Clearwater Baha'is

What happens after death is perhaps the most interesting, the ultimate question upon which life’s other big questions revolve, including what does it mean to be human? What is true reality? What is the purpose of life? This presentation will share some insights on this fascinating topic gleaned from the Baha’i writings.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The Clearwater Bahá’í Center is located off highway 60 West in Clearwater Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Coastal waters. The Clearwater Bahá’í Community is comprised of many different spiritually minded people from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ “When a cycle is ended, a new cycle begins, and the old one, on account of the great events which take place, is completely forgotten, and not a trace or record of it will remain.” “The cycle has arrived when racial prejudice will be abandoned by tribes and peoples of the world. The epoch has begun wherein all native lands will be conjoined in one great human family.” The human diversity still exists, but in a global village it is not so important. We are now heading towards a new form of unity, a global unity, as the world becomes more interdependent more like a global village. “Unity in Diversity.”

The Clearwater Bahá’í Center is located off Highway 60 West in Clearwater Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Coastal waters. The Clearwater Bahá’í Community is comprised of many different spiritually minded people from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race. Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship. The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence. The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.

Fundamental beliefs are probably the primary source for particular social actions and interactions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand these essential beliefs and insights to interpret and understand those actions and interactions properly. Theology is among the first religious education formed in previous religious periods, after 170 years of the Baha'i era; however, even the Baha'i theology's first components are not identified. This paper aims to study the most significant Baha'i scriptures to sketch any possible Baha'i theology's nature.

The Clearwater Bahá’í Center is located off Highway 60 West in Clearwater Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Coastal waters. The Clearwater Bahá’í Community is comprised of many different spiritually minded people from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race. Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship. The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence. The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.

Fundamental beliefs are probably the primary source for particular social actions and interactions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand these essential beliefs and insights to interpret and understand those actions and interactions properly. Theology is among the first religious education formed in previous religious periods, after 170 years of the Baha'i era; however, even the Baha'i theology's first components are not identified. This paper aims to study the most significant Baha'i scriptures to sketch any possible Baha'i theology's nature.

Further study - 175 Years of Persecution: A History of the Babis & Baha'is of Iran eBook: Vahman, Fereydun: Kindle Store https://www.amazon.com/175-Years.../dp/B07HRNLV44 video: “My American Dream” https://youtu.be/zxFSxi6B1ok In this significant year commemorating the one hundred years anniversary of the ascension of Abdul Baha we are reminded again of His suffering in exile and prison as well as thousands of Baha’is who were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries. Throughout the 1960s and since, thousands of Baha’is left Iran to escape persecution. This presentation is the story of one such Baha’i. I spend my childhood and adolescence in the sleepy, jumbled Nayrizi streets, it revolved around being a member of a persecuted, but highly resilient religious minority amidst timeless routines organized around the daily calls to prayer by the Muslim majority population.Two decades later, I found myself working amongst like-minded colleagues at the Harlem Prep School in New York City, guiding hundreds of young African-Americans away from the streets and into college. The presentation is a vivid re-telling of a Baha’i sometimes painful, always hopeful, experiences as a foreigner. It will consider what it means to be a foreigner in one’s country of birth, as well as in one’s adopted new home, finding peace and meaningful life in the Baha’i faith with realization that Home is not a place outside in the world, but inside of us, the cradle of the soul. The presentation is based on the recently published book by George Ronald Publisher - “Foreigner: From an Iranian Village to New York City and the lights that led the way”.

The Clearwater Bahá’í Center is located off highway 60 West in Clearwater Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Coastal waters. The Clearwater Bahá’í Community is comprised of many different spiritually minded people from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In this significant year commemorating the one hundred years anniversary of the ascension of Abdul Baha we are reminded again of His suffering in exile and prison as well as thousands of Baha’is who were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries. Throughout the 1960s and since, thousands of Baha’is left Iran to escape persecution. This presentation is the story of one such Baha’i. I spend my childhood and adolescence in the sleepy, jumbled Nayrizi streets, it revolved around being a member of a persecuted, but highly resilient religious minority amidst timeless routines organized around the daily calls to prayer by the Muslim majority population.Two decades later, I found myself working amongst like-minded colleagues at the Harlem Prep School in New York City, guiding hundreds of young African-Americans away from the streets and into college. The presentation is a vivid re-telling of a Baha’i sometimes painful, always hopeful, experiences as a foreigner. It will consider what it means to be a foreigner in one’s country of birth, as well as in one’s adopted new home, finding peace and meaningful life in the Baha’i faith with realization that Home is not a place outside in the world, but inside of us, the cradle of the soul. The presentation is based on the recently published book by George Ronald Publisher - “Foreigner: From an Iranian Village to New York City and the lights that led the way”.

