“Let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind”

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Baquia

one-world-one-people

Recently I wrote a comment here which was censored.

I’ll leave it for others to ponder the irony of a website that bemoans the ill treatment of Baha’is in Iran and has as its purpose the protection of their basic human rights… and then uses tactics which the IRI has used against Baha’is to silence them.

Basically the comment was that while what this fellow Baha’i was going through was horrible, illegal, and reprehensible; his pride in being Iranian (which he repeats several times in strong language) is in conflict with what Baha’u'llah said about not glorying in being a citizen of a specific country but being a member of humanity.

These arbitrary line we draw on maps mean nothing. We are one people, one creation, with one God. That is the animating force behind the Baha’i revelation. It is the single most powerful message that we as Baha’is have to convey.

But sadly, I’ve noticed this tendency in other Baha’is from Iran to boast about being Iranian.

It is almost as if they are overcompensating for the false accusations lobbed against them by the IRI. Accusations of being spies or agents of a foreign power. They so wish to show their pride at being Iranian and of loving their “homeland” that they are blinded to one of the most powerful teachings of their own Faith.

It might also be that they take pride in being Iranian because Iran is the “Cradle of the Faith” and is promised a glorious future in Baha’i Writings.

So what? So is the USA. Equally blessed is every country and place “where mention of God is made and His praise glorified”. To single out one country and to say that it is hallowed above others is in direct conflict with Baha’i teachings. And it is a very dumb reason for Baha’is who are persecuted to decide to remain in Iran to continue to be persecuted when they have the ability to simply leave and lead free, productive lives elsewhere.

Even if the future of Iran is indeed glorious, why would any rational human being decide to keep themselves and their family in harms way? of what possible value is self inflicted martyrdom and suffering? where does the line blur between persecution and a victim mentality?

If your hand is in the fire, would you keep it there because you know that eventually the fire will burn itself out and be later replaced by flowers many months from now?

How utterly ignorant and lamentable to mistake self-flagellation for piety, to mistake self chosen suffering for God’s teachings of love and oneness.

annonymouz

[quote comment=""]Finally the very SAME people who were in charge THEN who ARE the very SAME people in charge NOW said we were doing everything wrong. Who knew? Why didn’t they tell us back then? We were only following their own plans then? In another ten years the very SAME people will tell the Baha’is of this time they had this all wrong too. They will always blame the rank and file never themselves.[/quote]

It is an interesting thing you say and if this is what was actually conveyed, I may have agreed with you. But, yet again…way off mark and essentially a concoction of your imagination.

Basically what you are saying is that things have changed and if this is the way to do it now, why wasn’t it back then? On the surface a valid and useful question to ask however, upon reflection yet another musing of Craig Parke.

Why did Baha’u'llah reveal the Most Holy Book in the eve of His revelation and not in the beginning in 1863 outside of Baghdad when He declared formally His station? Hmmm…Why wait almost 30 yrs to give them the Most Holy Book?! Gee this doesn’t make sense!

Now, I am not comparing Ruhi to the Aqdas but the process and Divine Plan that they play into are one in the same. Have you ever stopped to think that what Baha’u'llah says in the Aqdas is actually true? “What is of them is of God…”.

I think this is like the 185th time I have said this but some just simply refuse to acknowledge the reality that this is a process…a process a process a process.

By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity and understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice.

Ever think about all four quarters instead of quitting at half time? You never know!
annonymouz

[quote comment=""]Finally the very SAME people who were in charge THEN who ARE the very SAME people in charge NOW said we were doing everything wrong. Who knew? Why didn’t they tell us back then? We were only following their own plans then? In another ten years the very SAME people will tell the Baha’is of this time they had this all wrong too. They will always blame the rank and file never themselves.[/quote]

It is an interesting thing you say and if this is what was actually conveyed, I may have agreed with you. But, yet again…way off mark and essentially a concoction of your imagination.

Basically what you are saying is that things have changed and if this is the way to do it now, why wasn’t it back then? On the surface a valid and useful question to ask however, upon reflection yet another musing of Craig Parke.

