Fertile Field: LETTER FOM THE FERTILE FIELD TEAM:

From the February, 2003 edition of Fertile Field

LETTER FOM THE FERTILE FIELD TEAM:

When the Fertile Field team decided to explore "Why Religion" as the topic for the November edition, it was a surprise endeavor. It seemed that we were exploring a new genre, one that has often been considered a taboo or risky topic for youth to discuss, one to which many adults might have replied "no, no," for fear that we might lose what we adopted from their beliefs. What we hoped to prove with this issue was that faith comes in different forms, and that it becomes a strong, defining element in all of our personalities, one that we do question, all the time, for the sake of our own selves. For the first time, Fertile Field decided to really explore an issue that to many of us is scary, and perhaps disconcerting: the issue of why religion helps us, hurts us, makes things go and why faith can make us stop dead in our tracks.

Perhaps the topic was too broad. Perhaps it's just not a good topic for words. We got a few responses here and there, but overall, the Fertile Field editorial team was left scratching our heads and wondering, "Where are the responses? Surely someone out there wants to answer the question 'Why Religion?'" Because we didn't receive the scads of commentaries we thought we'd receive and because we still think this is a fair and interesting topic to all of us, we want to keep the floor open for ‘Why Religion.’ We want to know why you choose, feel, and adopt your faith. Why is it right? How do you know? If you don't know, what then?

More than anything, people want to read something real. They want to see that there are people like them in this world who feel the way they do. We want a sense of camaraderie that not only bonds us to each other but that also affirms our diversity. Fertile Field exists for Baha'is and those who are not Baha'i as an intellectual and spiritual playground where both our shared and conflicting ideas have a space in which to blossom and inspire discussion. This is why Fertile Field is for ALL religions, for ALL youth, and all friends of Baha'is. We want to raise the standard for our generation -- we are about to be the leaders, it's about time we recognize that in ourselves and to really put our brains to work.

In the future, we hope to see Fertile Field really spread its wings and truly question what and why and have fun and make friends the entire time. As the Fertile Field editorial team, we might want to help inspire and motivate young people on an intellectual and scholastic level, but simultaneously we should remember that we are young, and we should have fun -- dance like no one is watching and be not afraid to make mistakes.

The Fertile Field editorial team is here for you. Please feel free to send us your thoughts and feedback, and remember to tell a friend about Fertile Field. After all, we exist for you and those like you. So bring it on.

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