Comments on: It’s a little known fact. . . [3]

By: Baquia

Baquia — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:02:49 +0000

Brent, so you agree with me then, that Baha’is are not forbidden to read anything and everything. As for the analogy of poison: from cyanide to snake-poison, many varieties are used in medicine to cure and heal.

By: Boycott of Kalimat

Boycott of Kalimat — Wed, 30 May 2007 09:00:35 +0000

[…] Baha’is, we are given permission to read even such vitriolic words. The choice is ours to make! It has not been made unlawful. So how in the world - when a Covenant Breaker book is permissable - then, can an NSA make a […]

By: Yes Virginia, Gay Baha’is Do Exist

Yes Virginia, Gay Baha’is Do Exist — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:24:16 +0000

[…] along from a distance since I’ve long given up trying to actually get anything past the Taliban-esque moderators on Baha’i Journal. I was intrigued to find, among the Baha’i youth in that discussion […]

By: The Biggest Mistake Baha'is Make

The Biggest Mistake Baha'is Make — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 00:54:24 +0000

This post was inspired by a comment left by “jaap”. S/he said: Dear…

By: Baquia

Baquia — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:12:22 +0000

Jaap,
the short answer to your inquiry as to whether one should continue to use independent investigation of truth after having decided on the direction of one’s soul… is YES!!

For if it were no, then no one would ever have the bounty of discovering the next Manifestation of God! Think of it… hundreds of years later when the next Manifestation of God comes to this world, should Baha’is of that time do as other humans have done in the past? deny, torture, and ultimately kill Her/Him? saying, ‘we have set our souls on their journey, we no longer need independent investigation of truth to determine the validity of your claim’?

Independant investigation of truth is not a destination, it is a journey with no end… for its ultimate goal is the attainment of God, Truth, the Essence of Reality.

How sad, how sad, to be so blinded by prejudice and ignorance while professing to possess true understanding.

By: Jaap

Jaap — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:03:37 +0000

Dear Baquia,

Thank you for your thoughts, claiming that indepedent investigation of truth
“precedes everything” is an absolute statement and therefore it excludes all other arguments.Don’t you see that this argument bites itself in it’s tail?
Obviously I am not able to provide conclusive answers, but I do feel that independant investigation of truth can be used to determine in which direction you want your soul to travel.Once your direction is chosen do you need to continue questioning your direction through indep. invest.? Furthermore,it is not the argument itself that drives believers apart, but the claim to absolute truth
by either one.Intentionality is more important here, some call this ego, and as far as this is concerned,Bahaú’llah says in the tablet of the true seeker;

“purify your soul, remove all dust and dirt of hatred and fear”

By: Baquia

Baquia — Fri, 19 May 2006 16:15:49 +0000

Phillip, thanks for your thoughts. I’m a little puzzled when you disagree that independant investigation of truth is not the most important principle since it is the prerequisite for finding God and knowing God. Is it not?

It precedes everything. Without it, nothing else of value can follow.

Also, how can one “investigate its claims with fairness” as you suggest if one does not also read what disagrees with it? Is not justice the best beloved of all in His sight? and wouldn’t justice imply that one investigate all matters pertaining to the issue?

As I’ve already stated, coccooning oneself away from such perceived negative influences does not serve to elevate one’s soul. If this be the Faith of God, then no mortal schemes can foil ir or even alter its course. So what are some afraid of?

I think they are afraid to use their own minds. It is much easier to simply believe without investigating and knowing. But conviction borne of ignorance is simply fanaticism and taqlid. Both are things which Baha’is are forbidden in exercising.

By: Phillip

Phillip — Fri, 19 May 2006 15:45:52 +0000

Of course it’s true — Covenant-breaker materials can be perused, though it’s discouraged. Second-guessing “why” in these matters is generally an exercise in revealing one’s own prejudices… so here I go! My feeling is that a provisional translation such as that of the Tablet of the Sacred Night is a decided non-issue — it is scripture. What is particualrly discouraged is writings AGAINST THE FAITH. It is not that someone becomes a disease and any contact with them is potentially likely to lead to infection; it seems to me that it is just inadvisable to expose oneself to poisonous attacks against the Faith, especially by a former Baha’i, who can more subtly argue against the Faith.

Calling independent investigation of truth “the most important principle” is a little misleading. What is most important in the Faith is to know and worship God, and by extension His Manifestation in this day. Of course, I agree this should be done by independent investigation. But regarding Covenant-breakers — reading writings against the Faith is not independent investigation — what one needs to do is to investigate its claims with fairness. In this country people get the “courtroom” approach to seeking truth, as if listening to proponents and antagonists is the best method. This is not stated anywhere in the Writings. The way to seek truth is clearly stated in the “Tablet of the True Seeker” in the Iqan — purify your soul, remove all dust and dirt of hatred and fear.

By: Baquia

Baquia — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:49:00 +0000

Sholeh (I’m assuming that it is you),

As a moderator you continuously censor my contributions with impunity. You lash out at me and call me a ‘covenant-breaker’ and worse. You repeatedly put vile words in my mouth and then attack me for supposedly saying them.

And when I call you up on these things…you erase the whole thread and disappear into the ether!

Just recently your bias showed itself when I posted a reply on LJ on a discussion about ‘irfan. You erased my contribution because it contained a link to Juan Cole’s provisional translation of Baha’u'llah’s Tablet of the Sacred Night.

Then it was pointed out to you by others that there is nothing wrong with a provisional translation or Cole’s site (and that bahai-library.org actually links to it). You did not replace my post after learning that or apologize to me.

In fact, as a moderator you should have checked the facts before you censored my legitimate post but even overlooking this, you could have simply said, “oops! sorry Baquia, please post your contribution again as I made a boo-boo”.

That you didn’t shows just how biased and fanatical you are. And if you’ll notice, eventhough I have the ability to erase your post, I didn’t. I’m here responding to it like a mature human being.

Which is much more than I can say for you and your KGB like tactics over on LJ.