A Dangerous Doctrine

[Mirza Ahmad Sohrab]

Sohrab > A Dangerous Doctrine (409-410)

"A Dangerous Doctrine. In considering the problem of fear, let us for a
while study the writings of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause, and
see how he handles this vital subject.... The three published volumes of
Shoghi Effendi are *Baha'i Administration, The World Order of Baha'u'llah*
and *The Advent of Divine Justice*, which works consist of the letters which
he has addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly in the course of the
last 20 years. Now, I have read these three books and find that the words
*enemies* and *adversaries* are greatly featured. Baha-O-Llah has said:
*Consort with all men with joy and fragarance, yet Shoghi Effendi, in his
very first letter, dated January 21, 1992, written after his assumption of
the guardianship, recommends *the absolute shunning of whomsoever we feel to
be an enemy of the Cause. (*Bahai Administration, page 16.) Now, I cannot
bring myself to the point of believing that *absolute shunning* of
whomsoever we *feel* to be the enemy of the Cause is a principle of
Baha-O-Llah. Is every one going to let his *feelings* guide him in the
matter? Can we not take for granted that frail human beings as we are, a
great deal of personal caprice and spite may enter into our calculations as
to *who* is the enemy of the Bahai Cause? This is a very dangerous doctrine,
and yet one finds it in different forms throughout Shoghi Effendi's
communications. He practically never mentions the names of the *enemies* or
*adversaries* to whom he constantly refers. He simply creates ogres and
bogey men, and fills the hearts of the Bahais with apprehension and fear. In
this way, the fountain-head of free and open comradeship is dried up and the
flowers of loving-kindness wither away" (409-410).


-- EXCERPTS from Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. Broken Silence: The Story of Today's Struggle for Religious Freedom. New York:
Universal Publishing, 1942. Reprinted. H-Bahai: Lansing, Michigan, 2004. Sohrab's entire book may be downloaded in one
click at http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/SohrabEx.htm
--
Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship

Chicago Tribune. Baha'i rift. Baha'is upset with Orthodox Baha'i Faith May 18, 2009
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/may/18/local/chi-bahai-18-may18

All my comments posted to The Chicago Tribune Forum on one page:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/Chicago_Tribune.html

Yahoo Group - ReformBahai
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReformBahai

Reform Bahai Faith
Rochester, Michigan USA
www.ReformBahai.org

[NUR]

Sohrab > A Dangerous Doctrine  (409-410)
"A Dangerous Doctrine. In considering the problem of fear, let us for a
while study the writings of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause, and
see how he handles this vital subject.... The three published volumes of
Shoghi Effendi are *Baha'i Administration, The World Order of Baha'u'llah*
and *The Advent of Divine Justice*, which works consist of the letters which
he has addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly in the course of the
last 20 years. Now, I have read these three books and find that the words
*Consort with all men with joy and fragarance, yet Shoghi Effendi, in his
very first letter, dated January 21, 1992, written after his assumption of
the guardianship, recommends *the absolute shunning of whomsoever we feel to
be an enemy of the Cause. (*Bahai Administration, page 16.) Now, I cannot
bring myself to the point of believing that *absolute shunning* of
whomsoever we *feel* to be the enemy of the Cause is a principle of
Baha-O-Llah. Is every one going to let his *feelings* guide him in the
matter? Can we not take for granted that frail human beings as we are, a
great deal of personal caprice and spite may enter into our calculations as
to *who* is the enemy of the Bahai Cause? This is a very dangerous doctrine,
and yet one finds it in different forms throughout Shoghi Effendi's
communications. He practically never mentions the names of the *enemies* or
*adversaries* to whom he constantly refers. He simply creates ogres and
bogey men, and fills the hearts of the Bahais with apprehension and fear. In
this way, the fountain-head of free and open comradeship is dried up and the
flowers of loving-kindness wither away" (409-410).

Sohrab is being more than a little intellectually disengenuous here.
The shunning business is very much in ample evidence throughout the
writings of Husayn 'Ali Nuri. Neither Abbas Effendi or his grandson
exclusively invented it.

W