One of my neighbors who has become a dear friend in the past few months is suddenly extremely ill, and wondering what she did that God is punishing her for. A widowed in-law has lately been calling me to pour out her frustration with a child currently in prison, nearly convinced that it is her destiny to lose loved ones.

Perhaps I am becoming a grumpy old woman, but I really have no patience with either excuse for giving up on life. A main part of why the Bahá'í Faith attracts me is its perspective on both creation and my place in it--and most importantly, what freedoms I have to act or react to what happens to me.

I like the idea that creation has both a purpose AND rules that give boundaries and assist in achieving that purpose. It is easier to decide what to do if I know what can and cannot be changed. So, while I cannot change gravity, for instance, (and it probably would be a bad idea to mess with it if I could) I do not have to jump off a cliff, either. Degrees of freedom exist within a framework I can't change.

The latest article from the Baha'i site at BellaOnline.com addresses briefly the paradox of free will and predestination:

Fate and Predestination in the Bahá'í Faith
What does the Bahá'í Faith say about the perennial questions of Fate and predestination, and how does free will play any part in the Plan they firmly believe exists for creation?

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art180563.asp

Please visit bahai.bellaonline.com for more about the Baha'i Faith and what it's like to live a Bahá'í life -- at least, what it's like for me...

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http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=321

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback

Cheryll Schuette, Baha'i Editor
http://bahai.bellaonline.com