Rich,
>It is in this sense that I am saying that they are not Baha'is. As to others
identifying themselves as Baha'is, I think they can als identify
themselves as flying squirrels, but they don't meet the criteria for
that either and I'm not going to tell them that they are either.<
identifying themselves as Baha'is, I think they can als identify
themselves as flying squirrels, but they don't meet the criteria for
that either and I'm not going to tell them that they are either.<
While in the United States, Abdu'l Baha met a man who claimed to
be Moses. He did not make any attempt to explain to the man
that he couldn't possibly be Moses. Instead, Abdu'l Baha
said "Wonderful!, you can come with Me while I go to the homes
of poor people.". Then He took the man with Him to visit poor people
and to help them. When the man realized the consequences of his claim
to be Moses, he became quiet, and found an opportunity to leave
Abdu'l Baha.
Self-identification has consequences.
A person can identify himself as anything. That provides
insight into how the person sees himself. The self
identification may correspond to reality outside the person,
or it may not correspond. While I agree that it's usually rude
and unproductive to argue with a person about how he
sees himself, that doesn't mean the rest of the world
is obligated to accept his self description at face value.
Sociologists excepted of course :^)
Any self description has consequences.
For example, if a person describes himself as a professional carpenter,
people will expect him to be able to build a house.
If a person describes himself as an expert in the Chinese language,
people will expect him to be able to read and translate a Chinese
newspaper.
If a person describes himself as a Baha'i, other Baha'is will
have certain expectations, based on the statements of
Shoghi Effendi and the House of Justice. I do understand
the point that membership in an organization, is not the same as
simple self-identification. But in this contingent world,
being a Baha'i entails being part of an organization.
They go hand in hand.
As to whether covenant-breakers are still Baha'is, in
some sense, I don't know, and I don't care. I leave it up to the
House of Justice to define that, or to leave it undefined.
Who a person truly is, in his essence, is between that individual and God,
and no one else can know another's inner reality.
But, in regular, everyday life, it isn't necessary to know another
person's inward reality. However, in this world, it sometimes
is necessary to know whether a person's self-identification
corresponds with outward reality. For example,
does the self-described carpenter actually know how to build a house?
Tim Nolan
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