Posted by Anon (128.147.177.234) on August 14, 2003 at 08:02:46:

In Reply to: Re: Repression of ideas? posted by Jim on August 13, 2003 at 18:38:50:

Jim,

There is no getting around the fact that all of us have to "repress" ourselves in order to be Baha'is. That is at the essence of all religion- that you give up your own worldly desires and intellectual fancies in order to obtain the cup of life. The problem with these discussions is that they are not "Baha'i" discussions because they do not reflect the core spiritual principles at the heart of our Faith.

If we read the Writings of Baha'u'llah, one will be struck by the central importance of submission. Our relationship with God is not a democratic one. Baha'u'llah invested authority in Abdul Baha, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice. Obedience to them is a spiritual obligation for all Baha'is- and that is what protects the unity of the cause because, despite our differences of opinion on a variety of issues, there is an authority to which we all submit.

We all might love it if we could somehow work out a way to include women on the House, if for no other reason than it would end these interminable discussions about it. But the reality is that it is part of the sacred text and is clearly interpreted that way by our authorized interpreters. The House of Justice cannot change it, even if they wanted to. There is really not a lot more that can be said about it and it is best to move on.

Maybe we should be proud of the fact that we live in a community whose leaders adhere to principle. Maybe we should promote that, because the world needs more of it.

Anon

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