Hi, Scott, At 11:44 AM 8/30/2005, you wrote: >>I have noticed two stumbling blocks to understanding in the terms: "relative" >>and "moderation". The second case leads to confusion when the American >>attitude toward the term: "All things in moderation". Baha`u'llah does not >>mean that we should be a little bit good and a little bit evil, He means that >>we should moderate our behavior in light of the Revelation of Baha`u'llah.<<
Yes. I think that the Baha'i concept of moderation is something like the Buddhist concept of the "Middle Way" (mattannuta). It is keeping on "the path" or, in a Baha'i context, trying to follow God's Will. >>Same with "relative truth". As you point out this does not mean that >>everybody is right "for themselves". It means that the truth is always what >>the Messengers relate.<< IMO, relative truth, from a Baha'i perspective, refers to the vertical and horizontal differences in knowledge (between Dispensations, periods in Dispensations, and individuals). Horizontally, two Baha'is can both understand a verse in thoroughly different ways and both be correct. Vertically, as the House of Justice said, our understandings of the Baha'i teachings change over the courses of our lives. Via moderna, Mark A. Foster . http://markfoster.net ... since [a] word is said to be common, it can be called a universal. - Wm. of Ockham, Summa Logicae, part I Structurization Tech: http://tech.structurization.com The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/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/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
