From: McKenny Michael <bn872@freenet.carleton.ca>
To: FG@hotmail.com <FG@hotmail.com>
Cc: bn872@freenet.carleton.ca <bn872@freenet.carleton.ca>
Subject: Re: The Talk.Religion.Bahai Interest Poll has begun.
Date: Friday, December 18, 1998 4:19 AM
Greetings, Frederick.
If you are well, it is well.
I remain very busy, and I still owe you some comment.
The reality is that I have moved on. When I saw everything from a
Baha'i perspective I acted accordingly. I exerted all my effort in what
I considered the most effective way to achieve the most essential goals.
When the Universal House of Justice demonstrated that its purpose was to
remain a dictatorial and unethical institution, when they declared that
I was not a Baha'i, then, I assessed not merely my status within a Baha'i
context, but the context itself.
I do not find fault with anyone who strives, as I did, to effect
change within the context. You are to be highly praised for your efforts
and your intent.
My present analysis is that the Baha'i Faith, because of its attempt
to provide an over-arching system, its absolutist language on authority
and the quite imperfect and undemocratic individuals rising to positions
of power, could be a very dangerous thing.
Further, my understanding is that the most effective response to this
danger is to allow the Baha'i Faith to collapse on its own. The system
is designed to flourish if attacked. I will leave it alone.
I will not provide it any publicity which could bring it to the
attention of those whose support for democracy and human rights are too
weak to deter them from enlisting under its banner and backing the
existing policies of its current leadership.
The Baha'i experience has greatly influenced my understanding of the
benefits of absolute power in any form. I do not accept any present
institution, past historical figure or even any god as having absolute
power. My present realization is that monotheism itself is illegitimate
and Abraham, Moses and Jesus, as all who have sought or been represented
as having sought to assert hegemony over human perception of the divine,
were incorrect.
In this light, I am growing in my attraction to the way of thinking,
belief and worship of my ancestors, prior to the arrival of monotheism.
Pagan gods in their number and diversity, as well as in their avoidance
of insistence on absolute perfection, are more in tune with the needs of
human beings. Humans are not slaves to receive orders requiring unthinking
obedience. We have personal responsibility for ethical action.
I write this on one of my Holy Days, the Feast of the Goddess Epona.
Blessings be upon you and yours this day and all days. And, whatever
personal perceptions you may have of these issues, may you at least
understand that I do sincerely think and feel now as I have explained
above. And from my perception it is not such a bad thing at all if the
vote goes against TRB, and an avenue of drawing something potentially
quite dangerous to those of a like mindset does not come into being.
And if you win, may all the gods bless the efforts to transform
this religious system into one truly tolerant and able to benefit the
human species.
Fare ever Well,
Michael
--
"My name's McKenny, Mike McKenny, Warrant Officer, Solar Guard."
(Tom Corbett #1 STAND BY FOR MARS p2)
Homepage
|