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.
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, 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"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
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
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
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
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. ...
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
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.”
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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
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
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.
Uploaded on March 1, 2007 by oh estelle on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic
Phillips Jr. Youth Class #2
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.”
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.
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.
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
Message from Marco. -gw
"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: 
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. 
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}
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. 
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.
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:
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) 
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. 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}
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
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
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
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
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
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 
Archive List: "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
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.orgConsolidation 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}
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.
