This interview of me appears in the July 20 issue of The Magical Buffet (http://www.magicalbuffet.com/)
Q: What is the Bahá’í Faith?
A: Thank you for this opportunity to respond. I’m tempted to give Louis Armstrong’s classic reply of “Man, if you don’t know, I can’t tell you,” but you might get some idea that it’s some kind of jazz heaven, which actually may not be too far off. Bahá’ís believe in Progressive Revelation, meaning that from time to time God raises up Messengers to educate humanity, such as Buddha, Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad, etc., and that the latest one arrived in the 19th century under the title “The Glory of God”, who lived and taught mostly under exile and imprisonment in Middle Eastern lands from Iran Iraq to Turkey and what is now Israel. These Messengers reiterate the eternal spiritual truths that are the foundation of all religion, but also give social teachings for the age. This age particularly needs guidance for an emerging global consciousness, ethics and morality for international travel, finance, ecology, communication, science and technology, and the realization that the entire globe and its inhabitants are in the same boat traveling together. Humanity on its own has no hope of solving the colossal challenges besetting it today. One of the most remarkable elements of this Revelation is that it gives not only a vision of the new World Order, but actually gives a blueprint of how to achieve it. So Bahá’ís worldwide are endeavoring to establish this order right in the midst of the crumbling of one human institution after another. The “Glory of God” has given the believers this directive: “It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action,” and emphasized that we all have a part to play: “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”
Q: What are some the basic teachings of the faith?
A: Every faith teaches the same basic things, those being the nature of God and truth, morality and virtue, prayer and worship; the emphasis is different, according to the needs of the times; Judaism emphasized the Law, Christianity focused on love and good works, and Islam on submission to the Will of God, for instance. The Bahá’í Faith’s overriding value is unity: God is one, His Messengers are one, religion is one, humanity is one; therefore the thousand-year mission of the Bahá’ís is to effect the organic unity of the entire human race, for it is written “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” Principles that accompany this central mission are removal of prejudices of all kinds, gender equality, universal education, universal systems of governance/ justice,/currency, and a language by which the whole world can communicate. And one other very important one: mankind has progressed to the point where each individual’s spiritual progress is their own responsibility; therefore it behooves every person to independently investigate truth and reality for themselves – ergo, no clergy.
And here’s a good one: Science and religion must work together to root out superstition and provide a moral foundation for knowledge and its application.
Q: How does the Bahá’í community view and interact with other faiths?
A: Baha’is do not cling to each other, but regard all humanity as their brethren. The Founder proclaimed, “Consort ye, O people, with all religions with joy and fragrance!” They tend to spearhead and are often over-represented at Interfaith gatherings; all divinely-revealed faiths are honored, so there is no concept of “other”. Just once I would like see a Bahá’í jump up and yell, “All you heathens are going to Hell!” but (sigh) it just isn’t going to happen. (This is just kidding, of course.) Seriously, the last thing we need is yet another religion; what we need is to come together.
Q: For our readers who may have not have heard of the religion before now, is there a fictional character in television or film that embodies the ideals of the faith?
A: Ha ha. I consulted some of my Bahá’í friends on this one, and got suggestions such as McGyver, since he used non-violent technological ingenuity to solve problems, the humble Frodo Baggins on his glorious quest of faith, or Star Trek with its multiethnic co-operation boldly braving the final frontier.
Q: What holidays do Bahá’ís observe?
A: There is a calendar of 19 months of 19 days, with a few extra Mardi-Gras type celebratory days thrown in to round out the solar year. And the Faith has its own holy days celebrating the births and deaths of the Central Figures, as well as a few others, such as the Day of the Covenant, Nov. 26, celebrating the fact that God does not leave humanity adrift without guidance. Individually, believers tend to celebrate just about any festival of any religion or culture with other friends – we love a party!
Q: What is the biggest misconception, if any, about the religion?
