Shanel Taylor
Evanston, Illinois
Baha'i since March 2007

Shanel TaylorI became a Baha'i because the Faith’s main principles are what I’ve believed all my life, although I didn’t know there was a religion that encompassed them all until about a year and a half ago. I was surfing the web looking for gardens to visit and clicked on a page at www.bahai.us featuring the gardens at the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette (Illinois).

I said to myself, “I’m not looking for temples; I’m looking for gardens.” But I was intrigued by the website, so I kept clicking and reading until I came to a page where I could sign up to talk to a Baha'i in my area. I didn’t do it right then, but after reading about the Faith every day at lunch for one month, I thought, “I guess I can let one of them contact me.” They did, and gave me a prayer book and books about the Faith. They invited me to a study circle, which I kept attending.

I was a little wary of this relatively new religion, but discovered that the followers were nice people. I really loved the core beliefs, which include that men and women are equal, and that humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race. I loved the high moral principles, which include trustworthiness, honesty and compassion. I loved everything about the Faith so after more than a year of investigation, I decided to become a Baha’i.

For me, the most significant thing about becoming a Baha'i is that it has given me hope. I used to think God was cruel in having me wake up every day to the same old world and ask, “Why am I here? The world is in such a mess that it’s too big a problem to do anything about. What’s the point of me being here?”

Now when I wake up every day I’m happy. I understand my place in the world and that what I do, however small, has an impact on all others. So I try to make a positive impact by carrying out the virtues I have a handle on and cultivating those I lack. The Baha'i Faith gives me a framework for how to be virtuous and to have patience in the process.

Because Baha’is believe in progressive revelation -- that the world's major religions are part of a single, progressive process through which God reveals His will to humanity – I don’t lose the contribution of the other manifestations of God, such as Jesus, Moses, Krishna and Mohammad. There’s common ground here. It all makes sense.