Re: No ambiguity

Hi Bill. Let's recap. I said that Baha'u'llah wrote in his Most Holy Book
that Baha'is could have two wives, and Abdu'l-Baha "interpreted" that to
mean Baha'is could have only one wife. I said that situation sound silly to
non-Baha'is, and you answered this:

"No more so than the current Christian discussion as to whether His
Holiness Jesus Christ was ever married. Marriage was a requirement
for observant Jews of the time and even more so for rabbis."

I need this explained to me. How is that situation similar?

It appears to me that you neglect to ascertain that His Holiness
Baha'u'llah said that 'Abdul Baha was obligated to expound on his
Father's teachings by his Father and that he was infallible in this
mielu. Just a bit of difference.

I have said a few times that my point was not to argue the issue, but rather
to point out how, to non-Baha'is, it appears a bit silly. Susan has posted
a letter from the Universal House of Justice about living with ambiguity
that seems, to me, a much more reasonable response to questioners than to
say: Baha'u'llah told His son to reinterpret what He wrote in the Most Holy
Book. That's why He wrote things that weren't right.

I would answer completely differently, that I don't know what was in
Baha'u'llah's Mind when He wrote the Kitab-i-Aqdas, but I can see why it
looks odd to some people.

I suggest that if we come across this sort of issue we respond like this:
Living with ambiguities is a natural and inescapable feature of the process
of exploring reality.

--Kent

"Bill Pike" <willi4470@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:c56c82947sj7q8ijghtp62le1jallu4k4o@xxxxxxxxxx
On Tue, 6 Jun 2006 16:53:49 CST, "Kent Johnson" <kent@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Hi Bill,

Abdul Baha stated that Baha'is may have two wives "if and
only if they can be treated absolutely equally" since this is
impossible Baha'is should have one wife.

I think you can agree that re-interpretation by Abdu'l-Baha on this issue
sounds kind of silly to a non-Baha'i.
No more so than the current Christian discussion as to whether His
Holiness Jesus Christ was ever married. Marriage was a requirement
for observant Jews of the time and even more so for rabbis.

Why would Baha'u'llah allow two wives
in the Most Holy Book but His son essentially change the law? It is not
my
purpose here to point out the issue, but rather to say that all religions
have this sort of amguity.
It appears to me that you neglect to ascertain that His Holiness
Baha'u'llah said that 'Abdul Baha was obligated to expound on his
Father's teachings by his Father and that he was infallible in this
mielu. Just a bit of difference.

I could name more if you like, but it seems to
me people insisting that this is absolutely reasonable aren't looking at
the
issue dispassionately.
Can you enlighten be to anyone else that was given that duty by His
Holiness Baha'u'llah, besides The Guardian and the Universal House of
Justice?

Regarding dispassionately recall a quote from the Bible "...since you
are neither hot nor cold, there fore I will spit you out."

Other non-Baha'is complain that Baha'is do all kinds of unreasonable
things,
and we can talk about them if you want, but my point is that we accept the
Baha'i Faith warts and all, as the best we know about in this world, not
as
faultless and perfect. Other members of other religions make the same
claim, and I suggest we cut them some slack.
Besides one man's religion is another man's belly laugh.

Leave and find something that doesn't upset them or they can live
with...
Sounds to me like you are advocating masochism.

Or cut yourself some slack.
Or become a priest of the "Church of Bob, the Adequate".

My own solution is to evaluate what a person says they practice
against what I see them practicing. This tends to separate the wheat
from the chaff.
However it does allow me a ruler to ascertain the veracity of the
speaker.

My own solution is to allow people to believe what they want to believe.
In other words,"If it feels good then do it." Been there done, that
1960-70, the tea shirt got worn out, darn. I still have a sweat shirt
that is burnt, ripped and full of holes that says "I skied Mt. St.
Helens, May 18, 1980

Thanks for writing. --Kent
Thanks the reply.
Pax Terra



.

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