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Baha'i's use the term "declaration" regarding their belief in and commitment to Baha'u'llah. Here I will tell you about the event that led to my declaration.
I had been aware of the Baha'i Faith for many years and had visited the Temple in Chicago a number of times.
Then, back in my native Kansas I saw an ad in the Sunday paper with a picture of the Temple and called out of curiosity that there were Baha'i's there.
At the local Baha'i's insistence I visited with the group that morning but told them I had no time to read a book. Their reply was:
The banners were in store windows, on car bumpers, on telephone poles, and on two big banners strung across the main street at both ends.
Each evening a Baptist friend would come and ask me to go but I was too busy.
The final evening he came and insisted and insisted telling me that the night before over a hundred and fifty people and gone forward to be baptized, and that this was my last chance to -
At one end of the court was a stage with 150 robed members of the choir comprised of the joint choirs of a number of the cities churches.
Three of the four balconies surrounding three sides of the basket ball court were also filled with only some vacant seats in the fourth balcony. Thousands in attendance.
It looked something like a political convention with lettered signs held up on tall poles showing the seating location of each of the city's many churches.
The choir and congregation concluded a hymn and all sat down and Haggai rose to speak. Indeed a powerful sermon.
I still remember from the sermon how he pointed out the number of beneficial institutions of mankind that have been started because of the teaching of Christ.
There are hospitals, and schools, orphanages and relief organizations of all sorts. The list goes on into the tens - as he gave it, and the numbers of each in the tens of thousands or more.
What man, he asked, has ever done more to benefit mankind? One can look at all sorts of political organizations and political philosophies. Personal organizations, and personal philosophies but what has done more than the teaching of Christ to benefit mankind?
Then he pointed out. One is either for or against this movement that has so benefited mankind. One cannot say that they are neutral or indifferent - because they are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Many were the points that Haggai made of this sort.
I concluded that well it doesn't really do any harm in supporting Christ - and better this source of good than none.
When the altar call was given - no one went up although over a hundred and fifty had gone the night before. Even more were expected this night - but I guess the crowd had thought to beat the rush.
Several times Haggai paused the choir - and urged sinners to come forward. One time he gave an exhortation that those there would be standing on one side of the Pearly Gates and that husband, brother, sister, friend next to them would not be because they had not turned to them and offered to go forward with them.
My friend stood next to me like a statue of rock, but I must have dropped a shoulder or something because an usher came up from behind and asked if I would like to go forward.
And so we marched out - I and my two guards leading, and the other fellow and his two guards trailing.
Up the broad cement and steel stairways behind the auditorium and into a team dressing room.
Red brick walls and wooden floors with windows two feet above one's head. Fold-down windows with opaque chicken wire-embedded glass. Hanging from the 15 ft ceiling down the middle of the 50 ft room five single light fixtures on stranded cord with green shades and 150 watt bulbs.
Except for one table - the otherwise unfurnished room had lining down the walls on each side a half dozen 7 ft benches with patches of white showing through peeling green paint worn out from a generation of showered athletes having been sitting upon them.
Being first through the door - my guards and I proceeded forward several benches and sat down with one guard on each side.
With a couple of benches in between my companion captive was also similarly seated. And thus we sat - in total silence none of our guards having every spoken a single word to either of us.
Through the thick walls of the fortress and away in the distance we could dimly hear the voices of thousands raised in praise to the Lord of the Ages.
And then - total silence as there must have been being offered upon them a final blessing.
And suddenly - a loud clamor and commotion as thousands rose from their seats and moved towards the exit.
Bit by bit, the clamor died away until again there was total silence. Wait. Wait. And then from the distance - thump, thump, thump growing louder - thuMP, tHUMP, THUMP, and the door burst open and in marched Haggai with twenty or more ministers behind him.
He stopped in front of the other prisoner, whose guards IMMEDIATELY split away from him and departed as the ministers formed a semi-circle around behind Haggai, who said -
Haggai then turned towards me. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, and the semi-circle formed behind him. SUDDENLY my guards were GONE!
"Well, I have one question that concerns me. May I ask it?"
"Yes?"
"Well, you see I have been attending this Buddhist Church in Chicago - and what I want to know is - 'Are my Buddhist friends ALL really going to go to hell?'"
But, I did exactly as he said, and I want to testify to the efficacy of Christian prayer. Each evening and morning I read a chapter of the Gospel of St. John and each morning and evening I got down on my knees and I prayed to God to show me His Will.
A few nights later - I was asleep in my room - when a figure appeared through the darkened doorway.
"Wha, wha, what?
"Never mind!
"Get up and get dressed."
"Never mind - do it."
"What should I wear?"
"Those pants, that jersey,
"Neat. But no thanks,
But my friend insisted.
"Well, okay."
I sail completely across the street -
I ask that a call be placed to my Christian Science Teacher, (I am what they call a class taught student) as they take me down to X-ray, for 14 breaks where the car had hit me -
And so I ended back at my office - when my father shows up from our home 30 miles south - having heard about it on the radio. He arrived at the same time as one of the Baha'i's I had met.
My father and the Baha'i insisted that I accompany my father home, where my father summoned a local physician. Although there were three hospitals in the town the physician decided I should be sent back by ambulance to the city, where I was confined to a bed although I still declined surgery.
The next day the Baha'i came with a book.
My favorite song became, Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy singing -
Each person's experience in their religion is a mystery. Each person finds the mystery of life and love in their own experiences. For some my experience may seem more story teller than story - but we all seek the mystery of life.
There are always deeper Truths and we can always grow deeper to God. Many are the paths and some may wonder how one can say that one path is better than another.
One never has the FINAL answer and all that one can do is compare what they have with what they are given the opportunity to examine. You have a box -- and I have a box. You KNOW that what is in your box is beautiful and wonderful. You just can't imagine that there can be anything better.
You say to me -
But, those who are haughty before God - and refuse to look in another box, will never know. They can progress but only within their box and as wonderful as that may be it is still confining and that is all that they will have from Eternity unto Eternity - while there is Infinitely more to God and His Creation.
What we are meant to gain and set in this life is our attitude of openness to the Holy Spirit - and not some limited amount of finite knowledge or dogma.
If there is good in all religions, one may ask - then what difference does it make which religion one chooses. The difference is that one must choose to do the Will of God - and they must always be open to making comparisons and choices as He leads us on the path.
Many a Christian, many a Mormon, has borne me their testimony. Because I lived in Provo, Utah and would always welcome the practicing Mormon Missionaries I am sure that I have had more Mormon Testimonies borne unto me than any other single individual on earth.
"Oh, no, no -
"Nope, I am going to do it."
"No, really, you don't have to do it."
"Yes, I do."
"Well, okay, I suppose so,
But I do wish - that they could also look into my box, and see then which they think it is the Will of God that they should choose.
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