of the National Assembly, acting as its Secretary for nearly 10 years. Until 1991, Mr. Bowers owned and operated a business in Atlanta. He is the author of "God Speaks Again," an introductory book about the Bahá'í Faith. Together with their children, Mojdeh and Ford, Ken and his wife Mojgan make their home in Wilmette, Ill. in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Close.
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary General, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í Faith.
"On Faith" panelist Kenneth E. Bowers is the Secretary General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í Faith, the nine-member elected governing body of the Bahá'ís Faith.
A Duty and Privilege to Investigate Truth
Both individual and group study of sacred scriptures are essential aspects of living a life of spiritual advancement and service to humanity. The Word of God has a dynamic effect on the mind and spirit when approached in a spirit of regular study, action and reflection. Bahá'ís consider the scriptures of the major religions of the world--including the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, the Qur'an, the Old and New Testaments, and Buddhist and Hindu scriptures--as repositories of the Word of God and treasure houses of profound insights to be discovered and applied over a lifetime.
The Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, and the Founder of our Faith, Bahá'u'lláh, enjoined all believers to study the scriptures daily and reflect on their meaning and application to their daily lives. Bahá'u'lláh wrote: "Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths." By interacting with the Word of God, believers not only reach greater depths of understanding, but bring the scriptures to life by expressing them in their daily actions and moral choices.Regular group study of the scriptures is also beneficial and complementary. Throughout the world, Bahá'ís host study circles for in-depth and systematic study of the scriptures. These study circles are facilitated by volunteer tutors, and participants learn together in a spirit of mutual support and respect. The group setting provides a network of support for taking the lessons gleaned from the scriptures and applying them to the challenges and opportunities that surround us each day--in our family life and parenting, in our work or professions, and in our service to our neighborhoods and communities.
The Bahá'í approach to studying scriptures is thus flexible and emphasizes both personal and collective interaction with the Word of God. We each have the duty and privilege of independent investigation of truth using the faculties of discernment and understanding that each soul has been endowed with by God. Different insights and perspectives on the scriptures enrich the community, but no one's interpretation is considered authoritative or binding on others. Within the Bahá'í community, a diversity of understandings can flourish under a framework of elected Assemblies in which differences are resolved through consultation.
Engaging with the Word of God is a source of illumination, of gladness and comfort for the soul. Ultimately this is the touchstone for the proper study of scripture. Bahá'u'lláh wrote: "Should a person recite but a single verse from the Holy Writings in a spirit of joy and radiance, this would be better for him than reciting wearily all the Scriptures of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Recite ye the verses of God in such measure that ye be not overtaken with fatigue or boredom. Burden not your souls so as to cause exhaustion and weigh them down, but rather endeavour to lighten them, that they may soar on the wings of revealed Verses unto the dawning-place of His signs. This is conducive to nearer access unto God, were ye to comprehend."
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/kenneth_e_bowers/2009/02/all_can_engage_with_the_word_o.html
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3 comments:
Ok so this Bahá'í is new to me, so i had to do a lil googlen, and learn myself some info.. so I just wanted to post some additional information that i found in regards to the Bahá'í faith, just to get a better perspective of it and understanding since this is one perspective i am open to hear more.. ..
The Bahá'í Faith clearly lacks many of the features that are usually associated with dangerous cults. It does, however, include some doctrines and practices that put it closer on the “cult-like” end of that continuum than even most conservative religious groups, and that are starkly at variance with its tolerant public image. It does not, for example, have a living, charismatic leader, but it is governed by an elected body that is believed to be endowed with divine guidance and that cannot be challenged. While outright exploitation is rare, Bahá'ís are encouraged to make considerable voluntary personal sacrifices for the good of their faith. Unlike cults that insulate their members from outside influences, Bahá'ís do not consider the rest of the world evil, and in fact are encouraged to mix among people of various faiths. However, the existing governmental systems of the world, including Western democracy are considered inferior to the system of Bahá'í governance and doomed to eventually go by the wayside. Bahá'í institutions also express fears over external threats, especially those that might endanger the religion’s reputation. This is often given as a reason for the careful screening of publicly-available information. More marked, however, and perhaps the most “cult-like” aspect of Bahá'í belief and practice is the fear of internal enemies that threaten to disrupt the religion’s unity and undermine its self-definition as the agent of mankind’s salvation.
KJ,
You have a good point here. I am a Christian, and I know Christians who follow their minister's advice without question as if he were a God. No one (and no religion) has all the answers. It is always wise to decern what we accept as truth because what we accept in our heart decides the choices we will make, and thus the consequences. As Jesus put it," what a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Research tells us that Jesus had many women who were very active in his movement. Paul had a very different opinion of women, and received many critical letters as he diminished the role of women in the church. Yet today most churches practice not what Jesus taught, but what Paul taught..
