Robert Hayden, gifted, celebrated poet, honored by US Post Office

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Carol Forsloff--Robert Hayden one of America's most famous poets is being honored by the United States post office for his poetry with a 45 cent stamp issued to recognize his achievements.. This honor recognizes the contribution of this African-American man, who preferred to be known as an American and representative of some of America's best literature. His poetry has universal appeal, for his philosophy expands beyond the borders of his native country to embrace the world.

This gifted poet began his life in poverty in a ghetto in Detroit, Michigan, according to his biography. He was raised by his parents and eventually a foster family and struggled valiantly to move forward in his life, through periods of depression. After securing a scholarship, Hayden attended Detroit city College, later obtaining a Master's degree at the University of Michigan. There he studied under the famous literary giant W. H. Auden. He went on to become a university professor in the area of literature.

Hayden's first poetic works was called Heart-Shaped in the Dust, published in 1940. His second important work, The Lion and the Archer,  was widely celebrated as one of America's best. Many of his poems received major prizes for poetry at festivals around America. In 1976, he was designated consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress, a title later called poet laureate.

The background and context for much of Hayden's great works comes from his deep appreciation for the larger world of humanity. His vision goes beyond the provincial to embrace that element of man common to us all. His spiritual guidance comes from his religious beliefs within the Baha'i Faith. That religion focuses on the universality of spiritual message and all of mankind as brothers sharing a common purpose to celebrate the oneness of man.

With the honor bestowed upon Hayden by the United States post office comes the recognition of this great man's service to the United States and to all those who love poetry and believe in the values of the spirit from which such great works arise.

Baha'is report Iran's "grim picture" of human rights abuses

[caption id="attachment_9844" align="alignleft" width="252"] Baha'i principles[/caption]

Carol Forsloff---The Baha'i Faith is a world religion with origins in Iraq and Iran, but it is not an Eastern philosophy, as it espouses views alien to Iran's dominant themes of repression.  The following news article received directly to this journalist reveals the serious problems members of this religion face in simply trying to practice the principles of freedom of religion and expression in a country where freedom is suppressed and punished.

(BWNS) – Iran's human rights record continued to display "many negative trends" last year, according to a US government spokesman.

Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Michael H. Posner, described the current situation as "a very grim picture."

Speaking at the press briefing on the 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Mr. Posner noted – among other abuses in Iran –intolerance of dissent, restrictions on freedom of speech, unfair trials, and extensive use of the death penalty.

He also particularly highlighted the 20-year prison sentences given to each of Iran's seven former Baha'i leaders. "It is a human rights situation that is very disturbing, and we'll continue to call it out," he said.

The 2011 annual report, released last Thursday 24 May, devoted some 77 pages to the situation in Iran, detailing a continued "crack down on women's rights activists, ethnic minority rights activists, student activists, religious minorities, and environmental activists" – including members of the Baha'i Faith.

View the full report here.

One section describes, for example, how the constitution in Iran allows the government to seize property acquired "in a manner not in conformity with Islamic law" and how this law has been used to harass religious minorities, particularly Baha'is.

The annual Human Rights Reports assess each country's situation against universal human rights standards. Their findings inform U.S. policymakers and serve as a reference for other governments, international institutions, non-governmental organizations and other interested individuals.

Launching the report, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "These reports, which the United States Government has published for nearly four decades, make clear to governments around the world: We are watching and we are holding you accountable. And they make clear to citizens and activists everywhere: You are not alone. We are standing with you."

Baha'is offer hope for world unity in spite of Iran's persecution

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Editor - While the Western world celebrates the New Year on January 1, and much of Asia shortly afterward, in the Middle East the time of Naw-Ruz opens the door to celebrations at the beginning of spring; and a persecuted people, the Baha'is, continue to have hope for their brethren in Iran and throughout the world, just as President Barack Obama said yesterday in his address from the White House.

Baha'is are a minority group of religious folks, but constitute the second largest of the religions of Iran.  While they are considered by Iranian Muslim clerics to be Islam heretics, they are considered by the nations of the world to be an independent religion.  But many of them in Iran are suffering intense persecution, denied education and personal freedoms to the extent that the United Nations has many times warned the Iranian government of it violation of human rights.

Yesterday evening in the greater Portland area, Julia Rubenstein hosted the annual Naw-Ruz celebration at her home, with local Baha'is indulging in a feast of food to end their 19-day fast.  Like other religious groups, such as Muslims and Catholics, the Baha'is believe that a fast helps to focus one's attention on the Creator and spiritual ideals as opposed to the material concerns.

One Baha'i observed at the celebration, "The fast gives me a time to think about my relationship to God, what is really important in life and what our true purpose is.  "   And what is that purpose, she was asked.  "To help establish peace on this earth, to teach the principles of the oneness of humanity; and that we are really all brothers sharing this world."

