tune me in ...
no rhythm, no tune, no melody can make me dance and sing
except the one(s) i have made
out of a rather long-term thinking and observing !
---------------
i have a theory: everything rotates round something, or at least round itself;
and this makes life possible,
and makes the earth stay in its position,
and causes the galaxies to stay where they are or move the way they do!
think about it and simply narrow it down to human life, and see how many circulations and rotations you make per day and you have made in your life...
think if it's possible to find the straight, right way, without turning all the way round back to where you started!?
well, i say it's actually impractical!?
the circles might get very big or extremely humongous... but they are still circles, and not a straight line, otherwise you will fall off/be thrown out of the entire universe, the whole body of being!
well, not practical, but just maybe possible in theory?!
---------------
paradox (not me!) has had a few posts (1, 2, 3, 4) about the theory of Jesus' existence (inexistence?!) which are interesting to read and think of the possibility of any religious ideologies get shaped in the first place .
(NO INTENTION TO OFFEND CHRISTIANS!)
this and georgewesley's 2nd comment for my previous post are somehow related as to how divinity and the supernatural power (intermingled with any faith and ideology) can impact millions and millions of people with time...
well, not to mention how they can potentially and ineveitably change/twist/distort... avec le temp (... sorry i like "avec le temp" better than its english equivalent: with time :D)
---------------
montreal seems to have not but an almost whole-month of rain and chilly, gusty weather this may... i want summer and sunshine! :-\
except the one(s) i have made
out of a rather long-term thinking and observing !
---------------
i have a theory: everything rotates round something, or at least round itself;
and this makes life possible,
and makes the earth stay in its position,
and causes the galaxies to stay where they are or move the way they do!
think about it and simply narrow it down to human life, and see how many circulations and rotations you make per day and you have made in your life...
think if it's possible to find the straight, right way, without turning all the way round back to where you started!?
well, i say it's actually impractical!?
the circles might get very big or extremely humongous... but they are still circles, and not a straight line, otherwise you will fall off/be thrown out of the entire universe, the whole body of being!
well, not practical, but just maybe possible in theory?!
---------------
paradox (not me!) has had a few posts (1, 2, 3, 4) about the theory of Jesus' existence (inexistence?!) which are interesting to read and think of the possibility of any religious ideologies get shaped in the first place .
(NO INTENTION TO OFFEND CHRISTIANS!)
this and georgewesley's 2nd comment for my previous post are somehow related as to how divinity and the supernatural power (intermingled with any faith and ideology) can impact millions and millions of people with time...
well, not to mention how they can potentially and ineveitably change/twist/distort... avec le temp (... sorry i like "avec le temp" better than its english equivalent: with time :D)
---------------
montreal seems to have not but an almost whole-month of rain and chilly, gusty weather this may... i want summer and sunshine! :-\
![Listen to S & M [Explicit] By Metallica](http://www.danceage.com/covers/album_imcover/1541.jpg)
5 Comments:
Hi Paradox,
I continue to enjoy thoroughly your comments and the questions you raise both on your blog and mine.
If I may ask, how is it that a young woman such as yourself has such an interest in religion? Is it because of what is happening in Iran today politically and religiously that is so disturbing? I have gotten the impression that you are Iranian and have assumed that your religious background in Shi'a Islam. I appreciate that what you'd like to know about the Baha'i Faith is simply out of "curiosity." The 300,000 Baha'is in Iran today is such a small percentage of 70 million persons in Iran today, that most Iranians have little understanding of the Baha'i Faith. But I do find it remarkable and admirable that you ask the questions that you are asking, given the assumtions I have about your cultural background.
As to "the nature of religion," the absolute best description of religion is in the college textbook The Phenomenon of Religion by Moojan Momen.
http://www.oneworld-publications.com/books/the-phenomenon-of-religion.htm
First some excerpts on religion generally:
p.64: "For Jung, religion could play a positive role in human life: 'Man positively needs general ideas and convictions that will give meaning to his life and enable him to find a place for himself in the universe.' Religion thus acts as a form of therapy, explaining and reconciling human beings to the pains and suffering of the world."
p. 296 "Myths can be debased and uprooted. All that happens is that modern myths and rituals replace the traditional ones, for myths and archetypes are an inherent part of the human psyche. Human beings appear to need a religious underpinning both to their personal and to their social lives. At the personal level, human beings need a mythology within which to frame their identities and the meaning of their lives. At the social level, some ideology is needed to give people a vision of their history, their present place in the world and their future direction, to act as a focal point of unity, an agreed framework for public policy and a justification for the public rituals that affirm social cohesion. Where formal religion no longer provides this underpinning, various alternatives have evolved. At the social level, 'pseudo-religions' such as Marxiam and nationalism have been successful partly because they do provide an alternative picture - a myth of history and a direction for the future."