A: The Bahá’í Faith is not, nor ever was, a sect of Islam. It grew out of an Islamic environment, as did Buddhism out of Hinduism or Christianity out of Judaism. Also, since it is so all-embracing, some get the idea that it is eclectic and syncretistic, drawing from the good points of bygone traditions and philosophies, or that is accepts all faiths as being equally true and valid. It regards itself as the latest stage in the unfolding Faith of the one God that has been called by many names, and that its principles and beliefs have been divinely revealed just as the Ten Commandments or the Vedas, the Dhammapada or the Qur’an.
Q: According to http://www.religionfacts.com/ Dizzy Gillespie, Carole Lombard, and Rainn Wilson were/are all Bahá’í. Would you be offended if I said that was really cool?
A: Many distinguished people are Bahá’ís, but they don’t get obnoxious, obsequious, or obstreperous about it. They found universities, establish socio-economic projects, and are inventors and innovators. The head of state of Samoa is Bahá’í [note: died May 11, 2007], as have been Queen Marie of Roumania and other royalty, and it has attracted great minds from Tolstoy to Tagore to Khalil Gibran – would you believe President Woodrow Wilson got the idea for the League of Nations from his Baha’i daughter? Another Khalill, Khalil Green, shortstop of the San Diego Padres, is perhaps the most well-known Bahá’í presently in popular culture. In America, the duo of Seals and Crofts (“Summer breeze, make me feel fine . . . . “ c’mon sing it with me now) spread the Faith by giving talks after their concerts on tour in the 1970s. Others include K. C. Porter (producer to Santana and Ricky Martin), and British funnyman Omid Djalili (remember him from Whoopi’s sit-com?) Cool! Hot!
Q: Do you care to comment on the plight of the Baha’is in Egypt?
A: The Bahá’ís in Egypt are a fairly small community, but have been placed in a quandary; they are required to carry ID cards, on which they have to identify their religion. They have no problem with this, as all Bahá’ís in every country are obedient and loyal to their governments. But they have only three choices: Christianity, Judaism, or Islam -- it’s like those dating sites or online questionnaires where you only have a limited choice of responses, none of which apply, but there is no “other” option, and it will not let you skip the question or continue without answering. Baha’is cannot lie about their religion or anything else, and without these ID cards they have no access to education, medical services, employment, or many other basic services. So they are continuing to work to get the Bahá’í Faith official recognition so they can have legal status just like other Egyptian citizens.
Q: Where can I go to learn more about the religion?
A: Even though there are only about 6 million Bahá’ís worldwide, we are spread like a thin film over the entire planet, including in such unlikely places as Greenland, North Korea, the Faroe Islands, Tasmania, Alaska, Mongolia, Madacasgar, Botswana, and virtually every island in the Pacific, so with a little checking in phone books or word of mouth, a human representative of probably the most hospitable community in the world can be found, but beware, you will be plied with tea and sweets and all the literature on the Faith you’d ever want. Baha’is, however, do not proselytize. Since it purports to be the most truly international and universal expression of spirituality, it is not surprising that it should be the first Faith on the Internet; sites abound, a couple of the main ones being: http://www.bahai.org/ and http://www.bahai.us/. You are most welcome to contact this author at gezabahai@yahoo.ca.
Q: Parting shot! Ask us here at The Magical Buffet any one question? (this question cannot be changed. We ask everyone this one question. You can ask anything, even silly stuff like who is your favorite boy band or boxers or briefs!)
A: This is confusing, but if I read it correctly, you want me to ask you a question. Okay, I’ll be brief, I mean boxer. I see that you love feasting at the salad bar of heavenly delights, but do you ever get spiritual indigestion?
Q: What is the Bahá’í Faith?
