Deconstructing Negative U.S. Attitudes Toward Mexican Immigrants

Immigration is the worldwide phenomenon of people escaping oppression and or seeking a better life in a new country. I have taken a particular interest in the plight of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. and have often become brokenhearted when my fellow citizens take a negative view of their presence in general, and their humanity in particular. Back during a Republican primary debate, the subject of immigration reform came up. One of the candidates was speaking on his belief that all illegal immigrants should be shipped back to Mexico, a giant Berlin type wall should be built along the border, and English should be the exclusive national language. He reasoned this through his view that a level of homogeneity is what ties a country together, establishes a common identity, and reinforces a joint history. While some of the concerns are valid, I worry about the xenophobic tendencies that seem to be the implicit motivating force. I worry that they exist on a continuum of hatred, even if on the lower end, that finds its apex in the warped ideas of Hitler, who promoted exclusive racial identity to an almost metaphysical realm:

"The state is a racial organism"; "Nature... puts living creatures on this globe and watches the free play of forces. She then confers the master's right on her favorite child, the strongest in courage and industry...The stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker, thus sacrificing his own greatness..."

As a Baha'i, I understand that racial diversity is one of the most important assets that we have as humans. Having immigrants among us gives a golden opportunity to grow spiritually, especially in perceived zero sum scenarios. It can also help to expand and enrich our perceptions and cultural life. By reaching out and integrating our efforts with those of different conceptual and cultural frameworks, we can hasten the arguably inevitable realization of the unity of humankind and deeply integrated norms of justice. I do think that there needs to be immigration reform that promotes both fairness and lawfulness, but when the emotional justifications against Mexican immigrants in general are deconstructed, it becomes hard to see how they don't arise from some point on the continuum of prejudice and even racism. I will attempt to deconstruct three emotional justifications against immigrants in general, the religious justification, the economic justification, and the national/cultural justification. I will spend the most time on the religious deconstruction because that is where I am most familiar.


The Religious Justification:

Compared to most advanced industrial nations, the United States is highly religious. While there is a great religious diversity, many of its beliefs and traditions come from a Protestant Christian inspiration. Mexican immigrants are also very religious, but they bring a whole different tradition of Christianity, Spanish Catholic mixed with a good deal of local fermentation, complete with home grown saints and prophetic visions. This religious culture is very foreign to many mainstream protestant neighborhoods. Here's a biblical explanation of why this shouldn't be a problem.

"The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." - Luke 6:5

This was a profound and controversial statement made by Jesus. It was a response to the Pharisees who criticized Him and His followers for eating and drinking on the Sabbath. A curious statement considering that he fully upheld the law.

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" - Matthew 5:17-19

The key concept here is that while he did not come to abolish the law, he did come to fulfill it. This distinction is key. Like in so many other cases, he uses a parable to draw the distinction:

"No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the will will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins." - Luke 5:36-3

Jesus, "Lord of the Sabbath", announces that he is the new wine, and the grace and salvation that he provides is the new wineskin, the fulfillment of the law. The implication of this is that all humans now have access to salvation, not just the Jews who had controlled the physical means previously. As Paul is to state later:

"But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and the circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." - Romans 2:29

To justify this concept, Jesus quotes the book of Isaiah:

"'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough roads smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" - Luke 3:4-6

This means that the gates had been opened, and all flesh now had access to the salvation of God, not just the Jews. Elsewhere he states:

"And not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad" - John 11:52

"And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold, I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd. " - John 10:16

Naturally this was not an easy thing for many to accept, even for many of his closest followers. Peter, whom Jesus proclaimed "you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my My church", was hesitant to allow non-Jews into the Church. If Peter was the rock of the church, then Paul was the vision. He consistently pursued the teaching of everybody, no matter the background:

"For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. for just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly..." - Romans 12:3-6

Eventually Peter did come around, but it took a direct exhortation from God:

"And on the next day, as they were on their way, and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry, and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he beheld the sky opened up, and a certain object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, 'Arise, Peter, kill and eat!' But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.' And again a voice came to him a second time, 'what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy...' And as he talked with him, he entered, and found many people assembled. And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean...' 'I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to him.'" - Acts 10:9-35

One of the most compelling teachings of Jesus is unity in diversity. Through the spirit, people of all different colors, races, cultures, and customs can become united. In this realm, nobody can be considered above anybody else, a revolutionary teaching 2000 years ago and even today. Imagine if Christians had truly followed this guidance. They would not have engaged in colonization, slavery, war, and subjugation. In fact, many Christians acted like the Romans and the Pharisees who discriminated based upon race and nationality, effectively missing the point completely.

