arthra

I'm posting an article on Baha'is and politics because at least this time of year in the USA there is an abundamce of partisanship and bitter debate going on... Also you'll find no shortage of various religious groups taking up partisan positions....I think it's pretty easy sometimes for some of us to get taken up by all the hoopla of an election and so it's important to remember our principles!



Baha’is and Politics

Baha’i teachings prohibit Baha’is from engaging in partisan politics because partisanship is inherently divisive in nature, pitting groups of people against one another in struggle. Therefore, Baha’is may not join political parties, campaign for candidates in elections or participate in other forms of partisan activity.

The Baha’i writings encourage members of the Faith to vote in any political election as long as the ballot is secret and provided that voters are not required to identify themselves with a political party. Baha’is also must bear in mind that they are voting on the merits of the individual rather than because the candidate belongs to a particular party.

Not being involved in partisan politics does not mean that Baha’is are unconcerned about important issues of the day. As Baha’u'llah wrote: “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.” Baha’is are therefore very interested in the key issues of our time: eliminating racism and promoting the equality of men and women, economic justice, moral education and peace among nations.

The Baha’i teachings center on the principle of the oneness of mankind and emphasize humanity’s need for unity and spiritual awakening. For example, Baha’u'llah wrote: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” Whenever engaging in any issue, the Baha’i teachings encourage taking an approach that is unifying rather than divisive in nature. Therefore, the Baha’i Faith emphasizes helping people, communities and nations to improve their behavior through education, good deeds and the process of Baha’i consultation to solve problems.

While many of the teachings of the Baha’i Faith have political implications – promoting international peace or achieving economic justice in society, for instance – the Baha’i approach to all social issues is to promote unifying solutions instead of ones that are politically or socially divisive in nature.

Baha’is and Politics – Bahai Faith | Baha'i Faith | United States Official Website

Timothy248

Thanks for this informative post Arthra

Pete in Panama

I'd have thought that if Bahai'is were serious about this concern that we'd have a thread discussing the qualities that an American president should have and we'd be consulting about national policy alternatives.

Anyone for a thread on tax cuts? Health care? Corporate profits?

arthra

So Pete have you read up on some of the Baha'i ideas about profit sharing and taxation, reducing armaments and a representative world parliament?

Noexalt

Yea man, Count me in. There are TONS of writings on this.

Noexalt

I see this a lot on facebook from other Baha'is, and guilty as charged myself. However, I appreciate what this says..

Not being involved in partisan politics does not mean that Baha’is are unconcerned about important issues of the day. As Baha’u'llah wrote: “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.” Baha’is are therefore very interested in the key issues of our time: eliminating racism and promoting the equality of men and women, economic justice, moral education and peace among nations.

When there is ignorance, lies, racism, (especially in the most subtle forms) and disingenuous claims, I definitely speak up.

Pete in Panama

There's so much to get into here with both international and national issues. U.S. policy's a good place to start because it's current, it affects the entire world a lot, and even as an expat it impacts on my personal service while I in turn affect it on many levels. I'd dearly love to hear your take on Abdul Baha_s Tribute to Mr. Carnegie_New York Times_9 Feb 1913.pdf

Pete in Panama

NEAT!!

This is a super-passionate subject so a problem is that Bahai's shouldn't viciously attack each other. Note the operative word is "shouldn't". The other danger is not wanting to viciously attack each other --these are very important issues we're dealing with.

Proposal: I promise to exert enormous effort controlling the tone of my posts, and I beg all to show forbearance when I fail. That said, please share your thoughts on how "Abdul Baha_s Tribute to Mr. Carnegie_New York Times_9 Feb 1913.pdf" relates to pop US issues.

Pete in Panama

Would you be willing to share a recent example? I'd find comparing notes useful.

Noexalt

Some examples from the Presidential Race.

Comments that Mitt Romney is more "Presidential" than Barack Obama.
Referring to Barack Obama as the "Food Stamp President" and that he is running a "Nanny State" and a "Welfare State".

This is code for "He's black".

Noexalt

Gonna do some more background reading on Carnegie. A while back I read an article about the "Gospel of Wealth" vs. the "Gospel of Work", so I want to do some more digging on this.

Pete in Panama

Maybe, maybe not. Either way, the guidance from a letter US NSA 14 Sept. '12----leads me to talk policy and principle and let individual's pick names in private.

As to policy, while racial prejudice is an issue the only objectionable discourse I've observed is the idea that "a typical white person" is a bad thing. That's wrong but imho we've got far more important issues and we'd spend our energy better by say, working to free up the market place so people could feed themselves.

Noexalt

Good point, however, However my political bias may show through, my comment was more about the subtle forms of racism that I feel are playing out in the electoral process. I mean, while the "most challenging issues" is not the most important issue, I would think that Baha'is have some good insights into the subtle forms and may be able to call them out.