Why did Baha’u'llah reveal the Most Holy Book in the eve of His revelation and not in the beginning in 1863 outside of Baghdad when He declared formally His station? Hmmm…Why wait almost 30 yrs to give them the Most Holy Book?! Gee this doesn’t make sense!

Now, I am not comparing Ruhi to the Aqdas but the process and Divine Plan that they play into are one in the same. Have you ever stopped to think that what Baha’u'llah says in the Aqdas is actually true? “What is of them is of God…”.

I think this is like the 185th time I have said this but some just simply refuse to acknowledge the reality that this is a process…a process a process a process.

By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity and understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice.

Ever think about all four quarters instead of quitting at half time? You never know!
http://www.wahidazal.com Wahid Azal

Bacquia, you say “the false accusations lobbed against them…of being spies or agents of a foreign power.” I wonder how you might explain a phenomenon such as Mia Pederson, then? Remember her?

Wahid
http://www.wahidazal.com Wahid Azal

Bacquia, you say “the false accusations lobbed against them…of being spies or agents of a foreign power.” I wonder how you might explain a phenomenon such as Mia Pederson, then? Remember her?

Wahid
Craig Parke

annonymouz wrote:

“It is an interesting thing you say and if this is what was actually conveyed, I may have agreed with you. But, yet again…way off mark and essentially a concoction of your imagination.

Basically what you are saying is that things have changed and if this is the way to do it now, why wasn’t it back then? On the surface a valid and useful question to ask however, upon reflection yet another musing of Craig Parke.”

annonymouz,

In the 1960′s, 1970′s, and 1980′s everything was about “entry by troops”. I know this to be true. I was there. I believed every word of it and was very dedicated. It was taught to everyone that we must contribute money to building the Sacred Buildings of the Arc on Mt. Carmel. In these appeals we were told that once the Arc was completed the Lessor Peace would be established. I completely believed that too and sent money and was very glad to do it. I went to meeting after meeting on different committees for the U.S. NTC appointed DTC in my area and performed many organizational tasks for the nearest LSA year after year. At one point I went to a Baha’i meeting, prayer group, event, or committee five nights a week. I was glad to do it. I worked my behind off for the Faith. But then we were told by Glenford Mitchell in various speeches in the late 1990′s that “The Friends do not understand properly” and that “entry by troops” is really “the process of entry by troops”. Oh! Who knew all those years? I did not know that because that is not what the Institutions said for 30 years. Glenford Mitchell never told anyone else this 30 years before. I guess he had a revelation or something. I guess the entire UHJ did. But in current Baha’i speak it is really more accurate to say that the current authorized top down belief is that we are in “the process of the process of the process of entry by troops”. No one apparently really knows how many processes of processes there are. As long as we are taking the Ruhi Courses over and over the process we are actually in will just kind of meld in the general flow of processes in the Cosmos and only the UHJ will know in secret the actual process level we are in.

The thing about the buildings on the Arc on Mt. Carmel apparently turns out to be our own misinformation among the rank and file too. They now say they certainly did not tell anyone to believe that. And now we are told that the belief that the “Lesser Peace” would come by 2000 was a mistranslation by Howard McNutt in Star of the West and he was almost declared a Covenant Breaker by Abdu’l-Baha anyway. I just didn’t know. I based my whole life on misinformation and the AO now says we were just misinformed dupes for believing such things.

We were also told for almost 30 years that the LSA’s were the bed rock of the future society and we must do everything to create them and save them. All the affairs of the Faith were to be administered by the LSA’s so this work was very important. Therefore, I gladly served on various committees for my nearest LSA over the years. I did many special assignments that took a lot of dedicated time and effort. Now we are told that was never true. The local LSA’s are not the engine of the Faith.

The work of the Faith comes from the International Teaching Center through the appointed arm of “the Learned”. The Counselors and ABM’s and AABM’s run the Faith. What they say goes. They have full Administrative power over any LSA or Regional Baha’i Council in their area even to the point of annulling or preventing the election of membership on a Regional Baha’i Council elected from members of the LSA’s under them if it is deemed that there are not sufficient people available in the region who are not of a high enough caliber properly trained in the Institute Process using the Ruhi Full Sequence of Courses. I just did not know this. Everything I was taught was wrong.

