The first and most important point that must be made when talking about validity and quality of Ruhi is that it is based upon a foundation of implied assumptions. These are that a systematic and standardaized curriculum is best - or atleast, better. I can not overstate how important, yet silent, assumptions these are. I have never really seen anyone point them out or to question them. Instead they are unblinkingly accepted. I do question these assumptions and wonder why such a fundamental element of Ruhi is never discussed. My take on this is that it isn’t because it can not withstand intellectual scrutiny.
I have no doubt that Ruhi met with great success when it was first introduced in Columbia. Arbab created something which worked great teaching and consolidating poor and semi-literate Baha’is in the rural communities of Latin America. Unfortunately, with these initial successes, the man with a hammer began to see the whole world as a nail.
The whole essence of Ruhi is taqlid (blind and unquestioning imitation in action or belief). At the time of Baha’u'llah this was a big deal since much of Shi’ite doctrine (and the orthodox authority of the Mullah’s and Mutjahid) rested on taqlid. Baha’u'llah instructs Baha’is to put it aside and instead use individual investigation of truth. We have anectodal evidence (where Baha’u'llah admonishes a student for parroting the teachers lesson and then rewards him when he comes to a personal understanding and puts the lesson in his own words) as well as explicit texts which condemn taqlid.
Another negative aspect of Ruhi is that it has a strong crowding out effect in every community that it is implemented. Each person and each community has a finite amount of time, energy, money, etc. And when we devote our resources in one direction, we are simultaneously denying them to any other area. Since the Baha’i community has been pushed into doing the sequence of Ruhi courses they have very little resources to devote elsewhere. Like the Mashriq’ul-Adhkar, charitable and SED projects, deepenings, teaching projects and the like. I’ve even seen some groups take it over and over again in a sort of crazy Groundhog Day scenario.
Putting aside all that, the strongest argument against Ruhi is its own content. It is a jumble of authenticated Baha’i texts (from the writings of the central Figures), pilgrims notes (which have dubious historical accuracy) and the commentary and interpretation of the editors and creators of the Ruhi courses themselves. What’s more, no distinction is made between these differing sources. Also non-existent is any sort of context for the quotes. The student is expected to treat them all the same way, that is read, write in the questions, repeat, and memorize.
Yet, for all of its flaws, in a very short time Ruhi managed to become sacrosanct. The how and the whys of this are rather simple. It is the only such program mentioned repeatedly by name by the House of Justice and the ITC in their official communiques. Actually it is not only mentioned by the highest Baha’i institutions, it is strongly recommended and aggressively promoted by them. The NSAs, LSAs and individual Baha’is in turn take these cues for what they are.
For these same reasons, any criticism of the weaknesses of Ruhi is interpreted as a direct criticism or attack on the House of Justice and the ITC. This has resulted in a situation where, as a Baha’i, you either get with the program or are branded as covenantally weak. The poisonous effects of this on the Baha’i world community are already apparent and will be even more pronounced with time.
For some other ideas on Ruhi, you can read this essay by Anthony Lee.
From the Ruhi Course To the Collaborators (if you are unfamiliar with Ruhi vocabulary, this refers to any and all who participate in the Ruhi program, either as students or as teachers - er, sorry…tutors):
“It is natural that a verse from the Writings should bring to mind myriads of noble and beautiful ideas. To share these ideas with the friends on appropriate occasions conduces to joy and happiness. But care must be exercised so that this practice does not become an exercise in the expression of ego and an insistence on the sovereignty of personal opinion.”
Interesting. Especially when you consider the elevated station that the individual’s conscience has in the Baha’i writings. Also interesting when you consider that individual investigation of truth is a major tenet of the Baha’i Faith. I also wonder what role ego has to play when the writers of Ruhi, without any distinction, comingle their own words and understanding with the sacred texts and impose on the students to study and memorize them in the same way.
The experience of the Ruhi Institute has shown that we do not suppress the imagination or the personality of the participants when we refrain from posing questions such as, “What does this mean to you?”
