Re: Devotionals > Proselytize

I guess a lot of what I'm concerned about is the term 'proselytize'. I'm
sure that quite a few Baha'i don't truly understand what it means and
the Baha'i words regarding when/how to discuss the faith.

Dear Piedmont,

I agree, but I think this is one of those times where it may not be so
useful to go to the dictionary to obtain a definition. It's more
important to look at how Shoghi Effendi used the term and what he had
in mind when he said it was forbidden. I think the passage you quoted
where the Guardian refers to 'undue pressure' is one example. I would
think this would include making threats (such as implying you will be
subject to divine retribution if you don't accept the faith) or
offering material or other kinds of inducements.

If one has a
devotional, In my understanding it should be purely to fulfill a desire
to worship God with anybody of any faith for the sake of worshiping God.

I don't know whether it needs to be 'purely' that, but it should be
mostly that.

Not with an ulterior motive of establishing a false stage to bring
folks into the faith.

Are worship services really a 'false stage' or are they not what ought
to be a regular part of every communities corporate life?

How can one truly devote oneself to God if through
the hole time you on the edge of your seat looking for a chance to
promote the Baha'i faith. That's not for me!

Is that what happens in devotional meetings in your area? Sounds like
a guess of over-enthusiasm. We don't have that problem.


I would assume that it before hand it should be made clear that we are
Baha'i and that we have open devotions to God and that we would hope
they can bring their bible and the songs they wish to have played also!

That may or may not be necessary. As you know we are encouraged to
have devotional meetings in our own homes. Is there really something
wrong with inviting your neighbors over to pray without saying you are
a Baha'i. Now, if you make it an exclusively Baha'i prayer meeting,
perhaps you should tell them. You also might want to tell them if you
intend for the meeting to be dominated with Baha'i materials. But
otherwise, why not let everyone come as they wish and contribute what
they want?

You quote a letter from the House of Justice saying:

At one extreme are those who are so on fire with love for the Faith and
with awareness of the desperate need of the people for its healing
Message, that they overstep the bounds of wisdom and discretion and
stray into the area of proselytizing.

I think the key word here is "desperate." I think we tend to much
things up when we teach more our of a sense of desperation rather than
confidence. I remember when I went on pilgrimage as a young Baha'i I
expressed the very same concerns as are alluded to in this letter. At
the time I imagined that this kind of 'mass teaching' was what the
Universal House of Justice was calling for, but it no longer felt
right to me. While on pilgrimage I expressed these concerns to Mr.
Bora Kavelin who was then on the House. When I raised the question of
mass teaching I remember my voice cracked as I expressed my
reservations that we were
not respecting the integrity of the people we taught, that we seemed
to be placing numerical goals over everything else. Someone said
something about there not being enough consolidation but I described
how those of us who
dedicated ourselves to this task found ourselves with basically
nothing to consolidate after hundreds of declarations.

Mr. Kavelin said we must not become discouraged. We must
have faith and confidence and trust in our Institutions. He said that
the National Spiritual Assembly knew what was happening and was in
contact with the World Centre. The Baha'is, he said, needed to teach
with certitude and
not out of desperation, then we would have results. When we are
presented with a challenge we must strive to meet it, but not with
desperation. If one thing doesn't work we should
try something else with *faith and confidence.*

After the meeting he seized my arm, held it very tightly and said to
me very intently that I must decide for myself which way is right for
me. "Don't be a puppet, Suzy. Don't be a follower, find your own way
and become a leader,
then you will see how to reach the hearts."

Your letter from the House goes on to say:


At the other extreme are those who are so gentle in their approach and
so concerned never to arouse an adverse reaction that they fail to
convey the enormous importance of the Cause or to convince their
hearers; for if the messenger is not enthusiastic, how can he convey
enthusiasm to others?

This is a much more common problem, don't you think?


I live in a rural area, and it is my understanding that I have several
options. One being to try to establish a LSA for the rural area within
my county of residence and work within the main city within the county
to bring 9 there to form a LSA within the city limits. Is this a
correct understanding of the possibilities open to me?

That's sort of the old way of doing things. We used to scatter
ourselves as thinly as possible in order to maximize the number of
locations with LSAs. During the last couple of plans the emphasis has
been elsewhere. Homefront pioneers are still being encouraged but now
the emphasis is upon their establishing the four core activities not
so much LSAs.

When I lived in Indiana, the LSA placed a notice of Fireside in the
newspaper church services section. I thought that I could do that here
where I live now.

Sure. Firesides are as important as they ever were.


From personal experience I know how disgusted one can become when
approached by others 'speaking' about their religion and do not want to
be the one causing the disgust!

It seems that we Baha'i must walk a fine line in promoting the faith.
(Which is agreeable to me) Especially when its seems we really ought not
be promoting Baha'u'llah but being patient in waiting for those who
actually become stirred to the words.

Well, keep in mind they have to hear the words before they can be
stirred by them.


Around here in the bible belt one is often asked what church one attends
and are given an acceptable opening to bring forth the faith. Because
once you say you are Baha'i you are normally and immediately asked, What
is the Baha'i faith!

Yep. That's my experience here as well.

It is my understanding that new Baha'i will be few and far between and I
can live with that.

I really find more opportunities to teach here in Mississippi than I
have found elsewhere. That may be because there aren't really many
alternatives to fundamentalism.

The thing that I focus on now is my five minute
speech or as they called it in the Unitarian-Universalist (Yes, I was
U-U for 7 years) Fellowship, their five minute elevator speech on what
is your faith/beliefs.

Five minutes? You are doing well. I have my 25-words-or-less spewl.

I see the best people prospects for Firesides are people like I was at
one time, lost but searching, un-easy with main stream faiths, feeling
there was something missing and not willing to compromise myself for the
sheer sake of fellowship.

Exactly. The last person I taught the Faith to (that resulted in a
declaration) came into my office, flopped down on a chair, let out a
big sigh and said, "Doc, I need a new church."

warmest, Susan

.

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