The Clearwater Bahá’í Center is located off highway 60 West in Clearwater Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Coastal waters. The Clearwater Bahá’í Community is comprised of many different spiritually minded people from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

His presence among the habitants of Haifa and Akka was so transformative, his contributions to the welfare of people was so valuable, His love and attention to the well-being of all was so remarkable that over ten thousand mourners from diverse religious and ethnic communities - Arabs, Jews, Christians, Druzes, Turks, Persians, Armenians, and Americans attended his funeral. Haifa had never seen such an outpouring of love and affection toward anyone. At His Passing and as bidden by ‘Abdu’l-Baha Himself, the Baha’i world turned to Shoghi Effendi for guidance and authority. Shoghi Effendi was appointed by the Master to be the Guardian of the Faith. In commemoration of the one hundred years anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Passing, we are honored to offer two presentations that will describe the details His funeral, the memorial speeches of dignitaries in attendance, as well as an account of the return of Shoghi Effendi to Haifa and His Guardianship.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The Clearwater Bahá’í Center is located off highway 60 West in Clearwater Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Bay Coastal waters. The Clearwater Bahá’í Community is comprised of many different spiritually minded people from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. His presence among the habitants of Haifa and Akka was so transformative, his contributions to the welfare of people was so valuable, His love and attention to the well-being of all was so remarkable that over ten thousand mourners from diverse religious and ethnic communities - Arabs, Jews, Christians, Druzes, Turks, Persians, Armenians, and Americans attended his funeral. Haifa had never seen such an outpouring of love and affection toward anyone. At His Passing and as bidden by ‘Abdu’l-Baha Himself, the Baha’i world turned to Shoghi Effendi for guidance and authority. Shoghi Effendi was appointed by the Master to be the Guardian of the Faith. In commemoration of the one hundred years anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Passing, we are honored to offer two presentations that will describe the details His funeral, the memorial speeches of dignitaries in attendance, as well as an account of the return of Shoghi Effendi to Haifa and His Guardianship.

This year in late November 2021, humanity will mark the centenary anniversary of the Passing of the ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the Center of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah. It was 100 years ago on November 28, 1921 that in His home in Haifa the Master left this mortal world and that His blessed remains were laid to rest on the slopes of Mount Carmel, within the Shrine of the Beloved Bab. ‘Abdu’l-Baha was unique in the annals of religious history, He was the Master, the Mystery of God, the exemplary advocate for universal peace, the perfect Example of how to live our life. His presence among the habitants of Haifa and Akka was so transformative, his contributions to the welfare of people was so valuable, His love and attention to the well-being of all was so remarkable that over ten thousand mourners from diverse religious and ethnic communities - Arabs, Jews, Christians, Druzes, Turks, Persians, Armenians, and Americans attended his funeral. Haifa had never seen such an outpouring of love and affection toward anyone. At His Passing and as bidden by ‘Abdu’l-Baha Himself, the Baha’i world turned to Shoghi Effendi for guidance and authority. Shoghi Effendi was appointed by the Master to be the Guardian of the Faith. In commemoration of the one hundred years anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Passing, we are honored to offer two presentations that will describe the details His funeral, the memorial speeches of dignitaries in attendance, as well as an account of the return of Shoghi Effendi to Haifa and His Guardianship.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race.Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship.The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence.

The course was aimed at inspiring a group of 90 youth to study the writings of Shoghi Effendi and deepen in the Covenant in order to become defenders of the Cause. Mr. Ali Nakhjavani gave talks each morning and answered questions in the afternoon that were collected in the three books now available online entitled ‘Towards World Order’, ‘Shoghi Effendi: Author of Teaching Plans’ and ‘The Power and Range of his Pen.’ Mrs. Nakhjavani shared wonderfully inspiring stories in the evenings about several Hands of the Cause and exciting adventures in her years as a pioneer in Africa. And Bahiyyih gave a series of introductory presentations, followed by workshops, which offered the youth from multiple linguistic backgrounds with tools for discovering the hidden anatomy and exploring the beauty of Shoghi Effendi’s sentence structures. She will be sharing some of these reading tools with us during the course of the presentation this week. For further reading and information please visit: https://bahiyyihnakhjavani.com/news/interviews/ Reference materials used in the Presentation: https://www.clearwaterbahais.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Art-and-Science-Reading-Shoghi-Effendi.zip