Not only is this never shown by the Ruhi Institute to be the case, the anecdotal evidence contradicts it:
This reminded me of an experience last summer: several Baha’is and guests were gathered for a monthly potluck social. A relatively new believer came into the drive, leapt from his car, stormed over to our group by the barbeque- obviously agitated. In a firm voice he said: “I will NOT be indoctrinated!” It took a bit of consoling to arrive at the source of his distress. As a new believer he had been encouraged to participate in a Ruhi Book I study circle. He explained that he was so insulted by the “shallowness” of the material that he couldn’t take it any more and walked out…
Unfortunately, since the same group (Arbab, Correa, Lample, etc.) that created and promoted Ruhi are now in the highest positions within the Baha’i Administration, it will be long time until we put it all behind us. For this small group of persons, there is just too much personal interest at stake. I can empathize. Its never easy to admit that one is wrong. That’s just human. But usually when we fall prey to this defect of human nature, it is only ourselves that we hurt. But in the case of Ruhi, the whole Baha’i community is suffering.
Related:
Check out Alison’s post on taqlid.
Amazing piece. What you said about Ruhi, well, that’s what a lot of us were thinking. And the guidelines ‘to the collaborators’ were a real revelation. I kind of implied the stupidity of the whole message in my “Moral Relativism” essay on Talisman, but you really hit the mark. Well said. I don’t think we can say enough bad things about Ruhi. All the best.
I am a New Zealand Baha’i who entered the Faith as a young teenager and remained active for almost 35 years. I had the great good fortune to be deeped by some remarkable souls (for instance Owen Battrick, Member of the NSA of the UK and a Teller at the First International Conference, and who had met Shoghi Effendi on Pilgrimage)…an educated and thinking man, whose deepenings were a patient process of loving and gentle self-discovery.
By contrast I distinctly recall the first time I heard of the “Ruhi Institutes”. The NZ community experimented with them very early on. Immediately it was apparent that they were designed to appeal to the fundamentalist and literal mind…the unquestioning rote learning, the inflexible structure, and the sheer over the top zeal of those promoting Ruhi, convinced me there and then that this method was not right.
A short time later, events conspired so as I chose to become “inactive”, and I realise there is no way “back in” for me, as long as the Faith I love, and still hold in the deepest regard, is distracted by this folly.
Just to let you know, Alpha and Ruhi are quite different. I have taken both. Alpha is based on a series of videos by Nicki Gumbel, a lawyer become lay preacher.
It seemed that the Alpha program has been pretty well standardized. The meal, the songs, the videos, the discussion, the helpers — all come together as a nice package. Ruhi, on the other hand, is still “under construction” and the circles vary greatly from one tutor to the next. Some are very creative and open to difference of opinion; others present more of a “party line”.
Alpha participants do not interact with the Creative Word. They (or at least, we did) discuss their opinions of Mr. Gumbel’s opinions. Alpha did not meant to lead anywhere except perhaps to conversion. Ruhi seems more about educating the soul based on the Baha’i Writings. In the perfect world, it should lead to behaviours that benefit the spiritual development of the individual.
While both programs aim to regenerate our spirits, I think Ruhi has the greater potential to transform an individual, where Alpha has the immediate effect of a warm and cosy fellowship experience.
One alternative that many critics (and I am one) of Ruhi might enjoy is FUNDAEC and its courses. It is extremely broad, and the one I’m doing now doesn’t even involve Baha’i quotes - don’t know if the others do. It’s more like structured questioning of everything. People even question the questions, which is very healthy.
The members of our group are mostly educated professionals (lawyers, traders, bankers, consultants etc) and mostly non-Baha’is. They enjoy it a lot, and see it as an opportunity to reflect on life and work in a very broad minded but structured way, and to come up with one’s own answers.
Ruhi is not mandatory, but study circles are a good way of discussing issues with like-minded people. This is an excellent study circle framework. Check it out.
