From: Michael McKenny <bn872@FreeNet.Carleton.CA>
Subject: Re: Juan Cole's theory of mutilation.
Date: Monday, June 07, 1999 8:01 PM
Greetings, Rick.
Again, what you are quoting is exhortation, strongly expressed advice,
the urging of Shoghi Effendi that those who come after him will behave in
the manner and according to the principles he has herein stated.
It is clear and evident that the course of Baha'i history has seen those
come into power on the UHJ who have failed to follow this advice.
The quite remarkable distinction is made that since Shoghi Effendi was
authorized to make official interpretations, no other understandings are
allowed on any issue upon which Shoghi Effendi made an interpretation, but
anything else Baha'u'llah said is not necessarily so strictly subject to
such a literal understanding. Of course, the canon requires that what Shoghi
Effendi wrote be taken literally.
More, no distinction is made between specific comments by Shoghi Effendi,
or his various secretaries, to individuals, to groups or to the Baha'i world
and general remarks. Further, since, in the absence of the UHJ, de facto
administration was required by Shoghi Effendi, this happened and the Baha'i
world at that time 1920s to 1957 was going through certain stages of
developement that do not necessarily correspond to reality more than forty
years after his death.
To have the central operating principle of the Baha'i Faith be the
compilation of all the remarks Shoghi Effendi ever wrote about anything to
anyone at any time and the foisting of this on the entire planet, in complete
opposition to the essential principles of the Baha'i Faith and of its only
reason for being, the harmony of humanity (let there be no doubt, human
harmony cannot be attained through the imposition of a legal like code of
the literal understandings of anyone, Shoghi Effendi, included, although
some human mindsets have responded very well to such structures and caused
enormous harm to fellow humans by persecuting those who view things through
other eyes) is a very sad happening.
If it is possible for some comments by Baha'u'llah to be taken as
appropriate in the context of when and to whom they were made, so that
one's Faith need not be placed in opposition to some factual errors in a
literal sense, why in the world is the Universal Manifestation of God
allowed to address people and times in accordance with the capacity of
those individuals then, but his great-grandson, only a human being, however
remarkable a human being, is accorded the higher status of being absolutely
and literally infallible, out of the context of the limiting circumstances
applied to Baha'u'llah?
And so, at the time of Shoghi Effendi, when there was no UHJ, the
issuing of a directive that, on the basis of the literal words of Abdu'l
Baha written to a woman in Chicago, women could be elected to all Baha'i
consultative bodies then existing, was a beneficial use of his position
to implement essential Baha'i principle, in the face of cultural baggage
that viewed females as inferior beings.
To insist today on the literal interpretation of that specific passage
to prevent women from serving at the highest level within Baha'i in
opposition to essential Baha'i principles, as well as the most reasonable
understanding of what the Master was really telling Corinne True, has
quite clearly been proven a harmful use of power by the men now in charge,
thus seen as more interested in their hold on power than on what
Baha'u'llah meant to be a great influence for good.
The practise of demanding unswerving acceptence of all the literal
writings of Shoghi Effendi is demonstrated to be contrary to the best
interests of the Baha'i Faith, and subjects the religion of Baha'u'llah
to a drastic re-interpretation. This re-interpretation is what the current
members of the UHJ have been so strenuously seeking to impose.
May the clarity of this point be unmistakeable, may the light shone
on this matter help advance the hour of the remedy, and may the future of
all peoples be more pleasant, worthy and harmonious than has been the past.
Thrive Ever,
Michael
>
Shoghi Effendi strongly urged both all future Guardians and all to become
members of the Universal House of Justice:
> "Though the Guardian of the Faith has been made the permanent head of so
> august a body he can never, even temporarily, assume the right of exclusive
> legislation. He cannot override the decision of the majority of his
> fellow-members, but is bound to insist upon a reconsideration by them of any
> enactment he conscientiously believes to conflict with the meaning and to
> depart from the spirit of Baha'u'llah's revealed utterances. He interprets
> what has been specifically revealed, and cannot legislate except in his
> capacity as member of the Universal House of Justice."
> (Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, Page: 150)
>
> "Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain
> of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted
> authority with which both have been divinely invested."
> (Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, Page: 150)
--
"My name's McKenny, Mike McKenny, Warrant Officer, Solar Guard."
(Tom Corbett #1 STAND BY FOR MARS p2)
Homepage
|