Re: My New Status


Certainly, the W&T emphatically backs up the case for infallibility of the
Universal House of Justice but it was already asserted in Some Answered
Questions was it not?



Dear John,

Yes, and there are other Tablets where Abdu'l-Baha talks about this as well,
but I don't think Baha'u'llah ever did.



Why it was studied in Shoghi Effendi's time is obvious. It was (and is) the
only document that legitimises his role as Guardian and was then
considered
the detailed blueprint for the Faith's administration until the next
Manifestation appeared.



Exactly, the Guardian considered it along with the Kitab-i Ahd as the
foundational documents of the Covenant.

However, in my experience, in the majority of Baha'i communities worldwide
the Will and Testament isn't studied now.


I once had a conversation with a House member about this and he was of the
opinion we had gotten too far away from it. But I took classes on the Will
and Testament when I was a young Baha'i, but I haven't done so since. It
will be interesting to see what Book 8 on the Covenant is going to look like
and how much emphasis it will place and the W&T.

As I say, I believe the Baha'i
community worldwide has moved on.


I think that is a serious misreading of the situation. Right now I think the
Institutions are encouraging us to look closer at the W&T, not 'move on.'


I have lived in, I think eight Baha'i
communities, in three countries and cannot remember a single deepening or
other form of study of the W & T.


I attended a full weekend institute on the W&T as a youth, though I confess
I avoided them as an adult for many years. But the problem wasn't that they
weren't offered.
" However, you pick as an example
a disagreement between two professors over the meaning of an Arabic word
(and I have no idea who is right but am quite happy to believe you). Perhaps
this actually strengthens my view that the Will and Testament is no longer
an entry-level text of the Faith?"

I don't know any of the Writings that could be described as 'entry level.'

The Will and Testament a side-show? Frankly John, I don't even know how to
respond to that.

"Either I wrote or you read this wrong. I meant the Remeyite schism was a
side-show."

Oh, sorry. I'm relieved to hear that. I suppose the Jensenites make for a
good side-show but most Remeyites are an excruciating bore. Fortunately,
most Baha'is today never see it anyhow. They don't go out of their way to
read Remeyite material and if they happen to stumble into a place like TRB
the sheer nastiness that prevails there usually drives them away--as it
should.

I should add, in fairness to the Remeyites, most of the nastiness isn't
coming from them.

warmest, Susan