I had a good chuckle!! Enjoy
We all as Baha’is believ that UHJ is the ultimate authority for the faith and is infallible. We should follow their direction and put our efforts into it. I don’t recall that UHJ has told us anywhere stop what we were doing before totally.
Interesting comments that are certainly valid in specific cases.
First of all, the baha’i Faith having no priests, all Baha’is are supposed to participate in offering the services that priests once offered to tehir fellow men; this function needs training. Some highly learned citizens are unable to transmit their learning and wisdom to others; Ruhi is intended to teach would be teachers how to teach other would-be teachers. It is not intended for making a class of intellectualy priviledged believers. Other courses, summer schools, Baha’i studies sessions etc are available for his. Ruhi is aiming at the needs of the vast majority of human beings who are not privileged by access to
Secondly, each book is designed to impart a certain talent: book one teaches how to organise prayer sessions, book 2 how to visit fellow believers to help in understanding the teachings, book 3 how to organise children’s classes, book 4 how to organise commemorating sessions, book 5 how to organise activities for junior youth, book 6 how to organise teaching campaignes, and book 7 how to organise study circles that tutor the books. other books are on the way. The books are in no way intended to replace erudition, but are intended as as spring board for those who are not involved in activities; I know that some well-meaning zealots overdid things and discouraged many, but this is due to a lack of understanding and misreading of the abundant documents from teh world centre,
Thirdly, we badly need this activity in order to have more human ressourses, but those who are already active in teh Faith dont need to become involved. As an illustration, in China the lack of doctors brought about the bare-foot doctors who were a response to a particular need at a specific time, but this was not intended to replace medical science.
We certainly do have in Western culture attitudes of superiority and arrorange from those who believe that knowledge is designed as a means for dominating others; Ruhi is intended as a course that teaches us that knowledge should lead us to service and not to competition.
The institute process is so new in religious history that it is understandable that it’s intent should be misunderstood. The abundant explanations from te world center have not been studied adequately by those not interested in the method, and more unfortunately by some zealots who as Peter Khan puts it are really enthused about pressing others.
I find it distressing that this course to which i have totally adhered as necessary from the onset, has been misunderstood as a replacement for what we were doing before. This has led to tension and resentment within many communities with the power issues that the course clearly attempts to neutralise. The talks by Peter Khan in Brisbane, Toronto and San Fransisco help to correct all this.
It is incredible that very well read and intelligent baha’is should not be able to differenciate between “priority” and “exclusivity” We need to think “this AND that” and not “this OR that”. Spiritualising the planet is a high priority, Ruhi si a mass teaching programme, but does not exclude the need for whatever we were doing before.
I am also sad that some Baha’is feel the need to do Ruhi by mere “obedience” and conformisme or even zealotry instead of trying to understand and appreciate the purpose of our World Centre.
Hope this is helpful!
warmest
farhan
Thanks farhan,
I would appreciate if you could direct me to scripts of talks by Peter Khan in Brisbane, Toronto and San Fransisco.
Regards
Farhan,
You wrote:
“It is incredible that very well read and intelligent baha’is should not be able to differenciate between “priority” and “exclusivity” We need to think “this AND that” and not “this OR that”. Spiritualising the planet is a high priority, Ruhi si a mass teaching programme, but does not exclude the need for whatever we were doing before.”
Have you read the US NSA Ridvan 2007 Convention Report to the UHJ that has now been repressed worldwide?
I think there is a link to it here on BR if you can find it and read it.
Their points were dismissed completely out of hand by the UHJ.
The UHJ’s answer was most certainly NOT “this AND that”. It was “this OR that”. It was “the UHJ’s way or the highway”. Period. No discussion. End of conversation.
The Ruhi Courses are the equivalent of people having to take a course in how to wipe their bottoms!
If people in the Baha’i Faith world wide are truly this ignorant and this hapless on what the Faith is about I don’t see how these completely inaccurate and fabricated materials are going to help them? The Ruhi materials are NOT based on the Writings of the Central Figures of the Faith AT ALLl.
