Jim's List (bad joke)

I've moved the original contents of this post to a comment. It was a bad joke, and I don't want it here. I'm only keeping it because I don't like people trying to cover up their mistakes and wrongdoings by deleting records.

Ruhi courses in Baha'i growth plans

Describing the Ruhi courses as I see them might include:
- Their contents
- The ways they're conducted
- The ways they're used in Baha'i growth plans
- The context in which they're used in Baha'i growth plans
- The reasons they're used in Baha'i growth plans
- Their effects on individuals and communities

In this post I'll list the titles and summaries of the current series, from the Ruhi Resources site:

1. Reflections on the Life of the Spirit is the first in a course sequence designed to raise up human resources capable of fostering the growth of the Baha'i Community with efficiency and love. It provides insight into spiritual matters, imparts knowledge of the Faith, and helps develop skills and human resources for Service.

This course has three main purposes for the participants:

* understanding the Baha'i Writings in order to fulfill the obligation of studying the Writings every day
* developing the required attitudes toward prayer, and acquiring the habit of memorizing them
* understanding that the true significance of life is to be found in the development of the soul

2. Arising to Serve is the second in a course sequence designed to raise up human resources capable of fostering the growth of the Baha'i Community with efficiency and love. The units of the Ruhi Institute aim, in their entirety, at achieving three overall objectives: providing insights into spiritual matters, imparting knowledge about the Faith, and helping to develop specific acts of service. The units of Book 1 basically seek to help the students gain insights into certain spiritual matters. Book 2 is largely concerned with skills and abilities for specific acts of service.

3. Teaching Children's Classes, Grade 1 is designed to develop the capabilities needed to conduct children's classes. It is the third in a course sequence designed to raise up human resources capable of fostering the growth of the Baha'i Community with efficiency and love.

3A. Teaching Children's Classes, Grade 2 is the second in a series in the area of the spiritual education of children and youth. It follows Book 3 and, in many ways, is a continuation of it. It offers thirty lessons for youngsters entering the second year of a Baha'i educational program, which the teacher is expected to apply to the particular circumstances of his or her class. The material in the book is also intended to help those who, though not interested in teaching formal classes, wish to develop some of the skills related to child education and gain a more profound understanding of its dynamics.

4. The Twin Manifestations is the fourth in a course sequence designed to raise up human resources capable of fostering the growth of the Baha'i Community with efficiency and love. The three units that comprise Book 4 are devoted to helping students acquire a thorough and systematic knowledge of the lives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah.

5. Raising up Animators of Junior Youth Groups is in development.

6. Teaching the Cause is the sixth in a course sequence designed to raise up human resources capable of fostering the growth of the Baha'i Community with efficiency and love. The units of the Ruhi Institute aim, in their entirety, at achieving three overall objectives: providing insights into spiritual matters, imparting knowledge about the Faith, and helping to develop specific acts of service. After Book 2's initial introduction to teaching and having now gained some practical experience, the participants in the program are no doubt eager to embark on a more in-depth exploration of the subject of teaching in Book 6.

7. Walking Together on a Path of Service. The main sequence of courses (Books 1-6) offered by the Ruhi Institute is designed to impart to the participants the knowledge, qualities and skills that would enable them to serve as tutors. The aim of Book 7 is to prepare tutors who can effectively introduce these books to others.

Looking deeper into Baha'i Watch views

I'd like my BW journalists to look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about Himself. To improve my practice of what I'm promoting, I've been trying to look deeper into their views. Now I'm considering looking deeper into Sen's views, even though I wasn't thinking of Him as a Baha'i Watch journalist. Now that I think of it, I have seen some posts from Him about what's wrong with the Baha'i Community. I see more room for me to explore in his writings, than where I've been looking.

Scenario x.03 and the stated interests of the House of Justice

In my list of possible responses to scenario x.03, I wrote:

5. Encourage Baha'is, on line and off line, to investigate for themselves what the House of Justice is promoting, by reading the relevant messages.

6. Help Baha'is, on line and off line, learn to distinguish and separate the interests stated in messages of the House of Justice from possible interests of its members and representatives, of Baha'i celebrities, and of members and representatives of other Baha'i institutions,

Some people might wonder why anyone who sees nothing but harm in what the House of Justice is promoting, and who thinks it's wrong for any Baha'is to promote or support anything that it's promoting, would want to encourage Baha'is to read its messages, and consider its interests.

I would argue that:
- If Baha'is who choose to serve the interests of the House of Justice learn to investigate for themselves what it's promoting, and learn to distinguish and separate its stated interests from possible interests of its members and representatives, of Baha'i celebrities and of members and representatives of other Baha'i institutions, it will be an improvement, even from that point of view.
- Many Baha'is would be much more open to investigating for themselves what the House of Justice is promoting, and separating its interests from the interests of its members and everyone else, than they would to ignoring its interests.
- It would be hard even for Baha'i vigilantes to argue against it.

Possible responses to scenario x.03

1. Abandon the Baha'i community to its fate.
2. Post articles in Internet forums and blogs about what's wrong with the Baha'i community.
3. Try to change the way Baha'is think about the administration by writing articles and books about it, and finding ways to get them past the censorship to as many Baha'is as possible.
4. Encourage Baha'is, on line and off line, to ignore signs of disapproval of their ideas and what they're doing with their lives, from anyone, including Baha'i celebrities, and Baha'i institutions and their members and representatives.
5. Encourage Baha'is, on line and off line, to investigate for themselves what the House of Justice is promoting, by reading the relevant messages.
6. Help Baha'is, on line and off line, learn to distinguish and separate the interests stated in messages of the House of Justice from possible interests of its members and representatives, and of Baha'i celebrities, and of members and representatives of other Baha'i institutions,
8. Investigate what other faith communities have done to address this problem (see RVCBard's comment).
7. Some combination of the above.

I would welcome any other ideas about how to respond to the scenario of fictional view x.03.

Fictional view x.03

Fictional view x.03:

Baha'is could be doing a lot more good if they followed their own interests and ideas, instead of what the House of Justice is promoting. Everything the House of Justice is promoting is harmful and contemptible. No one has any better reason for promoting or supporting it than a false understanding of "infallibility" and the Covenant. The only things preventing anyone from promoting their own interests and ideas are censorship and repression by the House of Justice, and other people's false understandings of the Covenant.

Any comments from any direction will be welcome.

Baquia's Ruhi

In this post I'll summarize what I see in Baquia's description of the Ruhi courses, here and here, and where I agree and disagree. In a later post I'll describe the courses as I see them, from my own experience with them. The parts in parentheses are not explicit in Baquia's description. I've added them because they're part of what I might imagine from reading what she says, if I didn't know otherwise.

(They're impoverished imitations of the Christian Alpha course that took off in the early 1990's). Their whole essence is is blind and unquestioning imitation in action or belief. They're a jumble of authenticated Baha’i texts, pilgrims notes and the commentary and interpretation of the authors of the courses, with no distinction between them. They consist of (nothing but) reading, writing answers to questions, repeating, and memorizing. They're based on an unquestioned assumption that a systematic and standardized curriculum is better. They became sacrosanct in a very short time because they're the only such courses mentioned repeatedly by name by the House of Justice and the ITC in their official communiques, and they have strongly recommended them and aggressively promoted them. (No one has any better reason for promoting or supporting them). They have crowded out other activities like the Mashriq’ul-Adhkar, charitable and SED projects, deepenings and teaching projects. Any criticism of the weaknesses of Ruhi is interpreted as a direct criticism or attack on the House of Justice and the ITC. Any member of the Faith who doesn't participate is branded as covenantally weak. That is having poisonous effects on the Baha’i world which will increase.

In the Ruhi courses there is no interest in reaching out to the world and connecting with other people and groups with similar values; no interest in seeing how we can help those in need, or those less fortunate; and no interest in truly deepening in the Writings through independent investigation of truth. There is no interest in Baha'u'llah or Abdu'l-Baha. There is no room for imagination, intelligence or creativity. Communities become desperately and passionately preoccupied with how many of their members have done how many courses. Mind-numbing drivel passes for wisdom. You can see what they are like by attending a Jehovah's witness Bible study class.

Now I'll list the statements, and indicate where I agree and disagree.

- (Impoverished imitations of the Christian Alpha course that took off in the early 1990's).

Maybe. I don't know anything about the Alpha course.

- Their whole essence is is blind and unquestioning imitation in action or belief.

I disagree. The falsity of that can be seen by examining all the books.

- They're a jumble of authenticated Baha’i texts, pilgrims notes and the commentary and interpretation of the authors of the courses, with no distinction between them.

I agree.

- They consist of (nothing but) reading, writing answers to questions, repeating, and memorizing.

I disagree. There is much more to them than that, as anyone can see by browsing through all the books.

- They're based on an unquestioned assumption that a systematic and standardized curriculum is better.

I'm not sure what that means. Unquestioned by whom? Better than what, for whom, and for what purposes? If it means that the only reason anyone has for promoting or supporting them is because they're systematic and standardized, I disagree.

