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SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING
Spiritual duty or intrusion? |

Over the past two weeks, Spiritually Speaking has looked at the ac-
tivities of missionaries, past and present. This week, we explore the phi-
losophy of mission and the ethics involved in wanting to convert other

people to your own belief system.

SOME PEOPLE consider mission work part of their duty
to their fellow human beings. Other people, equally
spiritual in nature, consider jt an invasion of another’s
privacy and avoid it like the plague.

Currently, the two extremes
could perhaps be illustrated at one
end of the spectrum by the ag-
gressive techniques advertised by
RBMU, an international Christian
missionary organization that
claims to specialize in ‘‘targeting
and entering hidden people groups
— whether in remote jungle areas
vor sophisticated urban centres,’’
and, at the other end, by the
Unitarian Universalist church, also
an international religious body.

**Because of our tremendous
respect for ‘adividual integrity,
we've been afraid to sell
ourselvcs,’’ the North Shore
Unitarian Church’s Rev. Harold
Rosen says of most Unitarians’
reluctance to in any way ‘‘push’’
their beliefs on others.

In fact, writes Unitarian

By Peggy Trendell-Whittaker .
News Reporter

minister Gene Pickett ‘‘many
Unitarians are more reluctant to
discuss their religious faith with
others than they are to discuss
their sex life.’’

However, like most things in
life, missionary activites are nei-
ther solely good or solely bad.
Many people involved in religious
organizations, including
Unitarians, are seeking the middle
ground whereby they can inform
the public as to what their faith
offers, without forcing their
beliefs upon them.

Jeff Zak is the lay pastor of the
South Lonsdale Mission, which

Baha‘is celebrate festival

THE BAHA'IS of the North
Shore will celebrate their annual
Festival of Ridvan from April 21
to May 2.

A. series of events will be held
on the North Shore and these will
be open to the general public.

The word ‘‘Ridvan’’ means

“Paradise,” and for the 12 days .

of April 21 to May 2, 1863,
Baha’u’lah, the Prophet-Founder
of the Baha’i Faith, resided in a
garden of Baghdad thai he desig-
nated ‘‘the Garden of Ridvan.”’

The location and the time hold
a special significance for members
of the Baha'i Faith, because in
this garden, Baha’u’llah (whose
Name means “The Glory of
God’’) publicly proclaimed His
mission as God’s messenger for
this age.

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

orth shi

TURDAY +» WEDNESDAY + FRIDAY

Baha’is believe that the procla-
mation of Baha’u’Wah in the
Garden of Ridvan marks the
beginning of His public mission,
and so this annual festival is cele-
brated by Baha’is with great joy
and fellowship.

With the Festival of Ridvan,
Baha’i communities thoughout the
world celebrate the emergence of
the new religion, proclaimed dur-
ing those 12 days in the garden of
Baghdad.

“The Baha’is of the North
Si:ore hope that you will join
them for their celebration of the
Festival of Ridvan,’’ say com-
munity members. ‘For informa-
tion on event times and locations,
call the Baha’i Bookstore and In-
formation Centre at 731-8199.""

The

next time

YOUR COMMUNITY

NEWSPAPER
SINCE 1863

Sunday, April 21, 1991 - North Shore News - 23

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offers movie nights on Saturdays
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Zak describes mission work by
citing the old saying in which one
beggar tells another where he
found bread: to share God’s word
with others is an ‘‘obligation."’

However, he says converting to
the Christian faith is an individual
choice. ‘*You can’t push it on
anybody, but you can share what
God has done in your liie.’’

Rosen says that the Unitarian
church has something to learn
from the evangelical approach of
many of the Christian denomina-
tions.

He points to Unitarian minister
Robert Latham, who wrote: ‘If
we wish those values we cherish to
survive our personal death, it will

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