In fact many of the early scriptures that did not agree with Paul's view were left out of the Bible.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html
From Nadar:
Dear Roma, here is the reply that I wish to post on your blog regarding an answer to KJ’s post. Thank you for such a wonderful blog and the opportunity to share with other like-minded people.
Dear KJ, I would like to start by thanking you for your honest and open thoughts. By the way, I too am an engineer and currently live close to Orlando. I hope someday we could meet and have some wonderful discussions. I apologize for not replying to your questions any sooner, I have been traveling and out of town, always a joy to be home, I have a 14 month old, close to Dax’s age I guess.
It is a pleasure always to intellectually interact with open minded people who wish to understand more than one perspective and if I read you blog entry correctly, that is what you were seeking. Thank you for your noble attitude.
If the Bahá’í Faith can be described with one word, it would be “Unity” as a matter of fact, Many times Bahá'u'lláh (the founder of the Bahá’í Faith) affirmed to those who attained His presence, that if He knew that the Cause of God was becoming a source of division between two individuals, He would dispense with it. Having said that, it is a known fact that from a Bahá’í perspective any action or thought that is not in line with Unity or Service to Humanity has either been misunderstood or improperly represented.
As to your “cult-like” views of the Bahá’í Faith, which I do not wish to challenge and respect as simply your current understanding based on a surface look at the Bahá’í Faith. I have been a Baha’i for 35 of my 50 years of age and despite my continuous studying, still do not possess an exact understanding, so believe me, I understand and respect the temporary conclusion that you have come to, based on such a short and surface based investigation. Being a Bahá’í is not a destination, it is a learning, growing, action and a way of life. The thing that needs to be understood regarding the “elected body” is the spiritual nature of the election. It is an election by a secret ballot where should anyone appear to be electioneering; they would be disqualified from electing or being elected. The idea is for each Bahá’í 21+ years of age to have the sacred duty of electing 9 members from within their local community to serve that community for a period of one year. The requirements do not include race, gender, education, profession or any such other non-sense, the qualification are to include high morals, service above self attitude, love for humanity and so on… Please note that these 9 members have no authority as individuals over any other member of the Faith, only when they consult in a prayerful environment do they carry on decisions based on a majority vote of the members. There is much more to the process, but this is a summary.
I am glad you came to the conclusion that “Bahá'ís do not consider the rest of the world evil, and in fact are encouraged to mix among people of various faiths”. However, in your comment that the “the existing governmental systems of the world, including Western democracy are considered inferior to the system of Bahá'í governance” is accurate, but as you and I am sure will agree, God’s laws have always and will forever be better than man’s laws, particularly if they are suitable to the time in which they have been revealed. I urge you to deepen your mind into the Sacred Writings of the Bahá’í Faith, you will find that there is nothing in them that shows selfishness, disunity, or anything contrary to bringing all of Humanity together in love and harmony. Additionally, I would like to mention that in the 1880’s Baha’u’llah prophesized that America, which at the time was an unknown and at war within itself that it (America) will lead the world spiritually as it will in material means. In such few years (compare to God’s time) we have seen our precious country lead the world Materially and I feel the transformation taking place to begin our journey to lead the world spiritually too. What are your thoughts on that?
I loved your comment about “More marked, however, and perhaps the most “cult-like” aspect of Bahá'í belief and practice is the fear of internal enemies that threaten to disrupt the religion’s unity and undermine its self-definition as the agent of mankind’s salvation.” And in a way I am glad you brought this subject up. Imagine if Christianity had such concerns from the day our beloved Jesus Christ delivered God’s Message to us some 2,000 years ago. Would there be tens of thousands of sects of Christianity today? Some of which hate each other to the point of killing one another in the name of Christianity? Would Muslims be killing other Muslims today if such concerns were established in their Faith some 1,400 years ago? The Bahá’í Faith is the Fastest growing religion (per-capita) in the world today and the second most widely spread religion next to Christianity. Do you know that despite the fact that the Bahá’í Faith is currently 167 years of age, there are no sects to it? There is one Bahá’í Faith and it is identically the same all over the world in well over 225 countries and in over 2,000 cultures. Why? Exactly because of the concern you mentioned above, that religion will finally become a source of Unity, as appose to a reason for death, hatred and wars. The Bahá’í Faith is the first World religion that did not divide immediately upon the passing of its Founder. I think there is much to be said for such a doctrine, don’t you?
I truly enjoyed your comments and questions and would be honored to have more such stimulating discussions.
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