From: McKenny Michael <bn872@FreeNet.Carleton.CA>
Subject: Re: Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedom of Conscience
Date: Saturday, February 06, 1999 7:54 AM
Greetings, Chris.
Many thanks for your comments. Again, you are underlining the "bug"
as I see it in the Baha'i Faith, and someone ought to express this as
precisely as possible for an FAQ for this newsgroup.
Chris Manvell (chris@breacais.NOdemonUCEPLEASE.co.uk) writes:
> Dear Matthew,
>
> What WOULD you have? If a religion is not based on the teachings of its
> Founder (and, by explicit Writings, its leaders) who would define its
> basic tenets? One only has to look at the factionalism of some other
> religions to see what happens. Yes, free speech is a fundamental right
> of any Baha'i or non-Baha'i but if that individual expresses opinions
> that are basically counter to the teachings it can mean (in my limited
> understanding) one of several things, viz, that they are a Covenant
> breaker, that they have not understood (or been told about) some basic
> principle of the Faith, or that they have not really understood the
> station of Baha'u'llah. I am sure there are many other reasons, but
> those seem to be the basic ones.
>
Now, what pray tell, are the teachings of this religion? I was told
these were the agreement of faith and reason, the independent search for
truth, the harmony of the human species, the prohibition of slavery, of
racial prejudice, of sexual discrimination, as well as the abolition of
holy wars and of religious fanaticism, etc.
Now, if you find somewhere in the literal text of thousands of pages
of scripture something that appears to allow you to contravene reason,
to indulge in religious fanaticism, to discriminate against women, to
prevent the religion (because of this contravention of reason, this
religious fanaticism, this sexual discrimination) from achieving its
primary purpose of fostering the harmony of the human species, you are
over-stepping the bounds of moderation to indulge in this license you
imagine you have obtained.
Now, you may insist on doing what is contrary to reason, what is an
example of religious fanaticism, what is sexual discrimination. You may
even use Orwellian newspeak to define those non-believers who will have
nothing to do with you because of your imbalance of faith over reason,
your fundamentalist fanaticism, your discrimination against women as
unspiritual, non-human, or whatever you like, and you can call those of
your own faith who stand for the teachings of its founder by whatever
names you wish. This does not alter the fact of the matter that what you
have done is contrary to the teachings of the religion, and as a result
of that violation of the teachings of the religion you have added to the
religious contentions and divisions within the human species.
The solution to this fundamentalist bug involves giving priority to
the teachings of the religion, and not enthroning the imbalance of faith,
excessive literalism and male domination when the religion clearly is for
the opposite characteristics.
This is the heart of the matter, and it will be fascinating for us
all to watch the response of the Baha'i Faith to this diagnosis and this
prognosis. Has Deity, through your prophet, endowed your religion with
enough spirituality to enable you to toss away your violations of the
essential teachings of the religion? Are you able to return to the broad-
minded vision, the higher view, the global picture that informed your
prophet's mission, that produced the progressive principles you are now
sacrificing to the idols of fanatical fundamentalism, that were responsible
for the growth and the widespread esteem in which your prophet's movement
used to be held? Or, will a faction of your faith entrenched in positions
of power continue to re-define the religion so that it is a fanatical
fundamentalist cult, the furthest thing in the world from the wishes of
your own prophet?
May Deity preserve humanity from that fanatical fundamentalism which
has so stained the realm of the sacred. May humanity be blessed through
the illuminated, blessed and harmonizing teachings so clearly expressed
by the Baha'i prophet. May each of the days to come be better than the one
it replaces.
To the Future,
Michael
--
"My name's McKenny, Mike McKenny, Warrant Officer, Solar Guard."
(Tom Corbett #1 STAND BY FOR MARS p2)
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