The Baha'i Studies Listserv http://www.docstoc.com/docs/22028700/Bahai-Sects I found this neutral academic study of Baha'i sects via google.com
________________________________ From: Brent Poirier <[email protected]> To: Baha'i Studies <[email protected]> Sent: Sat, January 23, 2010 1:56:55 AM Subject: Re: Sects The Baha'i Studies Listserv The repetition of these statements made by the so-called Baha'is Under the Provisions of the Covenant, and the hurt and shock we experience as we hear them, brings something to mind. There is a story -- now I cannot find the source of it -- of the time after the Passing of Baha'u'llah when the Covenant-breakers were working against Abdu'l-Baha, but He had not yet announced it to the Baha'i world. And at that time, pilgrims would come to the Holy Land, and the Covenant-breakers would invite a new pilgrim to come to the Mansion. They would throw a feast for him, and write poetry in his honor, flatter him -- and then, gradually instill questions about the integrity of Abdu'l-Baha. One day one of the Covenant-breakers came across Abdu'l-Baha and said that they had invited one of the recent pilgrims to Bahji and were holding a Feast in his honor, and would turn him against Abdu'l-Baha. Abdu'l-Baha smiled and said that they would not get this one; that they would see that their opposition to Abdu'l-Baha would only increase this believer's devotion to the Covenant, and make his love for Abdu'l-Baha even more extreme--and this is what happened. And it seems to me that this can be our response when we hear these accusations against the Hands of the Cause, who protected the Cause of God from the forces of hatred and selfishness -- if we take it properly, it can increase our love for them, and our devotion to the Covenant. When these shocks occur, when we hear these things, they can do us no harm if we pray, and turn to the Will and Testament. They can increase our devotion. I am not recommending, to the extent of one word, that we read Covenant-breaker literature. I think that is a foolish thing to do, and that we should put lots of distance between ourselves and such material. The House has warned us in the strongest possible terms against doing so. But when it comes our way without our asking, there is a healthy response. I personally don't think that in such instances, the best response is to hush things up. Rather, the forces of unity are so strong in the Faith, the light of the Covenant is so strong, that used properly, opposition simply strengthens it. Prayer and study of the Word will use the irritant as a stimulus, and build a protection. I have written a short piece about the preposterous and remarkably flimsy accusations against the Hands http://tinyurl.com/hands-cause based on passages from "The Ministry of the Custodians." The sweet-scented Hands of the Cause were as real and as true as they could be. Brent __________________________________________________ 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] Or 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 (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] __________________________________________________ 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] Or 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 (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
