> 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.
Dear David, I've always felt it was very much a misuse of the passage. It seems to me that 'Abdu'l-Baha's emphasis was on the seeker and what is likely to make them respond, not the teacher. In other words, He was suggesting that if we focused our energies for a year on a person, getting to know them, inviting them to our home, gradually teach them the Faith, most people will respond within that period. It was a prescription as to how to effectively teach the Faith, not a measuring tape as to how well we are doing. What gripes me is when people who engage in much more direct teaching approaches than the one Abdu'l-Baha recommends, because they get more cards sign they insinuate that the rest of us are not being as obedient as they are. Yet the way we teach may be much, much closer to what 'Abdu'l-Baha had recommended in that passage. Mind you, I'm not criticizing anyone's approach to teaching here, but the "Each One Teach One" passage is a description of the indirect method and how it can be effective. warmest, Susan ---------- You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
