Gilberto Simpson wrote:
What I'm saying is that there are *some* situations where we actually
are presented with that choice.
I agree and much more than people realize, which is why I personally
believe--and I believe the Universal House supports--that you cannot
have genuine unity based on lies and falsehoods without sacrificing
justice and virtually ever other Bahai spiritual principle. But if
people choose to conceptualize the polarized choice that you make, there
is little choice but to put truth first for unity in the long run.
Unity can never be achieved by ignoring other spiritual principles and
truthfulness is the foundation for all other virtues. It's extremely
short-sighted, in my view, to think that falsehoods can ever really
support unity, unless the vision of unity we have in mind in something
akin to Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia. Lying can always be
rationalized for the sake of expediency; rarely is it ever wise.
Besides, the Bahai Faith is hardly so fragile that it must depend upon
lies for unity's sake, although I never ceased to be amazed by the
number of people who act as if it is. Perhaps, they are only attempting
to protect themselves and their own misdeeds. Marleen
Associated with this invitation is the expectation that all believers
will make a sincere and persistent effort to eradicate those aspects of
their conduct which are not in conformity with Divine Law. It is through
such adherence to the Bahá'í Teachings that a true and enduring unity of
the diverse elements of the Bahá'í community is achieved and safeguarded.
(The Universal House of Justice, 1995 Sept 11, Homosexuality)
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