- They became sacrosanct in a very short time because they're the only such courses mentioned repeatedly by name by the House of Justice and the ITC in their official communiques, and they have strongly recommended them and aggressively promoted them.

I disagree.

- (No one has any better reason for promoting or supporting them).

I disagree.

- They have crowded out other activities like the Mashriq’ul-Adhkar, charitable and SED projects, deepenings and teaching projects.

I see people being pressured to participate in the Ruhi courses and and a few other activities, and to give up doing anything else.

- Any criticism of the weaknesses of Ruhi is interpreted as a direct criticism or attack on the House of Justice and the ITC. Any member of the Faith who doesn't participate is branded as covenantally weak. That is having poisonous effects on the Baha’i world which will increase.

Maybe, on line. I haven't seen that off line. What I have seen is disapproval of anyone not participating in the courses and a few other activities, and disapproval of anyone doing anything else. I agree that the effects are poisonous

- In the Ruhi courses there is no interest in reaching out to the world and connecting with other people and groups with similar values; no interest in seeing how we can help those in need, or those less fortunate; and no interest in truly deepening in the Writings through independent investigation of truth.

I disagree.

- There is no interest in Baha'u'llah or Abdu'l-Baha.

I disagree. The falsity of that can be seen by examining all the books.

- There is no room for imagination, intelligence or creativity.

I disagree. The falsity of that can be seen by examining all the books.

- Communities become desperately and passionately preoccupied with how many of their members have done how many courses.

Maybe. I've seen a preoccupation with steadily increasing the numbers, at the expense of quality, but I haven't seen anything desperate or passionate about it.

- Mind-numbing drivel passes for wisdom.

I've always seen that in the Baha'i community, everywhere. I don't see what it has to do with the Ruhi courses.

- You can see what they are like by attending a Jehovah's Witness Bible study class.

- I disagree, and I'm speaking from experience.

In a later post I'll describe the courses as I see them, from my own experience with them starting in the late 1980's or early 1990's.

Traveling companions

In a followup to a post about people supporting each other, rvcbard wrote:

"I'd hoped blogging would be a way to get the more aesthetic conversations I crave."

"There are things beyond the topic of the day that I'm interested in. Things like experimentations in form and content, problem-solving for shoestring budgets, balancing theater with 'real life' responsibilities, deepening and expanding our theatre vocabulary, giving ourselves more tools to understand and evaluate avant-garde work, etc."

I've longed for that too. Someone to talk to about what I've been doing, who shows some interest. Someone who has some interests in common with me. Talking to each other about our ideas and experiences, we would enjoy each other's company, and feel encouraged and supported, and learn from each other.

I've also thought a lot about how I might offer that kind of companionship, encouragement and support to others. I've been thinking of that separately from wishing for that kind of companionship for myself. Now, considering how I might offer that kind of support to rvcbard, the two ideas came together in my mind.

First, I thought of asking her some questions, to learn how to have the kinds of conversations with her that she would like to have. Then I had some doubts about whether she could see me as the kind of artist she would like to have those conversations with. Then I thought about what I might do to try to find people for me to talk to.

Then it came to me that a conversation like that does not have to be confined to one person's blog. What a person posts in her blog might be influenced by what she reads in my blog, and what I post in mine might be influenced by what I read in hers. She might not see the connection, or I might not see the connection, in any specific post. Even so, we are learning from each other, and that conversation between us might feel encouraging and supporting to both of us, even if we never comment in each other's blogs.

I've always been aware of conversations going on between blogs, but I've never thought of it happening with companionship and mutual support conversations. That might happen more easily than companionship and support conversation within one person's blog.

That opens up new possibilities for me, for ways to look for traveling companions. Look for bloggers with interests similar to mine, and read their blogs, and invite them to read mine.

Saigyo

http://www.poemhunter.com/saigyo/biography/

23 year old Norikiyo Satoh, an elite warrior who served the retired emperor, became a Buddhist monk and called himself Saigyo. His reasons for becoming a monk are not known.

However, it is said that the actual person was quite different from the rustic image one might have of a wandering Buddhist monk and hermit. He had connections with the highest authorities of his time, such as the retired emperor Suitoku, worked with Taira no Kiyomori as a warrior, met with the first Shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo, and left us with many episodes from his time as a political coordinator, at which he worked even after becoming a monk.

He was, of course, also a famous poet. Since his death, his life has become legend in Japan. But where can we find the true Saigyo? Perhaps in the "suffering spiritual flower" of his poems. ..

Chang'an

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27an

"Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" (常安, pronounced the same way in Mandarin Chinese); yet after its fall in the year 23 AD, the old name was restored. By the time of the Ming Dynasty, the name was again changed to Xi'an, meaning "Western Peace", which has remained its name to the present day."

Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, China

Mogao Caves
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/china/mogao-caves.htm

The Mogao Caves (aka Mogao Grottoes, Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, or Caves of Dunhuang) are a system of Buddhist cave temples near the city of Dunhuang in Gansu province. They were a center of culture on the Silk Road from the 4th to the 14th centuries and contain a religious artworks spanning that entire period. There are about 600 surviving cave temples, of which 30 are open to the public.

Hanuman and Angkor Wat

Hanuman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman

"Hanuman , known also as 'Anjaneya' (son of Anjana), is one of the most popular concepts of devotees of God (bhakti) (devotion to God) in Hinduism and one of the most important personalities in the Indian epic, the Ramayana. His most famous feat, as described in the Hindu epic scripture the Ramayana, was leading a monkey army to fight the demon King Ravana."

Angkor Wat
http://www.sacredsites.com/asia/cambodia/angkor_wat.html

"The temples of Angkor, built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD, represent one of humankind's most astonishing and enduring architectural achievements. From Angkor the Khmer kings ruled over a vast domain that reached from Vietnam to China to the Bay of Bengal. The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings - palaces, public buildings, and houses - were built of wood and are long since decayed and gone."

Castles in the air

I'm imagining:
- More and more people doing more and more good, for themselves and for everyone else.
- Peace, justice, beauty, kindness and companionship growing and spreading to more and more people.

I'm imagining that that includes:
- People seeing the possibilities and pursuing them. That includes arts, crafts, sciences, and individual and community development and service.
- People turning to God. That includes putting His prescriptions fully into practice, and developing and using His institutions as He prescribes.
- People encouraging and supporting each other in promoting their own evolving ideas and pursuing their own evolving initiatives, individually and together.
- People working together on evolving local, national and international community goals, plans, programs and projects.
- Evolving training, mentoring, encouragement and support programs and networks to help people develop and apply their knowledge, wisdom, vision, qualities and capacities.
- People improving their capacity to see where and how they might do the most good, in their own initiatives and in local, national and international community programs and projects.
- Inclusion of people of all ages, including children, in all of the above.
- Other things that I won't list now, or that I haven't thought of yet.

One question I see is, how will people measure progress, in their own initiatives and in community programs and projects?

The time frame of effects to measure range from immediate to hundreds of years or more. Some of the good that people want to do can be seen immediately, or within a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years, and from their own experience or their familiarity with the experience of others.

Some effects of our actions and activities, on ourselves and the people around us, are easy to see. Some other effects, rippling out into the world, locally, nationally and globally, and combining with others, might be impossible to sort out.

Maybe effects decades or centuries in the future, and on communities, can be estimated by testing theories about community development in voluntary experimental communities. Some ideas might need to be tested in a community with members from every corner of the world and every corner of society, who have turned to Baha'u'llah and agreed to subordinate all other purposes to His, and to put His prescriptions fully into practice in that context.

Some ideas might need to be tested in other kinds of communities, including ones whose members are interested in the writings of Baha'u'llah but who don't agree to subordinate all other purposes to His, and to put His prescriptions fully into practice in that context.

Some ideas might need to be tested in other kinds of communities, with other ways of looking at Baha'u'llah, including rejection, or not even considering Him at all.

Some experimental communities might be highly organized and incorporated, with an administration which evolves very slowly. Others might be accidental fellowships with no administration at all.

Some experimental communities might include or embrace others. For example, a community of people who are interested in the writings of Baha'u'llah, which does not require unqualified commitment to His purposes, might include or embrace one which does.

Washing machine rides, imaginary space adventures, and puffed up sheets

Just to let you know I'm thinking about you.

And us.

Looking deeper into the views of my Baha'i Watch journalists

Thoughts after reading Baquia's introduction

"I simply hope that by voicing these thoughts, I can come to grips with the spiritual challenges that I am wrestling with personally."

Okay. That helps me put her rants into perspective.

Unity equated with conformity and uniformity in the Baha'i community, sterile group think, excessive centralization, depreciation of personal initiatives, obstacles to investigation and expression, neglect of qualitative aspects, neglect of mystical and spiritual dimensions including the Dawning Place, worship of Shoghi Effendi and the House of Justice opacity. I see all that.