They are based upon the personal opinions of the tiny self-appointed clique of people that wrote them and their own psychological needs. There is no power in them for one very simple reason: they are not based at all on the Word of God!
And to say they are is to be an out and out liar.
And, remember, Ruhi Book One is pretty hard on people that are liars! That was the only part of the course that I thought was accurate and scriptural. The rest is someone else’s completely made up drivel.
People in this World Age are supposed to be able to think for themselves without clergy. If people can’t do that, they are not going to achieve anything in life. The responsibility to be educated in this World Age is to see through your own eyes and not through the eyes of others. This is Baha’u'llah’s number one Teaching as a worldwide reform of religion.
I believe there are people all over the planet Earth both literate and illiterate of honor and spiritual acumen who have never heard of the Baha’i Faith that are far more spiritual and living the Teachings of Baha’u'llah and Abdu’l-Baha much better than people with “official” membership cards in the top down over administered Baha’i Faith. They are the actual Baha’is. Not people on a sterile computerized membership role.
The Ruhiized Faith is not going to work in the long run ANYWHERE ON EARTH EVER for one very simple reason: it is not spiritual. In fact, it is absolutely Godless.
Deeds not words.
It is all words and just a system of top down death grip control by the self appointed new clergy class of the Baha’i Faith. It will fail worldwide and not a trace of it will survive other than eternal disgrace upon those who fashioned it as a substitute for the real Teachings of Baha’u'llah.
Thank you for your post.
Best regards,
Craig
I think we have to hold firm about this Ruhi business. I’ve done most of them and enjoyed some, especially those conducted by deepended tutors who love the Faith and love the friends. Think about it: if you aspire to having those qualities, then you can take Ruhi and make sure it is a good experience, one that leads towards further deepening as well as teaching activities, socializing, community life and being involved in the world around us. I do agree the powers that be have become statistic gatherers. Also agree that there is too much management-speak and not enough reference to the life affirming, soul stirring writings from the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith. Maybe it is because of the apathy of some that those in charge of the process are not always those who are inspirational and steeped in the Writings. There has been a lack of wisdom in how things are presented but if those with the knowledge, deepening etc., are hanging back then those souls who are arising do not deserve to be castigated. That is the best they can do. I think mistakes have been made. We were NEVER (excuse me shouting!) supposed to give up all the activities we had already in our communities and I think you’ll find that in many places, these are being taken up again. The UHJ made that clear and when NSAs and Institutes asked for that, they were wrong. It was new to everyone to be receiving these instructions and indeed we all know the instructions changed from month to month. It was/is difficult but God knows our Faith has been through crisis before. I just pray to cling to my belief till this gets sorted. Our love and refusal to back away will be part of curing it. In the end we are not accountable for what anyone else does. The Fast is coming. It is the same Fast. Noone will text you for statistics on how you are doing! May Bahá’u’lláh look upon us with mercy. I am sad sometimes about how things are but I love this Faith.
Quite frankly, Ruhi and the clusterization of the Faith are internal-looking and are not directed toward growth and enrolments. Three ways of measuring this: enrollment rates; retention/attendance numbers; and Fund contribution levels. Shrinking and dying religion always suffer in these three areas. In most of the developed world, the Baha’is have this unfortunate trifecta. Ergo, the Plan is failing.
This is a 100-Year mistake that might not have happened in the days when we had the Institution of the Hands of the Cause as a counterpoise.
There are two ways out of this mess: the House declares “victory” and says the Ruhi and Cluster process have worked well…now onto the next plan (like when the US declared victory and abandoned South Vietnam); OR an internal purging and movement with tacit official sanction like the Chinese Cultural Revolution. No matter how you slice it: Ruhi, Cluster, Devotions, Baha’i Councils, Children’s Classes are dead in the water. The numbers bear that out.
Mark,
I disagree; there is no mess; The Institute process to my understanding is a project for catering for the masses that will be entering the Faith soon as the result of the calamities that are assailing us (perhaps not you as yet?) and not a process for enrolling new believers, although in practice, both the process of enrolment and that of consolidation go together.