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race.Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship.The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence of God.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ Anything carried to excess has a pernicious influence upon us, Baha'u'llah also states that various elements of our civilization can prove as much a source of "goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation." It's almost like the virtual world has opened up an array of new opportunities for friendship, teaching, and engaging in elevated conversations.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race. Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship. The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence of God. The Bahá’í community provides spiritual growth, awareness, and acceptance to all individuals. The Bahá’í community has undertaken great tasks to help spread the teachings of the faith. The Clearwater, community sponsors both community-driven events as well as social activities developed and executed directly from within the Bahá’í community itself. The members of the Clearwater Bahá’í community have a truly unique understanding; that in order to help humanity and to spread Baha’u’llah’s message of oneness and world unity; Bahá’ís in this community must have not only an intimate knowledge of the Bahá’í holy writings but that each individual Bahá’í must take action to show the grandeur and wisdom of those writings to the greater surrounding communities.

God-made Fasting vs Man-made fasting Fasting has become very popular in the natural health movement over the past few years. Water fasting, fasting from carbs (Keto), juice fasting, intermittent dry fasting, etc. In this presentation, Nabil will be sharing a few ways in which Divinely designed fasting is far superior to man-made fasts, particularly in what regards to safety and healing. This week’s Presenter: Nabil Moghaddam Nabil is a Certified Nutritional Therapist and a Detoxification Specialist. He’s also a graduate of Homeopathy from the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine, Toronto. He’s passionate about awakening the awareness in practitioners and the public alike to natural health, homeopathy, detoxification and to how mineral imbalances affect both physical and mental health, and helping people in general through evidence-based nutritional guidance. “There is such a lack of awareness and training in most nutritional and medical programs as to how mineral imbalances affect all aspects of health..." To learn more click here: https://www.soreadyforhealth.com/about/

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race. Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship. The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence of God. The Bahá’í community provides spiritual growth, awareness, and acceptance to all individuals. The Bahá’í community has undertaken great tasks to help spread the teachings of the faith. The Clearwater, community sponsors both community-driven events as well as social activities developed and executed directly from within the Bahá’í community itself. The members of the Clearwater Bahá’í community have a truly unique understanding; that in order to help humanity and to spread Baha’u’llah’s message of oneness and world unity; Bahá’ís in this community must have not only an intimate knowledge of the Bahá’í holy writings but that each individual Bahá’í must take action to show the grandeur and wisdom of those writings to the greater surrounding communities.

Ocean is a custom eBook reader designed for exploration and study of the sacred literature of the world’s religious traditions. It provides a simple cross-platform reading experience with an immersive audio-integrated reading experience and useful study and research tools. 1. Ocean 2.0 Interfaith Library: oceanlibrary.com 2. WholeReader: wholereader.com 3. Ocean and DB-Challenge Announcement list: badasht.org 4. My website: sacred-traditions.org Speaker Biography: Chad Jones is a typical Alaskan fisherman -- which is to say he eventually tired of the mud, rain, and fresh air of Alaska and decided to explore the rest of the world. Twenty years later, he had witnessed the last days of the Romanian revolution, the home of Gengis Khan in Mongolia and the birthplace of Krishna in Mathura. He had tasted authentic Szechuan dishes in China, studied Arabic in Irbid, plunged into the blue hole of Dhahab, explored the caves of Solomon in Jerusalem, and counted waves at night over the sea-wall of Akka. He married his Punjabi princess in a Moghul castle in Rajastan. He traveled by camel to the pyramids of Giza, trekked the Annapurna Range in Nepal, retraced Laurence of Arabia's famous route to Aqaba, and hoisted a watermelon to the highest peak of Wadi Rum to feast while observing the planet's most glorious sunset.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The presentation is based on the book "A Way Out of No Way - Harlem Prep: Transforming Dropouts Into Scholars 1967-1977", which offers a first-hand account of a unique school, that attracted the attention and support of educators in New York City and beyond for its innovative educational philosophy and process inspired by the Baha'i teachings. It took poor, disadvantaged inner-city dropouts and placed them into the best colleges.With its motto “Moja Logo”( Unity and brotherhood), Harlem Prep trailblazed a unique educational process and experience that provided the opportunity for many students to find their way to successful citizenship.For more information please visit www.HarlemPrepSchool.com

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ The Principle of Racial Unity The principles of racial equality and racial unity are central to the Baha'i­ teachings. Baha'i­s are working to establish a world civilization, guided by the underlying principles of the oneness of mankind and of the attainment of unity in diversity. In consequence of this belief, Baha'i­s recognize the equality of all races and strive to eliminate all forms of racial prejudice and discrimination. “Close your eyes to racial differences and welcome all with the light of oneness”. Because Baha'i­s attach such a great importance to encouraging unity, each Baha'i­, while taking pride in his unique racial, ethnic or cultural heritage, seeks above all to recognize and foster the common human and spiritual bonds that unite the human family -- a family rich in the diversity of races and cultures that compose it. Baha'i­ Efforts to Promote Racial Unity In classes conducted by Baha'i­ communities in over 100 countries, children are being instructed in the principles of racial unity and equality and become aware of the problems of racial prejudice and discrimination. Baha'i­ communities world-wide have co-operated with United Nations programmes in the field of eradicating racial discrimination. They have participated in human rights conferences and seminars, and have actively sponsored commemorations of Human Rights Day and Race Unity Day in their individual localities. The everyday principles by which Baha'i­s and Baha'i­ communities conduct their lives offer further testimony to the deep commitment felt by Baha'i­s to the principle of racial unity. In Baha'i­ communities at the local and national levels, individuals of all races associate regularly and freely, in complete amity and concord.

Powered by Restream https://restream.io/ About the Speaker: Dr. Sheila Dean, DSc, RDN, LDN, IFMCP is a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist, board-certified integrative and functional medicine certified practitioner, clinical nutritionist, and exercise physiologist. She was a Certified Diabetes Educator with the NCDBE for 15 years. She received her undergraduate training through Rutgers University, completed her internship and graduate training with the University of Rhode Island and Brown University’s teaching hospitals, received doctoral training in nutritional genomics and pharmacology through the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and completed her Doctorate of Science degree through Hawthorn University. Dr. Dean has received advanced training in functional medicine and nutritional biochemistry through the Institute for Functional Medicine and is a board-certified IFM practitioner. She has also worked with the Duke University Medical Center’s Endocrinology and Metabolism Disorders Clinic and the Joslin Center for Diabetes as a certified diabetes educator.Dr. Dean is also the co-founder of IFNA™, the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy, a comprehensive online training and mentoring program designed to teach health care practitioners how to seek the true root causes of disease to restore optimal health and function and ultimately transform the practice of nutrition using the most effective integrative and functional nutrition diagnostic tools and treatment protocols for preventing and reversing chronic illness.She’s served as the consulting sports nutritionist for the Philadelphia Phillies, has consulted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Toronto Blue Jays, and was the media spokesperson and columnist for the Ironman Institute, and is the author of Nutrition & Endurance: Where Do I Begin? (Meyer & Meyer Publishing).Sheila is also an amateur musician, lover of language, and very proud mother of two amazing adult children who always dutifully remind her of when it’s time to take a break. This week’s topic Nutrition in a Nutshell - Curious Minds want to Know "What will be the food of the future?" an early believer asked Abdu'l-Baha. Fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food. – quoted by Julia Grundy, Ten Days in the Light of Akka, pp. 8-9. In 400 B.C. Hippocrates wrote about the relationship between health and food when he said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." In 1513, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon searched for the Fountain of Youth (…oops, he found Florida instead). Food and its relationship to our health is an age-old subject, and still a primary concern for everyone. As foragers of food, we may have eaten more organically in the past, before processed and fast foods became so easily available. But today, new guidance from the Baha’i writings suggests that there is a link between food and our spiritual potential. Between material things and spiritual things, there is a connection. The more healthful his body the greater will be the power of the spirit of man. – Ibid. How can we approach food from a spiritual vantage point, and reap the physical benefits of productivity at the same time? https://bahaiteachings.org/bahai-diet-eating-for-our-souls/ Many of us intellectually understand that moving towards healthier eating will not only help us individually, collectively, environmentally, and economically—but will also move us and our societies into a healthier future on all accounts. Yet we still find it very onerous to discipline ourselves when it comes to food.