Rumi wrote: Stay in the company of lovers. Those other kinds of people, they each want to show you something. A crow will lead you to an empty barn, a parrot to sugar.
This is advice worth heeding: Look at the dwelling-place of whoever's advice you are considering. The counsel of the House was not to "disfellowship" anyone, but to "leave to their own devices" those "former Baha'is" whose actions are "seriously destructive." It is a different way of saying what Rumi said, and is in the same spirit as Baha'u'llah's counsel in the Iqan. Take it or not, your choice. It's advice that is in the Iqan for a reason. I am very sorry to see you dragging two wonderful souls' names through the mud. Moojan Momen and Terry Culhane are devoted Baha'is and their books are well worth reading. I would greatly enjoy their company, and wish I had occasion to see them more. I purchased one of Moojan's books for my wife recently, to use for a book report, and purchased the same book for a local university professor who is teaching a course on comparative religion. Terry Culhane's book addresses a subject that is well worth exploring, the mystic side of the Faith, and is written very sincerely. I urge you in all sincerity to try to get ahold of yourself, Ron. The mind is a fine servant and a terrible master. It requires training and guidance, and not letting it run away with itself and vain musings. Your comments were way out of line. The list I drew from the Iqan was not an exhaustive list. Every other word in that Book is a counsel to certitude. The certitude one feels in the former Revelations is, by comparison, incomplete. For one thing, Christianity is solely focused on oneself, on winning eternal grace. The worldwide scope of Baha'u'llah's Revelation, and the Covenant He left us, are all wrapped up with the certitude available to us as adherents of this new Revelation. It is very difficult to have a spiritual conversation over the Internet. Misunderstandings easily arise. More importantly, knowledge is not easily transmitted through letters over a keyboard. I don't think I'm going to say much more now. I might push you away more than attract you. Good luck Brent __________________________________________________ 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