Amd here are some comments about "individual religion":
p. 479: The second blow to the religious perspective came with the increasing importance given to individualism in the modern world.[...] Today, there is an increasing emphasis on the individual's own point of view. This leads to a loss of the authority of the central institutions of the religion. As a corollary to this individualism came a belief in the beneficial effects of self-interest as the guiding principal of human action, a development that contradicts the teachings of most of the established religions.
"The individualism that is characteristic of modern life in the West in reflected in the uncommitted, a la carte approach to spirituality that has become very common. It is typified by individuals who flit from religious group to religious group, continually on the religious quest and never arriving at their goal. Very often such individuals do not join any religious group but attend meetings, read books and search through the Internet, adopting a pot-pourri of religious ideas on their way. This approach to spirituality is almost the exact opposite of the path advocated by traditional religion. According to the latter, spiritual advancement demands a discipline, commitment and obedience. [...] Thus one has the paradox of modern eclectic spiritual individualists on the one hand reading enthusiastically the works of the great medieval mystics and on the other hand rejecting the spiritual discipline and approach that made the production of such works possible"
p. 489: "One way of dealing with the problem of modernity and religious pluralism is to withdraw from making any universal and social claims for religion, thus making it a purely personal affair. 'My religion satisfies my needs. It may not satisfy your needs or even anyone else's. All that matters to me is that it satisfies mine.' This then sets up a defensive wall against any possibility that one's religion can be shown to be intellectually faulty, illogical, or inferior to another's."
In answer to your question, the Baha'i community is not just a collective of individuals with their own respective personal religions. Being a Baha'i is believing in Baha'u'llah and trying to incorporate his teachings into one's life to the best of one's ability. Our personal interpretations are ultimately our own, but there are authoritative interpretations clearly spelled out.
By the way, Momen has a great introduction to the Faith on line at
http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/bahai/index.htm
Hope there is sunshine and blue skies over Montreal finally and you have lots of job interviews falling in place for you. It is sunny here in the Pacific Northwest.
I like your theory and I thought about some similarities in Sufism. I'm sure you know the Samaa Dance of Iranian-Isalmic sufist, who they are lovers and devotees of Rumi. They rotate round themselves and in the same time they rotate around a centre, which could be a symbol of god.
BTW, you may find my comments about your comments in my weblog!
sorry! that was me!
I wish sun for u!
Thank you again for the intriguing comments on my blog. Thank you, too, for sharing about your personal life. I see there is a personal story that helps me understand your willingness to entertain this discussion about the place of religion in general and the Baha'i Faith in particular.
In the Faith there is emphasis given to "living the life" as a Baha'i, meaning adhering to Baha'i standards, as that in itself is the ultimate way to teach the Faith. Your best friend was apparently a good teacher in this way. You are able to at least have some positive feelings about it, while many Iranians who have not known Baha'is personally know only of the prejudices and distortions of the truth that have been uttered about the Faith.
Your discussion of the importance of community to Baha'is is so lovely and so true. Baha'is are a joyous people and love to be in each other's company. As Abdu'l-Baha said, if we can't be happy in this day, "the Day of Fulfillment," in what day can we be happy?
Your question about why do Baha'is avoid opposing existing governments is a good one. Baha'is believe they have a role to play in God's Plan. They carry out God's Minor Plan, whereas the catastrophic events of the day that are sweeping every corner of the globe, including Iran, are the mysterious outcome of God's Major Plan. The Old World Order will crumble of its own accord. The Baha'is don't have any need to play a role in that -- there are so few Baha'is in the world, relatively speaking, and to quote Christian scripture, "Let the dead bury the dead." Repressive regimes will fall of their own accord.
The job for the Followers of Baha'u'llah is to construct the New World Order that is arising out of the ashes of the old. In the Baha'i Communuity that is evident in all parts of the world today you have a microcosm of the macrocosm of the world. A New World Order already exists.
You will see Baha'is put up a vigorous defense of their Faith. They will appeal to the authorities on behalf of their beleaguered brethren, sometimes with success but often with immediate failure, but also knowing that the Faith will inevitably prevail in the end, because it is the Will of God.
It is so easy to be indifferent to what's happening in the world and simply succumb to the materialism that can be argued is the true religion of the Western World. What a remarkable person you are to challenge indifference among your friends and acquaintances!
If I may say so, you are a credit to the upbringing of your parents. They "weren't pushy" and they demonstrated to you their strong beliefs. Islam is a true faith of God. And isn't it amazing, out of their Faith, the Shi'a branch of Islam, emerged the Baha'i Faith that is now the second-most widespread religion in the world. How amazing to me, that I as an American in a supposedly Christian country have come to know so much more than my neighbors about Islam, esecially Shi'a Islam. How I long to be able to make pilgrimage to the Baha'i Holy Places in the land of your birth, Iran.
How much I have come to love the Iranian people through the Iranian Baha'is I have known over the years. And it is interesting to note that, less than one person in ten is either Iranian or American in the Baha'i Faith today in the world. O the power of God!
What wonderful memories you have shared! Thank you.
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