Anyone else notice it? Any African-Americans on this site that want to weigh in?

Pete in Panama

That is important, and imho in a scale with the millions forced into poverty by bad policy because all these issues are intertwined and inseparable. Prejudice of class as well as race affects us all:

Quote:

“What sense would it make to classify a man as handicapped because he is in a wheelchair today, if he is expected to be walking again in a month, and competing in track meets before the year is out? Yet Americans are generally given 'class' labels on the basis of their transient location in the income stream. If most Americans do not stay in the same broad income bracket for even a decade, their repeatedly changing 'class' makes class itself a nebulous concept. Yet the intelligentsia are habituated, if not addicted, to seeing the world in class terms.” ― Thomas Sowell, The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy

A huge problem I see facing the world today is a pandemic hatred for those that create wealth.

Noexalt

Can you explain a little more of this? what is meant by "those that create wealth"? Do you mean those that create a sustainable and progressive economy for entire populations or those that just amass riches for themselves?

Pete in Panama

Rather than 'wealth', my guess is that what we're really talking about here is 'greed'; that brings to my mind another Thomas Sowell quote:Let's look together at wealth.

In previous dispensations, wealth was typically thought of in terms of say, gold, land, physical possessions, etc. We're now in an age where most wealth exists in the form of information: music, medical discoveries, art, literature, new inventions, software, movies, books, etc. We all benefit when people create wealth and are paid well. We should be pleased when people save millions of lives discovering a new miracle medicine and are richly rewarded. Instead, the tendency is for mobs to demonize them and fight to confiscate their possessions. This is wrong.

Noexalt

In the language of my background, I would describe your definition of "wealth" as "material culture". What some would see as civilization. Would this be close to what you are saying? So it seems in your definition wealth isn't purely about what your bank balances are.

Hmm, I hear what you are saying in terms of recognizing and rewarding contributions to society as a whole, but I guess I dont' see mobs forming to companies BECAUSE they have been successful at creating medical therapy.

Now, if this pharmaceutical company dumped chemicals in a river, polluted the air, did unethical experiments on people or animals, treated it's workers badly, gouged prices, evaded taxes, covered up wrongdoings, and then ran the company into the ground while the CEO was making millions of dollars, and then asked for a bailout, then I could see the mobs forming (literally or figuratively) for any of those reasons.

One thing I've been trying to work out in my head recently is the role and responsibility of a company as being a social contributor. I don't know quite yet what Abdu'l-Baha meant as "Human Solidarity" in terms of Carnegie, but I'm guessing that what Abdu'l-Baha is suggesting is to have the attitude that we are all in this together to help each other. Neither the individualistic every man for himself attitude, or the entitlement attitude is correct.

Pete in Panama

--then my first impulse would be to kill the owners, torture their families, and steal or destroy all their possessions. My second impulse would be to stop and look at the facts and consider how:

1. People are good.
2. Class hatred is bad.
3. Most people don't commit crimes.
4. In general, dishonest and criminal types tend to be failures in life.
5. Successful poeple tend to be those who've created things of value for others.
6. Risk from crime is greater from the poor than from the rich.

I like my second impulse better.

Noexalt

My first impulse would be to demand justice for those offenses. That is what our judicial system is for, to protect defendants from public mobs. Now our judicial system isn't perfect and if something doesn't seem just, then the people are going to weight in. I used the word "mob" in the previous posting loosely, in a literal or figurative sense. Honestly, I haven't seen a literal mob go after a business like that ever. Even the occupy movement did not gravitate toward violence.

In terms of your line items,

People are good.
Innately yes, but can we agree that not everything that people do is based on the purest of motives?, not based on taking the betterment of humanity into consideration?

Class hatred is bad.
Yes it is, can we agree that this occurs in every class of people toward every other class of people? There are some power relationships that occur in terms of class that we can talk about more later.

Most people don't commit crimes.
I would say that's true, but then again, I go over the speed limit all the time, I just don't get caught.

In general, dishonest and criminal types tend to be failures in life.
I'm not sure I can totally agree or disagree with this. This is a deep one. I don't know if I would want to classify someone as a "dishonest and criminal type" I think it's to risky to do that without running the risk of another classification or label of human beings. This gets into qualitative distinctions of people, which I can never believe. I do believe however that a dishonest way of life will eventually catch up with someone. In much the same way that my speeding will catch up with me if I don't knock it off.

Successful poeple tend to be those who've created things of value for others.
I can agree with this one.

Risk from crime is greater from the poor than from the rich.
I'm not sure about this one. I heard a conservative commentator a few years back adamantly push for the concept that poverty does not cause crime. His argument was that trying to eliminate poverty for the sake of lowering crime rates was a "liberal" idea to push socialism..

