Susan,
thank you...however, i have not changed my position with the additional information that you have provided...i suspect that the House has reasons for addressing that letter to the National Assemblies...reasons that i am not privy too, as i am not a member of either the House of Justice that sent the letter or any National Assembly that received it, nor am i Sen, whose position and standing within the Baha'i Faith has been affected by it...nor do i take an interest in it...it's none of my business actually..... others have their own reasons for diseminating such information on the internet. the issue of privacy, is something else again, and seems to be a foregone conclusion that it is non-existant, the reasons for/against maintaining privacy tho are not clear....once again, none of those reasons are any of my business either, or are they relevant to me in any manner.... the resolution of this matter rests with Sen and the House of Justice...in any case...i believe that that is a given...if i am mistaken in that fact...i will listen to any information that any can provide to clarify the matter for me. thank you. > Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:51:01 -0600 > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: from sonja: Kitab-I-Aqdas and other questions > > > i could think of a good reason, unless the House has openly stated that a > > particular individual is the spokesperson for the House, the person speaking > > for the House is speaking out of turn....as well, whatever the resaons are > > they are between Sen and the House, should Sen wish to reveal the resaons to > > either friend or foe.....that would be within his right...that still does > > not change the reality that whatever the relationship between Sen and the > > House IS....the relationship is still between Sen and the House...like a > > marriage. > > third parties like children can side with one party or another for whatever > > reason....but it doesnt alter the reality one bit. > > Dear Maidenleaf, > > If there was any private communication between Sen and the House it > was some years ago and he has chosen to disclose its contents, which > is his right. To my knowledge they have not communicated with him > directly in recent years. Their decision to remove Sen from the rolls > was conveyed to him through the NSA of the Netherlands. Likewise their > statement regarding Sen's book was made publicly, not privately. In > short, if the House wished this to remain a private matter between it > and Sen McGlinn, they would not have publicized it by sending this > letter to the all of the National Spiritual Assemblies: > > > 14 November 2005 > > Transmitted by email > > To all National Spiritual Assemblies > > > Dear Bahá'í Friends, > > Recently, questions have arisen which have prompted the Universal House > of Justice to comment further on matters treated in the compilation > "Issues Related to the Study of the Bahá'í Faith". > > The Bahá'í principle calling for investigation of reality encourages an > unfettered search for knowledge and truth by whoever wishes to engage > in it. When applied to the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, it inevitably > gives rise to a wide range of responses. Some, attracted to the > Message, embrace the Cause as their own. Some may respond positively to > certain precepts or principles and willingly collaborate toward shared > aims. Some may find it to be an interesting social phenomenon worthy of > study. Still others, content with their own beliefs, may reject its > claims. Bahá'ís are taught to be respectful of the views of others, > believing that conscience should not be coerced. > > Upon becoming a Bahá'í, one accepts certain fundamental beliefs; but > invariably one's knowledge of the Teachings is limited and often mixed > with personal ideas. Shoghi Effendi explains that "an exact and > thorough comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so > sacred a trust, is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our > finite minds." Over time, through study, prayerful reflection, and an > effort to live a Bahá'í life, immature ideas yield to a more profound > understanding of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation. Service to the Cause plays a > particular role in the process, for the meaning of the Text is > clarified as one translates insights into effective action. As a matter > of principle, individual understanding or interpretation should not be > suppressed, but valued for whatever contribution it can make to the > discourse of the Bahá'í community. Nor should it, through dogmatic > insistence of the individual, be allowed to bring about disputes and > arguments among the friends; personal opinion must always be > distinguished from the explicit Text and its authoritative > interpretation by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and from the > elucidations of the Universal House of Justice on "problems which have > caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not > expressly recorded in the Book". > > In searching for understanding, Bahá'ís naturally acquaint themselves > with published materials from a variety of sources. A book written by > a disinterested non-Bahá'í scholar about the Faith, even if it reflects > certain assumptions and puts forward conclusions acceptable within a > given discipline but which are at variance with Bahá'í belief, poses > no particular problem for Bahá'ís, who would regard these perceptions > as an honest attempt to explore a religious phenomenon as yet little > understood generally. Any non-biased effort to make the Faith > comprehensible to a thoughtful readership, however inadequate it might > appear, would evoke genuine Bahá'í appreciation for the perspective > offered and research skill invested in the project. The matter is > wholly different, however, when someone intentionally attacks > the Faith. > > An inescapable duty devolves upon the friends so to situate themselves > in the knowledge of the Teachings as to be able to respond > appropriately to such a challenge as it arises and thus uphold the > integrity of the Faith. The words of Bahá'u'lláh Himself shed light on > the proper attitude to adopt. He warns the believers "not to view with > too critical an eye the sayings and writings of men". "Let them", He > instructs, "rather approach such sayings and writings in a spirit of > open-mindedness and loving sympathy. Those men, however, who, in this > may, have been led to assail, in their inflammatory writings, the > tenets of the Cause of God, are to be treated differently. It is > incumbent upon all men, each according to his ability, to refute the > arguments of those that have attacked the Faith of God." > > A different type of challenge arises when an individual or group, using > the privilege of Bahá'í membership, adopts various means to impose > personal views or an ideological agenda on the Bahá'í community. In one > recent instance, for example, an individual has declared himself a > "Bahá'í theologian, writing from and for a religious community," whose > aim is "to criticize, clarify, purify and strengthen the ideas of the > Bahá'í community, to enable Bahá'ís to understand their relatively new > Faith and to see what it can offer the world". Assertions of this kind > go far beyond expressions of personal opinion, which any Bahá'í is free > to voice. As illustrated, here is a claim that lies well outside the > framework of Bahá'í belief and practice. Bahá'u'lláh has liberated > human minds by prohibiting within His Faith any caste with > ecclesiastical prerogatives that seeks to foist a self-assumed > authority upon the thought and behaviour of the mass of believers. > Indeed, He has prescribed a system that combines democratic practices > with the application of knowledge through consultative processes. > > The House of Justice is confident that the principles herein presented > will enable the friends to benefit from diverse contributions resulting > from exploration of the manifold implications of Bahá'u'lláh's vast > Revelation, while remaining impervious to the efforts of those few who, > whether in an explicit or veiled manner, attempt to divert the Bahá'í > community from essential understandings of the Faith. > > > With loving Bahá'í greetings, > > Department of the Secretariat > > > > > 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. 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