"As Baha’is, we are asked to share our concerns, criticisms and feedback directly with the institutions of the Faith. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be working. It is a most human need to want to be heard and acknowledged.When Baha’is, like myself, do not feel that the institutions fulfill this need, they reluctantly seek other channels. This is not motivated by malice, but by extreme frustration and a hunger for justice."

I see a need for that too, and that also helps me put her rants into perspective.

A way of trying to work things out, and to be heard and acknowledged.

Some ways to help remedy defects in the Baha'i Community

1. Encourage Baha'is to learn to ignore signs of disapproval of their ideas and of what they're doing with their lives, from anyone, including Baha'i institutions and their members and representatives.

2. Encourage Baha'is to investigate for themselves what the House of Justice is promoting, by reading the relevant messages, before accepting or repeating what anyone else says about it.

Maybe, if Baha'is see those two ideas being promoted by people who see nothing but harm in what the House of Justice is promoting, and from people who see nothing but good in what it's promoting, at the same time, it might have some impact.

Ask and ye shall receive

After I wrote that I'm trying to look deeper into the views of my Baha'i Watch journalists, I started wondering how I might ask Baquia about hers. I went over to her blog, and clicked "About," and found exactly what I was looking for!

The Baha'i Community, and people who are interested in Baha'u'llah's writings

As I see it, the Baha'i community which is currently administered by the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel was created by and for people who have agreed to put what Baha'u'llah says about Himself at the center of their common ground. I'll call that "the recognition community." Its supreme stated purpose is, and always has been, to put that agreement into practice, to serve Baha'u'llah's purposes, in accordance with His prescriptions. All other purposes are, and always have been, subordinated to that, in the administration of that community. Apart from some mismanagement of some "mass teaching" projects, accepting that has always been a clearly stated requirement for membership.

Some people who agree with some of what Baha'u'llah says, but who disagree with what He says about Himself, might want to be part of a community of like-minded people, possibly including some members of the recognition community. It seems unfair to me (in both senses), unhealthy and contrary to *everything* Baha'u'llah was promoting, to insist on using the recognition community itself for that purpose, against its constitution and the will of its administrators.

A question arises about how such communities might develop without being stigmatized in the recognition community. My first thought is that it might not be possible for any collective activity associated with Baha'u'llah to develop outside the recognition community without being stigmatized within it. In my experience it's hardly even possible for any new activity associated with Baha'u'llah, collective or not, to develop *inside* the Baha'i community without being stigmatized. Short of that, I have some ideas about how to minimize adverse reactions to alternative Baha'i communities.

Some people who agree with some of Baha'u'llah's purpose might themselves have doubts about creating alternative communities, because of its potential divisiveness. I don't see that it has to be divisive, if it's done in the right spirit, certainly not in terms of Baha'u'llah writings. As for what Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi said about schisms, that might be more debatable, but I still don't see that it excludes alternative communities for people who are interested in the writings of Baha'u'llah.

Another question is what to do for people who were raised in the recognition community, who disagree with the whole reason for its existence. It isn't enough for me to say that they are welcome to withdraw. It seems to me that the community has some responsibility to sympathize with their dilemma, and help resolve it.

Looking deeper into the views of my Baha'i Watch journalists

I've been thinking that it might be better for my Baha'i Watch journalists, and for human progress, if they:
- Look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about Himself, and about His role in human well-being and progress.
- Practice and promote serving the stated interests of the House of Justice, sharply distinguishing them from the possible interests of its members and representatives, the interests of members and representatives of other institutions, and the interests of Baha'i celebrities.

To improve my practice of what I'm promoting, I'm trying to look deeper into the views of my Baha'i Watch journalists about Baha'u'llah, about the betterment of the world, about the best possibilities in life, or about whatever is close to their hearts.

Ways of using writings of the House of Justice

I see the Baha'i Community partially disabled by people repressing some of their ideas, interests and capacities. I see that as partly a result of possible reactions from others, reinforced by bandwagon abuse, administration/celebrity worship and impoverished views of what the House of Justice is promoting.

I see three ways of using writings of the House of Justice that need to be clearly distinguished, in order to avoid discouraging individual initiatives.

1. One way is to study them in a thoughtful, sympathetic and self-questioning way, looking for ideas about how to serve Baha'u'llah's purposes.

2. Another way is to use them as exhibits in discussions about what's wrong with the Baha'i Community.

3. Another way is to use them in responses to attacks on the Faith.

I imagine that all three ways can serve Baha'u'llah's purposes if they are done in the right spirit. I mostly use them the first way.

Those three ways of using them might naturally lead to different ideas about what they mean. My own study in the first mode has reinforced my interest in appreciating, encouraging and supporting every person's initiatives, regardless of how well anyone thinks it fits into what the House of Justice is promoting. Some of the interpretations I've seen from people using the other modes seem to me to reinforce an impoverished view of the what the House of Justice is promoting, and fear of doing or promoting anything outside of it. Of course if that's what a person really thinks after careful investigation, I would want her to feel welcome to say so. Obviously, if I'm really serious about encouraging individual initiative.

I would just want people to be aware of how those interpretations might discourage individual initiative, and consider how to help counteract that effect. One way might be to encourage people, at the same time, to:
- ignore signs of disapproval of their ideas and interests from members and representatives of institutions.
- investigate for themselves, from its own writings, what the House of Justice is promoting.

Interests of my House of Justice: Something I might have missed

Now I'll look at the response of the House of Justice to the US National Spiritual Assembly's 2007 Annual Report. I'm looking for statements of its interests that might be used as arguments for discouraging people from promoting their own ideas and pursuing their own initiatives. The only statement I see that might be used that way is this:

"However, what is essential is for such roles and functions to take shape within the framework for action that has been elaborated in the message dated 27 December 2005 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors."

Apart from that, another argument might be that the interests stated in this message seem to be exclusively about the framework for action. A person might use that as an argument that the House of Justice has no interest in anyone doing anything outside of the framework.

Going back to the recommendations in the report, they all look to me like recommendations for regional and local institutions, and cluster agencies. None of them look like recommendations to individuals. The House of Justice is responding to recommendations for institutions and cluster agencies. Here is the full context of what it says about roles and functions taking shape within the framework for action:

"In this light, what must be recognized is that the most recent sharp decline from some 2,000 to 1,000 annual enrollments occurred between 1997 and 2003, a period during which an appreciation for the provisions of the global Plans had not yet been fully gained in the United States and, as a result, emphasis was being given to certain kinds of measures to proclamation through the media, to initiatives designed specifically for and by Local Spiritual Assemblies, to inspirational appeals intended to capture the believers' imagination and stir them to action, and to extensive analyses of diverse topics. It should be clear, then, that a return to such measures will not serve the needs of the American Baha'i community. This is not to suggest that there is no room for proclamation in the plans of action, for example, for a cluster in which the institute process is sufficiently advanced and in which new souls need to be attracted to firesides and core activities. Nor is it to diminish the importance of the evolving role Local Assemblies play in the new realities being created at the grassroots. However, what is essential is for such roles and functions to take shape within the framework for action that has been elaborated in the message dated 27 December 2005 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors."

What I understand from that is that it wouldn't help for institutions and cluster agencies to go back to emphasizing the kinds of measures that were being emphasized between 1997 and 2003.

The House of Justice says explicitly that this does not exclude proclamation in the plans of action.

It also looks to me like what the House of Justice is discussing here is the plans of action for clusters, not for individuals. It says that it is essential for the plans of action for clusters to take shape within the framework for action.

Next: What exactly is the framework for action?

Interests of my House of Justice: Something I might have missed

Earlier I posted the modest proposal of the US National Spiritual Assembly in its 2007 Annual Report. Before I discuss the response from the House of Justice, I want to discuss the concerns raised in the report, leading to the recommendations.

"Yet, there is a pervasive feeling of confusion and dislocation among many Local Spiritual Assemblies, including those in 'A' clusters."

"We are concerned that feelings of disempowerment and mixed signals regarding roles and responsibilities are robbing the current Plan of the spiritual benefits that flow from the wholehearted participation of these divine institutions, and the many significant contributions these highly capable Assemblies could make to the progress of the teaching work in a number of areas of the country."

"In many areas, exclusive focus on the two essential movements has led to misunderstandings as to the kinds of activities that are permissible for the friends to be engaged in and that are consistent with the Plan. The result is a narrowly defined model of growth that permits a small range of initiative, allows little creativity, and accepts few real innovations."

"The problem we face is that proclamation is widely considered to be inconsistent with the framework for action in the Five Year Plan, making it difficult to engage the friends in serious discussion of the uses of media to generate seekers in advanced clusters."

"We are concerned that - notwithstanding the persistent emphasis the House of Justice has placed on the importance of having an outward-looking orientation - hardly a word is spoken about who seekers are, what they want, or how they experienced their contact with the Baha'i community."

"Another limiting factor is that our discourse about teaching does not sufficiently take into consideration issues of broad social concern."

