Re: With all due respect,...
Jason Swanson (jasonsw@u.washington.edu)
Sun, Feb 19 1995 17:35:14 GMT
you have to do what you have to do. life is hard. it hurts to be
misunderstood, but then we all misunderstand other people, as well as
ourselves. at any rate, as far as im concerned, the word "Baha'i" is not
all that more relevant than any other word. Baha'u'llah hasn't changed.
Believing in Baha'u'ullah, as hard as it may seem in a world where we all
need a sense of community, is not about feeling comfortable in the Baha'i
community. its about one's own self, its about the meaning of one's own
life, its about Baha'u'llah. the decisions we all make about how to live
our lives, if we are courageous, (whatever that means), are also not
about what the people around us think, or they arent really our own
decisions are they. im just saying that i hate to see someone miss the
forest for the trees, or whatever metaphor would be better... who is to
say who is a Baha'i (a follower of Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God) and who
isnt. im quite sure we'd all be surprised if we heard God's opinion on
it. if our peers are what matter most to one, then that person should
look for a community where he or she feels comfortable. and maybe he or
she should do that regardless, because community is a valid need. but
noone's opinion has anything to do with who Baha'u'llah is, and i think
that Baha'u'llah's importance to each individual should be weighed on its
own merit alone, regardless of what path we take in life, regardless of
whether we ever speak to another "Baha'i".
just my delusions...
jason swanson