Baha’i Rants

As I predicted in my entry about the election of Paul Lample to the UHJ, his self-published book Creating a New Mind is drawing a lot of new attention. No doubt all the good little AABMs, ABMs and Counsellors are finished dog-earing their own personal copies by now. Competing with them to praise this singular work is a new Baha’i web magazine.SPIRITUAL DEGREES, which bills itself as “a Baha’i web magazine for the 5th Epoch”, has started a series of articles which loosely hang well-worn platitudes on Lample’s book. I really can’t see what all the fuss is about since his book just reads like a compilation of various quotes handcuffed together. But then again, that describes most of what comes out of Palabra. Maybe I’m missing something. Or maybe I’m just not worthy to grovel at his munificence, like these other good folks.

The article does contain a few honest remarks though. Its author acknowledges the shifting demographics within the Baha’i community (largely due to failure of the North American Baha’i community to grow - or stop shrinking, as it were) and says “It is clear that contemporary young adults no longer relate in quite the same way as before.” He then asks: “What is it about the evolution of the community […] that has failed to capture and maintain the interest of young adults?” Indeed.

The author then boldly sets out this goal:

“It is our intention with this magazine to find the revolutionary spirit of this age that will captivate its young adults and inspire them to become active agents of the Bahá’í community.”

Well, I wish him and the rest of the Baha’is behind SPIRITUAL DEGREES the best of luck and will be looking forward to their progress. I sigh and shake my head though, because I know that if they truly do set out to accomplish that goal with single-minded regard for truth, they will be mercilessly crushed by the AO (just like Talisman I, Dialogue, the LA classes, and many individuals before them).

I do applaud their cherubic zeal and look forward to their next missive.