A: Thank you for this opportunity to respond. I’m tempted to give Louis Armstrong’s classic reply of “Man, if you don’t know, I can’t tell you,” but you might get some idea that it’s some kind of jazz heaven, which actually may not be too far off. Bahá’ís believe in Progressive Revelation, meaning that from time to time God raises up Messengers to educate humanity, such as Buddha, Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad, etc., and that the latest one arrived in the 19th century under the title “The Glory of God”, who lived and taught mostly under exile and imprisonment in Middle Eastern lands from Iran Iraq to Turkey and what is now Israel. These Messengers reiterate the eternal spiritual truths that are the foundation of all religion, but also give social teachings for the age. This age particularly needs guidance for an emerging global consciousness, ethics and morality for international travel, finance, ecology, communication, science and technology, and the realization that the entire globe and its inhabitants are in the same boat traveling together. Humanity on its own has no hope of solving the colossal challenges besetting it today. One of the most remarkable elements of this Revelation is that it gives not only a vision of the new World Order, but actually gives a blueprint of how to achieve it. So Bahá’ís worldwide are endeavoring to establish this order right in the midst of the crumbling of one human institution after another. The “Glory of God” has given the believers this directive: “It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action,” and emphasized that we all have a part to play: “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”
Q: What are some the basic teachings of the faith?
A: Every faith teaches the same basic things, those being the nature of God and truth, morality and virtue, prayer and worship; the emphasis is different, according to the needs of the times; Judaism emphasized the Law, Christianity focused on love and good works, and Islam on submission to the Will of God, for instance. The Bahá’í Faith’s overriding value is unity: God is one, His Messengers are one, religion is one, humanity is one; therefore the thousand-year mission of the Bahá’ís is to effect the organic unity of the entire human race, for it is written “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” Principles that accompany this central mission are removal of prejudices of all kinds, gender equality, universal education, universal systems of governance/ justice,/currency, and a language by which the whole world can communicate. And one other very important one: mankind has progressed to the point where each individual’s spiritual progress is their own responsibility; therefore it behooves every person to independently investigate truth and reality for themselves – ergo, no clergy.
And here’s a good one: Science and religion must work together to root out superstition and provide a moral foundation for knowledge and its application.
Q: How does the Bahá’í community view and interact with other faiths?
A: Baha’is do not cling to each other, but regard all humanity as their brethren. The Founder proclaimed, “Consort ye, O people, with all religions with joy and fragrance!” They tend to spearhead and are often over-represented at Interfaith gatherings; all divinely-revealed faiths are honored, so there is no concept of “other”. Just once I would like see a Bahá’í jump up and yell, “All you heathens are going to Hell!” but (sigh) it just isn’t going to happen. (This is just kidding, of course.) Seriously, the last thing we need is yet another religion; what we need is to come together.
Q: For our readers who may have not have heard of the religion before now, is there a fictional character in television or film that embodies the ideals of the faith?
A: Ha ha. I consulted some of my Bahá’í friends on this one, and got suggestions such as McGyver, since he used non-violent technological ingenuity to solve problems, the humble Frodo Baggins on his glorious quest of faith, or Star Trek with its multiethnic co-operation boldly braving the final frontier.
Q: What holidays do Bahá’ís observe?
A: There is a calendar of 19 months of 19 days, with a few extra Mardi-Gras type celebratory days thrown in to round out the solar year. And the Faith has its own holy days celebrating the births and deaths of the Central Figures, as well as a few others, such as the Day of the Covenant, Nov. 26, celebrating the fact that God does not leave humanity adrift without guidance. Individually, believers tend to celebrate just about any festival of any religion or culture with other friends – we love a party!
Q: What is the biggest misconception, if any, about the religion?
A: The Bahá’í Faith is not, nor ever was, a sect of Islam. It grew out of an Islamic environment, as did Buddhism out of Hinduism or Christianity out of Judaism. Also, since it is so all-embracing, some get the idea that it is eclectic and syncretistic, drawing from the good points of bygone traditions and philosophies, or that is accepts all faiths as being equally true and valid. It regards itself as the latest stage in the unfolding Faith of the one God that has been called by many names, and that its principles and beliefs have been divinely revealed just as the Ten Commandments or the Vedas, the Dhammapada or the Qur’an.
