Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Final Glimpse


This is the final blog I will post for my cross-cultural encounter for my introductory Anthropology class. I went into writing this blog, thinking simply that I would research something on the faith I had been brought up in and learn more about where it was derived and how the rules of the faith worked. Instead I learned so much more not just about the Baha'i faith but all religions in some way.
This blog did not just become a way to learn about the Baha'i faith, but it was a way to explore the ways people look at faith, the way people connect to faith, and the way faith is incorporated into people's lives. I think of all the things I learned about the Baha'i faith the thing I learned that seemed to connect to greater facets of the world is the need for individual exploration that is key to the Baha'i faith. I was reading through my comments and someone posted a very insightful and interesting comment on the blog I wrote about the man who was an ex-Baha'i turned Christian. They said how it was true about the Baha'i faith as seeking individual exploration but it wasn't only about that. I think this is true, there is a social aspect to the Baha'i community, but I think the important thing about the individual exploration of faith is that you are able to explore those parts of faith that you most connect with and you can explore other faiths and in that way link the faiths of together where a goal of the Baha'i faith is the unity of religions.
I also never thought in my blog i would be able to connect so much of my learning from my anthropology class to my exploration of the Baha'i faith, but it was surprising how easily the two seemed to connect. I was able to use what I had learned an anthropologist would use to study a faith and in that way a culture.
I learned so much from doing these blogs, not only about one faith but many faiths and I think that is really interesting because the Baha'i faith tries to teach about faith as a whole and in a way it did that. I think I still have a lot to learn about the faith, but I believe strongly in a lot of what it strive for, equality for men and women, end of prejudice, unity of religion, and I am glad I chose to research the topic I did.
Note: I also wanted to add on a small note, a thank you to everyone who posted such thoughtful comments they really helped push me in my thinking and brought about new ideas for me to research. I appreciate it very much.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The building of the structure of this new world Faith was at the core of Baha'i programs and policies, goals and game-plans, so to speak, from 1921 to 1996, a period of 75 years, as well as in the last decades of the Heroic Age of this Faith.

My book of 640 pages(font 16 and 540 pages-font-14) and 230 thousand words contains reflections and understandings regarding the new Baha'i culture of learning and growth, what amounts to a paradigmatic shift, in the Baha’i community in the years 1996 to 2016. Go to this link to access the book: http://bahai-library.com/price_culture_learning_paradigm