"However, throughout the country the visionary messages of the past and present are seldom mentioned or employed in the service of teaching, although they remain relevant to broad social concerns."

"Today, this sense of mission is often challenged by a narrow understanding of Five Year Plan strategies and tactics and an all-too-often inflexible system of implementation."

"We feel a particular need for flexibility and innovation in reaching out to young people-Baha'is and others—as well as to populations that have shown historic receptivity to growth."

What I'm considering here is possible counterarguments to my idea that discouraging people from promoting their own ideas and pursuing their own initiatives, is contrary to the stated interests of the House of Justice. One possible counterargument is the response of the House of Justice to this Annual Report.

The report mentions:
- Misunderstandings as to the kinds of activities that are permissible for the friends to be engaged in and that are consistent with the Plan.
- A narrowly defined model of growth that permits a small range of initiative, allows little creativity, and accepts few real innovations.
- A narrow understanding of Five Year Plan strategies and tactics and an all-too-often inflexible system of implementation.
- A need for flexibility and innovation.

It recommends:
- Giving the friends a freer hand to act.
- Supporting the full expression of unity, self-organization, initiative and innovation.
- Supporting a wider range of initiatives with the core activities at the hub.
- Encouraging cluster initiative.

Now I'll look at the response from House of Justice.

The great poets of all nations assembled on the moon

The Parliament of Poets: An Epic Poem

"I seek to sift, ponder, and sum up not only American historical experience but the human experience of the major regions of the globe under the impact of modernism."

"Homer and Virgil from our Greek and Roman foundation; Dante, Spenser, and Milton hail from the Judeo-Christian West; Rumi, Attar, and Hafiz step forward from Islam; Tu Fu and Li Po, Basho and Zeami, step forth from China and Japan; the poets of the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana meet on that plain; griots from Africa; shamans from Indonesia and Australia; poets and seers of all ages, bards, troubadours, and minstrels, ancient and modern, major and minor, hail across the halls of time and space."

"Undergirding my writing is the gradual, continuing development of international federal institutions. The defeat of communism and the numerous crises since then demonstrate that the slowly, painfully evolving authority of the United Nations remains the only hope for a comparatively peaceful world."

India, China, Korea and Japan

Fred, that's so exciting!

It finally sunk in, what you said earlier: a rough draft of the first three books, after all these years of having it all ahead of you.

Learning to ignore disapproval

One way I see to help free the Baha'i community from its shackles, is for Baha'is to learn to ignore signs of disapproval of what they're thinking and doing, from members and representatives of Baha'i institutions.

Interests of my House of Justice: something I might have missed

First, I'll look at the modest proposal in the 2007 Annual Report of the US National Spiritual Assembly:

1. Emphasize vision at the local level.

The friends need constant reinforcement of the great spiritual processes at the heart of Baha'u'llah's revelation—"souls must be transformed, new models of life thereby consolidated." They must be inspired to relate the seminal teachings of our Faith to the great problems of society. And they must be given a freer hand to act. Analysis, planning, and strategic focus are essentials to growth, and there is no doubt about the importance of acquiring such skills. But they are matters of the intellect, and are secondary to matters of the heart in inspiring commitment and initiative.

People will make sacrifices for a great purpose that they will not make for activities. A focus on activities at the expense of vision will yield a community that is rule-bound and prone to conflict, where a culture of learning and innovation are nearly impossible, where individuals are treated as "insiders" or "outsiders" according to perceptions of their obedience to direction, and where expression of legitimate concerns is viewed as uninformed or disloyal.

A sense of vision and purpose, complemented by a practical strategy for accomplishment, inspires unity, self-organization, initiative, and innovation. We see each of these elements in the "framework for action" of the Five Year Plan, and we are wholeheartedly confident that support of their full expression will inspire a wave of teaching that will bring dramatic results.

2. Encourage the participation of Local Spiritual Assemblies through emphasis of the full range of guidance on the role of Assemblies in the Five Year Plan.

3. Support a wider range of initiatives with the core activities at the hub.

Experimental approaches to media proclamation, fireside campaigns, innovative responses to seekers' needs and preferences fit easily within the "framework for action" and would stimulate the release of a great storehouse of energy among the friends. The core activities of systematic engagement with the Word of God, communal devotions, and the spiritual education of children and junior youth will always remain the foundation of Baha'i community vitality and will only be strengthened by the complementary activities of the friends.

4. Encourage understanding among the friends and institutional members of the complementary function of centralized Baha'i schools and neighborhood classes.

The community must learn that both are needed and both should be multiplied. The friends must also learn to appreciate the complementary relationship between Ruhi Book 3 and the Core Curriculum. Ruhi Book 3 provides 15 lessons for children ages five and six. The Core Curriculum extends the Baha'i education of children for seven years providing systematic education on topics including the Central Figures, the Covenant, Baha'i history and social teachings, dealing with peers, and learning to teach the Baha'i Faith. These two approaches must be harmonized to gain the full benefits of our efforts.

5. Engage in a deeper examination of the factors contributing to current growth.

In our experience at regional and cluster meetings, it is routinely assumed for purposes of analysis that all enrollments in any given cluster can be attributed directly and only to the core activities. Further investigation almost always yields a far more complex picture that includes proclamations, firesides, striking innovations in approach, and other types of activity that go unacknowledged.

The Native American Baha'i Institute (NABI) is a good example of the benefits of broadening the scope of our work. The National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies have worked closely with NABI for many years, and some Counselors have called the cluster that is home to NABI the most advanced cluster in the United States. The core activities are thriving on the Navajo reservation with high levels of non-Baha'i participation. They serve as the foundation of a variety of services and teaching activities that are designed to meet the specific needs of the resident populations. Special gatherings, social and economic development projects, social services, teaching projects, and other activities complement the core activities to sustain the advancement of growth in that cluster. These must all be taken into consideration to get an accurate picture of the NABI formula for growth.

6. Encourage evaluation of our implementation of the institute training process.

To date, the achievement of 6,000 tutors in the United States has not yielded growth in enrollments, nor is the growth of the core activities themselves commensurate with the number of Baha'is who have completed courses (for example, only seven percent of those who have completed Book 1 have started devotional gatherings).

We are firm in our belief that tutor accompaniment is an important part of the solution to improving the Ruhi Institute program's effectiveness, but perhaps other ingredients are also necessary. Careful assessments could be instructive to our understanding of the dynamics of the courses' effectiveness with Baha'is and with seekers, and would, of course, be sent to the Universal House of Justice for its consideration.

7. Encourage cluster initiative.

8. Promote unity and mitigate conflict about the process of growth.

The FACT (Faith Communities Today) Study on the dynamics of growth and decline in American congregations, in which 742 Local Spiritual Assemblies participated, noted that conflict on teaching methods and roles are primary impediments to the growth of faith communities. We fear that the widespread feelings of confusion and dislocation among Spiritual Assemblies are significant factors impeding our growth at this time. This year, withdrawals (369) from Baha'i membership have risen 30 percent. Our Office of Community Administration reported that this unfortunate increase in withdrawals is partly attributable to the growth of conflict in the community.

In its conclusion, the report mentions a letter from the House of Justice dated 19 May 1994. In that letter I found this:

"A new burst of energy would accrue to the operation of the Three Year Plan if the friends, both individually and collectively, could feel a greater sense of freedom to engage in a wide range of activities originating with themselves. Even if you are doing nothing deliberately to discourage such freedom, their accumulated impression of institutional disapproval, however derived, and their fear of criticism are, to a considerable extent, inhibiting their exercise of initiative."

I'll come back to that later.

Next: The 19 April 2007 letter from the House of Justice, in response to the annual report

Interests of my House of Justice: something I might have missed

I said earlier that I'd like my critical writers to look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about the possibilities of human life, the role of God's manifestations, Baha'u'llah as one of them, and what to do about it. To improve my practice of what I want to promote, I wanted to look deeper into what they see, to see what I might have missed.

I've been thinking that it's contrary to the stated interests of the House of Justice to depreciate and discourage initiatives outside of the framework for action. In its 19 April 2007 letter to the US National Spiritual Assembly, it looks to me like the House of Justice has done precisely that.

I'll be looking deeper into that.

What good is entry by troops, and what comes after it?

I've been thinking about possible reasons for the activities of the Baha'i community to revolve around entry by troops. I see that Shoghi Effendi looked forward to it, and he says that Abdu'l-Baha did too, although I haven't found any examples.

According to Shoghi Effendi, entry by troops will be a prelude to mass conversion, which will "revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Baha'u'llah."

(Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 117)

According to the House of Justice, entry by troops has already started (See note below). That might be a reason for putting it at the center of some worldwide community activities. I can see some possible value for Baha'u'llah's purposes, in promoting some common activities for all Baha'i communities, with a common goal of accelerating that process. As I see it, the problems that I see my critical writers associating with the framework for action, arise from administration/celebrity worship and abusive bandwagons. That includes members and representatives of Baha'i institutions disapproving of Baha'is doing anything besides what they see as part of the framework, and other people falling in line.

