Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

Were you raised in your current religion? I was not raised in my current religion. I was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma, and raised in a Southern Baptist Family. As a child, I went to the Southern Baptist Mission located in the Smelter Heights or to the First Southern Baptist church located in downtown Blackwell.

If not, when did you join your religion, when did that happen and what was that like for you?? I changed my religious affiliation, in the late twentieth century, when I moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. A few years, after moving to Las Vegas I declared my belief in Baha'u'llah, and became a Baha'i. I accepted Baha'u'llah as the latest in the line of Divine Prophets or Manifestations--who reflect the attributes of God to humanity.

Declaring my belief in Baha'u'llah was a simple process, but not an easy process. It is never easy to change one's spiritual path or to question the superstitions and dogma you were raised with. However, becoming a Baha'i was like drinking a glass of cold fresh water on a hot day. I signed a statement of belief (which is no longer a common practice), I was welcomed by the local Spiritual Assembly (the local governing body of the Baha'i faith), and I attended my first nineteen-day feast.

How have you been helped or hurt by religion? When I declared my faith in His Holiness Baha'u'llah, I did not have to give up my faith or belief in His Holiness Christ. Since both Baha'u'llah and Jesus Christ were sent by the Almighty Creator of the Universe, they both reflect the divine attributes to humanity. By accepting Baha'u'llah, I was also able to understand the missions of Muhammad and Moses, among other divine revealers. This has helped me in dealing with people of other religions.

One of the things that has helped me on individual level is the Baha'i concept of the soul.


Mental illness is not a spiritual weakness, it is one of those hindrances that comes between the body and the soul. Anyone who is afflicted with any type of illness, whether physical or mental, is encourages to find appropriate medical help for that illness.

Footnotes
1  Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 153-154.