I think everyone here knows of the passage in which 'Abdu'l-Baha tells us to
teach one person per year. This passage is often cited to show that if
Baha'is live their life properly and teach properly the outcome will be that
they will convert one person to the Faith a year. It is also suggested that
if one does not convert someone in a given year that means that they have
definitely done something wrong, whether it be not living a good enough life
or not teaching well enough. I have always doubted this use of that
passage, and felt that one's failure to lead another into the Faith in a
given year, or even over the course of a few years, does not necessarily
mean the person is doing something wrong. It just makes me wonder when I
know a number of extremely good Baha'is who are well deepened teachers and
don't seem to do anything wrong, but who don't ever seem to convert anyone.
I seriously doubt these people are worse Baha'is than those in places with
high growth, and certainly they are good enough people to be able to do well
in teaching. I also see no evidence that they are worse teachers, since
they are well deepened in information that Baha'is all around the world seem
to know. I don't see any evidence that there is something major about
teaching that a large number of Baha'is are ignorant of, and which holds
them back as far as growth is concerned. When I was in Haifa I thought I
would raise the issue with a member of the International Teaching Centre,
asking him if he thought the passage meant that if one doesn't convert a
person in a given year they have done something wrong, and he agreed with me
that it wouldn't necessarily mean a person had done something wrong. What
does everyone else think on this issue?
Regards,
David
_________________________________________________________________
Gaming galore at http://xtramsn.co.nz/gaming !
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