If any Baha’is are thinking of some part of what they do in Internet discussions as being for Baha’u’llah, I’m hoping that they will read this and take some time to think about it. Even better would be for them to discuss it with me, here or in private messages if that would be better for them.
Just as an example, one of Bahá’u’lláh’s purposes that a Baha’i might have in mind sometimes could be this:
God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of teaching His Cause.
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Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, page 335
Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break.
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Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, page 339
That’s just one example of how a Baha’i might think of some of what they’re doing in Internet discussions as being for Baha’u’llah. I’m still hoping for other Baha’is to post other examples.
I’ll add some context to those quotes.
God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of teaching His Cause. Whoever ariseth to discharge this duty, must needs, ere he proclaimeth His Message, adorn himself with the ornament of an upright and praiseworthy character, so that his words may attract the hearts of such as are receptive to his call. Without it, he can never hope to influence his hearers.
Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider, how the wind, faithful to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither the sight of desolation, nor the evidences of prosperity, can either pain or please it. It bloweth in every direction, as bidden by its Creator. So should be every one that claimeth to be a lover of the one true God. It behoveth him to fix his gaze upon the fundamentals of His Faith, and to labor diligently for its propagation. Wholly for the sake of God he should proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response his words may evoke in his hearer.
I want to explain how I’ve thought of what I’ve been doing in Internet discussions as being for Baha’u’llah, and how that has evolved over the years. First of all, it was always about practicing friendliness and fellowship across belief divides. Alone with that, I’ve had other purposes in mind, with my priorities changing sometimes. In the beginning, it was mostly about freedom from prejudices and delusions. I see that as part of what needs to happen for His purposes. I thought that spending time in Internet discussions with people whose ideas and interests seemed contrary to mine, might help free me from some prejudices and delusions that I might have without being aware of them.
Then for a while it was mostly about learning to be a friend to some of the people around me that I saw being marginalized and stigmatized the most. I saw that as another way of serving Bahá’u’lláh’s purposes. Then for a while my highest prioritiy was just practicing friendliness and fellowship across belief divides, including some belief divides between me and other Baha’is.
More recently I was trying to practice and promote better behavior in Internet discussions. Then I started practicing and promoting spiritual growth and community service with love for all of nature including all people everywhere, for a healthier, happier and more loving community life. That’s what I see the House of Justice promoting, translated into terms that I’m hoping most people can understand. I also went off on a side path, trying some ideas for responding to misunderstandings and misinformation about evolution theory and about the Baha’i Faith. Now I’m hoping to focus more again on spiritual growth and community service.
Now I’m coming to the part where I hope that Baha’is posting here will take some time to think about it very seriously, if Bahá’u’lláh’s purposes are important to them.
I think that for Baha’u’llah’s purposes it’s much, much more important for people to see people practicing Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings than to see them talking about them. In fact, I think that it’s counterproductive for Baha’u’llah’s purposes for people to see people preaching about His teachings without practicing them. I think that applies just as much online as it does offline.
Again, what I’m saying is for anyone who thinks of some part of what they do in Internet discussions as being for Baha’u’llah. If it’s more important for Baha’u’llah purposes for people to see people practicing Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings than to see them preaching about them, I’m hoping for Baha’is to go much farther than simply trying sometimes to be polite and tactful in promoting and defending their ideas about Baha’i beliefs and practices in opposition to some of the beliefs and practices of others. I’m hoping for Baha’is to think more of Internet discussions as a part of the society around us, as neighborhoods as much as any offline neighborhoods, where we try to practice everything that we’re learning from Bahá’u’lláh about how to live our lives.
Again, I’m hoping for people who care about Bahá’u’lláh’s purposes to take some time to think very seriously about what I’m saying. I’m hoping for Baha’is to think about Internet discussions as virtual neighborhoods, places to practice what we’re learning from Bahá’u’lláh as much and in as many ways as we can, and give up trying to use them to promote and defend Baha’i beliefs and practices in opposition to the beliefs and practices of others, no matter how politely and tactfully they try to do that, and no matter what kind words they tack onto it. I’m hoping for people who care about Bahá’u’lláh’s purposes to take some time to think very seriously about what I’m saying.
