Jak08

Hello, my name is Shane. And I have been following this forum since around January, I declared in March. I found the faith originally when I was doing research for my 3rd step (I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict) and was looking into the cosmology of platonism as a refresher last August. I noticed a link to this faith called Baha'i that I had never heard of. I then proceeded to read all I could on the internet. then I purchased God Speaks Again, the IQAN, J.E. Esslemont's work. I ended up purchasing more after I had finished with those books.

However at that point I decided I needed to meet some physical baha'is in person. Which ended up becoming a bigger task than I had expected. the 1-800 number did me little good. they said they would pass on my request but I never heard anything again. I then had to ask people in the community if they had ever heard of the faith. One person had gone to school with a baha'i and new their father's name. It was a long shot but I went with it. I googled him and found he owned a photogaphy studio. I emailed this photography studio and within a week I had had coffee with him. Shortly after I met in his home with a couple other Baha'is and then shortly after that I was going to a weekly Study Circle.

I did that for approximitly 4 months when I was working on a paper for my college comparitive religion class with my sister helping me format the paper. When I ran into a roadblock writing she asked me what it was that I believed. It was at that point I decided I would declare myself a Baha'i. Anyrate fast forward because as you know this forum's registration was not open due to a captcha glitch, which I had contacted the admin and got a response some months ago, with him not knowing how to fix the issue. So I just continued to lurk and read here. When today I noticed a couple posts started by people I hadn't read before and checked, and YES the forums were open for registration. So here I am to say Hello to you all. BTW ARTHRA I've run into your posts at that catholic forum and you are always enligtening also your new books thread has influenced a couple of purchases of mine so I thank you.

Essence of GOD

welcome,
i admire those who find this faith by their own research and accept its truth.
good job man.

aji

Welcome to the Faith Jak08!

Much love.

Jak08

I thought I might mention my spiritual background as well. I I was raised Catholic. I didn't attend parochial school but I did go to a weekly class from kindergarten through high school graduation. At one point in my high school career I entertained attending Seminary. However I started looking at my faith and had doubts. This began an off and on again search for a faith in could wholly own as truth. I had studied various gnostic faiths, and variants of Christianity. And for a summer lived with a family of pagans.

In all the faiths I looked at I could sense pieces of truth and was starting to form my own ideas. I also did a bit of study of Joseph Campbell. And when I found the Baha'i faith I was astonished that the deeper I dug I couldn't find or feel anything that felt wrong to me. Many beliefs I had formed by myself were endorsed by the faith. It was in this manner I came home in communion with God.

tonyfish58

Welcome Jak08

May your journey be very rewarding, it is sure an amazing time to be living in thats for sure.

The world ison the brink of massive change and we can be a part of that change,

May I suggest if you have not already done so to study the covenant of Baha'u'llah. To me this is very important for the security of the Faith.

Regards Tony

arthra

Thanks for your post Jak!

Good to hear you finally made contact with some Baha'is out there! You are indeed fortunate and blessed!

- Art

He is The One 19

That is beautiful, welcome and Allah'u'Abha

prayerboy

One day back in 1975 Aghdas Javid mentioned the glorious name of Baha'u'llah to me. Serving Baha'u'llah has been my goal and my focus since then. I live to serve the Messenger of God for this day and age. That Messenger is Baha'u'llah.

Bahá'u'lláh Does!

Two simple words that began a love affair of epic proportions. Two words uttered from my lips on an April day in 1975, to the sweetest spiritual mother a soul could ever have. Words that have forever altered the course of my life, through all the worlds of God. Words that came out of my mouth, the instant that dear Aghdas Javid, asked my secretary "who is it that you said runs the Dundas Star?" To which I immediately leaned back on my chair, looked around the corner of the divider and stated in a matter of fact way, "Bahá'u'lláh does!"

A most interesting response from a soul who less than 24 hours previous, heard the name of His Lord for the very first time. An even more amazing response when you understand that although the words uttered forth from my lips, and that I definitely pronounced them, that I knew nothing more about the Bahá'i Faith than the facts that its basic principal is world unity, and its founder was Bahá'u'lláh.

One day previous to that momentous declaration in April of 1975, as I sat at the editors desk of a small town newspaper in Ontario, Canada, when servant of Bahá'u'lláh, Aghdas Javid, sallied into the editorial office during a freak snow storm. She announced that she was a Bahá'i, and that she would like to get some publicity for the Bahá'i Faith. "What is the Bahá'i Faith?" I enquired, to which she responded in a strange accented voice, that "the basic principle of the Bahá'i Faith is world unity, and that the founder of the Faith was Bahá'u'lláh." With that she swept out of the room proclaiming that her husband, Mirza, was waiting to take her to a swimming lesson. As she left she asked, "Is it OK to come back and tell you more?" Whether she heard my positive response or not, I do not know. I had the feeling that my answer was not important. She would be back.

The next day, as I sat working at my desk, I heard the door open, and a cheery "good afternoon" expressed to my secretary, by that same strange accented person from the day before. Sitting behind the divider that separated me from my secretary, I felt a bit of a strange chill at that very moment. About two seconds later I heard the woman ask "who is it that you said runs the Dundas Star?" She had obviously forgotten my name. In less than the blink of an eye, I found myself leaning back in my chair, looking around the corner, and proclaiming "Bahá'u'lláh does!" Her eyes got huge, like saucers, and she once again swept into my office. In one hand she had some pamphlets, in the other a book, which I took from her. I opened the copy of Bahá'i World Faith, towards the back of the book, and I began to read. After reading less than two sentences, I felt an electric shock going up and down my spine. Ding ding ding ding.

Incredible. Awesome. I knew I was a Bahá'i! I began to haunt the Javid home day and night. My thirst for the writings let me go days on end without sleep. My love of Baha'u'llah will always be the true desire of my heart.

Rani

Welcome Jak!