Hi Mark,
From where I am sitting, here in Europe, I cannot see that there are even different groups of Bahais. For me, where I am sitting, every Bahai has their own take on the Bahai religion, and although some will support some thoughts some people have published, they will not support all of the thoughts of that person.
I used to look for a common denominator in Bahai communities and among Bahais, and I could not find one. I could see that some people agreed with some things and others with other things, but not a definite school of thought. Maybe the groups in Europe are yet too small to see distinct schools of thought emerging.
Anyway, what i feel is most important is that humanity will learn now to cope with differences without it leading to schisms, to official splits. To learn to cope with unity in diversity. To learn how to be united while not being the same, while retaining our individuality and yet be able to not only reach consensus, but to move as many souls in one body, to be truly in accord with one another, like flowers of one garden. You can look at each individual flower, you can even create flowers of the same colour and the same kind in one flower bed, and you can take an overview of the garden and see unity in diversity.
much love,
janine van rooij
dublin, ireland.
"Mark A. Foster" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"Mark A. Foster" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi, Janine,
At 08:11 AM 1/24/2005, you wrote:
>>about the Bahai faith: what I feel is that there are different ideas in the Bahai faith because people are different.<<
Yes, I think that would be true by definition.
>>My take is that one idea cannot develop in a different school of thought leading to schisms, just like in previous religions.<<
Not leading to schisms, no. However, I think that there clearly *are* different schools of thought among Baha'is, even if they are not always acknowledged.
>>I believe that each Bahai has their own version of the Bahai faith.<<
Yes, or at least different groups of Baha'is have socially constructed their own "Baha'i faiths" or Baha'i paradigms.
Regards, Mark A. Foster � http://markfoster.net � [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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