Gilberto Simpson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On 9/2/05, Iskandar Hai, M.D. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
> I guess I understand now what your question is.
More a suggestion than a question.
> And let me now try to
> share with you my own limited understanding of the issue(s). We believe
> that one of the things that has done the most damage to any religion is
> disunity, divisions, sectarianisms because there was no clearly defined
> line of succession or authority after the Founder.
Sure, that's a general problem. But as an outsider, I see that among
the group of people who believe the Bab is a Manifestation, there are
still differences of opinion on different questions. Even among those
who believe in Bahaullah. Even among those who accept the Guardianship
of Shoghi Effendi. And even now, even in the forum, one can see
tensions between "fundamentalist" Bahais and the more "academic"
Bahais.Dear Gilberto,
I think that the term "fundamentalist Baha`i" is a chimera.
I can name a long list of "academic" Baha`i's (actually another chimera), who are academic as hell, and whom those who claim discrimination at the hands of "fundamentalist Baha`i's", would quickly claim to be "FUNDAMENTALISTS" of the worst stripe.
They have erectged a "strawman" to burn in effigy. And, after all, strawmen are also chimerae.
Regards,
Scott
Arnold J. Toynbee