LSA’s are not the primary grass roots Institution of the Faith. The ABM’s and AABM’s are. What they say goes. And one of their new duties from the Guidelines from 2000 or 2001 is to see that files are to be opened on people in Haifa who are deemed not strong enough in the Covenant in some way. Anyone that has any thoughts or opinions against how things are being run. Or makes any unapproved comments on a Web Site like Alison Marshall did. Such people can be thrown out of the Faith at any time for any reason by First Class Postage common letter with no due process and that is that. I just did not know any of this for decades.

But both Glenford mitchell and Peter Khan have said in their speeches that “the Friends did not understand properly”. But both of them were serving in the system in the 1960′s,1970′s, and 1980′s in positions of power. Why didn’t they inform us that we did not understand things properly?

To me it is all quite Orwellian – OLDTHINK vs NEWTHINK as I have posted here. All my years of service were for self-deluded reasons and it was all my own fault.This is basically what they say in their speeches. To me it is “blame the victim”. But I do give them credit. These guys are good in their craft.

But I just don’t see how a system like this can ever succeed because anything can be changed by anyone in lifetime incumbent authority at any time for any reason as they see fit with no accountability to anyone or any electorate and what went before can be completely erased from the organizational memory at will.

I certainly do agree with you that Baha’u'llah had the right to change His religion at any time as He saw fit. But I just did not know that other people had that right too. I just didn’t. I was a dupe and I guess I have to bear the responsibility as both Glenford Mitchell and Peter Khan have pointed out in their speeches since the late 1990′s and early 2000′s.

It is all a process of a process of a process and we must all keep doing the workbooks over and over. Forever. That is the new Plan. And that is the way it will be to everyone’s dying day on Earth both “Baha’i” and “non-Baha’i”. Forever. It is all an endless process of “organizational becoming”.

So it goes.
Craig Parke

annonymouz wrote:

“It is an interesting thing you say and if this is what was actually conveyed, I may have agreed with you. But, yet again…way off mark and essentially a concoction of your imagination.

Basically what you are saying is that things have changed and if this is the way to do it now, why wasn’t it back then? On the surface a valid and useful question to ask however, upon reflection yet another musing of Craig Parke.”

annonymouz,

In the 1960′s, 1970′s, and 1980′s everything was about “entry by troops”. I know this to be true. I was there. I believed every word of it and was very dedicated. It was taught to everyone that we must contribute money to building the Sacred Buildings of the Arc on Mt. Carmel. In these appeals we were told that once the Arc was completed the Lessor Peace would be established. I completely believed that too and sent money and was very glad to do it. I went to meeting after meeting on different committees for the U.S. NTC appointed DTC in my area and performed many organizational tasks for the nearest LSA year after year. At one point I went to a Baha’i meeting, prayer group, event, or committee five nights a week. I was glad to do it. I worked my behind off for the Faith. But then we were told by Glenford Mitchell in various speeches in the late 1990′s that “The Friends do not understand properly” and that “entry by troops” is really “the process of entry by troops”. Oh! Who knew all those years? I did not know that because that is not what the Institutions said for 30 years. Glenford Mitchell never told anyone else this 30 years before. I guess he had a revelation or something. I guess the entire UHJ did. But in current Baha’i speak it is really more accurate to say that the current authorized top down belief is that we are in “the process of the process of the process of entry by troops”. No one apparently really knows how many processes of processes there are. As long as we are taking the Ruhi Courses over and over the process we are actually in will just kind of meld in the general flow of processes in the Cosmos and only the UHJ will know in secret the actual process level we are in.

The thing about the buildings on the Arc on Mt. Carmel apparently turns out to be our own misinformation among the rank and file too. They now say they certainly did not tell anyone to believe that. And now we are told that the belief that the “Lesser Peace” would come by 2000 was a mistranslation by Howard McNutt in Star of the West and he was almost declared a Covenant Breaker by Abdu’l-Baha anyway. I just didn’t know. I based my whole life on misinformation and the AO now says we were just misinformed dupes for believing such things.

