Helpless or Fearless?

We here, awake as we may think we are, still carry on about “the world” with all its woes and inhumanities but all too often only as an intellectual exercise

Before I had the opportunity to view a powerful film, To Light a Candle, I had already titled my upcoming presentation at Barnes & Noble “Helpless or Fearless?” After seeing the film I had an even greater sense of the meaning of those words.

I’ve been enjoying interacting with members of the Baha’i faith in Flagstaff over the past couple of months. I’ve found the people to be very family and community oriented, decent and loving, etc. They have regular monthly meetings, called firesides, at a local coffee house and I drop in for those too whenever possible. While I knew a little bit about their faith, and that they were a persecuted minority in Iran, I hadn’t delved into it before seeing the film.

At the screening of the film I had the opportunity to also meet Manziar, Ruhollah and Bijan, three men involved in the production of the film, and/or Baha’i education through BIHE, the institution set up for higher education for Baha’is, necessitated by the persecution of professors, students, families, etc.

Without wanting to discuss the merits and/or shortcomings of the religion, etc., I’m bringing this to everyone’s attention because of how little may otherwise be known about the inhuman and inhumane persecution of the Baha’is by the fundamentalist Islamic degenerates, the mullahs, etc., in Iran, who of course are kin to the murderous IS, etc.

One certainly doesn’t have to believe in any religion, philosophy, etc., to recognize and be appalled by how a group of people – demonstrably, infinitely more intelligent and civilized than their persecutors – are being savaged by these dregs of humankind. Because the majority of Americans (and many other people) have no personal experience with, let alone real awareness of, such things watching this film and having the chance to interact with people such as Manziar, Ruhollah and Bijan was very eye opening.

These people were remarkably composed, with a quiet, dignity and kindness that bespoke the triumph of inner strength, determination and perseverance and having endured great misery at the hands of what are supposedly members of our same human race. It must also be realized that they do come from an actual long enduring, rich…culture, something that is ridiculously absent here and made all the more apparent when in the presence of people who embody some of its refined elements.

I also bring this to your attention because to a great degree we here, awake as we may think we are, still carry on about “the world” with all its woes and inhumanities but all too often only as an intellectual exercise, not realizing that these horrible things really are going on…now. The persecution of the Baha’i doesn’t seem to have attracted the attention, outrage and activism on the part of any celebrity champions, such as the people of Tibet and the Dalai Lama does, so it hasn’t become a trendy cause to give lip service to (while being unaware of the less glamorous realities of the DL).

I Don’t Respect Your Beliefs

Make no mistake about it, there is plenty of pro and con information about the Baha’i faith itself, much of which, one could safely bet, many of its adherents may be quite unaware of. But as I said to Bijan in our conversation, “I don’t respect your beliefs…and I hope you feel the same way about mine. I do respect good values and people who not only espouse but actually live them.” And I felt that I was truly with good people that evening.

I had planned to do a whole blog on this but this is as good an opportunity as any to elaborate just a little on that point. Beliefs by definition are not truths. Many beliefs that people get all dopey and precious about are not only absurd, as they pertain to various imaginary gods, saviors, saints, angels, heaven, hell, etc., etc., but they’re not even original to the believer. Add to that that they are subject to change and, well, it’s simply a waste of time to get hung up “respecting” them.

What am I supposed to do about all the delusional beliefs you had before you converted to your new set of beleifs, which I had really gone well out of my way to accommodate? Right. So don’t expect respect for that stuff. And, as I said, please apply that same standard to anything resembling beliefs on my part.

All that being said, what I did and do respect in these people who have religious beliefs that I certainly don’t share, is that they conduct themselves in ways that seem to engender love, peace, freedom and harmony, some of the same values and cornerstones inherent in the spiritual teaching. In fact, while they may not be entirely fearless in fearful conditions, they certainly are courageous.

In a world almost otherwise devoid of such qualities, that’s good enough for me.

An Important Request

I am going to be presenting “The Spiritual Teaching: The Reason for the Billy Meier UFO Contacts”, at the Alien Cosmic Expo, and at a FIGU Canada presentation, both in the Toronto area in late June.

The airfare is almost $1,000 and thankfully I’ve received some donations already. Any contributions are greatly appreciated. They can be sent to [email protected] through PayPal, using the “Sending money to family and friends” option.

The organizers of the event hadn’t heard of the Meier case, or me, and had already booked all the speakers they had budgeted for. Once I had gotten in touch, with them and they delved into the information I sent them, they extended the offer for me to speak there and changed their schedule to accommodate my presentation. I’ll also be making a free presentation at the Susan Smith Library, in Toronto, with my friends at FIGU Canada.

Pro and con on the Baha’i faith:

To Light a Candle

A Quiet Genocide

BahaiFace

Helpless or Fearless? originally appeared on They Fly Blog on April 13, 2015.