One of my favorite aspects of the Baha’i Faith, ranking alongside its teachings on racial equality, the harmony of science and religion, and a concrete plan for world unity, are… The post... Read more »
William Shakespeare famously asked: What’s in a name? So do certain names have meanings that give them intrinsic or potential power? Do names have the ability to influence, ideally for… The post... Read more »
Time, as we all know, moves in just one direction — forward, always forward. Could it ever stop, or slow down, or even move backwards? Throughout history countless curious writers,… The post... Read more »
Baha’is all around the globe recently celebrated four Baha’i Intercalary Days, also called “Ayyam-i-Ha,” and many dedicated some of the time during those days to serving others. In act, we’ve… The post... Read more »
In his song Ballad in Plain D, Bob Dylan famously asked “Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?” Half a century before, in a talk he gave in… The post... Read more »
The old world of classical or Newtonian physics presented us with a universe that could be described as working like clockwork in its behavior—but the universe turned out to be… The post... Read more »
Do you follow your intuition? We all have it, but many people fail to follow their innermost feelings. The dictionary defines intuition as “The ability to understand something immediately, without… The post... Read more »
I just didn’t get it. (My son often tells me this.) We’d had a good time at the basketball courts, my 13-year-old son and me and a half dozen temporary… The post... Read more »
Sometimes we make mistakes; occasionally we make very serious mistakes. We get angry at ourselves. We kick ourselves for being “so stupid.” We wish we could undo what we’ve done…. The post... Read more »
We all know that contemporary Western culture has largely rejected religion, despite the fact that when not perverted or hollow, religion builds societies and sustains individuals. Of course, religious belief… The post... Read more »
People hurt each other with their words and actions—should we forgive them? If someone hurts us deliberately, how is it possible to forgive? Basically, when we’re hurt, we have two… The post... Read more »
During my practical work as a mental health specialist, I’ve realized that one of the most significant factors of wellbeing is a holistic life vision. What do I mean by… The post... Read more »
In this series of essays, we’ve discussed how Baha’is worship—but now, in the final essay, we’ve come to the ultimate form of worship: selfless service to humanity. The Baha’i teachings… The post... Read more »
When I was 5, I saw the words “God Is Dead” on a record jacket at one of my parents’ parties. Knowing nothing of Nietzsche, existentialism, or other 20th century… The post... Read more »
Children’s eyes glistened under the glaze of red and yellow lights beneath a wintry sky. Families stood shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting in line at a children’s amusement park. Parents chatted as the… The post... Read more »
Fearing Friday the 13th, panicking when you see a black cat, or believing that bad luck comes in threes. Superstition is all around us — but are these beliefs really harmless… The post... Read more »
I’ve come to terms with the fact that to strengthen my spiritual and mental health, I have to practice patience. People’s strengths and weaknesses vary. We are all unique, so… The post... Read more »
We have all some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time—of… The post... Read more »
As an intense romantic, I love nothing more than reading a compelling love story – and when the story is true, that’s even better! One of my favorite stories chronicled… The post... Read more »
To me, one of the most profound statements from the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, is: “Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?” Enshrined in… The post... Read more »
“It’s fine, I’ll do it.” We’ve all heard those famous last words that lead to pretty much any and all physical, mental and emotional burnout. Have you ever used that… The post... Read more »
If you’ve ever wondered about why we’re here, the Baha’i teachings clearly proclaim that we human beings have a profound, two-fold purpose in this life: The purpose for which mortal… The post... Read more »
…every perfect person, every illumined, heavenly individual stands in the station of sacrifice. – Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 452. When my six-year-old son asked me for life’s… The post... Read more »
Prayer need not be in words, but rather in thought and action. But if this love and this desire are lacking, it is useless to try to force them. Words… The post... Read more »
“It must be exhausting to be [this tyrant],” my anthropology teacher once said during class while I studied abroad in London. My classmates and I were shocked. We had just… The post... Read more »