I would add that it would be wise not to invite new enrolments as long as we are not in a situation to welcome these masses by providing core activities for them. The communities that willl not have prepared themselves for welcoming the masses and those who will have failed to participate in this enterprise will have failed dismally.
Frank wrote:
“I would appreciate if you could direct me to scripts of talks by Peter Khan in Brisbane, Toronto and San Fransisco.”
Frank,
I could not locate them on the web; if you suggest a site or an address, I will post them to you.
warmest
Farhan
I would appreciate it if you could upload it to site such as:
http://www.megaupload.com
and send me the link.
Thanks
Bahá’í-inspired development program highlighted at U.N. meeting 19 May 2008
UNITED NATIONS, — A Bahá’í-inspired program that has trained thousands of people in Honduras and Colombia to contribute to rural development was highlighted as a model for sustainable development at a major U.N. meeting this month.
(see : http://news.bahai.org/story/633)
since when did ego come first in the Baha’i Faith? That’s what tore the other religions apart.
even in schools we have faster and slower learners, we all have to be patient
Universal House of Justice is Divinely guided,
so no doubts in what they tell us to do is right,
even if we may not understand
it’s what makes us Baha’i, supporting the Administration.
how can the truth of the UHJ ever be questioned?
personal doubts like these should be kept to the self so as not to bring others to doubt
Ruhi is proven useful in so many ways and never proved as contrary, but those who don’t want to, won’t understand or appreciate it.
basically questioning the UHJ is questioning your being a Baha’i
that’s too personal to make public
how can the truth of the UHJ ever be questioned?
personal doubts like these should be kept to the self so as not to bring
—————–
If infallibility means that the UHJ is correct all the time, then why did Shoghi Effendi say that future Guardians could annull a decision of the UHJ? How can they be divinely guided as you understand and still be wrong? Is God bipolar? Anyway, the fanaticism that you kjk show is what the Bahai Faith is against. Basically you are the one who is not in line with the spirit of the Bahai Faith.
well, it’s an opinion i’ve heard
true that one can argue either way
kjk,
Can you describe to me what the future will be like when the UHJ rules the entire world?
Thanks!
kjk I would be careful here, this is not your average Baha’i environment…You are better off looking to the writings for answers, its all debate and chase tail questions here.
Anon,
Good to hear from you this week. I hope you are doing well!
Can you explain to me your “average Baha’i environment”. What is that?
the average Baha’i environment is not online, lets just say it that way. Ideally, it should be out in the World sharing the message of Baha’u'llah with dignity and charity. In any case, The rant is simply a little outlet for people waning to purge their thoughts. Not really a big deal. A Baha’i, and I am one in name only according to this definition, is serving day and night, constantly in a state of perpetual giving and growing. Hard to do online! Hard to do period. That’s why we are trying…always trying.
Well obviously if there were more open/honest discourse in the Bahai community, there wouldn’t be any need for this kind of “rant”. The problem is loyal Bahais don’t want any airing of difference (dirty laundry as well) in public forums, but very little is allowed inside the Bahai community. If you push too hard you are politely told that you are pursuing your ego too much and you should basically give it up for the sake of UNITY. Ah yes, unity, that magic word used to shut people up.
Ah yes, the UNITY trump card.
Accepted by all major dogmatist retailers and stores.
Have you guys ever been to feast? Its called the administrative portion. My feast is pretty lively and all kinds of stuff is talked about and people do not always agree. In the future it will be a great case study in public discourse. I admit right now that most people dont really care and letting others take care of it is easier. This will change I promise.
Our administrative portion is usually committee reports. When asked to consult about matters mostly everyone stays quiet apart from those who usually have an axe to grind about something trivial and want to get on their soapbox. The quality of Feast consultation is usually inversely proportional to the number of elaborate doodles on the secretary’s pad. Communities and Feast chairs aren’t really trained to handle anything controversial in a critical and dispassionate manner, so the matters get swept under the carpet or the protagonists accused of causing disunity, and the more fluffy Baha’is demanding a round of prayers. End result usually in my community is the protagonist gets marginalised and ignored, so then they start to become more aggressive or become disgruntled and inactive.
