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| Oxnard-Ventura Bahá'í |
Newsletter of the Oxnard and Ventura Bahá’í
Communities
August 2005 |
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"The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for
the Festival of the All-Merciful is fast approaching"
~ Bahá'u'lláh |
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The purpose of the
Oxnard-Ventura Bahá'í News is to provide information about the Bahá'í Faith
and activities of the Bahá'ís to those who wish to learn more or attend Bahá'í
devotional gatherings. If you have comments or do not want to receive the Bahá'í
News, write PO Box 7344, Oxnard, CA 93031, call 648-1222. No donations requested
or accepted. Informational
Talks A
brief talk on a general topic about the Bahá'í Faith is followed by
discussion. A time to bring up any question in your heart about spiritual
topics. Friday, August 26th, 7:30 PM Tuman
Residence, 984-1222 Children’s Virtues Summer Camp! Alice Williams will be teaching this camp at the EP Foster Library, Topping Room at 10 am-12 noon on Sunday August 10, August 24, August 7 and August 21. This is appropriate for children 5-10 years old – please let everyone know! Call for more information 648-1222. The Destiny of America and
the Promise of World Peace
At
this time of world turmoil, the United States Bahá'í community offers a
perspective on the destiny of America as the promoter of world peace. More than a hundred years ago, Bahá’u’llah, the
founder of the Bahá'í Faith, addressing heads of state, proclaimed that the
age of maturity for the entire human race had come. The unity of humankind was
now to be established as the foundation of the great peace that would mark the
highest stage in humanity's spiritual and social evolution. Revolutionary and
world-shaking changes were therefore inevitable. The Bahá'í writings state: |
Its governments and peoples are being gradually enmeshed in
the coils of the world's recurrent crises and fierce controversies. The world is
contracting into a neighborhood. America,
willingly or unwillingly, must face and grapple with this new situation. For
purposes of national security, let alone any humanitarian motive, she must
assume the obligations imposed by this newly created neighborhood. Paradoxical as it may seem, her only hope of extricating
herself from the perils gathering around her is to become entangled in that very
web of international association which the Hand of an inscrutable Providence is
weaving. The American nation, Bahá’í’s believe, will evolve, through tests
and trials to become a land of spiritual distinction and leadership, a champion
of justice and unity among all peoples and nations, and a powerful servant of
the cause of everlasting peace. This is the peace promised by God in the sacred texts of
the world's religions. Establishing peace is not simply a matter of signing
treaties and protocols; it is a complex task requiring a new level of commitment
to resolving issues not customarily associated with the pursuit of peace. Universal acceptance of the spiritual principle of the
oneness of humankind is essential to any successful attempt to establish world
peace. Racism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier
to peace. The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality
of the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged,
prerequisites of peace. |
Religious strife, the
cause of innumerable wars and conflicts throughout history, is a major obstacle
to progress. The challenge facing the world's religious leaders is to
contemplate, with hearts filled with compassion and the desire for truth, the
plight of humanity, and to ask themselves whether they cannot, in humility
before their God, submerge their theological differences in a great spirit of
mutual forbearance that will enable them to work together for the advancement of
human understanding and peace. Bahá’í’s pray, "May this American Democracy be
the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it
be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to
unfurl the standard of the Most Great Peace." During
this hour of crisis, we affirm our abiding faith in the destiny of America. We
know that the road to its destiny is long, thorny and tortuous, but we are
confident that America will emerge from her trials undivided and undefeatable. --National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of the United
States Special Thanks to www.us.bahai.org All
Faiths Public Gathering for Prayer and Devotions Fillmore CommUnity 1st Saturday of the Month, August 6th Call Luanne
at 524-0683 for details Oxnard CommUnity 1st Sunday of the Month, August 7th 10:30 AM. Locations May
vary. Call Barbara at 984-4390 Camarillo CommUnity 3rd Sunday of the Month, August 21st Call Renee
at 383-3904 for details. Ventura CommUnity |
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