It is this type of statement that is the antithesis of the Iranian government's practices, practices that foster nationalism and increase tensions, according to international experts.  And it is this heavy-handed treatment of religious minorities who are trying to unite the East and West who are persecuted the most by the Iranian government.  That persecution has been continuing for more than 150 years, since the Baha'i Faith was born in 1844 with the heralding of the new messenger of its Faith, Baha'u'llah, by the Bab, a title given to the one Baha'is consider to be a prophet as well but also having the position of John the Baptist, as the one proclaiming the inception of a new era of faith.

Baha'is believe in the equality of men and women, the unity of mankind, economic justice, the agreement of science and religion and the recognition that nationalism, racism and communism are the triple evils that get in the way of the unity of mankind.

Yesterday Obama underlined how the Iranian government stands in the way of religious minorities in their free exercise of faith.  Last night, however, the Baha'is reminded themselves that each year at New Year is the symbol of rebirth, of new awakenings and of the opening of the door to infinite possibilities, as they celebrated Naw Ruz.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Baha’is: Not everyone loves politics

Political volunteers

"I love politics. Don't you?" the woman declared in a Spanish class at a local senior center.  Most folks there agreed.  But there are groups who find the topic of politics troublesome, and some of these groups have been persecuted for their opinions.

The hot topic for  news is politics, with even citizen journal sites finding fun in the political arguments that pervade most content on Internet news sites. The writer with a background in science or education often becomes the political "expert" when a news story develops that either directly counters or supports a point of view. While traditional media make some effort in staying above the fray, it is the opinion, not the news, that seeps through in many news articles and commentaries. Furthermore, those publications and writers who do not follow the lemmings in the constant political stream of content and comment, who do not emphasize politics, find their numbers dropping in times of political debate and controversy. But while media struggles with if, when, and how much political discussion the public wants, two religious groups remain distinctive in their withdrawal from those discussions because of their religious principles.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the heaven on earth is coming and that the earth is a place of trial and tribulation that folks endure as good and evil are sorted out for those who will be part of that heaven or the hell that Judgment Day proscribes. Because their kingdom is not of this earth, they do not participate in politics, as they consider Jehovah as their ruler, unsurpassed by any earthly one. For that reason, although they respect the rights of others to honor symbols of flag and country, they do not accord these as having any significance in terms of their beliefs.  They particularly walk away from partisan politics and do not vote.

Kevin Jess is a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. He explains the belief as this: “ Jehovah's Witnesses remain neutral in regards to anything political. We look at it as a protection afforded us by Jehovah God. Sometimes people unknowingly try to draw us in to a conversation, asking our opinion on something political, we politely decline. We respect the laws of the land but we recognize only Jehovah as our ruler.”

Baha’is believe that adherents should work toward peace on earth through a set of basic beliefs. They abhor nationalism, communism, and racism as the false gods that lead to separation and conflict. Instead, Baha'is believe that the "World Order of Baha'u'llah", the founder of their Faith, is the Kingdom of the Father on earth, and fulfills Jesus' prayer, "Our Father in Heaven, holy be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

The Baha'i Faith seeks to establish the Father's Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.'

Baha'is accept Jesus as "the Very Savior of Man".” The Baha’i Faith emphasizes ethical ideals that include world peace, sexual equality, economic justice, and universal education.

As a consequence of their belief that God’s purpose is that heaven on earth, Baha’is don’t involve themselves in political parties or campaigns because they consider them divisive. On the other hand, they are encouraged to vote and to respect the laws of the countries in which they reside.

“It’s hard to stand apart from politics, as people continue to try to pull us into their discussions. But you can’t unite man into a world community that includes everyone when political divisions stand in the way,” says Janet Imaki, quoting from the basic precepts of her Baha’i Faith.

Politics has its appeal both in the United States, where 2012 is the time of campaigns that include both national and local offices in government.  Even the office of the President is part of partisan politics in 2012 with the Presidential election scheduled for November.  Many people find it enticing to write and discuss politics as it is current, enticing and often exciting and controversial; but not everyone is so attracted to it, as noted by the beliefs and practices of some faith groups. In the din that surrounds political discussion, who can  say which way is best in terms of loving one’s brother and creating pathways of peace.

Death and dying culture in modern life and faith

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Carol Forsloff - A loved one dies.  The dilemma comes when there are no instructions for what to do with the remains.  Not knowing what to do about the body after death can cause conflict at a time when there is already enough grief to go around.