Our brains produce as many as 50,000 thoughts per day—and 95% of these thoughts are repeated the next day, reflecting our mindset and beliefs. So this means that every day… The post... Read more »
What is faith? If you ask people, you’ll get different answers depending on experience, age, belief, and knowledge. Essentially, faith means confidence in your own system of beliefs. Through faith,… The post... Read more »
Here we go again! Every time we need to discuss something, we have trouble doing it without fighting. Help! Having effective discussions and reaching peaceful, workable agreements often challenges married… The post... Read more »
She was vivacious. She was joyous. She was focused. She dreamed of becoming a doctor. She was a 17-year old high school student. They hanged her. She was Iranian, but… The post... Read more »
Consider this idea: we have a Creator, and the Creator always speaks to us, whether we’re listening or not. You may believe this idea or disbelieve it, but just give… The post... Read more »
Do you ever think about improving yourself? Most of us do. We want to become smarter, cooler, funnier, thinner, richer, happier. But what truly creates happiness? The Baha’i teachings say that all... Read more »
I was in Washington, DC for work a couple of weeks ago and made a point to stop by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. I love the inspiring quotes from his... Read more »
We talk a lot about unity – which means “the state of being united or joined as a whole” – but seldom achieve it. Humanity hasn’t reached that state, but the Baha’i... Read more »
There is a need in our world today for a unifying vision. Whatever can be said about human beings, it must be accepted by every clear-thinking individual that we live on a... Read more »
Many atheists believe that no Creator has ever existed—that instead, humans have invented a supernatural God to worship. In the course of defending that atheist worldview during an Intelligence Squared debate several... Read more »
Have you ever had an ineffable experience—one you simply couldn’t describe in words? In the accounts of the subjects who had near-death experiences in Raymond Moody’s study, particularly in the accounts of... Read more »
On October 7, 2022, a 22-year-old Black woman in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, “escaped from a white man who she says held her captive in his basement for nearly a month, whipping, torturing,... Read more »
Honesty, decency, faithfulness, and comradeship… must be shown when dealing with those of like blood but to no one else. What happens to a Russian, to a Czech, does not interest me... Read more »
Once you’ve sought a glimpse of God in the natural beauty of the outdoors, you’ll want to go in the opposite direction, too – and look within yourself. Speaking metaphorically, scripture declares... Read more »
When thou lookest about thee with a perceptive eye, thou wilt note that on this dusty earth all humankind are suffering. Here no man is at rest as a reward for what... Read more »
I love looking at photographs of the Earth from space. It makes all of my big, unsolvable, life-shattering problems seem so small. A remarkable picture was taken on February 14, 1990; after... Read more »
A hundred years ago, immediately after the April 15, 1912 sinking of the Titanic, Abdu’l-Baha answered the question of the “problem of evil” this way: Within the last few days a terrible... Read more »
When a relationship walks out the door, pain and frustration often walk in. Sure, it’s easy to complain: he lied to me or she cheated on me. But let’s look deeper–both issues... Read more »
The majority of the world’s people believe in one God. Christians, Jews, Muslims, many Hindus and Buddhists, and even those without any formal religion all see a single Supreme Being as the... Read more »
If you live in the developed world like I do you enjoy certain advantages that a lot of people in other places do not: electricity, running water, plentiful food and clothing—and particularly... Read more »
The philosophers of Greece — such as Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and others — were devoted to the investigation of both natural and spiritual phenomena. In their schools of teaching they discoursed upon... Read more »
Click here to read Part 1: I Believe God Exists Those without a belief in God argue that humans come from nature – that no God exists, just a wondrously capable natural... Read more »
Among all the various inner qualities we need right now, patience probably ranks right up there near the top. I know I need it. We can feel impatient about a host of... Read more »
The assurance of an afterlife is by itself hardly a sufficient reason to relinquish a fear of death, since few of us can be absolutely certain how well we have… The post... Read more »
I don’t know when I became curious about the purpose of suffering. Most likely a slow process eased its way into my awareness as I aged, and I started to question why... Read more »