Dr. Maneck quoted a small fragment on my post as such:
"""I have no interest in debating with anyone who claims that the Central
Figures and the Universal House of Justice have never and will never
be factually incorrect on anything; any more than I desire to debate
someone who claims I am a female (since I know myself to be male).""""
And then Dr. Maneck responded as such:
"So why start this fight in the first place?"
Now, I reply to her:
Hello Dr. Maneck,
I did not intend to start a fight, although I will admit that this topic usually does end as a fight, unfortunately.
The reason I bring it up is this: I believe that our community's incorrect understanding of, and more importantly, incorrect application of the principle of infallibility, is the core reason why we as a community are not growing. I have stated this many times in many ways, and I know you always disagree with me. I respect your opinion, Susan, very much (I guess that's one reason I hang around here, hoping to some day, some way help you to see the light on what I consider to be, by far, the most important issue in the Baha'i community today).
I believe that this issue is holding us back. From a practical, hard nosed, real world point of view, I just don't think that a religious community founded on our principles will ever be accepted by many people if we cling to what I consider to be a demonstrably false understanding of infallibility; and an understanding of infallibility that, if not changed and the Baha'i Community were to achieve worldly power, would have disastrous consequences.
From a spiritual and theological perspective, which to me is actually the more important perspective, I believe in a conception called God and I believe Baha'u'llah is His Prophet and Messenger. And, I believe that God will never allow a community, Baha'i or otherwise, to obtain worldly power now or in the future, with so disastrous a mis-conception of the principle of infallibility. So I believe God will hold us back until we correct this. And, I believe Baha'u'llah will also; indeed you can't really separate the Two; Divine Providence will not allow our community, with its present conception of infallibility, to grow further in numbers and//or influence, until we correct this problem, I believe.
So to me it s a big issue.
Ron Stephens
