Rainn Wilson

Hollywood funny man Rainn Wilson and talented musician Devon Gundry, members of the Baha’i Faith and co-founders of SoulPancake, will talk about their own spiritual journeys, their take on what it means to be human, and their upcoming book “SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions.”

Rainn Wilson is known for his roles in “The Office,” “Six Feet Under,” “The Rocker” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Devon Gundry’s music credits include his cd “at the top of my lungs,” and the music video “Armed,” a beautiful portrayal of the power of faith.

Join us for an evening that is sure to be both hilarious and thought-provoking. The event is free, but you’ll need to act now to reserve your seat.

Co-sponsored by the Portland Metro Baha’i Community and the Lewis and Clark Interfaith Council.

Devon Gundry

“O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created.”

~ Bahá’u’lláh

Participants of all ages share artwork, study and fun at Badasht Baha'i Summer School.

By Rob Siegel

The Oregon Badasht Bahá’í School took place August 10-15, 2010 with more than 140 in attendance from all ages (2 to 77). The school’s goals included “building spiritual community” and “creating an atmosphere conducive to the power of unity.”

The summer school, which is now in its 37th year, has a camp and relaxed environment especially for families. The location is a rented facility in the area of Myrtle Creek between Roseburg and Coos Bay, Oregon which is set among tall Douglas fir trees. Classes were conducted by trained facilitators and were centered on themes from “a culture of learning” to “a culture of change” and special enrichment classes on the arts and the environment and sustainability.

This year’s program included a “Festival of the Arts” on the final evening. During the week, attendees were given the chance to participate in a weaving class or a water color class taught by professionals in the area. All others were divided into teams of multiple ages to prepare their artistic presentation. Each of these groups had the task of identifying their individual talents as well as centering on a phrase from the Bahá’í writings about the power and the divine source of the arts. One of the groups decided to make a video (as one of its participants is a professional videographer) and they came up with the “Dance of Unity,” see below.

Evaluations are still being tabulated but already there are folks asking about next year’s school and when they can register. There were three summer schools sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Oregon, one in Suttle Lake, one in Sky Camp for youth and junior youth, and Badasht. All the schools are open to everyone. For more information, go to http://www.oregonbahaischools.org.

A video created by a group of participants at Badasht Baha’i Summer School.

Happy Birthday 19th Amendment!

Believe it or not, it’s only been 90 years since the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote in our democracy was made part of the Constitution. Since 1971, we’ve celebrated the anniversary of August 26, 1920, as Women’s Equality Day.

One great way to celebrate would be to make sure that every eligible woman is registered to vote. That includes women turning 18 and those who have recently become naturalized citizens. After all, as important as the right to vote is, it’s even more important to use the vote to help shape the direction of our nation. So make sure you’re registered and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

Women’s Equality Day is also the perfect time to consider what the United States can do to advance women’s rights as human rights. A good place to start is with CEDAW – the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. For decades, the Baha’is of the United States have worked with a large network of nongovernmental organizations to advance the status of women by advocating policies and legislation, including CEDAW.

CEDAW, also known as the Women’s Treaty, is a landmark international agreement that affirms principles of fundamental human rights and equality for women around the world. CEDAW helps women and girls by offering a practical blueprint for ending discrimination, stopping violence against women and trafficking of women and girls, ensuring education and vocational opportunities, and increasing political participation including the right to vote and to hold political office.

The United States played an important role in drafting CEDAW, which the United Nations adopted in 1979. But the U.S. remains one of only seven countries, including Iran, Sudan, Somalia, and three small Pacific Island countries (Nauru, Palau and Tonga), that have not yet ratified CEDAW.

That could change this year. It takes the votes of 67 senators to ratify a treaty, and President Obama and over 100 national organizations have expressed their support for the treaty’s ratification.

Ratifying the CEDAW treaty would continue America’s proud bipartisan tradition of promoting and protecting human rights, and it would strengthen the United States as a global leader in standing up for women and girls in countries around the world.

The CEDAW website – www.cedaw2010.org – has more information about CEDAW along with practical suggestions on how you can help the treaty become ratified.

