Hi, Janine, At 07:21 AM 1/24/2005, you wrote: >>I am a bit confused as how you mean this. Do you mean to say that discussions >>of this sort assume that there is something called goodness in people, do you >>mean to say that goodness changes with each new Manifestation, that each new >>Manifestation, because of the taxonomies He uses defines anew what goodness >>is?<<
I am saying that "goodness" (or "badness") is simply a name to signify what a particular Prophet, group, or ordinary individual regards as being good (or bad). I don't know whether goodness *always* changes with each new Dispensation, though I imagine it does (at least with respect to social ordinances), but it is certainly God's prerogative to categorize behaviors previously defined to be bad as good and vice-versa. On the other hand, a extreme Platonist (idealist realist) might contend that goodness is a part of God's nature. Therefore, she or he might presume it can never be altered. In other words, if Muhammad makes one ethical pronouncement and Baha'u'llah makes another, each of them, applying the principle of progressive Revelation, would be *good" relative to that Prophet's paradigm. Similarly, human standards of goodness (values) can only be evaluated in juxtaposition to specific cultures and societies (cultural relativism). Progressive Revelation, which is the divine standard of goodness, provides "relative truth" across time, within Dispensations, and in the life cycles of particular societies, groups, and individuals. Regards, Mark A. Foster • http://markfoster.net • [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger." ---- Abbie Hoffman __________________________________________________ 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
