Uniting under one faith

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Katie Thoennes, Alida Hovey and Jesica Thoennes all belong to the Baha'i faith.

Talk about it

Editor’s note: This is the next in a series of articles focusing on diversity. The articles are a collaborative effort between the Echo Press and the Diversity Resource Action Alliance, a community organization committed to strengthening the understanding and appreciation of diversity.

It seems an honorable goal for any religion – to unite people of all backgrounds, rise above the division and prejudice of the world, and become lovers of all humankind.

That’s what people of the Baha’i faith hope to achieve. They want people to recognize that we are all children of one loving God. They want to unite all the races and peoples of the world. They want civilization to be built on a foundation of love and justice.

But in their efforts to accept everyone for what they believe and eliminate prejudice, they have come up against some of their own.

“This has been amazing,” said Katie Thoennes, a member of the Baha’i faith for about three years. “To not have an audience, for people to be so narrow-minded that they aren’t willing to let you share that happiness, that’s the hardest part.”

What’s amazing to Katie and her sister, Jesica Thoennes, both of Millerville, and 15-year-old Alida Hovey of Osakis, is the peace and joy that being a part of the Baha’i faith has brought them.

“It has really touched my heart,” Alida said.

About Baha’i

At a little more than 150 years old, the Baha’i faith is the newest of the world religions.

It was founded in 1863 in Iran when Persian nobleman, Baha’u’llah (which means glory of God), announced he was the one promised by the Bab, who had foretold the coming of a new prophet of God.

“We believe that Baha’u’llah was a manifestation of God,” Alida explained.

“You have to accept Baha’u’llah as God’s most recent manifestation and try to follow the laws that guide us to help our lives become beautiful and better,” Katie added.

The faith has grown to be the second-most widespread of independent world religions. It embraces people from more than 2,100 ethnic, racial and tribal groups.

That’s why Katie, Jesica and Alida are so grateful that it has transformed their lives and made them better people.

Becoming Baha’i

A few years ago, Jesica was discouraged by the conflicting views and fighting amongst religions.

“I thought, can’t we unite?” Jesica pondered. “Isn’t there a commonality that all religions have? I was searching for that oneness.”

Then she “miraculously” read a quote from Baha’u’llah, and it inspired her to study the Baha’i faith in-depth. After working with the Peace Corps in Jordan, she connected with the faith even more. But she still wasn’t sure.

“I was praying really hard to God to show me the way,” Jesica said. “The next morning I woke up and it was very clear to me. It was like a birth light – I want to be Baha’i. The solutions to the world’s problems lie in this faith.”

Jesica took this newfound transformation and explained it to her sister. Katie, who had just graduated from law school, was on her own personal quest for justice and was a rapt listener.

During a nine-month stay in Mexico, Katie lived with a Baha’i woman from Persia on her quest to learn more. After two “awesome” weekend retreats and intense study, Katie followed in her sister’s Baha’i footsteps. It’s a decision she will never regret.

“It’s what’s in your heart,” she said of being Baha’i. “It’s a spiritual connection between you and God.”

While the Thoennes sisters sought out their own faith, Alida Hovey was raised Baha’i. Her grandmother accepted the Baha’i faith 12 years ago, followed closely by her parents, Ryan and Lori Hovey of Osakis. She has investigated other religions, encouraged by her parents, but is fairly certain that it will always be a part of who she is.

“I believe in Baha’u’llah,” Alida said.

The challenges

Being a part of a faith that promotes acceptance has sometimes had the opposite effect on those who practice it. It has posed a few challenges for Katie, Jesica and Alida.

“Some people shy away from me because I’m Baha’i,” said Alida. “They see it as different, so it’s weird.”

“There are actually people who will tell you that you are going to hell because of this,” Katie said. “I don’t really talk to people about it because they aren’t open-minded.”

“It’s unfortunate that people aren’t willing to listen,” Jesica agreed. “There is a lot of dogma and tradition [associated with religion] and that puts up veils. If something is different, they close the door and won’t listen.”

Ironically, the Baha’i’s resolve to abstain from alcohol has posed one of the greatest challenges. Even for Alida, a minor.

“It is hard for me because they [her peers] don’t understand why I don’t drink,” she said.

“I’m 27 and it still comes up,” Katie said. “People feel if you don’t drink you are criticizing them. I’ve never been critical. I’ve never implied anything. I’m not trying to force my viewpoints on anyone else.”

All three have discovered that when people ask questions and are willing to listen, they are much more accepting. They strongly encourage others to ask questions and have an open mind to the answers.

God’s flower garden

Despite the challenges and prejudices they face, Jesica, Katie and Alida all agree that the positive experience of being Baha’i far outweighs the negative.

“You don’t have to be anybody else but who you are inside,” Alida said of her faith. “You feel like you are part of a family.”

And all three hope that someday, the goal of their faith to eliminate prejudice and accept others for who they are and what they believe is achieved – everywhere.

“We are all human beings and created by God and we must show love to each other,” Jesica said. “That’s how we overcome the issues that we face.”

“I found all the answers I had been looking for,” Katie concluded. “We are all flowers of one garden that derives its beauty from the diversity of the whole garden. Once you have that concept, the idea of racism doesn’t exist.”

Religious Tolerance

People of many faiths and beliefs live side by side. Everyone has an opportunity to build a foundation of mutual respect, openness and trust.

Each individual must find a way to live his or her life of faith with integrity and allow others to do so, too.

When interacting with people of other faiths:

• Allow other people freedom to express their beliefs and convictions.

• Learn what others value and believe and let them express it in their own terms.

• Respect other people’s convictions about food, dress and social etiquette and do not behave in ways that cause needless offense.

• Recognize that everyone falls short of the ideals of their own traditions sometimes and never compare your ideals with another person’s practices.

• Work to prevent disagreement from leading to conflict.

When talking about matters of faith with one another, everyone wants others to respect their views. Practice self-restraint and concern for other people’s freedom and dignity. This means:

• Listening as well as speaking.

• Being honest about beliefs and religious alliances.

• Correcting misunderstandings between faiths when they arise.

• Respect the rights of others to disagree with you.

Living and working together is not always easy. Draw on your own faith to bring about reconciliation and understanding. When you listen and respond with openness and respect, you can acknowledge genuine differences and build to shape hopes and values.

(Information submitted by Diversity Resource Action Alliance, modified from the Inter Faith Network for the UK, 1993, 2000).

Tags: life, features, diversity