On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 21:32:35 -0800 (PST), louise mchenry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Gilberto, > > I just read this mail over and I apologise that it is > not that clear as I had intended it to be. While > writing I got frequently interrupted. English is not > my native tongue, hence the gramatical errors! ;o)
Wow, that is interesting. What is your native tongue, if I might ask? > And thanks for sharing your feelings about the Administrative Order. Peace Gilberto > I hope it is clear enough for you why I think that the > Administrative Order is divinely inspired and how I > can see that justice can be practiced most perfectly, > until the wintertime for the Bahai faith has arrived > and the time for a new spiritual impetus is ripe, at > which time God will send another Manifestation. > For me there is only one religion and each new chapter > in the book of religion builds upon the knowledge and > understanding gained from the previous chapter. In my > view the human world needs to receive a new spiritual > impetus on a regular basis (well, in God's eyes), to > spur it on to greater heights. Islam and other > religions had their peak. The holy words still retain > their power, but at the moment fail to create overall > real understanding. These faiths have lost the power > to inspire great numbers of people to the extent they > were able to inspire before, bringing forth in great > numbers of people the best of their being. They have > helped humanity forward, but because of the material > side of the human nature, eventually ego darkened the > light of these words, until the majority of its people > is now going through the motions, attached to the > name, and also the practice and interpretation of > people before them, and their religion has become a > shell without spirit. > > much love, > > janine van rooij > dublin ireland > > --- louise mchenry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > thank you for your response Gilberto. > > > > Apparently no human has thought before of the same > > simple yet to me so powerful solution on how to put > > the ideal of unity in diversity, and the way to > > universal peace to become a reality in this world, > > before Baha'u'llah made it known. > > > > What I find divinely inspired in it is that it is so > > simple. The formula is as follows: choose on a local > > level 9 (or more, the Bahai writings allow for more, > > although at present 9 is the number) representatives > > of that particular community via secret ballot, and > > do > > this yearly. Look for the qualities of purity of > > motive (so not the ones who are canvassing for > > themselves), maturity in outlook and thought and > > deeds, wisdom, humbleness, amongst others. > > > > This assembly of representatives, called in Bahai > > terms a local house of justice, has the power to > > deal > > with local issues, relating to the people and > > circumstances of that locality. While there are > > national guidelines and international guidelines to > > be > > followed, this local house of justice works closely > > together with the national assembly. They take > > decisions based on respectful, yet open and frank > > consultation, where again purity of motive and truth > > is what is to be striven for. > > > > Every year anew this assembly is formed, by secret > > ballot, from among the members of that local > > community. > > > > Same for the national assembly, via representatives > > of > > the different localities, who can elect anybody in > > the > > country who is of the age of maturity and above. And > > every 5 years for the assembly called universal > > house > > of justice, now chosen by all the members of the > > national assemblies of the different countries, but > > again all males of and above the age of maturity all > > over the world are electable. > > > > This is the layout. But this system would not work > > if > > there was not a key: consultation. In the Bahai > > sense > > this means that one is not attached to the view one > > put forward, because that can hinder the light of > > truth to become apparent. One can see the view as a > > brick with which one can build a new structure. so > > one > > offers one's thoughts in a loving, open, frank, > > respectful and detached way, concentrated on finding > > an approach/solution that is the best the assembly > > can > > come up with. > > > > It is an exercise in doing away with ego. And it can > > only work when people are willing to let go of ego. > > > > I never have read anything like it, to this detail. > > all gradations of assemblies have areas they can > > legislate on, and they can consult one another, and > > refer very difficult matters to the Universal House > > of > > Justice, which has the last say in things. > > > > I find it amazing that nobody has thought this up in > > this detail, not only the layout but also the > > concept > > of consultation as I explained above, and how this > > is > > a practical expression of spiritual principles, one > > of > > which is letting go of what profits oneself only for > > looking at what is good for all. > > > > Theoretically I think a human being is capable of > > coming up with anything, good or bad, but the fact > > that in my knowledge nobody has done so, except > > Baha'u'llah Who also claims to be a Manifestation of > > God and the Mouthpiece of God for this era, made me > > look into His claim more seriously. Someone with > > such > > a brilliant idea should be taken seriously in claims > > they make. > > > > So it is not because I think it is a nice idea. It > > is > > because to me it is a very simple way (not complex I > > mean, the practice of being totally detached, > > respectful, yet frank and open can be difficult for > > a > > human being not raised in combining these virtues, > > and > > many in the western world are not) and at the same > > time a very practical way to achieve universal > > peace, > > to realise it and to make society from grassroot > > level > > onwards more just. > > > > you write further: > > Personally, I > > > would tend to say that from the Quran and sunnah > > one > > > can extract a > > > number of principles of what constitutes good > > > government, or a just > > > society, and those would form the basic parameters > > > or "constitution" > > > which would be implemented. And as long as they > > > were adhered to the > > > system would be "Islamic". > > > > Yes, I can see that, and I can see that every > > religion > > has this capacity, also that each religion brings a > > bigger understanding of what is just and what is > > not. > > The problem I have with all other religions except > > the > > Bahai faith is that the principles one can extract > > from the holy books and the equivalent of hadiths in > > each religion, for example Islam, are also quite > > personal and often lead to splintering. > > > > Because of the will and testament of Baha'u'llah and > > Abdu'l-Baha there is a recognised centre of the > > Bahai > > faith (first this was Baha'u'llah, then Abdu'l-Baha, > > then Shoghi Effendi and now the Universal House of > > Justice) this splintering has greatly been reduced > > in > > the Bahai faith. Though you think that there are > > several groups of Bahais, Haifan and other, if you > > read the will and testament of Baha'u'llah and > > Abdu'l-Baha you will see that these are very > > specific > > in who is the successor. They do not leave room for > > the interpretation of those groups who are > > contesting > > the authority of Shoghi Effendi, or earlier, > > Abdu'l-Baha or more recently the Universal House of > > Justice. Up to Shoghi Effendi the succession is > > very > > clear, as are the responsibilities of these people. > > Shoghi Effendi did not leave a testament, but again > > from reading the will and testament of Abdu'l-Baha > > one > > sees that Shoghi Effendi had no offspring, plus his > > family had turned against him, so he could not > > choose > > anybody from their offspring. He had appointed Hands > > of the Cause and one can read the role of the Hands > > inthe will and testament of Baha'u'llah. They chose > > a > > group from among themselves who guided the Bahai > > faith > > until they felt it was the right time for the > > instigation of the Universal House of Justice. > > > > Moreover, these other groups have not come up with > > as > > strong an organisation so widespread as what you > > call > > the Haifan Bahais, which to me is another proof that > > the Haifan Bahais are following the will and > > guidance > > of God. But that is a personal opinion. > > > > It is exactly this focus on a centre, a legal, > > recognised, acknowledged center whose authority > > cannot > > be contended, yet it allows for each individual > > being > > different and having a different understanding and > > approach of the Bahai teachings, which I find > > lacking > > in Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and many other > > religions. The sunnis can only legalise over other > > sunnis, the shi'ites only over other shi'ites etc. > > They can lay down rules and regulations for > > countries > > of which the majority is sunni or shi'ite, or > > another > > group of Islam, but they cannot lay down the law for > > countries where the majority is of a different group > > of Islam. > > > > There was a time when there was more unity and > > respect > > among Muslims than there is now, if I recall > > correctly. To me Islam and Christianity are in their > > winter time. This will also eventually happen to the > > > === message truncated === > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! 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