Brent Poirier

A dedicated seeker of truth - and a finder. Raised a Roman Catholic, based on my reading of the Gospel I became a pacifist in the late 60's but found it ineffective. Looking for something that was faithful to the Bible I grew up with, principled, world-minded, promising, in harmony with psychological health, and offering people of all ages and both sexes to become effective peacemakers, led me to the Baha'i Faith in 1971. I am interested in comparative religion, primarily Baha'i, Jewish, Muslim and Christian, and I enjoy working on reconciliation of differing world views. I understand that world remedies require both structural changes and bringing the human soul into greater self-knowledge and a deeper awareness of God's loving guidance in life. Academically - I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Loyola-Marymount and a law degree from the University of the Pacific - McGeorge Law School. I took post-grad courses in Salzburg in international law, and served an internship in the law offices of the UN in Vienna. I've been a small-town lawyer in the American Southwest and now the Northeast for 35 years. I have been married for more than 30 years to a skilled painter, jeweler and textile artist - Vickie Hu Poirier - and having helped raise her kids after she was widowed, I'm a stepdad of two stellar adult professionals, and a grampa of two gorgeous teens. The Baha'i literature that has influenced me the most is "Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah," and "The Book of Certitude." Besides Scripture, my favorite writer is Emerson, particularly his essay "Self-Reliance." Plato's "Crito" and Carl Rogers' "On Becoming a Person" have also been very influential. I try to write about things that will reach people in useful ways. I am interested in speaking to Christian churches and apologetics classes about the Baha'i Faith, and in particular about Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, as the Return of Christ.