Fireside speaker talks about his religion

Conversation by the fire at the Castle last night was anything but typical. Michael Penn, a psychologist at Franklin and Marshall College and a member of the Baha'i Faith, joined members of the Community Service Living Learning Program to discuss his religion. The discussion, known as a "fireside" among the Baha'i community, was intended to inform the students about the Baha'i religion and encourage them to become involved. Penn, who was first exposed to the Baha'i Faith when he was an undergraduate at the University, said its purpose is "the transformation of the individual and society." On the individual level, one must "struggle to be free of prejudice," while as a society we must "finally come together," he said. In order for this transformation to occur "a force is necessary," according to Penn. This force is released about once every 1,000 years, and it comes in the form of a messenger who serves to cleanse the present society. "In the wake of these great teachers society advances tremendously," Penn said. The most recent of these messengers was Baha'u'llah, a Persian nobleman who lived in the mid-19th century. He was "the one promised to the people of the world . . . to usher in an era of peace," Penn said. Today the Baha'i Faith is "very respected," according to Penn, because it presents "an unbiased examination of the condition of a community" and has no racial or ethnic affiliation. Baha'is are working on projects around the world, including literacy programs in India, the Earth Summit in Brazil, and global health care reformation. There are six and a half million members of the Baha'i faith, according to Penn. Penn concluded by addressing the problems that arise because of the diversity of the Baha'is and claiming that they are always overcome because the Baha'is' "uppermost desire is to be unified." "Disagreement is healthy because it facilitates the realization of truth," he added. College junior Anna Lee said the discussion was beneficial because it helped her "to see where Christians have fallen short of how Jesus commands us to love one another." Lee, an Evangelical Christian, said that she is interested in learning more about other faiths. College junior Vafa Valapour, who was born into the Baha'i Faith, invited Penn to speak as part of the dinner speaker series run by CSLLP because "the residents of [CSLLP] wanted to know more" about his religion.

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