We were also told for almost 30 years that the LSA’s were the bed rock of the future society and we must do everything to create them and save them. All the affairs of the Faith were to be administered by the LSA’s so this work was very important. Therefore, I gladly served on various committees for my nearest LSA over the years. I did many special assignments that took a lot of dedicated time and effort. Now we are told that was never true. The local LSA’s are not the engine of the Faith.

The work of the Faith comes from the International Teaching Center through the appointed arm of “the Learned”. The Counselors and ABM’s and AABM’s run the Faith. What they say goes. They have full Administrative power over any LSA or Regional Baha’i Council in their area even to the point of annulling or preventing the election of membership on a Regional Baha’i Council elected from members of the LSA’s under them if it is deemed that there are not sufficient people available in the region who are not of a high enough caliber properly trained in the Institute Process using the Ruhi Full Sequence of Courses. I just did not know this. Everything I was taught was wrong.

LSA’s are not the primary grass roots Institution of the Faith. The ABM’s and AABM’s are. What they say goes. And one of their new duties from the Guidelines from 2000 or 2001 is to see that files are to be opened on people in Haifa who are deemed not strong enough in the Covenant in some way. Anyone that has any thoughts or opinions against how things are being run. Or makes any unapproved comments on a Web Site like Alison Marshall did. Such people can be thrown out of the Faith at any time for any reason by First Class Postage common letter with no due process and that is that. I just did not know any of this for decades.

But both Glenford mitchell and Peter Khan have said in their speeches that “the Friends did not understand properly”. But both of them were serving in the system in the 1960′s,1970′s, and 1980′s in positions of power. Why didn’t they inform us that we did not understand things properly?

To me it is all quite Orwellian – OLDTHINK vs NEWTHINK as I have posted here. All my years of service were for self-deluded reasons and it was all my own fault.This is basically what they say in their speeches. To me it is “blame the victim”. But I do give them credit. These guys are good in their craft.

But I just don’t see how a system like this can ever succeed because anything can be changed by anyone in lifetime incumbent authority at any time for any reason as they see fit with no accountability to anyone or any electorate and what went before can be completely erased from the organizational memory at will.

I certainly do agree with you that Baha’u'llah had the right to change His religion at any time as He saw fit. But I just did not know that other people had that right too. I just didn’t. I was a dupe and I guess I have to bear the responsibility as both Glenford Mitchell and Peter Khan have pointed out in their speeches since the late 1990′s and early 2000′s.

It is all a process of a process of a process and we must all keep doing the workbooks over and over. Forever. That is the new Plan. And that is the way it will be to everyone’s dying day on Earth both “Baha’i” and “non-Baha’i”. Forever. It is all an endless process of “organizational becoming”.

So it goes.
Craig Parke

While the Baha’is ran their religion completely into the ground with the worst possible leadership imaginable amid a herd of bullied cowards who will not stand up as free peoples, the entire rest of the world has moved on.

DYLAN AT THE I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vhNCRlXm1s

TODAY
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-186272

JANUARY 20, 2009 – THE DAY HAS COME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk4_-5Hb6a8

Congratulations to all Americans here that we have lived to see this day. At noon today I will be thinking of all the black troops I served with in my long ago youth. I will be thinking of my Father who served with 3,000 black troops in WWII. My Father and the troops he commanded loaded the ships at Tarawa that also brought the wounded out. Remember those who fought to preserve the rights of others that they, themselves did not have.

This day has come. It is their Great Day.

Praise God!
Craig Parke

While the Baha’is ran their religion completely into the ground with the worst possible leadership imaginable amid a herd of bullied cowards who will not stand up as free peoples, the entire rest of the world has moved on.

DYLAN AT THE I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vhNCRlXm1s

TODAY
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-186272

JANUARY 20, 2009 – THE DAY HAS COME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk4_-5Hb6a8

Congratulations to all Americans here that we have lived to see this day. At noon today I will be thinking of all the black troops I served with in my long ago youth. I will be thinking of my Father who served with 3,000 black troops in WWII. My Father and the troops he commanded loaded the ships at Tarawa that also brought the wounded out. Remember those who fought to preserve the rights of others that they, themselves did not have.

This day has come. It is their Great Day.

Praise God!
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“Let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind”

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