Posted by Jonah on March 30, 2101 at 07:35:10:

In Reply to: Hmmmm.... posted by MJSW on March 30, 2101 at 02:29:28:

Dear MJSW,

I highly agree that, for general and personal information about the Faith, a face-to-face meeting with a knowledgeable person is superior to any cyber-forum. And, as you'll notice from browsing through the archives of this bulletin board, a number of postings are requesting information for just that: i.e., "How can I find a Baha'i in my area?"

Having said that, there are some ways in which a cyber-forum is essential. You'll also find some postings from people writing from countries in which practicing the Faith is either discouraged or even illegal. You'll also find postings from people in highly isolated areas, both within the United States (a couple posters are from the middle of deserts in California and Nevada, resp.) and elsewhere (one individual from the Himalayas, one in the Caucusus mtns.). The internet can sometimes be the only way these people can connect with any fellow Baha'is.

Finally, you might find a generally different type of content in postings to this board as compared to other ones. This one is moderated and for information only, so the more ad-hominem critical mess you see elsewhere on the internet is kept to a minimum here.

I do agree and recommend that anyone seeking general (non-academic/historical) information about the Faith should definitely seek to contact their local Baha'is. Look up "Baha'i" in the yellow pages. Or if you're in North America, call 1-800-22-UNITE.

-Jonah Winters