Some wonderful potential

I see some wonderful potential in the diversity of Baha'is, to help improve many people's lives and to help improve the world, being restrained by popular forms of idolatry, religious and other prejudices, sectarian attitudes and practices, personality cults, celebrity worship, bandwagon oppression, self-repression, and other shackles.

I've been experimenting with various ways to help release that potential. I would like to exchange ideas and experiences with others who are working on that, but I haven't found any who want to discuss it with me. I'm tossing out this message in a bottle, hoping it will wash up some place where someone will find it who would like to have that discussion with me.

I'll describe three of my ideas, that might appeal to different audiences:

1. Practice and promote people learning to love and trust Baha'u'llah more, and learning to better understand and wholeheartedly serve the interests of the House of Justice. I've gathered some ideas about that from some of my friends, and made some progress in practicing them.

2. Practice and promote more open, frank and unfettered discussions among Baha'is everywhere, about whatever anyone wants to discuss, whether it conforms to the views of the House of Justice or not, without anyone's views or interests being stigmatized. Two ways I see for that to happen are for more non-members to participate in core activities, and for more people with unpopular views to be trained as tutors.

3. Practice and promote more and better independent investigation, and individual initiatives.

Exploring Baha'u'llah's writings together

One purpose of my blog and Web pages for exploring Baha'u'llah's writings together will be to help transmit encouragement, support and learning through walls of prejudice and across gulfs of estrangement.

Here are some ideas for visions, goals, strategies and references.

Visions

http://www.geocities.com/geotalk/fellowship/fellowship.html

http://www.geocities.com/ozpeople/home.html

Goals

1. Learn more from a wider variety of people about using Baha'u'llah's writings, and about encouraging and supporting people.

2. Offer encouragement, support and learning opportunities to a wider variety of people.

3. Encourage and support other people doing the same.

Strategies

1. Spend time with people, doing things that interest them.

2. Study and practice ways of using Baha'u'llah's writings.

References

1. Tablet of the true seeker

2. Writings of the House of Justice about the study of the Baha'i Faith

Other ideas

Some people I might try to spend more time with:

1. Some people I've associated with the Dialogue/Talisman chronicles.

2. People whose articles are published in Baha'i Studies journals.

3. Authors of Baha'i blogs.