Subject: Re: Faith doesn't harbor big egos? What's to prevent it?
Date: 10/14/1998 10:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Gibro28W
Message-id: <19981014223124.15319.00000776@ng-fa2.aol.com>
> "I remember one Baha'i author, whose father knew Baha'u'llah and who is
now
>serving on the Universal House of Justice, saying that the Baha'i Faith
>doesn't harbor people with big egos."
One would expect a member of the House of
Justice to say this. This is an authoritarian
statement that is really a wish. But the Faith harbors lots of big egos
(everyone has one). You won't notice them until there is a major
disagreement. Having a sin-covered eye will not prevent the existence of
backbiting and prejudice by those in the community doing it. It just means
one is not looking hard enough to notice. It will always be there, though,
like ego.
Again: >"the Baha'i Faith doesn't harbor people with big egos. They end up
either
>losing their egos or losing their faith."
Sounds simple enough, but it's deceiving.
This is true for some people. But I've
witnessed huge egos in the Baha'i Faith that
received the VIP treatment because of their
relationship to famous Baha'is who knew
Baha'u'llah. Part of the reason I'm no longer a
Baha'i is because of this hypocrisy. These particular people were, in my
direct observation of them, a great cause of disunity. For instance, one
"big ego" (who was good at feigning humility) that I knew personally--he was
Iranian--divided my whole community for ten years. The Iranians all sided
with him because of his big-shot family name. He was far more destructive
(backbiting, slander and litigation) than any "covenant-breaker." The UHJ
and the
Assemblies were not successful in containing the problem because they were
routinely misinformed. And today, the same Mr. Big-Shot is still very a
respectable member of the Faith. It was my encounters with these kinds
of sweet-talking, learned, deeply devout Baha'is (who privately were
tyrants) that sickened me enough to lose much of my faith when I had it. To
this day, because of him and his Iranian supporters, families are still
bitterly divided.
> "Some people don't want to believe this, or are just too hung up on their
own
>opinions and desires to be able to see the bigger picture."
The same can be said of the Baha'is who refuse to believe I'm telling the
truth. It's relative.
> "We can pray for them..."
Why bother? The hypocrites I've referred to above are always in a state of
prayer (when not quoting the writings from memory).
Wendy, you mean well, I'm sure, but you don't know the whole story. I hope
you never have to experience what I did in your love for Baha'u'llah. I once
loved the Faith as much as you did. But your understanding about why
people leave the Faith is inaccurate and incomplete. This is why you're
hearing my
side out here in cyberworld.
Best wishes.