Accelerating the process of entry by troops might continue to be a central goal for worldwide community activities until mass conversion begins. One central goal used to be the establishment of functioning Baha'i communities and institutions in every corner of the world and every corner of society. Maybe the next center of activity will be accelerating the process of mass conversion. After that, maybe it will shift to building the world commonwealth.

Some form of a world super-state must needs be evolved, in whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions. Such a state will have to include within its orbit an international executive adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; a world parliament whose members shall be elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments; and a supreme tribunal whose judgment will have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit their case to its consideration. A world community in which all economic barriers will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of Capital and Labor definitely recognized; in which the clamor of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extinguished; in which a single code of international law -- the product of the considered judgment of the world's federated representatives -- shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship -- such indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Baha'u'llah, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.

(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 40)

Note (added 15 January 2009):

Announcement of the Nine Year Plan

October 1963, To the Followers of Baha'u'llah throughout the world

"We stand now upon the threshold of the second epoch of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan, with the outposts of the Cause established in the remotest corners of the earth, and having already witnessed the beginnings of that entry into the Faith by troops promised by the Master Himself."

http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=uhj_wellspring_guidance#14

Some thoughts after reading Alison's hopes for the future

Hopes for the future

I'll start by saying that I love, I cherish the framework for action that I see my House of Justice promoting. I see it being partly appropriated by abusive bandwagons, but in my view that does not lessen its value for people who are not carried off in the bandwagons.

Next, I'll elaborate on something I touched on in an earlier post. I see Baha'is responding more, possibly much more, to the interests of members and representatives of Baha'i institutions, and of Baha'i celebrities, than to interests explicitly stated in messages from the Universal House of Justice. As I've said before, I imagine that encouraging Baha'is to distinguish the stated interests of the House of Justice from the interests of its members and representatives, and members and representatives of other institutions, and to give priority to the stated interests of the House of Justice, would help remedy the defects I've seen discussed by my critical writers.

I also want to say that I don't measure the interest of my House of Justice in any activity by how much of its writings it devotes to that activity. It might have just as much interest in some activity that it rarely mentions, as in some activity that it mentions in most of its messages, and discusses extensively.

In distinguishing the stated interests of the House of Justice from those other interests, I don't mean to say they have nothing in common. I mean that I see some consequential differences between them. In some ways I even see them diametrically opposed to each other.

----

It might look to some people like the Baha'i community has abandoned all its educational programs except the Ruhi courses. Again, that impression might be a result of celebrity worship and bandwagon abuse. I have seen some of those initiatives stalled, and people diverted from them, but they're a long way from being abandoned. They are continuing and evolving, and the Ruhi courses themselves are evolving. Anyone who is looking for something better, and experimenting with other ideas, is serving some of the vital interests of my House of Justice.

The idea that every member must participate in the study circles and core activities, is contrary to the interests of my House of Justice.

----

Alison wrote:

"My principal wish is that the faith will emerge from obscurity and gain currency with the masses. I assume that this is also the dream behind the current institutional teaching plans and their goal of mass growth. But I do not believe that the goal will be achieved in the way that they are going about it - although, it's not for me to say that it won't."

I don't see that as the only aim, or even the primary aim, of the current framework for action. I see it more as a way, for people who are interested, to improve their capacity to contribute to the betterment of the world.

"I think the way forward on this is to capture the imagination of the masses through the vehicle of popular culture."

That might be a good way. It looks like a good way to me. As I see it, people who are working on that are serving vital interests of my House of Justice, no matter how much their initiatives are depreciated by members and representatives of Baha'i institutions.

"But probably what will happen - and this is based on the way I understand God to have worked in the past - is that some event - and we won't be able to predict what it will be - will suddenly take the interest of the media and the people and, to our amazement, overnight it'll be talked about globally."

We may not be able to predict the specific event, but I've thought it might somehow be associated with the arts.

"But, ideally, if the spirit of revelation were allowed to take root in the hearts of the believers, instead of lying latent under the constraints of an imposed, prefabricated religious expression, innovative believers would eventually create expressions of the faith that attracted popular culture."

I'm not sure if the "imposed, prefabricated religious expression" means the institutional teaching plans mentioned earlier. Some examples of what I see constraining Baha'is, in relation to the framework for action, are an impoverished view of what the House of Justice is promoting, a worship of the administration and of Baha'i celebrities, and abusive bandwagons. I see all of that as contrary to some of the interests stated in messages from the House of Justice, and as part of the shackles that it says have been preventing the religious spirit from bringing to bear the healing influence of which it is capable.

"Currently, however, Baha'i scholars exist in a ghetto area of the Baha'i community; for the all-encompassing plans offer Ruhi as the only acceptable means of learning about, and understanding, the faith, and require everyone to participate wholesale in the core activities. There is no space for vain, time-wasting activities, such as studying the original languages, translating, studying history (that's all accounted for), studying Baha'u'llah's more mystical and obscure tablets, or writing materials that explain to Westerners the religious and philosophical context of the writings."

Again, that impression might be a result of administration and celebrity worship, and abusive bandwagons, which would lose their power if Baha'is learned to distinguish the stated interests of the House of Justice from other interests.

"But these materials will be needed, not just if the faith lights a spark in popular culture, but when declarants that are coming into the community now later fall prey to doubts, either because they have bad experiences with the Baha'is or because they find out that the faith teaches things they don't like, and want to know more. They won't be looking for Ruhi; they'll want real answers to real questions and we who've been round the block and know the landscape have a responsibility to be there for them."

That will serve the interests of my House of Justice very well.

It might be better to practice and promote serving the interests of my House of Justice

I'm imagining that some of my critical writers would object to practicing and promoting serving the interests of my House of Justice, for a variety of reasons, including:
- what they see as harmful consequences of Baha'is following the House of Justice.
- what they see as wrongdoings, misguided interests, malicious motives and harmful intentions of the House of Justice.

As a reminder, by "my critical writers" I mean some people I'm personally interested in who continually write about defects in the Baha'i community and its institutions.

It might help to give some examples of what I mean by serving the interests of my House of Justice, and I've already given a few in some of my posts. I might give some more. I have some new ideas after reading Haleh Arbab's paper.

It might also help to consider the issues of wrongdoings of the House of Justice, and signs of malicious motives and harmful intentions, in relation to what I'm proposing:

Here are some examples of what some people have seen as wrongdoings of the House of Justice, and signs of malicious motives and harmful intentions:
- Refusal to discontinue the review policy
- Responses to "A Modest Proposal"
- Responses to the Service of Women paper
- Messages to some people in the dialogue/Talisman movement, finding fault with their behavior
- Responses to the Majnun post
- Messages about a campaign of internal opposition
- Removal of some people from the membership
- Various messages about the study of the Baha'i Faith

I would like to invite my critical writers to experiment with encouraging Baha'is to serve the interests of my House of Justice. I'm suggesting that doing so might:
- Improve their own lives
- Improve their own efforts for human progress
- help remedy the defects in the Baha'i community that I've seen my critical writers discussing.
- help improve what the Baha'i community is doing for human progress

I would like to invite my critical writers to consider these questions:
1. If they are right in their views about wrongdoings, malicious motives and harmful intentions of the House of Justice, does it follow necessarily that I'm wrong about the good it might do to encourage Baha'is to serve the interests explicitly stated in messages from the House of Justice, without regard for the interests of its members, as I have been doing?
2. If I'm right about the good it might do, would their views about wrongdoings, malicious motives and harmful intentions of the House of Justice argue necessarily against doing it?

Seeking a wider embrace

"Across my dreams,
With nets of wonder,
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love."
- Bob Lind

In Generation of Knowledge and the Advancement of Civilization, Haleh Arbab says:

The founders of FUNDAEC decided early on that issues related to the generation, application, and flow of knowledge need to be approached with a much more sophisticated conception of development, one which recognizes that no enduring change can be brought about without the full participation of the people themselves—they must be the real protagonists of the development process. If indeed that is the conception to which one adheres, then it is no longer acceptable to view the development of a people merely as the object of academic study. Rather, development should be the object of learning of an institution that somehow belongs to the people themselves and which enables them to promote and systematize their own learning. Every developing region, FUNDAEC suggested, is in need of an institution devoted to the formal generation, application, and propagation of knowledge, not necessarily in the forefront of modern science and technology, but in areas where the natural and social sciences must together tackle specific problems of specific people. It then set out to create such an institution in a particular region, an institution that over the years came to be called University for Integral Development. In the context of development as capacity building, the essential function of this university is research, action, and training that are related to the entire spectrum of processes of social, economic, and cultural life of the population it serves. It is not concerned with mere academic activity, but with research carried out with the participation of the population in the very spaces where they are engaged in such undertakings as agricultural and industrial production, marketing, education, socialization of values, and cultural enrichment.

I like that vision very much.

