The Point

Howdy all,

With Susan incorrectly stating that I've said that arsonists and other
criminals sould go free if they suffer from fetal alchohol spectrum
disorder it is nessessary for me to claify the point I was attempting
to make.

My point in bringing up the issue of fetal alcohol specturm disorder
and it's relationship to arson and other criminal behaviors was to
point out that even words which are concidered to be the actual Word of
God are not immutable or infallible.

When Baha'u'llah stated: "Should anyone intentionally destroy a house
by fire, him also shall ye burn." * he was unaware of the direct link
between fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and criminal behavior. It is
estimated by experts in the field that as many as 70% of inmates in
some North Americn jails are victims of fetal alcohol spectrum
disorder.

Although it has long been understood anecdotally that there is a link
between the use of alcohol by pregnant women and problems with the
children born to these women, it is only in the last thirty years that
this has been understood on a scientific basis.

For more information on Fetal Alcohol Spectum Disorder go to:

http://www.fascets.org/index.html

My point in bringing this issue up was not to say that Baha'is today
would take Baha'u'llah literally and burn those who have intentionally
destroyed a house by fire, at least I very much hope not. My point was
to show that not each jot and tittle that came from Baha'u'llah's pen
is equally relevant or wise even.

My point in bringing this fact up is not to denigrate Baha'is or
Baha'u'llah but to examine the Baha'i myth of infallibilty with the
light of reason.

Does the Baha'i myth of infallibilty stand up to the light of reason?
Most obviously not. How can there be differing degrees of infallibility
as it is claimed in Baha'i teachings if that infallibility is
propositional inerrancy, an inability to make mistakes. You can't be a
little more or less infallible just as you can't be a little more or
less a virgin.

In order for the Baha'i faith to progress it will have to face up to
the "tensions" that Moojan Momen referred to. It will have to
acknowledge where errors have been made and then take the steps
necessary to correct those errors.

The Baha'i myth of infallibility has made it impossible for the Baha'i
faith to learn from it's mistakes. When a person or a society refuses
to learn from their mistakes progress comes to a stand still. It takes
straighforwardness, honesty, as well as openmindedness to face up to
our human foibles, sticking our heads in the sand and refusing to admit
when mistakes have been made has never been a solution.

Believing in the infallibility of a human individual or a human
institution makes it unnecessary to say: "sorry, I was mistaken" ; it
makes it impossible to learn from errors and then move forward.

Yours

Larry Rowe

*(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas)

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Point
    ... criminals sould go free if they suffer from fetal alchohol spectrum disorder ... And how can fetal alcohol syndrom possibly be relevant to this question ... as it is claimed in Baha'i teachings if that infallibility is ...
    (soc.religion.bahai)
  • Re: The Point
    ... We are not the only religion that believes in infallibility. ... continually refer to our "myth of infallibility". ... My point in bringing up the issue of fetal alcohol specturm disorder ...
    (soc.religion.bahai)