Faith for Freedom is the name of the first pamphlet handed me following my (less than cordial) response to the introductory presentation of the Baha i Faith, 43 years ago this month, at The Roanoke Tribune office while still on Henry Street. Upon searching for a good reason to through the materials left me in the trash, I decided to at least read the first line–of which I memorize to this day: “The Baha’i Faith is a new, independent, universal religion whose aim is to revitalize mankind spiritually, to break down the barriers between peoples and to lay the foundation for a universal, world-wide society based on the principles of justice and love! Thus my belligerence ended, my investigation began –and the rest is history.
Faith is defined as “strong belief; complete trust or confidence in something or someone. When that faith is based upon conscious knowledge it is often far more trustworthy than that of mere “blind faith.” Freedom, on the other hand, is the power or right to think, speak or act as one chooses without restraint–pretty much as society has progressed(?) today!
For those unprepared for it, however, freedom can be detrimental. Freedom for the bird that has not yet learned to fly would be fatal. Likewise, to grant self-government to people without education who are dominated by selfish desires and are inexperienced in the conduct of public affairs would also be disastrous. There is nothing more dangerous than freedom for those who are not fit to use it wisely.
Therefore faith, in Someone (or Something) greater than I has always been my solace and strength from childhood and kept me as free (and safe) through it all as anyone could possibly be–for fear of losing such freedom. There was nothing freer than the print media (before social media) that remained regulation free-–to sway or influence its readers, politically, racially or in any other prejudicial manner. “Abuse it and lose it,” has always been my motto.
“Freedom usually causes man to overstep the bounds of propriety and infringe upon the rights of his neighbor.” Of this we are constantly reminded in theory and fact in this loosly knit, helter-skelter modern society in which man, corporations and big business conglomerates are so completely ensnared in the web of materialism they are completely out of touch with the people who put and keep them there. We are therefore reminded in this modern era not to become slaves of convenience or too addicted to and dependent upon the ever increasing devices and conveniences of modern technology. Rather we are advised to “accustom ourselves and especially our children to hardship” that we may become better survivors of physical and emotional disasters–fortified by faith!
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” we read in the Holy Bible (Hebrews 11:1). And in the Baha’i Holy Writings for this new Day: “And now I give to you a commandment that shall be for a covenant between you and Me; that you have faith! That your faith be as steadfast as a rock that no earthly storm can move, that nothing can disturb and that it endure through all things, even to the end. As ye have faith, so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the balance; this is the balance!” (Investigate! 1-800-22unite
