a famous bahai, Alison Marshall (ritual, mysticism, tradition, attend)

[drew22]

Here is some info, from the web, about Alison:

About Alison

Alison Marshall was born in 1959 in Dunedin, New Zealand, where she has lived most of her life. She became a member of the New Zealand Baha'i community in 1980. At that time, she was living in the small northern town of Kaikohe, where she was taught the Baha'i Faith by a local Maori couple. Over the next two years she moved to Wellington, where her daughter was born. After leaving the father of her child, she settled again in her home town of Dunedin, where she participated actively in the local Baha'i community.
During the 1980s, Alison served on the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Dunedin for about five years. In 1987, she went on pilgrimage to Haifa, Israel. Between 1981 and 1991, Alison attended the University of Otago, gaining a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. She married Steve Marshall (nee Bollam) in 1991. In 1992, she began her career as a business writer, becoming a joint owner of Right Words New Zealand Ltd in 1995.
In late 1994, Alison and Steve joined the Internet discussion group 'Talisman' (Talisman@indiana.edu), which was set up by a small group of Baha'i academics for discussion on the Baha'i Faith. Over the next 18 months, it became clear that the discussions were considered heretical by the Baha'i administration. A number of the participants resigned from the Baha'i community when they were threatened with being declared 'covenant breakers', which is traditionally punished with shunning.
This event had a profound effect on Alison, who decided in 1998 to voice her concerns on Talisman about the actions of the administration and the shift towards fundamentalism in the Baha'i community. Over the next two years, Alison also developed a keen interest in Sufism or Islamic Mysticism.
In March 2000, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of New Zealand was told by the Universal House of Justice to remove Alison's name from the membership rolls of the New Zealand Baha'i community. She took a dispute over their actions to the Privacy Commissioner and later to the High Court.
When the court action was over, Alison moved on to pursue new spiritual directions as an 'unenrolled Baha'i'. This is the term given to people who are Baha'i by faith but not enrolled members of the Baha'i community. She actively teaches the Baha'i Faith in her home town and on the Internet at whoisbahaullah.com, and shares her ongoing spi

[BruceDLimber]

And why exactly do we want to waste time on a paean to a covenant-breaker?

I humbly suggest we already have far, far better things to do with our time!

And I question use of the word "famous": "notorious" seems to fit better.

Further, why are you broadcasting this in multiple forums??!

For a Baha'i, the fact that the House of Justice expelled her already answers any question.

Kindly don't post this stuff.

Bruce

[arthra]

One of the problems in this is that we can't re-hash or evaluate cases of this sort as we don't have all the information either.. Only one side is being presented..

When ever the Institutions of our Faith approach an individual the matter is in confidence and in a spirit of consultation.. If they decide to share their side with whomever they can do that.

My understanding is that in this case she was not declared a covennat breaker but she was disenrolled. She took the matter to a court and the finding of the court was she had the right to apply again for enrollment.. She decided not to do that. That's all I know about it.

- Art

[Adib]

Originally Posted by arthra

My understanding is that in this case she was not declared a covennat breaker but she was disenrolled.

Absolutely correct. I believe she explains the whole thing on one of her blogs, Baha'i Meditations or something to that effect.

[RuhiWarrior19]

Let's be SO very careful with the term covenant breaker. Allison Marshall is by no means a Covenant Breaker. The House of Justice decided she was not a member of the Baha'i community. They did not shun her, condemn her, or disallow us from liking or associating with her. In my experience Allison has been as very kind and intelligent person.

For a Baha'i, the fact that the House of Justice expelled her already answers any question.

Yes, the fact the House of Justice expelled her answers any question about whether or not she is a Baha'i as they authoritatively define it. Nothing else. Never has the House of Justice declared her a Covenant Breaker, and her husband is a card-carrying Baha'i in good standing.

It is a horrible act of slander and calumny to call anyone a Covenant Breaker who has not explicitly been declared so. Even if a person IS a covenant breaker, our duty not to engage in backbiting and calumny still applies. Please take greater care with this term in future Bruce, Baha'u'llah did not create it to be used as a way to denounce people we don't like, nor has the House ever used it that way. The House was clear that Allison simply has been removed from the rolls, nothing more.

[drew23]

good
answer
Ruhi.
See
how
we
learn
knew
things,
instead
of
being
banned.

[BruceDLimber]

I'm perfectly willing to stand corrected and stipulate she isn't a covenant-breaker, but the fact remains that posting encomiums of someone the House disenrolled claiming she's a "Baha'i" (see subject line) is disingenuous to say the least!

Hence my point that we surely have better things to converse about.

Peace,

Bruce