Truthseeker96

I have started following this faith and call myself a Baha'i for about two weeks. Everything just feels right and natural, so at school in lunch everyone was talking about their religion and asking others theirs so when they asked me i proudly proclaimed that i am a Baha'i. Nobody ever heard of it so they asked then laughed at me. Next day my whole class ( of all 9 th graders) start insulting me and stoped talking to me. I notice this with some of the people i tell , but i dont see how tou could hate such a loving peacful religion. Did any of you have an experiance where people dislike you cuz of your faith? If so any advice? Do i keep my faith a secret even when asked? I am not really sure what to do...

LordOfGoblins

Hello.
In all fairness their reaction makes no sense. Could they have been backbiting about you when you were not present? Everything has its haters. A small percentage of people who just hate things. For example. I love computer games but I am sure there are people out there who hate them. Also I like Harry Potter and there are also Haters. Of course religion of God is different but these are just examples.
What is the context though?
In any case just dont take it personal. and Dont stew or brood about it. They might be completely ignorant about the Bahai faith. Just carry on with what you believe. And if you are laughed at and you maintain dignity it will only benefit the religion in the end.
I hope this helps you, though to be honest I am not sure your exact situation...
Maybe just ask them "what is wrong with the Bahai faith"? Honestly, why all the hate?
just an idea.

LordOfGoblins

Also are your school-mates the kind of people like the movie mean girls who are very bitchy? Just asking... Perhaps you could try talking to your school teacher. Honestly though I live in Aus and noone has every shown me hate for being a Bahai or even unfriendliness in my almost 29 years of life..

Nuck81

I've was a High School teacher for about 10 years. On top of that I've was a Band teacher that whole time and was in band when I was in High school. I've received, given, and seen my share of bullying. And saw the same from my students virtually every day.

Young adults your age are trying to find their place. High School is a Social Nightmare, and every person will do anything they can do to move up one rung of the ladder. It's a part of high school and it's a part of growing up.

Most of them have probably never heard of the Baha'i Faith. They just know it's different, and anything different is something to be ridiculed. I know it's tough right now, but you can't let it get you down.

I can almost assure you that the insults and teasing will blow over in a few days, it usually does. I can't offer specific advice because I don't know the specifics. I can say that the most important thing you can do IS BE YOURSELF!! Never let others dictate who you are or how you act. Teach them about the Baha'i Faith not through words but through your actions.

One other thing I would tell you is to find an activity, a sport, or a club that you enjoy and you can be a part of. My outlet was Band. So I would encourage you to try something in the Arts. The Arts are very important in the Baha'i Faith as well. Here is a really neat article on one Baha'i experience with the arts. The Arts doesn't have to just be music, but can also be drama, choir, glee, or visual art. It's just important that you find something for you and you get involved. It's also been my experience that individuals that are involved in the Arts are more accepting of others differences so take that for what you will.

Bottom line is be strong, and be yourself.

tonyfish58

Keep the chin up

You have fulfilled your roll to these people as you have mentioned your Faith - Well Done

As stated above all you have to do now is teach by example. By this means trying to live by the virtues in all situations. Do not react to rejection of the Faith, just do not mention it again unless asked.

It is a common reaction that people say they have not heard of the Faith. After I have asked a few questions I usually find out that they have indeed at least heard of it.

It is very common for young people to parrot the feelings of their parents, if the parents have a strong Faith (other than Baha'i), I have seen on many occasions the children parroting the parents views & ridiculing alternate views.

With teaching wisdom is needed and each time you have a go at it you learn something new. I will predict that you will have success in teaching in the future. It is a bounty to face rejection & you have faced it right from the start.

Have a look at the opposition that the Bab (and His followers), Baha'u'llah (and His followers) and Abdul'baha faced. Have a look as to where the faith is now even though they suffered mainly rejection.

Best of luck with it all, keep on reading the word and through prayer the doors will open to someone who will want to hear about the Faith. When you are blessed with this bounty, all opposition you have faced in the past or in to the future will mean nothing

Cheers Tony

cire perdue

It came as a shock after accepting the Faith to find that no one, NO ONE was interested in it. However that is the very reason that there is a new revelation from God, we need it desparately. I can remember being in a class and proclaiming it and thinking it would get response, but it was not. It is a dissapointment, but historically this has all happened just like this in the past. A small number of people pull the rest of the world forward. It is good "practice" to be rejected, because you will learn more from it than you think. The world is in serious denial, and many people want magic and literalism, they don't want the truth about themselves, much less about the religion that is here for today.

It however should not be overlooked or underappreciated that for one to change him/herself in this day is THE job that is required of Baha'is. That we may not bring others into the Faith is of no importance, because we are powerless over others, but by change of our selfs we will change the world!!!

arthra

Well ninth graders can be clanish and anybody that stands out or is unique can be subject to ridicule... this is common inmy experience so don't feel you're alone.. Any kind of unusual characteristic they don't know about or feel uneasy about can be subject of ridicule..

The other aspect of this is that you will become stronger for all this..and tougher. It won't be likely that you'll just go along with the crowd and that's a very good thing!

When asked by anyone if you're a Baha'i you should square your shoulders and proudly answer "YES"... to do otherwise could be interpreted as a deception and we don't deceive.

wolverinebiker

it is note hate just fear of the unknown. i know that dose not make it feel better but i can assure that not everyone that is teasing you even feels that what you believe is weird however they them selves what to fit in so they fallow the leader. i commend you that you have you own mind and don't just fallow blindly. there is a good chance that after a few days there will be people who will come to you in private and honestly want to know about your faith and that time it will be a good chance to teach what you know. until then just be strong and lead by example.

wolverinebiker

sorry not hate. lol i just saw i wrote note lol typo

EternalStudent

It is human nature to fear that which we do not understand.
Hate is a form of fear.
These kids are just scared, because what you believe is simply not normal by today's standards. Instead of feeling hurt, praise God that you are different enough that it has this effect on them. Continue practicing your faith, and as they see that you act BETTER than everyone else, perhaps they will become interested in it. Maybe even convert some day.