That’s what happened to Bennie.  He was the beloved uncle in the family, the guy with the good humor and the lusty laugh.   He died suddenly, leaving no information about what he wanted to happen to his body when he died.  After all a fellow just shy of fifty years old is thinking about today, not tomorrow’s issues, which is where death is shelved for the young, those  folks who don’t consider will feel death's proverbial sting too soon.  Nothing much is taken from that shelf upon which death instructions rest until that certain age that keeps on changing from year to year,  but usually is somewhere decades more than those five that Bennie lived.

The family scrambled.  What to do?  Some folks said Bennie was the guy who didn’t like much fuss.  Others said they missed him and would want him still around somewhere in a place where they could visit.  The quarrels over money and the pretend notions of what Bennie might have wanted continued on for hours until it was simply time to make a decision final and no more time to wonder anymore.

For some folks the answer to what happens to the body after death seems simple.  A small urn that can sit on the mantle somewhere, as that symbol of having the deceased continually with the family in some physical way is appealing to many folk.  For others they consider family interests of sorts,  that often means an elaborate funeral with all the trimmings so folks can honor the dead in what they consider traditional and most appropriate ways.

The funeral for the star that died too young, like Natalie Wood, is the fashion so that movie folk can honor friends while at the same time take that opportunity to be seen in the right place, which is in the crowd of special friends that surround a movie star.  Natalie Wood, who died at the age of 43, was part of Hollywood legend, with her tenure as an actress extending over many, many years.  Movie-goers saw her as a child in Miracle on 34^th Street.  For other fans, Wood was part of teenage growing up in Rebel Without a Cause.  Her mysterious death 30 years ago, and the recent reopening of the investigation as to the cause of it, brings back new focus on the habits of the famous actress and allows us to revisit for ourselves the events in her life, including the funeral that brought the famous and the wannabes to honor Wood in death.

This actress, as one of her biographers Gavin Lambert writes in the well-received biography of Natalie Wood was ahead of her time and popular with many of the greats of Hollywood.   Indeed a veritable Who’s Who of Hollywood greats figured prominently in the memorial to Wood those thirty years ago.  The honorary pallbearers included Fred Astaire, Rock Hudson, Elia Kazan, Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck and Frank Sinatra. "People adored Natalie, but she never really got her due," said Gavin Lambert. "People adored Natalie, but she never really got her due." So Wood was given that proper burial in a manner folks could remember as part of that Hollywood style that honors movie’s own.

For many of the rest of us, what happens to our bodies after death is dictated by religious views.    If the person has no written instructions for what to do with the body after death, those responsible for making that decision can turn to faith instead.

Eastern religious cultures have their own unique ways to honor the dead.  Buddhists believe in cremation.   Afterwards the deceased is remembered through special prayers and chants for seven days.   Hindus cremate their people and in a special cremation ceremony, the body is carried three times counterclockwise around the pyre,  with the body then placed upon it.   In films folks often see the famous cremation scenes, such as that of Mahatma Gandhi whose funeral followed Hindu culture.

The Catholic Church encourages its members to be buried in Catholic cemeteries.  Although previously there was a ban on cremation, in 1963 that ban was lifted.  On the other hand, the cremated remains cannot be kept at home nor scattered. Most Protestant Christians honor their dead a few days after death and the body is buried after a funeral ceremony.  Muslims believe the body should be buried as soon as possible after death, thereby avoiding the need to embalm and disturb the body of the deceased.

Baha’is consider themselves to represent the latest of the world religions and have specific instructions about how to prepare for death and what to do with the body once a person dies.  Baha’is are admonished to have a written will with specific instructions about the treatment of the body as well as a narrative concerning specific wishes of the dead.  Baha’is describe their religious practices officially regarding death as this:  “In Bahá'í Law, the deceased is to be buried no more than one hour's journey from the place of death. The journey to the burial place should be timed at an hour, regardless of the means of transport, and may be calculated from the city limits. The length of time between death and the burial is unspecified in the Bahá'í writings, though Bahá'u'lláh's says that "the sooner the burial taketh place, the more fitting and preferable."   Bahá'ís are not to be embalmed or cremated, unless the law requires it, as the body is to be treated respectfully and allowed to decompose naturally in a fashion similar to those of the Jewish faith.

How to treat the body after death is part of culture and unique among the different faith and cultural groups.  It is part of the guidance folks can use when making the best decision about a Bennie in the family or a loved one where the wishes of the dead are unknown.    It does not solve the grief surrounding death but offers still a roadmap that can help assuage the pain and conflict many families must endure.

The Spiritual Benefits of Aging

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Carol Forsloff - The trees were bright with autumn colors, but never were they more beautiful than during a visit with an elderly woman in a care facility in Oregon where once again came those special reminders of the spiritual benefits of aging.

How can one benefit from aging when faced with memory lapses, physical ailments, losing friends and relatives and suffering through long periods of being alone or locked inside a building without the freedom to leave without permission?  How can others benefit from spending time with those who live without the sharp tongue of youth and the vigor of innovation?  Indeed the spiritual benefits of aging far exceed the value of youth if we look beyond the material issues that ordinarily dominate our world.