I would like to add something to that vision about attending to divisions that arise between the community and other people, and to people who are adversely affected by the behavior of the community. That seems to me to be an inseparable part of moving towards the unity and justice envisioned in the writings of Baha'u'llah. That has been part of my lifework, in the margins of the Baha'i community and of other communities, on line and off line.

"They [Spiritual Assemblies] must endeavor to promote amity and concord amongst the friends, efface every lingering trace of distrust, coolness and estrangement from every heart, and secure in its stead an active and whole-hearted cooperation for the service of the Cause."

(Compilations, NSA USA - Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities)

The administrators of the Faith of God must be like unto shepherds. Their aim should be to dispel all the doubts, misunderstandings and harmful differences which may arise in the community of the believers."

(Compilations, NSA USA - Developing Distinctive Baha'i Communities)

The interests of my House of Justice

The interests of my House of Justice can not be deduced from the interests of its members, or from what is popular among Auxiliary Board members, which might sometimes even be diametrically opposed to its interests.

For example, I've seen Auxiliary Board members depreciating any initiative which they do not see as contributing to the current growth plans. That is diametrically opposed to the interests of my House of Justice.

As a reminder, "my House of Justice" is short for "Baha'u'llah's House of Justice as I understand it."

Scholarship and community building

Now I'm considering how to set what I'm doing, what my critical writers and their detractors are doing, and the dialogue/Talisman movement, in the context of Haleh Arbab's vision.

Generation of Knowledge and the Advancement of Civilization

While I was searching for a good link to that, I learned about the Scholarship and Community Building conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies–North America.

Scholarship and Community Building

-Arvind Auluck-Wilson • Dialectics, Materialism and Religion: Bahá’í Faith and the Advancement of Civilization
- Susan Brill de Ramirez • For a Postcolonial and Post-Diasporic World: The Progressive yet Ancient Heuristic of the Conversive
- A. Jane Faily • The Heart and the Art of Community Building: A View of Recent Psychological Research Relating to Community Development
- Frank Fahdad Fani • The Role of Intuition and Logic in Science Research
- Geza Farkas • Divine English: The Guardian and the King James Bible
- Gerald Filson • Evolving Relationships: Communities of Scholars and External Affairs Work
- Michael Karlberg • The Press as a Consultative Public Forum
- Kathleen Kettler Lehman • Planet Bahá’í: Reflections on an Online Community
- Timothy Kraft • The Role of Science in an Ideal Community

Critical writers and the interests of my House of Justice

Some examples of how it might be better for my critical writers to practice and promote serving the interests of my House of Justice:
- It might help remedy the defects in the Baha'i community that I've seen them writing about.
- It might help improve what the community is doing for human progress.
- It might improve their own lives.
- It might improve what they're doing for human progress.

The interests of my House of Justice

Here are some examples to help clarify what I mean by serving the interests of my House of Justice, the interests explicitly stated in its messages, without regard for the possible interests of its members.

The censorship, repression, bandwagon abuse, monopolization of people's time, and worship of Baha'i administration that I've seen discussed in revitalization writings, are all diametrically opposed to the interests of my House of Justice.

- A person who has ideas he thinks are contrary to the views of the House of Justice, and tries to promote them while learning to do it in accordance with Baha'u'llah's purposes and prescriptions, is serving the interests of my House of Justice. That includes promoting the inclusion of women on the House of Justice, gay equality, discontinuation of the review policy, election reform, a Guardian after Shoghi Effendi, and reconsideration of the infallibility, role, functions and policies of the House of Justice, Shoghi Effendi, Abdu'l-Baha and Baha'u'llah.
- Maligning, scolding and pestering anyone, including people who are campaigning against the House of Justice, is diametrically opposed to the interests of my House of Justice.
- Shunning former members is diametrically opposed to the interests of my House of Justice, regardless of the views they're promoting, and regardless of whether they withdrew or were removed.
- Practicing friendship with former members who have been removed by the House of Justice, is serving the interests of my House of Justice.
- Supporting and encouraging members in initiatives that are not derived from community goals, no matter how much they are depreciated by members of Baha'i institutions, is serving the interests of my House of Justice.
- Refusing to participate in Ruhi courses, after sympathetic and self-questioning consideration, is serving the interests of my House of Justice.
- Passing in a ritual round of prayers that you didn't volunteer for, is serving the interests of my House of Justice.
- Refusing to treat any of the writings of the House of Justice as authoritative interpretations of the writings, is serving the interests of my House of Justice.

Revitalization writings and the framework for action

I started working on an outline of the framework for action, and I thought I might try to make some kind of diagram, along with discussing each of the elements. Now, before that, I might try discussing what some revitalization writings say about the framework for action, and my observations and impressions.

(later) I've been looking for revitalization writings about the framework for action, and was surprised to find very little. I googled "house of justice" and "framework," in a general search, on trb, and on the Web sites of Baha'is Online, Alison Marshall, Baquia, Sen and Priscilla. Here's what I've found so far:
- Baha'i Rants, Ridvan Message 2007 From the House of Justice
- Alison's Meditations on Baha'u'llah, Learning the Lingo
-
I know there have been discussions of the study circles and other elements of the framework, but I'm really surprised to see so few remarks about the framework as a whole. It isn't that new. The terminology goes back at least as far as 2005.

After I discuss what those two articles say about the framework for action, I might look through some more revitalization articles for discussions about the framework or its elements.

It might be better to practice and promote serving the interests of my House of Justice

(Revised - See below)

I'll try to explain more what I mean by that, and how it might be better, and give examples of how to do it.

One example of how it might be better is that it might help remedy the defects in the Baha'i community that I've seen discussed in revitalization writings. Another way is that it might help improve the effects of what the Baha'i community is doing for human progress, supposing that what it's doing is not 100% useless or worse. What the Baha'i community is doing might do more good, if it's done in the right way and in the right spirit.

I've already explained that what I mean by "the interests of my House of Justice," are the interests explicitly stated in messages from the Universal House of Justice seated on Mount Carmel.

Some of my revitalization writers might feel like it would be contrary to their interests to practice and promote serving the interests of the House of Justice. As I understand it, one of their interests is for the Baha'i community to be freed from the cruel and disabling effects of worshiping the administration, of sectarian attitudes and practices, and of the pious bandwagon abuse associated with the goals and plans of the House of Justice. They might think that what is needed is for Baha'is to serve the interests of the House of Justice less, not more.

It might help to:
- clarify the distinction I'm making between the interests of my House of Justice and the possible interests of its members.
- look deeper into the worship of the administration, the sectarian attitudes and practices, and the pious bandwagon abuse; and how they might change.

Some examples of how to practice and promote serving the interests of my House of Justice:
- Highlight the interests stated in its messages and distinguish them explicitly from other interests that people might imagine, especially ideas that are currently popular in the Baha'i community.
- Look for ways to help do what it's inviting people to do, and help other people do the same. That would not necessarily mean actually doing them. Many people, after considering what they might do to help, might decide, with good reason, not to use their time and talents that way.
- Describe its interests in different terms that might make more sense to a variety of people.
- Write about what's missing from the current framework for action, in terms of its interests. I imagine that all of the ideas for liberating the Faith that I've seen among my revitalization writers can be expressed in terms of the interests of my House of Justice.

Revisions
(1) 2008-01-10
"One example of how it might be better is that it might do more than anything I've seen my revitalization writers doing, to help remedy the defects in the Baha'i community that I've seen them writing about."
changed to:
"One example of how it might be better is that it might help remedy the defects in the Baha'i community that I've seen discussed in revitalization writings."

Revitalization writings and the framework for action

Plan C.1.32g r29.3

I might write a series of articles about some revitalization writings and the framework for action of the House of Justice. By "revitalization writings" I mean some writings of some people who interest me personally, that revolve around defects in the Baha'i community, and what I've been calling "liberation" views.

A series of articles like that might serve several purposes for me at the same time. It could be a way for me to spend time with the authors of those writings, doing things that interest them, in order to deepen my friendships with them. It could be a way for me to improve my practice of some things I want to promote, including serving the interests of my House of Justice, and looking deeper into what other people see, to see what I might be missing.

At the same time I would be writing a series of articles in my Deeds Not Words blog, about the people of Baha and the framework for action, and inviting authors of popular Baha'i blogs to look through them for ideas they can use.

Together, those two projects could be a way for me to help transmit encouragement, support and learning through walls of prejudice and over gulfs of estrangement between people who are interested in Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith.

I might alternate for now between discussing revitalization writings, and discussing the framework for action, independently, but I'm imagining that the two subjects will intertwine progressively.

Some examples of what I might do with the framework for action:
- Outline it
- Discuss each element
- Give examples of how to find ways to help

It might be better to practice and promote serving the interests of my House of Justice

I say "my" House of Justice because it looks to me like what I call the House of Justice is different in practical and consequential ways from what other people call the House of Justice, especially my friends that I'm writing for here, and their detractors.

