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Show m HBiaaaM Schuyler Answers Want Ad, Receives Answers to Questions New Faith Combination of World Religions Schuyler learned about his religious faith through the want ads. When I was up in Seattle, Schuyler said, I was leafing through a paper like the Nickel Ads and saw an ad that said if you wanted to know about the Baha'i faith, call this number. I called it, and I became a Baha'i. Since then, Schuyler said he puts an ad in the paper in every town he lives in, for anyone searching for answers to questions like the ones he had in college. Sometimes get phone calls, Schuyler said, which is nice. Schuyler, a native Utahn, is a surveyor working for a local engineering firm in Vernal. While studying at Weber State University. Schuyler began to question religion. After much study and research he began to feel that either or all of the leading rclgions, such as Christianity. Buddhism or Moslem, were correct or none of them at all were. When hie moved to Seattle and looked through the want ads is when he found what he had searched for the Baha'i Faith: A New World Sam 1 ' Religion. The Baha'i Faith is a new. independent, universal religion," Schuyler said. Its goals are to revitalize mankind spiritually, to break down the barriers between people and to lay the foundation for a unified world society based upon principles of justice and love. The religion is relatively new, beginning in Shira'z, Persia on May 23, 1844. A young man known as the Bab, or Gate, .announced that hw came as the fulfillment of prophecy and was to prepare the way for the appearance of a great world teacher and revealer of the word of God, who would usher in an age of peace for all mankind. Thirteen years alter the martyrdom of Bab, Baha'ullah, while an exile in Baghdad in 1863. announced his own revelation and thus is known as the founder of the Bahai Faith. From the beginning until today there has been much persecutions by the Islamic hierarchy and the Iranian and Turkish governments. Iran, which according to Schuyler has the most Baha'is per capita than any other country, kills and tortures the Baha'i people, not because of religious beliefs, but because the Khomeini regime considers them a political threat. They're not viewed in Iran as a religious group but rather as a political group. Schuyler stated. And they take the whipping because they believe they shouldn't light back. The teachings of Baha'ullah revitalize the essential verities revealed by each former prophet but. in addition, reveal new truths conforming to the needs of this age. The Baha'i teachings standard require an of moral eonduct. Monogamy is a law lor all. and chaste conduct is commanded. Alcohol and narcotics are prohibited except for medical purposes. Purity, honesty, generosity and selflessness are regarded as fundamental virtues: and a sense of responsibility for one's fcllowman is emphasized. Baha'is deeply revere Christ. Moses and the founders of all the world's revealed religions, such as Christianity. Judaism and Isla'm. as part of God's plan of progressive revelation down through the ages of time. They believe them to be the extremely high inspiration and cause of world cixilizations that have followed in their Baha'is do not believe in the multitude of sects and divisions existing in the religions that were founded by these messengers of God. They do not join other religions because they believe that the revelation of Baha'ullah is the latest of the divinely revealed religions and that it fulfills their age-ol- d promises of the wake. spiritual unity of all mankind. We believe in nine major prophets that have come so far. A new prophet comes every 500 to 1.0(H) years, Schuyler said. He continued. Some l.DS friends want to know what we do in between prophets. We just implement what the lust prophet taught us. Schuyler said each man must investigate truth for himself without depending upon the interpretations of others. In fact. Schuyler said, You can't become a Baha'i until you're 15 years old. Education for youth of both sexes is compulsory and includes training for a useful art. trade or profession. National, racial and religious prejudices are specifically forbidden. Mankind is proclaimed to be one family. Peace in this first, age will be attained in two stages through a world federation: and second. through the unity of religion. The solution and he is very satisfied with this new of the economic problem is spiritual in religion. Schuyler states that Baha'is nature, Schuyler believes. The equality of conduct no formalized services: devotions men and women is proclaimed for the first include no ritual, sermon or collection, time in religious scriptures. but consist simply of the readings of There are no clergy in the Baha'i Faith prayers and selected passages from the and no one has more authority than holy books. Daily prayer is obligatory for anyone else, man or woman, Schuyler Bahais, Schuyler said. said. There is no priesthood in the Bahai The Baha'i Faith is a religion, a society faith. Baha'ullah has placed the and a way of life. It reoffers spiritual responsibility upon each individual for his truths the world needs but from which it own spiritual progress. Local spiritual has turned away, and it provides laws for assemblies are elected annually by all regulating society that are new and suited adult Bahai residents within each city. to the requirements of our own age. It is The national administrative body in this still in its infancy, with its greatest country is the National Spiritual and of period accomplishments growth Assembly of the Bahais of the United said. ahead, Schuyler lying States, with headquaters in Wilmette, The Baha'i Faith has members in over Illinois. The administrative and Spiritual 333 sovereign states, territories and World Center of the Bahai Faith is its literature has been located in Haifa, Isreal. islands, and translated into about 589 languages. Schuyler is married to a school teacher. There are 350 in Utah and, according to Cathy, who is a Mormon but believes that 15 in the Uintah about Basin. Schuyler, There are good things in the Bahai a 7:30 have at meeting p.m. every They Faith. 716 2300 at South evening Wednesday Schuyler also has a son, Adam, who is West in Vernal. in the fifth grade at Discovery Elementary Since 1977 Schuyler has been a Baha'i School. i . . Mt t k T i r I t I ' k , |