My LSA wouldn’t even consider using anonymous surveys to gauge community opinion regarding the state of the community or LSA performance. I think they were afraid of what might be found.
Have you guys ever been to feast?
—————–
Since I was dragged there as a fetus til my late twenties when I stopped going.
The state of the community is nothing but the sum of its participants. If you have idle people, you will have an idle community. My opinion is that if you have a few active and engaged people, they will help get things going. its all about individual initiative. My disgust is people expect to be spoon fed and have everything happen magically. Get up, shut up, and do something for God sakes. I know what it is like in those kinds of communities, there is no point in a survey, people need to plan things, invite people, get out and about. We do a parade, or take part in one every year. Our float has won for the last 4 yrs in a row. Its pretty cool. There is a ton of stuff that can be done. But, the overall sad fact is American is not really at the point to hear the message of Baha’u'llah. It will be one day. Most people could care less. In the meantime, work on yourself.
You really are funny Anon. Who do you think you are talking to? A bunch of people who never did anything and just left the Bahai community? Those people who leave in droves do not end up wasting their time on internet chat sites complaining about the problems inside the Bahai community. Heck, they may not even remember being a Bahai at one time. Those of us here are for the most part people who did get up and try to do something for decades. We were all die-hards like you at one time- until we woke up. So the overall sad fact is that the Bahai Faith has stagnated while the world has moved on. Maybe it’s message doesn’t resonate for a reason. Don’t just blame the culture you are in.
I had the misfortunate of reading the recent letter from the UHJ. Again it’s filled with this showering on Bahais a feeling that they are special and above a world that is falling apart. All the blame for the lack of growth is put on either an “immoral” world or the Bahais themselves who aren’t trying hard enough. NEVER, do we hear of any accountability from those in the administration. Anon thinks there is too much negativity on boards like this. I actually find more subtle negativity in those infallible letters. They constantly give an us vs. them attitude, glorifying the believers against a world that just aint converting fast enough. I swear more and more the Bahai community is looking so inward.
P are you familiar with the term transference? You are doing it.
Hi Anon,
Why do you assume that people walking around with membershipo cards in their wallets are the “Baha’is”?
Why do you assume that those nine men in Haifa are the “Universal House of Justice”?
I don’t assume anything anymore. They may be, they may not be. It may change hourly.
To my mind whoever does the work of the World Age and thereby achieves Cosmic confirmation of their work whether they ever heard of Baha’u'llah or not, are the “Baha’is”.
To my mind all bets are now off.
Deeds not words.
Why do you assume trying to make converts to the BAO is the “work” of the World Age AT ALL? I don’t any longer.
Floats don’t count. Tell everyone to get to the VA hospital and start cleaning bed pans. After all, those sent into harms way, are sent on behalf of the “Baha’is” to “do God’s work”. God’s work is pretty brutal. The least your community can do is get over to the nearest VA hospital.
On the road this world is on, alot of people are now going to die and alot of them are going to be card carrying “Baha’is”.
As the old WWII brown shoe pinapple Army sergeant said to me when I went through basic training in the summer of 1966 at the ripe old age of 19 “Son, learn this or you will be killed.”
THAT was my Ruhi Book One. Facing brutal battlefield death at the age of 19. The civilian translation of the times was “Change the World or Die”. The so called “Baha’is” have failed for 87 straight years and counting generation after generation while they hold endless dysfunctional meetings and repeatedly elect completely dysfunctional people to lifetime incumbency. How can a “Theocracy of Dunces” change the world? It has taken far, far too long to get even the most basic functionality to thrive. I myself tried faithfully for 32 straight years with everything I had. Now I am told by the current NEWTHINK AO that everything everyone was doing which they themselves told us to do was completely wrong OLDTHINK. So many, many, many people are now going to die. Including many, many, many card carrying so called “Baha’is”.
