From: McKenny Michael <bn872@freenet.carleton.ca>
To: talisman@umich.edu <talisman@umich.edu>
Cc: smaneck@berry.edu <smaneck@berry.edu>; jrcole@umich.edu <jrcole@umich.edu>
Subject: Re Shunning Stories
Date: Sunday, February 08, 1998 9:32 AM
Greetings, Susan, from Ottawa.
If you are well, it is well.
It is not my intent to appear insensitive to your point of view.
And I would like to share the following facet of the gem of reality.
You wrote:
>I don't much like the practice myself, but I am not going to lash out
>at the House of Justice or the Counselors for it. Clearly, if
>anyone's to blame it would have to be 'Abdul-Baha. But those who are
>calling this practice "cultish" don't want to blame Him.
>As Gleanings says "Lay not aside the Fear of God, O ye learned of the
>World, and judge fairly. . ."
I reply:
The conditions of the world have changed since the days of Abdu'l
Baha. The "blame" that is to be laid is at the feet of those presently
in charge who are seeking to freeze the Baha'i Faith in a past mould.
I would like to share the following from Abdu'l Baha:
"Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the deceiver, or the thief,
because, far from awakening them to the errors of their ways, it
maketh them to continue in their perversity as before." (SELECTIONS
p. 158)
The tools of the tyrant are the repressive practices of censorship,
investigation of the thoughts of others (one is encouraged to be a
deceiver and conceal one's thoughts; openly expressing examples of
the divinely created diversity of humanity draws forth a tyranical
response; by the gods, had only Juan been deceitful and cunning enough
to shield his thoughts, mouth the accepted cant and bide his time and
he, with his fame and ability, could have worn the red cardinal's hat
himself or even made it to the very top of the mountain) intimidation
and threats, sanctions and shunning.
By the Master's own words the tyrants in Haifa will not benefit
from compassionate treatment. Personally, I am unconvinced. My reading
of Baha'i cultish thought is that disagreement with the Universal
House of Justice is expected and that whatever form it takes it but
proves the validy of the religion for the cult members.
Nevertheless, Abdu'l Baha wrote what he did. He also wrote a lot
about the growth of the religion and the society at large. At a time
when communications with a few scattered believers was poor, maybe
there was some validity to seek to ensure only approved material was
published and that the believers were protected from the deceitful.
However, now there has been such enormous change that it is
tyranical and cultish to maintain such practices.
I'll share something else from the Master:
"Yet another teaching of Baha'u'llah is the equality of men and
women and their equal sharing in ALL rights. And there are many
similar principles. It hath now become evident that these teachings
are the very life and soul of the world." SELECTIONS p. 249, emphasis
added.
It is the fundamental Baha'i principles which are essential. Only
after this is recognized at the highest levels, only when tyrannical
practices, including the exclusion of women from the Universal House
of Justice, are stopped does this institution have any right to
kindness, according to Abdu'l Baha.
May this find you very well, and may the future surprise us all in
every pleasant and beneficial way.
All the Best,
Michael
--
"My name's McKenny, Mike McKenny, Warrant Officer, Solar Guard."
(Tom Corbett #1 STAND BY FOR MARS p2)