Q: According to http://www.religionfacts.com/ Dizzy Gillespie, Carole Lombard, and Rainn Wilson were/are all Bahá’í. Would you be offended if I said that was really cool?
A: Many distinguished people are Bahá’ís, but they don’t get obnoxious, obsequious, or obstreperous about it. They found universities, establish socio-economic projects, and are inventors and innovators. The head of state of Samoa is Bahá’í [note: died May 11, 2007], as have been Queen Marie of Roumania and other royalty, and it has attracted great minds from Tolstoy to Tagore to Khalil Gibran – would you believe President Woodrow Wilson got the idea for the League of Nations from his Baha’i daughter? Another Khalill, Khalil Green, shortstop of the San Diego Padres, is perhaps the most well-known Bahá’í presently in popular culture. In America, the duo of Seals and Crofts (“Summer breeze, make me feel fine . . . . “ c’mon sing it with me now) spread the Faith by giving talks after their concerts on tour in the 1970s. Others include K. C. Porter (producer to Santana and Ricky Martin), and British funnyman Omid Djalili (remember him from Whoopi’s sit-com?) Cool! Hot!
Q: Do you care to comment on the plight of the Baha’is in Egypt?
A: The Bahá’ís in Egypt are a fairly small community, but have been placed in a quandary; they are required to carry ID cards, on which they have to identify their religion. They have no problem with this, as all Bahá’ís in every country are obedient and loyal to their governments. But they have only three choices: Christianity, Judaism, or Islam -- it’s like those dating sites or online questionnaires where you only have a limited choice of responses, none of which apply, but there is no “other” option, and it will not let you skip the question or continue without answering. Baha’is cannot lie about their religion or anything else, and without these ID cards they have no access to education, medical services, employment, or many other basic services. So they are continuing to work to get the Bahá’í Faith official recognition so they can have legal status just like other Egyptian citizens.
Q: Where can I go to learn more about the religion?
A: Even though there are only about 6 million Bahá’ís worldwide, we are spread like a thin film over the entire planet, including in such unlikely places as Greenland, North Korea, the Faroe Islands, Tasmania, Alaska, Mongolia, Madacasgar, Botswana, and virtually every island in the Pacific, so with a little checking in phone books or word of mouth, a human representative of probably the most hospitable community in the world can be found, but beware, you will be plied with tea and sweets and all the literature on the Faith you’d ever want. Baha’is, however, do not proselytize. Since it purports to be the most truly international and universal expression of spirituality, it is not surprising that it should be the first Faith on the Internet; sites abound, a couple of the main ones being: http://www.bahai.org/ and http://www.bahai.us/. You are most welcome to contact this author at gezabahai@yahoo.ca.
Q: Parting shot! Ask us here at The Magical Buffet any one question? (this question cannot be changed. We ask everyone this one question. You can ask anything, even silly stuff like who is your favorite boy band or boxers or briefs!)
A: This is confusing, but if I read it correctly, you want me to ask you a question. Okay, I’ll be brief, I mean boxer. I see that you love feasting at the salad bar of heavenly delights, but do you ever get spiritual indigestion?
MB: Yes.
Bio of Geza Farkas:Geza (rhymes with amaze-a) Farkas, the Funky Flutist of Faith, became a Baha'i in 1997 after a lifetime of study of the works of the world's great mystics, saints, and seers, since he sensed that in it appeared that which has never appeared before, namely a blueprint by which all of human civilization can be spiritualized, and not just a few special individuals. Hungarian by birth, Canadian by nationality, and Indian in spirit, he has recently emigrated to Chicago and lives near the Baha'i House of Worship for the North American Continent in Wilmette, known as the "Mother Temple of the West."
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AWE.SOME!
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