Laura honors life with grace and joy despite confinement inside the walls of a care facility housing those with memory deficiencies that require ongoing care.    She, like others for whom the details of the day before are rearranged or forgotten altogether, lives in that place of  the Now that a modern writer tells us can give anyone an insight into spiritual treasures we otherwise may not find.

“Look at those colors,” Laura exclaimed.   “ Nothing is more wonderful than these.  And the fruit trees!  All we have to do is walk around and pick up what has fallen to the ground.   Isn’t this everything we need?”

With that she moved along the pathway into the gardens outside her residence,  finding the pears and apples that had fallen from the trees.  Her pleasure came in those simple things folks often talk about but seldom take the time to really savor as a 94-year-old woman can who looks at life with eyes that come from wisdom more than knowledge, from love of spiritual benefits more than love of material things.

She apologizes for her memory but explains it all like this.  “My memory these days is like the old-style juke box where you never know what recording will come down and what song will play next.”  And she laughs with pleasure as incidents recalled from her stack of memories triggers joy in the moment that she turns and shares with us.

Like many of advancing age, Laura’s life was full of children, travel, many things that sometimes merge and mingle and sometimes stray a bit.   As details leave in moments, other bits return; but Laura’s outlines of her life remain for all to savor for the wisdom that she brings.

She hesitates a moment, then walking carefully and slowly along the grassy slope that fronts the building where she lives, she speaks again of life and love and looking up she smiles and says “I Love you,” in the ways she once could not.  She shares  the meaningful ideas, those instant joys that children bring as well from sifting instantly those things of lasting value from things that will not last.  For with time and memories that have gone, the best of her is now.   Her soul that came as an infant with its innocence and charm retains that simple essence that reflects the good in us.  And that good is given as the gift to all who listen to the Lauras of the world, the ones who find in this wisdom of the elderly  the spiritual benefits of life.

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.  We are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Teilhard de Chardin  

“Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding.” Job 12:12 (NASB), the Bible

“Be content and let thy mind go like the river you see before thine eyes, which is always flowing onward, forever to the ocean and yet is untouched by anything.” Eckankar Stranger by the River, p. 23

“By good deeds, pure lives, humility and meekness be a lesson for others,” Abdul-Baha, Tablets of Abdul-Baha, v1, p. 22, Baha'i Faith

World religious experts, educators condemn Iran's attack on Baha'is

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NEW YORK, Carol Forsloff – Iran’s persecution of Baha’is continues in a country where those of minority religious views not only have their spiritual life restricted but their education as well.

Recently more than 40 distinguished philosophers and theologians from 16 countries condemned Iran for restricting young Baha’is and others from seeking higher education.

Baha’is constitute the largest minority religion in Iran. The religion began in the mid-19^th century with the announcement first of the Bab and later Baha’u’llah that God had sent a “manifestation” to bring a new message of peace for the world.  The Bab is a title meaning “the Gate” and refers to a man claimed to be the forerunner to Baha’u’llah, the prophet for the present age according to his followers, in the same manner as John the Baptist was to Jesus Christ.

Islam teaches that Muhammad was God’s final messenger. Therefore, any religion that adds to or promotes another religion as superior is considered heresy.

43 distinguished academics from Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim backgrounds have signed an open letter, published in The Daily Telegraph (UK), and reported in the Folha de São Paulo (Brazil), as presented in a press release from the National Baha’I Center over the weekend.

The academics address the persecution and inequities of the Baha’is by emphasizing in a letter to the Iranian government, “Attacks such as these, against the rights of citizens to organize and be educated in freedom, can no longer be tolerated. We call upon the Iranian government not only to cease its persecution of Baha’is, but to provide, and promote, education for all.”

On Sunday, the Baha’is of Beaverton, one of the small-town areas that stretch the Portland, Oregon tentacles, met at a local center to reaffirm their belief in basic Baha’I principles which include the independent investigation of truth and the equality of women and men. Baha’is maintain men and women should be educated equally, using the analogy of a bird with two wings, male and female, both of which must be strong for the bird to fly. Independent investigation of truth encourages people to find religious and scientific truths, which must be in balance as well according to Baha’is.

Janet Imaki, a local Portland-area Baha’i, says this, “Baha’i principles are essential not just for us but for all mankind, when it comes to things like education. We are a growing community in the Portland area, but in other parts of the world, like Iran, our religion has been persecuted. Many Iranians of the Baha’i Faith are in this country and tell us how wonderful it is to worship freely in America and to seek education.”

Janet Imaki

Baha’is strongly encourage education and believe work done in the spirit of service to be an expression of worship.