So, again, I say tell your “community” to forget the float and get over to the VA hospital and start cleaning bed pans filled with the precious bodily fluids of others.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lf1hDStrrKg
yet another repeat craig. With all due respect, I heard you the first time. Floats is only one day. I think you too are practicing transference. Go to wikipedia and type it in, read the whole article.
I agree with you through and through about one thing.
Deeds not words.
P are you familiar with the term transference? You are doing it.
————————-
Yes. Are you familiar with the term apologist?
This is my last post on this forum. I have of course heard this many times before from Anonymouz and others (promises promises!) but unlike them I never make public a statement I don’t intend to abide by. I (in cooperation with a few others) intend to publish a weblog some time in the new year (around Naw Ruz) on Baha’i spirituality from a … slightly different perspective. No need to keep tuned: if you’re really attuned, it will find you before you find it.
Craig, the video I’ve linked to below is especially for you: given everything you’ve written on this forum, I think you’ll immediately “get it.” Others won’t. C’est dommage, au revoir et merci.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FgMn2OJmx3w
Thank you Andrew. I got it…
All of the greatest, most unimaginably heinous, crimes of mankind have been committed by organizations in the name of something idealistic and noble. Go figure? Truly, truly Satanic. The power of organizations and criminal group think must be countered AT ALL TIMES by the Sacred Divine Power of EVERY INDIVIDUAL MORAL CONSCIENCE on Earth. The Voice of the Internet is now the instrument of that individual moral force. It will now change everything. The greatest accountability imaginable will now come upon EVERY HUMAN ORGANIZATION that now exists or ever will exist. The individual human conscience comes FIRST. NOT the collective at all in any, way, shape or from. It is a brave new world.
When I lived in Holland I knew several people who had been in the Dutch underground resistance in WWII. Once in Rotterdam a German soldier had been killed and the Nazi’s gathered up groups of Dutch people in the neighborhood and executed them in groups of five in retribution and punishment along a tree lined street. This person I knew who was in the underground during the war told me he and his wife watched from behind closed curtains. When the firing squad was formed up, one German soldier threw down his rifle and refused to participate. So they took him and put him with the five Dutch persons and executed him with them too.
When he and his wife told me this, it was 25 years after the end of WWII. They said look at the world now, Hitler is gone, his armies are gone from the Earth, all forgotten like a vapor. The ideology is gone and cursed. But they said every person on that street still remembered that German soldier and spoke of him over many years.
This is why conscience is sacred and no organization can dare try for a second to set itself up over it. Never. The individual is everything and the collective only derives it’s power from the consent of the individual for the benefit of all. Bottom up, not top down. And any group of fools that violate this Cosmic Law is headed for total mind bending Cosmic destruction in this World Age.
I myself still believe very much that this is the core message of Baha’u'llah in the Kitab-I-Iqan for this World Age of the coming of age to maturity by the entire human race. No more Hitlers, Stalins, Politburos, Military Industrial Complexes, or Theocracies of Chief Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees. Ever again. Period. All judgment is now Archetypal. It will be geometrically swift and it will cut to the quick.
The only protection now for any organization of any kind on Earth is daily fairness, equity, transparency, openness, justice, and, above all, competence. I preach the New World Age. The New Day has Dawned upon ALL systems of injustice and corruption at 64 bit register to register.
Let the chips fall where they may on fiber optic broadband at Internet II speeds.
As you know Gurdjieff used to call a meeting of his students at a certain date and time but NEVER TELL ANYONE WHERE it was going to be held so they would have to find it under their own power so he could test who was dedicated to the path. The Baha’is should never have advertised anything for 87 years… just let people search and find it by mystical power alone.
I will find your site when I am led to it when the time comes.
Thank you for your time here. Your posts were thoughtful and very much appreciated.
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpegMod/PIA05547_modest.jpg
http://www.solstation.com/x-objects/and2disk.jpg
Au revoir et merci!