My House of Justice is not clearly defined. What is clearly defined for me is its interests. Its interests are the ones that are explicitly stated in messages which I imagine have been distributed as messages from the Universal House of Justice, with the approval of the Universal House of Justice seated on Mount Carmel. Examples would be messages on the Web site of a national spiritual assembly, and messages included in the Ocean software library. The interests of my House of Justice and the interests of its members are sharply distinguished in my mind, and can even be diametrically opposed. I try to avoid speculating about any interests other than those explicitly stated.

One way that I practice serving its interests is by studying its messages with these questions in mind:
- What can I learn from this?
- What can I do about it?

I spend more time on parts that look wrong to me, trying to find some honest and fair way to agree with them, and practice and promote them.

As I said, I won't be trying to substantiate these ideas. I'll be trying to explain them.

It might be better to look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about . . .

It might be better to look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about the possibilities of human life, and the role of God's manifestations in human well-being and progress.

Here are some examples of what I see Baha'u'llah saying:
1. Turning to Him will improve anyone's life, and anyone's capacity to help improve the world.
2. There is no better way for anyone to help improve the world, than by learning to serve His purposes, in accordance with His prescriptions.
3. There will always be differences between Baha'u'llah's purposes and prescriptions, and everyone's understanding of them.
4. There is no way for the world to move away from today's injustice, cruelty, violence and other ugliness, and towards the best possibilities in human life, that does not include doing everything that Baha'u'llah says needs to be done.
5. Part of what needs to be done can not be done without recognizing Baha'u'llah as everything He claims to be, and turning to Him.

It doesn't matter, for my purposes now, if anyone agrees or disagrees with any of that. Those are examples of what I think people might find by looking deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about the role of God's manifestations in human well-being and progress.

What I mean by looking deeper includes:

- Investigating what Baha'u'llah says about the possibilities of human life, the role of God's manifestations, Baha'u'llah as one of them, and what to do about it.
- Imagining that all of it might be true.
- Considering how to find out if it is all true or not.
- Investigating what Baha'u'llah says about how to find out if it is all true or not.
- Trying to find out if it is all true or not.

It might be better to . . .

I want to try to describe and explain my feeling that it might be better for some of my friends, and for human progress, for them to:
- look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says about God's role and the role of His manifestations in human well-being and progress.
- practice and promote serving the interests of my House of Justice.

I won't be trying to substantiate those ideas. I will be trying to explain what I mean well enough that my friends can respond in ways that will help me see what they see, that I might be missing. I would like them to look deeper into what Baha'u'llah says, looking for possibilities they might be missing for improving their lives and improving the world. I'm trying to improve my practice of what I'm promoting, so I want to try to look deeper into what they're thinking and doing, looking for possibilities that I might be missing.

Some thoughts while reading Alison's blog

The Baha'i modernist worldview
http://meditationsonbahaullah.blogspot.com/2008/09/bahai-modernist-worldview.html

And because Baha'is are stuck in a Guardian time warp, they still see the faith in a modernist way. Key features of this include: a centralised administration that wields absolute authority using the ideology that the administration is, exclusively, the Baha'i Faith. This is justified on the basis of a self-serving, narrow interpretation of the covenant, backed up with the idolatrous doctrine of infallibility. All those wishing to join are persuaded to accept this claim, encouraged to put all their resources into carrying out the centralised plans, and indoctrinated to believe that there is no salvation outside this realm. All activity must take place within the acceptable spheres of participation; those who follow their own star are ostracised and those who speak out in a persuasive way are disenrolled.

I'm considering how I might explain all that to a Baha'i in the middle of it all who doesn't see it.

I don't imagine that anyone would disagree that the House of Justice wields absolute authority in the current practice of the Baha'i community. For "the ideology that the administration is, exclusively, the Baha'i Faith," I might give examples of Auxiliary Board members and assistants depreciating any initiative that is not derived from the goals and plans of the House of Justice. For "self-serving, narrow interpretation of the Covenant," I might discuss the popular view of reducing the Covenant to the infallibility of the central figures and the House of Justice, and shunning people they call Covenant breakers. It seems obvious to me how that could be self-serving for the central figures and the House of Justice. To show how narrow it is, I would invite the person to study Abdu'l-Baha'is Will and Testament with me, to see what else it says besides that.

For "idolatrous doctrine of infallibility," I might give examples of people using the writings of the House of Justice for guidance and inspiration in preference to those of Baha'u'llah, including one person who said in an Internet discussion "I don't care what Baha'u'llah said. I only care what the House of Justice says He said."

I don't imagine anyone would disagree that all those wishing to join are persuaded to accept this claim, and encouraged to put all their resources into carrying out the centralized plans. I'm wondering now how many might see something wrong with this. Because people aren't protesting, doesn't mean they don't see anything wrong with it. It might mean that they think it would be wrong to protest, or even to question it. They might equate popular views of infallibility with those of the central figures. They might think it would be wrong to question them. They might imagine that monopolization of people's time, and the depreciation of initiatives outside of the plans, are coming from the institutions, which is partly true. They might imagine that it would be wrong to do otherwise, or even question it.

For "indoctrinated to believe that there is no salvation outside this realm," I might point to some parts of the Ruhi courses.

"All activity must take place within the acceptable spheres of participation; those who follow their own star are ostracized and those who speak out in a persuasive way are disenrolled."

I imagine most people have seen examples of Auxiliary Board members and assistants depreciating initiatives not explicitly set in the framework. I would have no trouble giving examples of people who have been ostracized for following their own star, and disenrolled after speaking out.

Continuing through the blog:

"A crucial idea that helps to prop up this ideological structure is the argument that the term 'unenrolled Baha'i' is an oxymoron (a contradiction in terms) - to be a Baha'i, one must be a member of the Baha'i community."

That's so ironic. At the same time, it is popular among Baha'is to call people Baha'is who have not yet joined, but who agree with some of our popular ideology.

The idea that people who have left the Faith can not be Baha'is might come at least partly from the idea that there can be no schism in the Baha'i Faith. Seeing people who have rejected the community calling themselves Baha'is might seem like a contradiction to that, especially when they encourage and support each other. One way out of the dilemma is to say that they are not Baha'is.

"Don't glance out the window, keep facing straight ahead, don't lose your chance. I swear, I've spent nearly three decades running around in a panic because of that quote"

I've suffered a lot from that, and I've seen many others suffering from it. I eventually came out of it, and I've seen many others do that, too.

"I'm going to follow my own star; I'm going to fulfil my duties to Baha'u'llah according to my spiritual calling; I'm going to do things I would never have done had I remained a member of the Baha'i community; and I'm going to discover things about myself I wouldn't have discovered otherwise."

Yes, yes, please do! Make your own kind of music! Sing your own special song! And keep encouraging others to do the same!

"And one day - it'll come - the Baha'i administration will realise that it needs to get out of the world of thought, stop indoctrinating its members according to its self-serving ideology, and get down to the virtuous business of making good law."

I've seen some people in Internet discussions about Baha'i social and theological issues, who seem to imagine that any idea which has ever received unfavorable attention from the House of Justice has to be discarded, or that it's wrong for any of us to promote any ideas that we see as contrary to the views of one of the central figures or the House of Justice. That seems very unhealthy to me, and if that's a popular view in Baha'i studies, it might seriously impede our progress. I'm not sure how popular it is. I've seen articles in Baha'i Studies reviews that don't seem to be hampered in that way. I have seen that view poisoning every Baha'i Internet discussion, and it was a factor in the decision not to include the Service of Women paper in the Bahá'í Library Online.

". . . get down to the virtuous business of making good law."

I've sometimes wondered how a person can imagine that the only function of Baha'u'llah's House of Justice is to make laws, other than by blinding himself to everything else Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi say about it. Now I can see it as the best way some people have found to counteract the disabling effects of some popular Baha'i views of the Covenant.

Rediscovering Baha'u'llah

I've always had trouble trying to describe the thoughts and feelings that lead to me wanting to rediscover Baha'u'llah. One way is by reference to this:

From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity give me to drink, O my God, and of the fruits of the tree of Thy being enable me to taste, O my Hope! From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer me to quaff, O my Glory, and beneath the shadow of Thine everlasting providence let me abide, O my Light! Within the meadows of Thy nearness, before Thy presence, make me able to roam, O my Beloved, and at the right hand of the throne of Thy mercy, seat me, O my Desire! From the fragrant breezes of Thy joy let a breath pass over me, O my Goal, and into the heights of the paradise of Thy reality let me gain admission, O my Adored One! To the melodies of the dove of Thy oneness suffer me to hearken, O Resplendent One, and through the spirit of Thy power and Thy might quicken me, O my Provider! In the spirit of Thy love keep me steadfast, O my Succorer, and in the path of Thy good-pleasure set firm my steps, O my Maker! Within the garden of Thine immortality, before Thy countenance, let me abide for ever, O Thou Who art merciful unto me, and upon the seat of Thy glory stablish me, O Thou Who art my Possessor! To the heaven of Thy loving-kindness lift me up, O my Quickener, and unto the Day-Star of Thy guidance lead me, O Thou my Attractor! Before the revelations of Thine invisible spirit summon me to be present, O Thou Who art my Origin and my Highest Wish, and unto the essence of the fragrance of Thy beauty, which Thou wilt manifest, cause me to return, O Thou Who art my God!

