Finding meaning in the Baha’i faith


Faith Matters

Peggy Schlesinger

Special to The Republic


My life has been a series of discoveries and efforts. I was born a Presbyterian but became a member of the Baha’i Faith when I was in high school. My older sister told me about the Baha’i Faith, and I felt it was true and logical. The concept of Progressive Revelation made perfect sense to me, which is that there is one God who has sent different Messengers of God at different times to different people to help guide us toward what we are supposed to do and what is good for us. Thereby, all the religions are really just part of one faith with the latest installment being Baha’u’llah, meaning the Glory of God. In support of this logic, all religions have the Golden Rule at their heart. We should treat others as we want to be treated.

Service is an important aspect of the Baha’i Faith, along with concepts of the elimination of all forms of prejudice, equality of women and men, and the harmony of science and religion. My particular passion is toward appreciation of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Because of this passion, I participate in several like-minded organizations, such as the Arizona Interfaith Movement, Chandler4Change, and East Valley NAACP. I have also been the lead for the Walk4Unity in Chandler, celebrating the United Nations Human Rights Day. I feel it is important that we stand up for Human Rights as not everyone receives basic rights, even in America. When I spend time with people who are different than me, I gain an appreciation of our humanness and recognize that most people have the same basic hopes and wants.

As a Baha’i, I feel I can be a bearer of hope. Many people are struggling with hopelessness because they don’t see any positive path to the future. I believe that although we are living in a time of social decay, there is another force towards building a better society. One of the ways I practice this is through trying to develop virtues such as kindness, generosity, and compassion. Rather than thinking everything is about how much I can personally benefit, I’m interested in how we can all benefit. Developing virtues is good for me as a person, as I think it helps my spiritual development and also helps society. As more people see the value in practicing virtues, I think we will feel we can trust each other much more. We can promote everyone reaching their full capacity. We, as a society, could accomplish so much more than we have when we remove the current barriers for everyone and give up on hate and greed.

We all have challenges. When I realized that there is a Higher Power where I can ask for help and accept guidance given, I am not alone. I feel I can depend on help when going through hard times, but it doesn’t eliminate difficulties. I feel I grow because of my challenges. I believe, as an individual, I can make a difference.

Peggy Schlesinger has been a Baha’i for more than 50 years and has serviced in a variety of capacities in the Baha’i Faith. She moved to Chandler thirty years ago and worked for Intel Corporation as an Enterprise Data Architect, analyzing and organizing data structures throughout the corporation until she retired.

Service is an important aspect of the Baha’i Faith, along with concepts of the elimination of all forms of prejudice, equality of women and men, and the harmony of science and religion.


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