The fight for women’s suffrage took more than 70 years of persistent advocacy, organizing and education and was only secured when a 24-year-old member of the Tennessee legislature, acting on a note from his mother, changed his vote from “no” to “yes” so Tennessee became the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment.

So let’s make history again – and help ratify CEDAW.

__________________

Reprinted with permission from the Baha’is of the United States

(see U.S. Baha’i News)

~ Bahá’u’lláh

"Baha'i Temple" is a photographical history of the Baha'i House of Worship, written by Candace Moore Hill.

Candace Moore Hill, a Baha’i who grew up in Oregon, recently published a photographic history of the Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette, IL. Baha’i Temple was published by Arcadia Publishing as part of its “Images of America” series. With 199 photographs, Hill artfully tells the story of the “Great Bell” of the North Shore and how it came to be.

Located 5 miles north of Chicago, the Baha’i Temple was created as a “Temple of Light” – open to people of all religions, all backgrounds and all walks of life. Its story begins in 1893 with the World’s Columbian Exposition, when news of the Baha’i Faith first reached American ears. Within 10 years, a small community of Baha’is had formed in Chicago. When they heard the news that the first Baha’i Temple was being built in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, they were inspired to seek permission to begin work on their own. For fifty years, the American Baha’is worked and saved – through the Great Depression and World War II – to complete the Temple. Finally in 1953 the completed Baha’i Temple was dedicated in Wilmette. The book includes photographs of every stage of construction as well as today’s ongoing restoration projects to preserve the beauty of the Temple.

Author Candace Moore Hill became a Baha’i while in high school in Coquille, OR. She saw many pictures of the Baha’i Temple as a youth and in 1983 moved to Wilmette to work in the administrative offices of the Baha’i National Center, a few blocks from the Temple. In her spare time, she served as a guide at the Temple and sang in the choir there. After discovering Arcadia books – photographic histories of local places – she decided to write a book about the Baha’i Temple. Baha’i Temple was released on August 23 and is now available through Arcadia Publishing. There’s also a set of 15 postcards with historical photos of the Temple.

The Unity of Religion and Science

We may think of science as one wing and religion as the other; a bird needs two wings for flight, one alone would be useless. Any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it, is only ignorance — for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge.

Religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth. Let us earnestly endeavour to be the means of uniting religion and science.

‘Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad, said: ‘That which is in conformity with science is also in conformity with religion’. Whatever the intelligence of man cannot understand, religion ought not to accept. Religion and science walk hand in hand, and any religion contrary to science is not the truth.

– ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 133  

Members of the national coordinating group of the Iranian Baha’i community arrested in spring 2008.

August 13, 2010 – 3:16pm

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a statement yesterday, August 12, condemning the recent sentencing of seven Iranian Baha’i leaders each to 20 years in prison.

The United States is deeply concerned with the Iranian government’s continued persecution of Baha’is and other religious minority communities in Iran,” Secretary Clinton said in her statement. “This week, seven Baha’i leaders, who were incarcerated and held for nearly two years without due process, were each sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The United States strongly condemns this sentencing as a violation of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Freedom of religion is the birthright of people of all faiths and beliefs in all places,” her statement continued. “The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Baha’i community in Iran. We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations.”

Reports of the 20-year sentences surfaced on Sunday, August 8, nearly two months after the defendants’ trial concluded on June 14 and more than two years since the seven were arrested in spring 2008. They were jailed in Evin prison in Tehran for 20 months, with limited access to their attorneys or their families, before their trial commenced on January 12.

Iran’s state media have reported the charges to include espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and the establishment of an illegal administration, among other allegations. All the charges are completely and categorically denied and lawyers are in the process of launching an appeal.

In the meantime, the seven prisoners—Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm—have been transferred to Gohardasht Prison (also known as Rajaishahr Prison) in Karaj, some 20 kilometers west of the Iranian capital.

All seven were members of a national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Iran’s 300,000-strong Baha’i community, the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority. Their trial and recent sentencing have received widespread criticism from governments, human rights activists and non-governmental organizations around the world for failing to adhere to international or Iranian law.

For more information, please visit http://iran.bahai.us or http://news.bahai.org

__________________

Reprinted with permission from the Baha’is of the United States
(see U.S. Baha’i News)

~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá