Bringing Bahai Message of unity for the races, America and the world

By Nicola Grun

"I felt cheated when I graduated from college," said a 77-year-old Metro student.

The student, Seimour Weinberg, went to college in the 1940s and was angered that he had never heard of the Baha'I faith.

Weinberg wants Metro students to have that opportunity.

"That's why I'm so active on this campus," he said.

The Metro Baha'I club's purpose is to inform the students and professors on the Auraria Campus of the origination and spread of the Baha'I. February is Black History Month, and on the 22nd the great grandson of W.E.B. Du Bois, Arthur McFarlane, will speak on the life of his grandfather. This meeting is scheduled to be in the Tivoli Room 320C.

Weinberg passes out fliers to broaden the campus' knowledge of the Baha'I religion and he has been doing this since 1992. The club has seven members, but these members are very busy and don't have the time to be as active as Weinberg would like them to be. The club usually puts on monthly educational programs at the Baha'I Faith Metro Denver Center at 225 E. Bayaud Ave.

Jason Songhurst, a Metro student and Baha'I member, said, "I think the programs are good for students as they show a diversity of thought on religion."

The Baha'I Faith Metro Denver Center has a community of 125 members, and there are more than, 400 Baha'Is in Colorado. There are more than 6 million members worldwide.

The Baha'Is' most important goal is to achieve racial unity worldwide. Weinberg said, "If we could achieve this one human family in America, it would send a positive and peaceful message to the world." America has great potential to answer the call of God. The call of God is racial unity and one world religion, Weinberg said.

The prophet Baha'u'llah taught that the "manifestation of God" is the "light- bringer" of the spiritual world, as the sun is the "light- bringer" of the natural world. Just as Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed are important figures in the spiritual world, Bah'u'llah is important to the Baha'I faith.

Baha'u'llah declared that he was the long-expected teacher of all people and the channel in which all previous forms of religion would become merged. Weinberg uses the literature of the Baha'I faith to spread the prophet's message on Auraria Campus. Baha'I literature stresses the importance of Divine Manifestation. This Manifestation is like the coming of the spring. It is a day of Resurrection in which the spiritually dead are raised to new life and when corruption and worn-out ideas are destroyed.

"You need a spiritual foundation in society. Religion provides a social cement for the world,"Weinberg said.

The religion is based on an individual's right and duty to investigate truth independently and be responsible for his or her own spiritual development.

The Baha'I faith is the second-most geographically widespread world religion following Christianity. Weinberg said the faith's diversity embraces people from all races, creeds and cultures. However, he said there is no Baha'I community in North Korea as the religion hasn't penetrated there yet. Houses of worship are open to all people. The faith has no clergy or priesthood. Baha'I literature reports Baha'u'llah's mission in the world is to bring about the unity of all mankind in and through God. He requires of his followers wholehearted and complete devotion. The purpose of life is to develop those capacities for one's own life and for the service of humanity. The way of life which Baha'Is seek to cultivate is one that encourages personal development.

"To have meaning and purpose in life is important for the individual and society," Weinberg said.