tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021317.post111509407826814903..comments2023-10-17T03:46:54.909-07:00Comments on Karen's Thoughts: The "Troops" are Thinning OutKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15915968995957299554noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021317.post-1115320777142948152005-05-05T12:19:00.000-07:002005-05-05T12:19:00.000-07:00Dear Eric,Yes, I would agree that the concept is b...Dear Eric,<BR/><BR/>Yes, I would agree that the concept is better than what we had before i.e. creating a strong community life before attempting to bring in converts. And there are other aspects of the current program -- devotional meetings, and an emphasis on children's classes, that I support wholeheartedly.<BR/><BR/>The problem with Ruhi is the one-size-fits-all mentality. Some of this is in Baha'i culture, where if the administration likes Ruhi then the darn thing must have been put together by the Almighty Himself. From what I understand, the UHJ wants the study circles, whether it's Ruhi or not, but it only counts, when you are evaluating a cluster's status, if people have gone through the Ruhi course. Some people are even being accused of being uncovenantal if they don't like the course!<BR/><BR/>And you are correct that deepenings before were often half-hearted; I used to get frustrated with this, since I couldn't imagine anything more important than studying the Writings.<BR/><BR/>What is it with Baha'is that they won't get motivated to do anything unless there is some kind of directive from on high?<BR/><BR/>You might be right that slow growth is, as you say "a part of the process". What I'm worried about is that the Faith is headed towards a situation where it will become largely an "inherited" religion, and it won't ever be able to go back to being a growing, thriving, religious movement. But then, I may be too pessimistic, and only time will tell.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15915968995957299554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021317.post-1115311446392843132005-05-05T09:44:00.000-07:002005-05-05T09:44:00.000-07:00Karen, I think the switch from an emphasis on tea...Karen,<BR/><BR/> I think the switch from an emphasis on teaching to an emphasis on improving the quality of community life was a turn in the right direction. You yourself were frustrated by the hollow community life you found in the Faith with all efforts devoted to converting new believers when there wasn't really much going on spiritually to convert them to. So, the Baha'is decided to use systematic training and focus on making Baha'is more familiar with their religion. This was done communally, in community-building groups. The study classes had practical exercises (like visiting Baha'is outside of classes and doing service projects). Much like the successful "one-city and one-book" projects (adapted by cities such as Chicago or universities across the USA) the administration pushed a single series of study courses.<BR/><BR/> This is clearly a better situation than the one you experienced in your community when you were a "card-carrying" Baha'i. You're correct that the Ruhi books that were selected as the "one book" study course are egregiously flawed. Probably the idea that one series of study courses would work for everyone was also mistaken. Maybe we all should have deepened on the Hidden Words instead. But then, the NSA had encouraged us to read specific books of the Baha'i Revelation before, and I never saw massive community responses to these suggestions.<BR/><BR/> And yeah, the Internet is a great thing. It's better to slow down or stop growth as savvy seekers read about the Diaglogue Affair, the persecution of intellectuals within the Faith, Juan Cole's Panoptican article in the Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion, and of course your own excellent portrayals of the pathetic side of the Faith. I'm hoping this will force the Faith to evolve toward greater openness. The members of the American NSA need to ask for forgiveness and confess their errors. That would restore the dignity of that institution. The UHJ needs to approach people who have been chased out of the Faith and admit the mistakes, and beg people to come back into the Faith. <BR/><BR/> If the UHJ and NSAs would simply follow Shoghi Effendi's instructions about openess, and obey 'Abdu'l-Baha's directions about treating people with respect and kindness. . . the Internet problems would go away. The only critics left would be the crack-pots. As a younger and more internet-wise generation grows to maturity I believe we will see more progressive people elected to NSAs and the UHJ. <BR/><BR/> It's better the Administrative Order learn from the mistakes it has made over the past 25 years now, while the Faith is relatively obscure and powerless. In ten or twenty years from now the UHJ and NSAs will look back at this as a "dark age" and will remember never to repeat the errors that have been made. All future Baha'is will learn the history of the Faith with this era as an example of how the Faith must not be.<BR/><BR/> The Ruhi course take-over and the Internet are working to bring us toward this future. And slow growth in enrollments is an important part of the process.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021317.post-1115168379460528122005-05-03T17:59:00.000-07:002005-05-03T17:59:00.000-07:00Karen,it seems that the AO is finally acknowledgin...Karen,<BR/><BR/>it seems that the AO is finally acknowledging what many 'heretics' have been saying for a long, long time.<BR/><BR/>Even the <A HREF="http://spiritualdegrees.org/articles/newmind2.html" REL="nofollow">guys genuflecting in the direction of Lample</A> have pointed out this 'challenge'.<BR/><BR/>But it is one thing to notice the reality facing the world wide Baha'i community in the face. It is a totally different thing to accept it and take responsability for it as well as move towards a solution.<BR/><BR/>Maybe I'm being pessimistic but I think they'll just find a scapegoat and stop there. Blaming the 'liberals' is much too tempting, I'm afraid.Baquiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06666496567257618823noreply@blogger.com