The impact of Rich people's crime is interesting. Did the big US Banks do anything illegal to cause the financial fallout? Did they commit any crimes? I honestly haven't heard what their crime was, nonetheless the impact to society was quite negative.
Some may point a few fingers at homeowners that got home loans they couldn't afford. At the same time, the Banks approved those loans.
I had a house that foreclosed during this time. It was not a McMansion, it was a 1928 fixer-upper for 170K. Well within my means. I lost my job, and moved out of state to a new one, by then the disaster was so big that no one was buying or renting. I lived in a college town where there would normally be no worries for finding a renter, but the college kids were staying home with mom and dad and not even moving into the dorms to watch their cash flow. I could not afford to keep the house after I moved, and the bank was not willing to refinance/restructure or do anything to keep me from foreclosing, there were no buyers,there were no short sales. So now my credit is ruined, and the house, at last sale went for 59K. That may be business, but I'm paying a price for that.

Zhang

Omg LOL.

arthra

Thanks for the article.. from the NY Times.. Yes and what a beautiful photo!

It even says that Abdul-Baha is "the third Bahaist prophet"!

Referring to this Tablet to Andrew Carnegie it's interesting that:

The discovery of the Master's letter to Andrew Carnegie is very interesting, in spite of the very poor translation of this Tablet, and he will be very pleased to receive a photostat of the original, or at least a faithful copy of the text in Persian.

(Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community, p. 206)

arthra

Thanks for your post... I don't think there's any need to feel guilty about posting warnings about involvement in partisan politics .. as on my facebook a lot of people and even some Baha'is seem tempted to post some partisan jibes..all of which the general public is being subject to and so itr's even more important that we rise above the fray.

But I must admit there are three things I'll be happy about having survived.. 1) Holloween; 2) The end of daylight savings time this weekend and 3) the General Election. Ah that I'll be free of annoying automated political ads on my telephone ... it's really possible!

Noexalt

Error.. no.. I have done the partisan jibes. Forgive me Father for I have sinned. Since the hurricane I haven't though, due to the fact that that would be so disttasteful.

arthra

Actually I found this to be a pretty good video about the election process and you'll note it opens with an old new reel about political campaigns and partisanship...

arthra

Talk at Grand Hotel
Cincinnati, Ohio
From Stenographic Notes

As we are in Cincinnati, the home of President Taft, who has rendered such noble service in the cause of peace, I will dictate a statement for the people of Cincinnati and America generally. In the Orient I was informed that there are many lovers of peace in America. Therefore, I left my native land to associate here with those who are the standard-bearers of international conciliation and agreement. Having traveled from coast to coast, I find the United States of America vast and progressive, the government just and equitable, the nation noble and independent. I attended many meetings where international peace was discussed and am always extremely happy to witness the results of such meetings, for one of the great principles of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings is the establishment of agreement among the peoples of the world. He founded and taught this principle in the Orient fifty years ago. He proclaimed international unity, summoned the religions of the world to harmony and reconciliation and established fellowship among many races, sects and communities. At that time He wrote Epistles to the kings and rulers of the world, calling upon them to arise and cooperate with Him in spreading these principles, saying that the stability and advancement of humanity could only be realized through the unity of the nations. Through His efforts this principle of universal harmony and agreement was practically demonstrated in Persia and other countries.

Today in Persia, for instance, there are many people of various races and religions who have followed the exhortations of Bahá'u'lláh and are living together in love and fellowship without religious, patriotic or racial prejudices -- Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and many others.

America has arisen to spread the teachings of peace, to increase the illumination of humankind and bestow happiness and prosperity upon the children of men. These are the principles and evidences of divine civilization. America is a noble nation, the standard-bearer of peace throughout the world, shedding light to all regions. Foreign nations are not untrammeled and free from intrigues and complications like the United States; therefore, they are not able to bring about universal harmony. But America -- praise be to God! -- is at peace with all the world and is worthy of raising the flag of brotherhood and international agreement. When this is done, the rest of the world will accept. All nations will join in adopting the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh revealed more than fifty years ago. In His Epistles He asked the parliaments of the world to send their wisest and best men to an international world conference which should decide all questions between the peoples and establish universal peace. This would be the highest court of appeal, and the parliament of man so long dreamed of by poets and idealists would be realized. Its accomplishment would be more far-reaching than the Hague tribunal.

I am most grateful to President Taft for having extended his influence toward the establishment of universal peace. What he has accomplished in making treaties with various nations is very good, but when we have the interparliamentary body composed of delegates from all the nations of the world and devoted to the maintenance of agreement and goodwill, the utopian dream of sages and poets, the parliament of man, will be realized.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 388-390