BY MELINDA WILLIAMS

Clipper Staff Writer

CENTERVILLE — One of the basic tenets of the Baha’i faith is that there is only one God and that all major religions spring from that God.

To address the need for religious unity, Baha’is celebrate World Religion Day on the third Sunday of January.

The Baha’is of Centerville will observe the occasion a day early on Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Centerville Library, 45 S. 400 West, beginning at 1 p.m.

The event is open to the public, and will have representatives of several different religious traditions speaking on “Religion as a Power for Unity in the World, according to spokesperson Paul Webb.

Speakers include a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Centerville area, a representative of Wat Dhammagunaram Buddhist Temple in Layton and Jan Saeed, representing the Baha’i faith.

Saeed is currently director of spiritual life at Westminster College. She has worked as a health educator and community activist in Salt Lake City for more than 30 years.

She also has served on the Utah Human Rights Commission, been the director of the Institute for the Healing of Racism, is a board member of the Gandhi Alliance for Peace, past chair of the Olympic Interfaith Roundtable for Salt Lake City, and currently serves on the board of directors for the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) as well as the Utah 3R’s Project board.

She has served the Baha’i communities on the local, regional and national level in many capacities throughout the years and continues as the Utah State coordinator for children’s programs, as well as serving as a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Salt Lake City. She has a bachelor’s degree in community health education from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in spiritual consultation and conflict Resolution from Landegg International University in Switzerland.

Further discussion on the topic will follow as time permits.

The public is invited to arrive 15 minutes early for a brief, informal reception.

According to the Baha’i website, World Religion is being observed increasing by people worldwide to call attention to the harmony of religious principles among various religions and to emphasize religion as a motivating force for world unity. The day generally features interfaith events, such as discussions that foster understanding and communication among various faiths.

According to Baha’i writings, “Religion should be the cause of love and agreement, a bond to unify all mankind for it is a message of peace and goodwill to man from God” and “Religion is the greatest of all means for the establishment of order in the world and for the peaceful contentment of all that dwell therein.”

mwilliams@davisclipper.com