Some Things Are Worth Fighting For

I'm a fan of music...all kinds. I love everything from folk and hymns to electronica and most of what's labeled "alternative rock." I'll miss Odetta. Her music always gets me.
She was a fixture in the peace movement of the 60's and while that was before my time, my parents played folk/peace songs daily for much of my childhood in the 70's, so believe me...I know them all.

I remember assuming that because of my parent's commitment to peace they were against all war. I said as much when I was about ten and my father corrected me by saying, "Some things are worth fighting for". My mother would probably clarify these words for him now, but they stuck with me for long time...Can we fight for things we deem as right without waging wars?

I'm drawn to the Baha'i faith because of the commitment to peace and a recognition of what disparity of income and racial inequality can do to a society... I did some reading over here, and while there are many many lines that give me comfort, there are some that made me uncomfortable...

"...The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure."

Excerpt from a statement made by Abdu'l Baha

Hmm. On one level it makes complete sense...but, I wonder what tactics we would use to "destroy" the sick body of the world? I know that many terms cannot be taken literally, but "reduce it to utter submission" seems pretty clear. I totally get the point being made, it isn't lost on me, but language is important, in fact language is everything and some of these terms sound violent to me. In keeping peace, I believe language is key.

Even in our personal lives. For example, if you admire a dress in a store while shopping with a friend by making the statement "This dress is pretty"...rather than "I think this dress is pretty"...your statement can be argued with or in a subtle way, forces the person listening to either agree or disagree (most women just nod their heads if they don't agree by the way...or say something to the effect of how it would be great for you). If you preface the statement with an "I think" or an "I believe"... the friend can then decide for themselves without disagreeing with you...no one can disagree with how or what we think and feel...they may not like what we think, but they can't disagree.

I know...I know...it seems so subtle, but while I'm not the best practitioner of non-violent communication, I believe Marshall Rosenberg understands how the subtleties of language have an effect us and certainly get in the way of peace negotiations or even divorce negotiations for that matter. The first chapter of his book is here...you have to love the Internet. Oops, I meant I love the Internet. :)

Of course, the excerpt from the statement by Abdu'l Baha is simply an excerpt from a much bigger piece and not the heart of the faith, but it did make me stop to think about how I feel about it.

I thought back to what my father said, about some things being worth fighting for. If we had basically achieved world peace in part by eliminating poverty and racism and a rogue government sought to operate in a way that would threaten to upset the balance, I suppose that would qualify as something worth fighting for....However, hopefully we're talking hard negotiation and not bombs because I think bombs end up destroying more people than governments.

Here is one of my favorite Odetta version peace songs. "I'm going to lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside..." I love those lines. And, please allow me confess that my husband would laugh if he read my statements about non-violent communication and he'd be justified...he's been a victim of my seared verbal outrage served up with a side of blanched vocal frustration...but, I'm getting much better! :)

p.s. Thank you for the help Emily...I can't wait to hear from Suamico Baha'is!