This is probably as much a failure of human DNA as it is a given religious system.

It is however ironic, and perhaps sad, the a few molecules of genetic material so easily defeat the grandiose claims of some of humanity’s most so called “enlightened” people.

if one observes the nasty underbelly of bahai culture and administration, it is all about autocrats blaming their failures on “believers” who are spiritually inadequate, incapable of sufficient “sacrifice”, etc.

it is simply a dismal, medieval and utterly pointless way of running a religion.

McClean is brainwashed and incapable of seeing the truth.

And that is all anyone needs to know about what is wrong with bahaism.

It is a religion in which the psychological needs of psychopaths and dysfunctional people come first.

From this, we can make some assumptions about McClean’s personality, and why he defends dysfunctional bahai culture.

Jack McClean said: “The behaviour of these individuals, if one wants to step back and
observe it, reveals a negative dynamic or pattern of behaviour that
continues to be dismally instructive. ”

While it is clear that there were many dysfunctional PC/left issues with the various bahai dissidents (ex-bahais, etc.) I stopped reading Mr. McClean’s archived commentary at the above. Classic psychological projection. Mr. McClean’s commentary reveals the negative dynamic commonly found in the haifan bahai community about criticism, nonconformance and dissident.

Mr. McClean has no credibility (as a critic of the critics) unless he describes the not only his own negative attitude about nonconformism, but the vast, overwhelming level of negative/dysfunctional behavior that is common in many bahai communities, and most of bahai administration.

Haifan bahai culture is what is dismal, not MOST of what MOST of the dissidents had to say.

A typical sick tactic for those in denial of the dysfunctional aspects of bahai culture, or more the more disturbed apologists/polemicists, is to accuse a nonconformist, critic or dissident of “spiritual inferiority”.

Haifan bahaism is a grotesque cult-like religion that based on a mythic-conformist paradigm.

There is a long dreary history of autocratic leaders and cult infighting in bahai history, in both Iran and the USA/N.Am.

That said, Mr. Mcclean is right in that the many well intentioned bahais (who started out populists, progresives, utopians, etc.), most of whom are victims of the disgusting behavior of bahai leadership, were not presented with a coherent reform message by most of the PC/Left elements of the bahai dissident movement(s) and leaders, rather many of them (the PC/Left) were grinding axes and pursuing other agendas.

This is a classic case of “two wrings don’t make a right”.

Unfortunately Mr. McClean (an accomplished scholar) is only interested in promoting the old, tired and irrelevant haifan bahai “party line”, not the whole truth.

And that is exactly why bahaism is a silly religion, and also why not all, but most of what the “dissidents” said was correct.

If Mr. McClean produces ANY evidence that the original problematic conditions that gave rise to the legitimate criticisms of the “dissidents” have gotten better, PLEASE LET ME KNOW so I can read more of his dreary stuff.

I’m assuming that to the contrary, the wildly inaccurate, vile example of attacks from BAO apologists and fundamentalists, such as Momen’s even more silly article on “dissidents”, shows how bahaism has utterly failed to address dissidents’ concerns in a significant manner, or used them as the basis for meaningful, constructive reforms.

Other than that, I can’t see any reason to read all of McClean’s commentary. At this time.

The overwhelming experience I had, and most of the people I’ve known for 30+ years, is that bahai administration is irrelevant at best. At worst, it is a religion that is run by horrible people (many are evil liars, probably psychopaths, or deeply into groupthink) that exploit and demean the spiritual yearnings of most of the people that join up.

(ex-bahai, originally coerced into signing a bahai declaration card in the early 70s.)

One thing is sure the Faith is withering and is dying in every land.

Bahais are just clinging to the hem of HOPE that tomorrow will be better.

Iam sure that a long time dedicated Bahai will admit this fact.

People are athirst of unity and peace but when presented to them the Bahai teaching they are reticent.Why???

Bahais are squeezed between one Muslim believe in the finality of his religion and others are not ready to accept a teaching sourced from far or near to Islam.

According to the Writings only after a global destruction will the rest of humanity will turn towards Bahai faith.

So where will be the appropriate time to the famous Entry by Troops.???

Before or after the catastrophe.???

REligion are made for those spiritually feeble people.
I believe that spirituallity are beyond borders of all these rituals and paradigm.
Spirituality is the music of the soul.
And i firmly believe that ‘s no need to be submitted to such and such dogme and doctrines.

An AWARE consciousness is the root of all good.

People are losing their precious moment of their life in shunning, hating others.

A candle will light up a thousand candles without  diminish in intensity.
It will light up the environment but will remain in the shade, it’s own shadow, this is humility.

You turn towards the candle your shadow will be behind you and will not affect but turn away your shadow will be in front of you and will embarass your footsteps. you may stumble and fall.

Naturals or artificial light all is good.
Light is good from any lamp it may come from.

I

Well I guess the left wing is now getting so much right wing as the so called Dissidents did grow so much that they are now majority. Any body who have quick look at the participation rates, see’s that almost no-one turning up or listen to rants coming out of administration. 

It is strange that my post on ‘Baha’i dissidents” should have ended up here on Baha’i Rants, an oxymoron if there ever was one. The reason I erased my blog was not because I changed my mind about its contents–I haven’t–but because I think it’s rather pointless to argue with those whose claws are sharp and whose minds are made up. My blog wasn’t a rant; it was an argument. And as someone who has been a Baha’i for 50 years, it wasn’t coming from “left-field”, but was based on a long experience with the issues I discussed. My main point was the following: a religion has to be recognizable, first and foremost, from the inside-out, not from the outside-in, the position that most ranters and critics of the Baha’i Faith, even if they call themselves Baha’is, usually take. By the way, the pervasive use of irony by your moderator, as in “naughty, naughty”, and the use of innuendo, weakens, not strengthens, the positions you take. When name-calling takes over, and is used a tool to degrade the interlocutor, you have left the domain of the rational and reasonable, and have entered the world of gesticulation and theater. Best regards, Jack McLean