From: McKenny Michael <bn872@freenet.carleton.ca>
To: talisman@umich.edu <talisman@umich.edu>
Subject: Re So-called totalitarianism
Date: Monday, February 16, 1998 9:56 AM
Greetings, Ian, from Ottawa.
If you are well, it is well.
Many thanks for your post on the UHJ and ad hominems.
Those expressing articulately views not pleasing to the UHJ,
including the fact that the fundamental Baha'i principles ought to
be more widely exercised by the Universal House of Justice, such
things as independent investigation of truth, harmony of science
and religion and "The equality of men and women and their equal
sharing in ALL rights" (emphasis added) etc. have been invited for
conversations with Baha'i authorities who have discussed the personal
beliefs of these individuals. In some cases they have been invited to
remain quiet on e-mail lists about such personal thoughts in order
that they may continue to interact with their Baha'i friends and
associates. Some have been encouraged to leave the Baha'i faith, and
I was, without notice, dropped from the rolls when I neither stopped
expressing my views on e-mail lists, nor voluntarily resigned.
The Universal House of Justice has yet to implement the predicted
freedom of all believers to publish material on the Baha'i Faith.
There are other terms for such actions and other means by which
I could have expressed the contents of this post, more in keeping
with the quite similar behaviour when coming from such regimes as
those you named.
Those items on your list which necessitate a greater practical
control by the Universal House of Justice than it currently possesses
are of course, as yet, not part of the activities of this body. The
main point in suggesting the necessity for the Universal House of
Justice to follow the fundamental Baha'i principles and allow women
to be eligible for membership, all the quite varied views to exist
and to be stated, etc. is that if something as essential as these
basic principles can be set aside and such activities as have already
transpired occur in the absence of any capacity to do the things you
itemize which authoritarian powers being able to do did do, then were
it to happen that the Universal House of Justice found itself with
the ability to accomplish these additional things, why in the world
ought anyone to expect history would not be repeated.
By the way, possibly you'll reply to that unanswered question as
to what are those principles which the UHJ uses instead of the defining
fundamental principles of the Baha'i Faith? That is what principles are
they using which supersede the independent investigation of truth, the
harmony of science and religion, "The equality of men and women and
their equal sharing in ALL rights." (emphasis added)
May this find you very well, and may the future be better than our
brightest dreams.
All the Best,
Michael
--
"My name's McKenny, Mike McKenny, Warrant Officer, Solar Guard."
(Tom Corbett #1 STAND BY FOR MARS p2)
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