Isn't that the scary thing of all religious groups? They talk all sweet and nice and only about a few that won't scare you off... and then, once they got you in, they get into the "deep" stuff. And that does happen, as I'm sure you know a lot with Baha'is, because they have their nice little, cozy fireside chats. They give you those things like all religions are one, God is one, there is only one race the human race and it all sounds fantastic, but who knows what lurks in the untranslated texts. And, if a translation can't be as accurate as the original language, then what?
Yes, I know...... fortunately I can't see myself being invited for comfy chats, one reason being that I would by now have earned myself a reputation, the other being that after 180 years of Bahai there aren't any around here.
That means different people are going to have different interpretations, and then split off into different sects? The Baha'is always say; "No, it will never happen". But then some of us point out how it's already happened and then they say; "But those people are covenant breakers and don't have much of a following." But that's still a sect isn't it? I don't know.
As long as Bahai keeps breaking itself up it can't do any harm. Queen Victoria's letter writer got that 'just right' with that 'it'll grow if it's good' letter. I chuckle whenever that is mentioned fondly by Bahais ...... an late friend who wrote the most dreadful poetry paid handsomely to have a book published full of his dreadful work and then made us all have a copy of it, expecting us to learn the poems by heart so that we could make fond mention of them; he sent a copy to the Poet Laureate of the time who wrote back, telling that the poems were clearly unique in style, with the most individual rhythms that would be remembered by any who read them........ he went on to say that only time would tell if they would be found in the present day, or lay like lost gemstones to be unearthed like treasure trove in the distant hereafter..... a letter which my friend clutched lovingly to heart, secure in the knowledge that at last he was discovered. I expect that the poet laureate did indeed make mention of that bloody book across dinner tables from time to time after that.
And so I expect it will be with some Bahai writings. When reduced in precis to bare bones, with nightingales and mystic storks shot down from the verses etc, one is left with very dry bones.
I agree with you on all the rules and enforcing of rules that could happen if Baha'is become the majority. And to that they say that they won't impose their laws on the world. So what's that all about? They're going to be in the majority and allow the minority, that aren't Baha'is, to have a second set of laws? And, since they are supposed to obey the government, the Bahai's would be obligated to follow those laws also?
Yep. All true. Frankly, if the World might ever become so misguided and daft as to permit such a World Order to sneak up upon it, then the World will deserve what it gets from such an insidious 'come into my parlour and warm yourself' kind of approach. A bit like the audience all shouting out to little Red Riding Hood 'Run! Bloody run!'.
I guess I should mention "infallibility" to stay on topic. When has any religion ever been infallible? Yet, so many make that claim?
It's yer 'umans, innit?
We're all just a latent mess, I'm afraid, and our much hoped for perfections turn to junk given enough time.
I get the impression that
@Vinayaka isn't too upset with human fallibility, that living in a chaotic world is actually ok, exciting even, with a long historical line of God's involved in chaos all of their own. As a Deist I accept that chaos is our birthplace as well as our grave and that what we embrace today we will scorn tomorrow. In any event everything will be alright, in the end. We humans aren't so special as we think.
And Bahai?
I'm never going to write about Bahai in the same way again, just trying to tell the World that Bahai is insidious double[-think is pointless, because the World won't ever be listening until it gets a bill that it doesn't like, or whatever.
In future, and for evermore my comments about Bahai must be attempts at chuckles and laughs. It's a bit late to learn how to be a comedian but where Bahai is concerned it's going to be a worthy cause.
