Men and Women (was Why Accept Baha'i Faith ?)
Rick Troxel (rick@helix.nih.gov)
Sat, Apr 15 1995 14:03:12 GMT
In <3mm0p1$2h6@sif.cs.cornell.edu> Virk Audil <3av2@qlink.queensu.ca>
wrote:
> KARCH MARZIAH ELIZABETH (marziah@falcon.cc.ukans.edu) wrote:
>
> : Baha'u'llah did not say that men and women were the same. He said that
> : they were equal.
>
> To me this means the same thing. If we are exactly the same, then we
> are equal. The word equal has become so distorted, I feel, due to its
> common use when dealing with men/women issues that people do not realize
> what they are saying. However, a simple look at mathematics easily
> clears up the confusion. Men and women are not equal. I am arguing
> over words here, I realize this, but it is the only way that brings the
> argument home. If one insists on saying men and women are equal, then
> please re-define equal. i.e. not the common meaning used in
> mathematics.
All right, I'll do my best. I think common usage of "equal" includes
both of the technical terms "identical" and "equivalent." No doubt the
latter is much more common and probably more realistic, for which two
individuals are truly equal?
In the context under discussion, it is evident that the latter is what
is meant in the Baha'i Writings. For instance, Abdu'l-Baha has said
Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally
respected since neither is superior to the other in the eyes of
Heaven. Dignity before God depends, not on sex, but on purity and
luminosity of heart. Human virtues belong equally to all! --Paris
Talks, p. 162
To me this asserts that men and women are equivalent in several ways:
* entitled to equal rights
* equal rank in the eyes of Heaven
* equal dignity before God
* equal capacity to develop virtues
Regards,
--
Rick Troxel Rick_Troxel@nih.gov rick@helix.nih.gov 301/496-4823
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All effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his
heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and
the will to do service to humanity. --Abdu'l-Baha