Posted by simon (62.255.64.7) on December 19, 2002 at 11:43:03:

In Reply to: Self-Defense and Baha'i Morality posted by Stuart Gilman on December 18, 2002 at 05:44:17:

I do not have any meaningful references to hand, but if it's any use ;

If you can remove the "self" from these decisions, I feel you get nearer the truth. If I was in this predicament,I suppose I'd ask myself WHY do I feel I should exclude this man from my home. If it was purely to protect my family from moral danger/influence, and I considered that danger to outweigh the potential benefit to that man by keeping him as a friend, I'd exclude him.
If deep down I felt it was due to reasons connected to my "self"
(e.g. as an exercise of power over that person to show my disapproval / as a way of displaying my personal revulsion at his lifestyle / to re-affirm my own heterosexuality), then I'd say I was wrong, because I'd allowed my ego or self to influence my decision.
Having said that, to truly eliminate the self from all that we do is difficult to imagine.

I don't believe it can be right to judge your decision as wrong, as there is rarely a black or white answer when you're dealing with people. If you have examined your deepest motives for taking the decision and you are happy with them, you are right. I can't see how that can conflict with the Bahai faith.

Simon

this topic is closed - post at bahai-library.com/forum