This is the "official statement" of the expected social principals.
- abandonment of all forms of prejudice
- assurance to women of full equality of opportunity with men
- recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
- the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
- the realization of universal education
- the responsibility of each person to independently search for truth
- the establishment of a global commonwealth of nations
- recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge (this is one of my favorites!)
However, I recently learned that while women are treated as equals to men and when it comes to education as more important (If a Baha'i family can only educate one child it must be a daughter before a son) at this time, no woman may serve in the Universal House of Justice which is, for lack of a better phrase, the governing body of the Baha'i Faith. The faith has no clergy and is instead organized by local assemblies (women can serve and lead assemblies), but the clarifications needed on mandates (again, for lack of a better word-the terminology is new to me) of the faith are decided upon by the Universal House of Justice.
This doesn't sit well with me and yet, unlike the way I would be in other times of my life...I'm still here with an open mind. I've been told and read that there are many who question this, but more who accept it. I guess I understand...in a way. If you are a believer and you trust a religion that feels as if it belongs to you, then occasionally you have to accept that there are mysteries not ready to be revealed, but even so, it troubles me.
I've read that eventually the reason will be revealed and will most likey be considered plausible by members of the faith. It will make sense. I've guessed at what it is (believe me!) and come up with some good ones, but still would like to know.
This in itself isn't enough to turn me away from the Baha'i Faith...but it makes me need to understand more and do more reading in order to feel comfortable with it. I mean, this is a faith that dictates equality of the sexes, yet women can't serve in the highest leadership...so, do you get mad, say it's like the Catholics and priests? Or do you look at the way women are revered in all other areas of the faith including education and just trust that the reason must be a good one?
Just one of my many questions.
Here's a video you might enjoy...Many people know that Rainn Wilson is a Baha'i (was raised one and is very open about his faith), but there are many others.
P.S. I wanted to include a link to this article because someday someone may read this blog and want to know more about the topic of why women are denied the right to serve at/on the Universal House of Justice. This is one woman's essay and offers a different perspective, but an important one...I like knowing all sides of an issue before making decisions and all views are helpful...
Let me first clarify that as a man I will express an opinion which is perhaps less relevant than the opinion of some of the Baha'i ladies who might reply. I don't want to trivialize this discussion. I am just aware that my opinion will not be the answer you need. At the same time, I trust the actual answer will come, in due time, to your heart, and you will know it.
ReplyDeleteGod tests His servants and maid-servants in order to help them grow. That is just God's way. It is typical for any religion -- think of the test for believers of any religion to recognize the next Manifestation of God. If we are not tested, we would not grow. Some of our tests come from the veil of the intellect. We all have acquired knowledge which we trust (as unscientific as that knowledge in actuality might be) and one of the ultimate tests is to truly give up that acquired knowledge in order to be able to hear God's voice.
I appreciate your open mindedness in approaching this challenging topic. I once heart a talk which addressed a misunderstood topic (which I am not recalling now). The simple yet profound answer was -- have you ever considered the possibility you might be wrong?
There is freedom in recognizing that we might not always understand everything, at least with the faculty of the mind. However, deep in our heart, the truth resides nobly, and one day we shall all realize it, whether in this world or the next.
Enjoy your spiritual journey!
P.S. I am fully aware that I will (or might if that sounds better) never be elected to serve on the Universal House of Justice (God is too merciful :-) but there are so many ways I can serve. I welcome you to join us and help us serve in whatever mystical way God enables you. I will pray for you and your loved ones!
Hi Laura. I too appreciate your spirit of inquiry in the face of something which is genuinely challenging for men and women alike. As a Baha'i woman, one who came to the Faith as an adult, I have thought quite a bit about this issue. I can't "answer" it for you of course, I do know that. But the summation of my many years' pondering on this subject goes something like this: I have experienced many disadvantages in my life as a woman, many injustices. I have succeeded in achieving many of my goals DESPITE the habits of our society that tend to relegate women to second-class status. With this bruise on my heart, can I accept the possibility that a Faith which doesn't allow women to be elected to the highest court is in fact God's religion for today? I found that I can believe this in theory, so it is not a "disqualifier" for me to the authenticity of Baha'u'llah's message. If that's the case, then how can I know that Baha'u'llah is truly divine? It was the liberating qualities of His teachings that initially attracted me--if one teaching doesn't "correspond" to my idea of liberation, how can I judge the merit of the revelation? I have accepted Baha'u'llah as divine because when I read His writings I hear the voice of God, a voice that cannot be denied. Furthermore, as Christ said, "By their fruits you shall know them." So I have spent much time examining the fruits of the Baha'i Faith, in general but also specifically with regard to the status of women. My observation is that the entire force and power of the revelation is pushing society into a condition of true equality. In my own life, for the 20-some years that I've been a Baha'i, I've felt guided and shown how to excel, how to respect myself, how to shine. We're all imperfect people and as Baha'is no one of us perfectly exemplifies the teachings (except 'Abdu'l-Baha) so there have been times of frustration with my fellow Baha'is. But those times have not impeded what I've felt to be the insistent Hand of God, pushing me to higher levels, masterminding situations in my life that have impelled me to surmount low expectations, even my own. Through Baha'u'llah I've seen the status of women, and my position in life, soar to levels not achieved by secular efforts at equality. So my faith in this Divine System has been amply justified, a thousand-fold in fact. My final note is this, that as Baha'is we in fact don't aspire to positions of leadership. It would of course be naive to say that being a member of the Universal House of Justice is "no big deal". However, the discourse of society on equality is all about measuring things in a very egocentric way. This is not how Baha'is are to view the world ("Close one eye and open the other.") Achieving great professional success, status and wealth are not our first priorities. Though education and attainment are very highly valued, it is for serving humanity that we train ourselves, not personal glory. We don't raise our children to think "I could be a member of the Universal House of Justice someday" as American parents do about their child being president. Instead we raise our children to think, "With God's help, I will life a live of service to others."
ReplyDeleteWarm love,
Laura too!
Hi Laura: Thank you for your comment..I can't seem to respond directly and don't know if you get to your own blog often, but just wanted to acknowledge your words.
ReplyDeleteI was touched by your story of Shane and Bruce...your true love post.