Re: Today's Quote

Hi Michael.

I could take your opinion point by point, but why? Each point is an
opinion, and I keep saying over and over that no one knows why Baha'u'llah
said only men are on the Universal House of Justice.

Since no one knows, there is no reason to address your opinions. Each one
is based upon something other than knowledge of the situation since no one
has such knowledge. No amount of guessing will discover the reason, and no
amount of reasoning will change the fact that is what He said. If this is
how you want to "discuss" then I see no point in continuing. You guess what
He might have meant, and I tell you no one knows what He meant. You say He
meant something else and the Baha'is are mistaken and I have no way of
believing you since I believe the Writings reflect what He said. I don't
think we have any thing else to discuss.

--Kent




"Michael McKenny" <bn872@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:etf4ii$sto$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi, Kent.

"Kent Johnson" (kent@xxxxxxxxxx) writes:
Hi Michael, I have used that analogy several times in this thread,
including
my first post.

I must have missed it in your previous posts. Sorry, I snapped at you and
Hong over this. Some phrases etc strike some people as outrageous and this
was one.

In my opinion, that Baha'u'llah said that the Universal
House of Justice is comprised of men means that they are not women.

Baha'u'llah said, "In this day women are men/rulers." So, even if there's
a preoccupation with literalism, literally this trap is avoided.
Baha'u'llah included the emancipation of women in his message. There is no
authentic excuse to continue this prejudice against them in the very Faith
asserting it is the latest stage of spirituality.

Regardless of reason for that proclamation (for which no one knows the
reason or reasons) advocating that women should be elected is like asking
for girls to join the boy scouts, or Caucasians to join the Asians, or
dogs
to run the Kentucky Derby.

This is not so. There are girl guides for females; Baha'i is not a
monastery which allows women to opt for a nunnery. Baha'i is not divisive,
it is inclusive; women and men, Asians and Whites and every other kind of
human.

It has been continued old world male dominant thinking wedded to medieval
fundamentalist interpretative methodologies that have opposed Baha'u'llah
here.


As you well know, Michael, the powers of the Universal House of Justice
are
mostly those of arbitration and ceremony.

Actually, I don't well know that. The Baha'i Faith has an administrative
system that is composed of local, regional and global spiritual assembies.
These are in time to be called houses of justice with that name at present
taken only by the global one. So, while they resolve disputes locally,
regionally and globally (arbitration) they also administer the affairs of
the Baha'i Faith.

As to arbitration, this issue of discriminating against Baha'i women
despite the clear text of the Faith has engendered the greatest
contentions within Baha'i and it is long overdue for arbitration.

That only men are allowed to be
elected, as proclaimed by Baha'u'llah, is not an indication of any
deficiency of those who are feminine,

Exactly. The deficiency is in the pre-Baha'i mindset (male supremecist)
that would disregard the clear teachings of Baha'u'llah on this point, and
persist in discrimination even when the policy was demonstrated as the
single greatest cause of conflict within Baha'i. It has nothing to do with
the nature of human females, but the void of compliance with Baha'u'llah's
teachings by those called upon to administer and arbitrate the faith at
the planetary level.

and most discussions of this issue
quote extensively from the Writings.

That single quote above was adequate. Women in the modern age are
men/rulers.

Sorry if I offended your sensibilities with my analogy, but I have used
it
many times before, and even in this thread.

Sorry to have been less calm on finally noticing it then. This reply is
I hope calmer and more substantive.

--Kent

Peace,

Michael



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