On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 15:25:52 EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In a message dated 1/21/2005 2:21:10 PM Central Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > If you are just arguing about the "names" that seems an odd > distinction to make. Actions are either right or wrong, regardless of > whose "name" they've been done in. > > Peace > > Gilberto > Here's the first couple paragraphs from the section of Baha`u'llah and the > New Era. I think it makes clear the difference of war for religion and war > to defend nations against invasion. I highlight in red one concluding > statement.
So are you saying that Christ already taught non-resistance. But then under Muhammad's dispensation the community progressed past it? Then the Bahai dispensation went backwards to what Christ taught? > > " > 1 > > Although Bahá'u'lláh, like Christ, counsels His follows as individuals and > as a religious body to adopt an attitude of nonresistance and forgiveness > toward their enemies, He teaches that it is the duty of the community to > prevent injustice and oppression. If individuals are persecuted and injured > it is wrong for a community to allow pillage and murder to continue > unchecked within its borders. It is the duty of a good government to prevent > wrongdoing and to punish offenders. [1] So also with the community of > nations. If one nation oppresses or injures another, it is the duty of all > other nations to unite to prevent such oppression. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: -- > "It may happen that at a given time warlike and savage tribes may furiously > attack the body politic with the intention of carrying on a wholesale > slaughter of its members; under such a circumstance defense is necessary." > 2 > > Hitherto the usual practice of mankind has been that if one nation attacked > another, the rest of the nations of the world remained neutral, and accepted > no responsibility in the matter unless their own interests were directly > affected or threatened. The whole burden of defense was left to the nation > attacked, however weak and helpless it might be. The teaching of Bahá'u'lláh > reverses this position and throws the responsibility of defense not > specially on the nation attacked, but on all the others, individually and > collectively. As the whole of mankind is one community, an attack on any one > nation is an attack on the community, and ought to be dealt with by the > community. Were this doctrine generally recognized and acted on, any nation > contemplating an aggression on another would know in advance that it would > have to reckon with the opposition not of that other nation only, but of the > whole of the rest of the world. This knowledge alone would be sufficient to > deter even the boldest and most bellicose of nations. When a sufficiently > strong league of peace-loving nations is established war will, there, become > a thing of the past. During the period of transition from the old state of > international anarchy to the new state of international solidarity > aggressive wars will still be possible, and in these circumstances, military > or other coercive action in the cause of international justice, unity and > peace may be a positive duty. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes that in such case: -- " > " > 3 > > > > > A conquest can be a praiseworthy thing, and there are times when war becomes > the powerful basis of peace, and ruin the very means of reconstruction. If, > for example, a high-minded sovereign marshals his troops to block the onset > of the insurgent and the aggressor, or again, if he takes the field and > distinguishes himself in a struggle to unify a divided state and people, if, > in brief, he is waging war for a righteous purpose, then this seeming wrath > is mercy itself, and this apparent tyranny the very substance of justice and > this warfare the cornerstone of peace. Today, the task befitting great > rulers is to establish universal peace, for in this lies the freedom of all > peoples. -- The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 70-71. " > > Regards, > > Scott__________________________________________________ > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe, send a blank email to > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Baha'i Studies is available through the following: > Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu > Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st > News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st > Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist > Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net > New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu -- "My people are hydroponic" __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