(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 257)

I've always imagined that turning to God would feel more and more like that. Sweet-scented streams, crystal springs, shadow of providence, fragrant breezes, melodies of the dove, firm steps in a path, abiding in a garden. Was that just an idle fancy? Sometimes I miss feeling that way, and I start thinking that maybe I need to rediscover Baha'u'llah.

I used to have more of some of the feelings I've missed, before I turned Baha'u'llah into an authority figure. I recovered some of that after my dialogue/Talisman adventures, but I'm still a long way from what I'm longing for. Hm. Maybe that's why it's called "longing."

Fictional view x.02

Fictional view x.02:

The Baha'i Faith is impeding human progress by diverting some of the people who could do the most good into less beneficial activities, and even harmful ones. Many people who might otherwise be doing a lot more to help improve the world are drawn into the Baha'i Faith by its public face, and then trapped in its delusional, fruitless rat race.

Comments from any direction will be welcome.

Some thoughts while reading "For the betterment of the world"

In Sen's blog: "For the betterment of the world"

"'Discouraging active political involvement' on the one hand and preaching 'open revolution' on the other are two extremes. But there is a middle ground: the Bahai Teachings encourage political and social activism, where it is possible without partisanship."

In my understanding, "strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action" (Gleanings p. 249) includes trying to help remedy social ills and improve political systems. I see Baha'u'llah advising us how to go about that without doing more harm than good. As I see it, some popular ways of trying to remedy social ills and improve political systems are self defeating in that they actually help perpetuate and sometimes even aggravate the underlying causes of social ills and abusive behavior of political systems. Current Baha'i policies against involvement in contentious politics might be a result of consultation in Baha'i institutions about how to apply that advice from Baha'u'llah. That consultation would of course include consideration of how it was applied by Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.

"The Bahais are intended to be in the party of progress, the party for the betterment of human condition, and they share this stance with many people of all religions."

Exactly. As I see it, one of the things Baha'is need to do, to help end global violence, is to learn to treat people of all religions, and non-religious people who are working to improve the world, as equal partners in that enterprise.

Sen concludes:

"When we look at what Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi said and did, as regards politics and the Bahais’ role in it, we need to consider which kind of society they are talking about: a premodern society with a weak state and no politics, or a society of the modern age, with a strong ideological state and politics that dominate life and intrude into civil spheres — and then we need to apply the principles, not the detailed rules, to whatever more-or-less postmodern state we are dealing with ourselves. The stark choice between 'discouraging active political involvement' and preaching open revolution is one which we face in only the worst kind of modernist state, which is an abnormal condition for a human society."

I don't imagine that the possibilities are ever reduced to those two, even in the worst kind of modernist state. Also, the possibilities are different for different people, and we always need different people doing different things, complementing and reinforcing each other's efforts. There are always some people in a position to directly and personally influence the behavior of governments, or counteract its harmful effects, and some popular kinds of activism might help, or they might get in the way. And even if they help, that doesn't mean that there is no better way for anyone to help, or that anyone who doesn't jump on that bandwagon or wear that uniform is wrong. There might be other things some people can do that will help even more, and make better use of their interests, capacities, resources and time.

"and then we need to apply the principles, not the detailed rules"

That brings up what I said in my fictional view in an earlier post, that the biggest obstacle to progress in the Baha'i community is worship of the administration. That includes blind resistance to changing any administrative policies or practices initiated by Abdu'l-Baha or Shoghi Effendi.

Going back to an earlier part of Sen's post, it looks to me like he's equating Baha'u'llah's "ever-advancing civilization," "reformation of this age," rehabilitating "the fortunes of mankind," "betterment of the world" and "reconstruct the world" with what he calls the program of "the party of progress."

As I see it, Baha'u'llah's "betterment of the world" is not synonymous with any program of any party, including Sen's "party of progress," and it never will be. In my understanding, Baha'u'llah's "betterment of the world" is far, far better than any program anyone can imagine now, and necessarily in some ways contrary to everyone's ideas of progress.

As I see it, equating Baha'u'llah's "betterment of the world" with any fixed ideas of progress can have detrimental consequences for anyone who does so, and for the world. At the same time, in my view, we can serve Baha'u'llah's purposes much better if we have some concrete ideas about what we're aiming for. For some people, whatever Sen means by the program of the party of progress might serve that purpose very well. It becomes detrimental if we depreciate people whose ideas are contrary to ours, or if our ideas are not continually evolving in a context of learning from Baha'u'llah, and serving Him.

Fictional view x.01 (continued)

Fictional view x.01

I'm not sure now that the Baha'i Faith ever was the progressive force I thought it was when I first joined, or that it ever will be. If it ever will be, there's no telling how long it will take. I'm still hoping that it will be, and I'd like to help move it in that direction, by awakening its members to what has happened and what is happening to the community, and by bringing to their attention the possibilities that I see, as far as possible in the face of campaigns of censorship and repression, and of vilification against those of us who are trying to do that.

The administration of the Baha'i Faith is now dominated by obsolete and superstitious ideas, and by some people's private interests and personal prejudices, which are impeding the growth and development of the Baha'i community, and preventing it from doing the good that it could be doing. A variety of afflictions including censorship, repression, bandwagon abuse, monopolization of people's time, self-perpetuating leadership, and worship of Baha'i administration prevent the community from learning better ways of thinking and better ways of doing things. Some people who have tried to change that have been penalized, stigmatized and socially isolated from the rest of the community, sometimes by the House of Justice itself.

What are the possibilities for us in this situation?

We need different people doing different things, according to their knowledge, interests and capacities (contrary to what has been popular in the Baha'i community). For example:
- Some of us may find ways to avoid the stigmatization and isolation, and still continue to work for change as members within our local communities.
- Some of us may do better working openly in spite of it, with or without loss of our membership.
- Some of us may do better with an anonymous Internet presence.
- Some of us may do better keeping the rest of us informed, or helping us develop conceptual frameworks for our work.
- Some of us may do better entertaining and stimulating the rest of us in various ways, including clowning, jesting and parodies of opposition and defense.
- Some of us may do better with a conciliatory approach.
- Some of us may do better with a wrathful approach.
- Some of us may do better creating our own models of the kind of community we believe in.

It might be lonely work for some of us because the work we've chosen to do, and way we've chosen to do it, make us look unenlightened, or even foolish, to most or all of the others.

We all have different ideas about what the Baha'i community could or should be doing. Some other people's ideas might even be diametrically opposed to mine. I might disagree with some ideas of some other people, but I don't want any of them to be excluded from consideration in the Baha'i community. Besides promoting my own ideas, I want to help open up the Baha'i community to exploring all of our ideas. I want every person to feel free, and to be free, to promote her ideas. One of the biggest obstacles I see to that is worship of Baha'i administration. Without that, other obstacles might be much easier to overcome.

I'll be looking for ways I can help promote a better view of Baha'i administration among Baha'is.

All comments from any direction will be welcome.

Fictional view x.01

This is for practice. I'm not trying now to approach the point of view of any one person. I just want to practice looking at Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith from some kind of liberation point of view, different from the views I've been using.

Fictional view x.01

I'm not sure now that the Baha'i Faith ever was the progressive force I thought it was when I first joined, or that it ever will be. If it ever will be, there's no telling how long it will take. I'm still hoping that it will be, and I'd like to help move it in that direction, by awakening its members to what has happened and what is happening to the community, and by bringing to their attention the possibilities that I see, as far as possible in the face of the current censorship, repression, and vilification campaigns against those of us who feel this way.

All comments from any direction will be welcome.

Baha'u'llah and liberation of the Baha'i Faith

I would like to post a series of articles looking at Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith from various imaginary points of view that I'm calling "liberation" views for now. Some examples of what I might discuss are Baha'i social issues, wrongdoings of Baha'i institutions, worship of the administration and the House of Justice, What Went Wrong and how it might be corrected. In the process I would be discussing some of the resources that Baha'u'llah says are available to his followers for responding to the situation we're in according to those points of view. I'm hoping to arouse more interest among some people in learning more about Baha'u'llah, and in learning more from Him.

Part of my preparation would be to review some of the writings of Karen, Alison, Sen, Fred and others, about liberation issues. When I discuss Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith from various imaginary points of view, it might look like I'm misrepresenting the views of those people, because I will be trying to approach them as closely as possible, and of course I will miss the mark. Even though I won't attach names to the points of view I'm discussing, and I will present them as imaginary, the better I succeed in what I'm trying to do, the more recognizable they will be as approaches to the views of those people.

One reason I'll be trying to do that is to help them and other people with similar views see the relevance of the resources I'll be discussing to their interests.