Iconodule

You can always expect persecution I just wish they had legimately destroyed your religious beliefs in an intellectual fashion not just laugh at them. Appeal to ridicule doesn't help anyone.

LordOfGoblins

I am yet to see any Christian do that to me. And when it did happen when I was younger I could go away and find a solution without too much thought.
Although I have to say that people who debate on the forum might feel they come close. In real life though it never works out as it does on the forum. That is cos you have to be sensible and dont mess around cos you get shutdown...

Let me ask you something. Have you ever watched Bill O-reily?
Do you think he destroys the person he talks to in this interview?

Iconodule

I think bill o reily is entertaining, he certaintly doesn't do justice to religion when he debates or brings on certain guests. As for why you brought him up I have no idea. And my point was that actual debate is better than appeal to ridicule, I would much rather point out contradictions between the bahai faith and the quran than simply laugh them away.

LordOfGoblins

Noone is laughing things away. Unless those things are laughable? I brought him up cos he reminds me of how certain people debate. You have been here long enough to give an impression of your style.

Iconodule

Indeed I have, but how is any of your responce relevent to what I said an the topic? Clearly the guy who made this thread said that they basically laughed at him, perhaps you should read that.

LordOfGoblins

No less relevant than you suggesting that said people who ridicule the person should in fact destroy her with their intelligence...

LordOfGoblins

By the way. The way you are acting right now is like Bill O'reilly. Note how he constantly says the other guy is not being relevent and not answering his point. See...
And still think I posted it completely without relevance? My point is proven.

Iconodule

Lol, well I fail to see how bringing up Mr Bill o reily has any relevance to a thread about someone feeling persecuted. and i bringing up that proper debate is the way to deal with people instead of laughing them away.

But then again I would rather be like Bill o reily than say Bill Maher.

LordOfGoblins

DOnt worry. So long as you attack Bahai I will keep giving you "irrelevent bits of information".

Iconodule

Huh. I see.

EternalStudent

*EternalStudent finds this conversation confusing*

wolverinebiker

wow the two of you need to back of each other. a young man asked for help and you are fighting among each other. it does not help

Iconodule

I need to understand why he bothered responding at all. Perhaps bahai are just over emotional.

EternalStudent

This is no worse than many arguments I've seen on Christian, Deist, and UFO nut forums.

wolverinebiker

it alway amazes me when a few individuals will set a view for a whole group. people are people and there actions should not set presidents for the whole. Christians are not any way Baha'is are not any way people are people.

Truthseeker96

Well thanks guys with the advice, it really makes feel better and sorry i did not respond earlier i just felt guilty about coming here for my problems. Iconodule, what you first said was at first alittle unsettling, but then i started thinking why are you even on these forums. No offence, but all the post you have are instigating arguments . Is there somthing you are trying prove or change, if you are challenging or faith then i thank you because it makes it stronger, people throw rocks at the things that shine as taylor swift says lol. But non the less thank you every one who posted to help me in my confusion and hurt, i hope i can help you guys in the future and that the future is good to you all. Peace (ps i am a girl lol )

LordOfGoblins

You are right. I maybe should not have posted what I did. It just frustrates me when someone says things like "destroying others with their debates". Religion is NOT about destroying people with your debates. THat sort of attitude is totally old world and medievil. As long as people think of the search for truth as nothing more than a war of words then we will never grow as a human species. We will stay in the darkness, like the the video I posted. Keep all of America in the darkness about the real situation in the middle east. I am sorry if I caused unsettle to anyone..

Iconodule

Who ever said religion is about destroying people? It is about revealing truth which will inevitably Destroy alot of what the Bahai stands for. But if we want to talk about Medievil methods I've noticed the Bahai have a love for rhetoric, a decidedly medieval way of dealing with people without actually addressing them.

LordOfGoblins

good job..

dlherrmann

Rejection will happen. The first Easter I was Baha'i, I was 18, an uncle of mine very nearly threw me out of his house because I was sitting and talking with a friend of the family age 12 or 13. My uncle assumed I was corrupting him (my family was not understanding about my decision to be Baha'i). He grabbed the book that was open between the two of us and was very startled to see that is was a Bible. He gave it back and let me stay. He did not know, and I never told, that I was helping this friend learn that there were more meanings to statements in the Bible than the literal ones.

About five years later, without contact with me, he also said he was Baha'i - as did a younger brother of mine who was his age.

That uncle eventually stayed home from church one Sunday to watch a special on TV about Baha'i and then he thought it was ok - but not for his kids. (sigh)

Baha'u'llah promises us that we will be tested. Tests are a way of finding out for ourselves what it really means to us. The students ridicule is a show of superiority, so they can feel better about themselves.

There might be a class in which you might be able to give an oral report about some aspect of the Faith. When you demonstrate competency, and do not retaliate, some germ of respect will begin to grow. Some subjects where a report could fit in would be history (early persecution of Bab'is gets attention - blood and gore always seems to work), government (Baha'i administration), sociology (how the Baha'i community functions), religion (of course), geography (the terraces on Mt Carmel), even math (the nine-sided Houses of Worship are mentioned in more and more geometry books as a real example of a nonagon). I also suggest you talk to a teacher or school counselor.

I don't know what country or Baha'i community you are in, that might make a difference what you can do. Don't be offended or upset. Ridicule will happen less as you get older. God bless you.