Craig
I really do wish you well on your journey Andrew. But those who “get it” usually already agree with what you plan to write about anyway. Your view and that’s fine.
Take care.
Craig you have got some nerve to repetitively compare nazis to Baha’is. Thankfully, no one takes you seriously and all I can do is wince in sad pitty for your twisted view. Baha’u'llah is no where near this idea you have in your head, that I am sure of.
Good night sir, and try not to watch too many war movies…its not good for the mind.
“Craig you have got some nerve to repetitively compare nazis to Baha’is. Thankfully, no one takes you seriously and all I can do is wince in sad pitty for your twisted view. Baha’u’llah is no where near this idea you have in your head, that I am sure of.
Good night sir, and try not to watch too many war movies…its not good for the mind.”
Anon- you are a bully. An aggressive, transference/projection, bully. We SEE you, just so you know.
Amanda, soul of Blessed, Eternal Light,
You are correct! except you forgot the part about AnonZZZ being condescending, arrogant, tedious and boring.
AnonZZZ is a perfect example of a typical bahai fascist. Medieval conformity, inquisitorial, etc., metaphorical fly down with “stuff” hanging out for everyone to be disgusted and repulsed by.
An all too common spectacle, sad and appalling, and exactly why the bahai faith is useless, pointless and futile.
Which means that Craig is very much so correct in talking about the connection between Nazis in Holland during WWII and the fascist mindset in bahai leadership.
Nice video Andrew, Grace Jones was my hero! Look forward to seeing your new blog.
p,
“Insularized” is the term I think they used on talisman1.
And of course that is the right word. The eltists and racists that “won” the battle for dominance in the early usa bahai community were etherealists.
They made sure that social activists and others that wanted a “real” bahai culture of social justice and street activism were marginalized and forced to conform to bureaucratic group think.
Insularization is the usual mode now because it is just too shocking to honestly look at how backward and irrelevant most of the baahi community has become.
AnonZZZ: “Transfer THIS”:
The people that could “do something” have been hounded and exploited by the sick, incompetent “leadership” elites in the bahai community, and their fascist-conformist-inquisitor *sshole supporters like you, for so long that most people realize the utter futility and stupidity of even trying to swim against the dysfunctional current of what comes out of the AO.
Anyone that raises their head from the slime pit becomes a target for sick people like you to pick on and bully.
What you are telling people is to adopt a completely backward way of life that has failed over and over to do anything to improve anyone’s anything (beyond what would have happened anyway without bahai).
In your backwardness, you feed off hate and pain, which makes you a very sick person that will cause a lot of wreckage in a lot of people’s lives. And you will do it in the name of a “faith” whose basic ethical principles you appear to not have a clue about.
That is very sad.
Yawn.
Anything new EP? Negativity all the way around.
You are what you type.
sure tons. but you don’t respond to anything except with shallow, boring, fascistic insults and endlessly recycled cliches, drivel and mindless platitudes, so there isn’t any point.
but oh, yes there is one basic thing I can say to you that is positive: you make me very very very happy that I no longer am a member of bahai.
The more I look at the way the Bahai community is set up (per Shoghi Effendi), the more I see how influenced it is by Persian culture. There is this thing called “aberoo” it means shame, but also honor. Basically in Persian culture, you NEVER talk about family things outside of the family. It is disgraceful to do so because it’s looked upon as bringing shame to the family name. It is aberoo that keeps people in closets, makes them afraid to speak their mind and just creates such an unhealthy environment. It’s honor taken to an extreme. Unfortunately that is what is expected as a member of the Bahai community as well. Examples? don’t bring up corrupt practices of member of the AO in public, you can be gay but don’t announce in public, you can hold different views but don’t publish a book, etc. etc.
If you are no longer a member, then why do you insist on bashing it?
Move on.
You repetitive use of the same adjectives to describe me are just a testament to your anti-religion ideas. Sorry if it didn’t work out for you, but you say you have your own path, good for you! If it involves slamming other people then I am glad too that I am not on the same page as you.
Cheers!