The Economic Justification:

A common argument against Mexican immigrants is that they push down wages of American workers, especially among high school dropouts. The evidence for this argument is inconclusive, and, in fact, there is a growing body of evidence against it. According to the 2000 census, immigrants made up 28 percent of workers without a high school education and 13 percent of total workers. George Borjas of Harvard University conducted a study comparing wage trends between groups with different education and work experience. By comparing groups with a large proportion of immigrants to groups with few immigrants, he concluded that, between 1980 and 2000, immigration caused wages to be 3 percent lower than they would have been. For high school dropouts, wages were 8 percent lower. Critics of immigration use this to support their case. They overlook what Borjas reports about immigrants' affect on investment. Firms who use cheaper immigrant labor use that surplus to invest more, creating more jobs in the process. Adjusted for capital stock, overall wages are unaffected and the loss of wages for high school dropouts is only 5 percent. Gianmarco Ottaviano of the University of Bologna and Giovanni Peri of the University of California-Davis point out that these findings should be adjusted, further considering that immigrants and natives often work in different types of jobs. Immigrants are often found doing construction, gardening and housework, while low-skilled natives often do logging and mining. Taking this into account, they conclude that Mexican immigrants' affect on the wages of high school dropouts is virtually nothing.

Much of the blame that Mexican immigrants get for taking jobs can be much better explained through the process of globalization. Freer economic trade has shone to produce net gains, but there are those who lose out in the process, especially those in the U.S. who are less educated. It is the role of the government to provide a safety net and promote retraining for a more advanced economy. By doing this Mexican immigration won't be perceived as much of a threat to employment. We should also be working to help Mexico improve its living conditions to the point that the desperate need to emigrate loses its salience.

The National/Cultural Justification:

I won't get too deep into this aspect because it is mainly philosophical. I have a firm conviction that no group of people can claim to have ultimate inheritance of any piece of land; clearly if we go back in history far enough, anthropological evidence shows that we all came from the same general region of Eastern Africa. That is not to say that one more powerful group has the right to displace another group, much like what happened to the Native Americans or Palestinians. There is clearly a direction in history towards greater cultural and political integration on a larger and larger scale. As technology and society advances, it becomes in peoples' economic best interest to engage with others on a larger and larger scale. If we think of nation states as fluid political, cultural, and economic constructs, then we must realize that the boundaries or composition of these constructs can and must change as realities on the ground change. Of course in the short term there is a natural need for the political jurisdiction by local authorities, proper documentation and regulation of the ebb and flow of population, property rights, the rule of law, and all the other good stuff of civil society, but that does not give anybody the inherent right to restrict the movement of others who are peacefully looking to find a better life for them and their families.

In conclusion, I am entirely convinced that it is necessary for all of us to shift a paradigm however implicit, that views diversity as a weakness, a deviation from some kind of over-romanticized cultural or national identity. By reaching out to all people, no matter how different they might seem to us, we can create a more unified world which is much greater than the sum of its parts.

"O contending peoples and kindred’s of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world's great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne...There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are subjects of one God. " -Baha'u'llah

A Heart is Beating in the Dark Chilled Night...

Close my eyes and go to sleep...

A heart is beating in the dark chilled night, rhythmically, frantically, and without permission. It is alone, and in this moment there is life. Amazing, what are the odds?

From a bird’s eye view, pan out into a speck, the scariest hilarity that I can think of is a brief pondering of an infinite universe. Too scary to maintain, too epic to handle and categorize, but yet there is life, what are the odds?

In every body, a heart is beating in the dark chilled night, rhythmically, frantically, and without permission. They are alone, and there is life in this moment, and these moments cannot be captured. Amazing, what are the odds?

We are alone. But we have each other to be alone with. If only we are brave enough to impale ourselves onto the spears of our intimacy fears. To finally confront, and to keep confronting those parts of ourselves that insist, scratch, scream, tear, bite, ravage, spit, sputter, spittle, spatter, spite, anger, agitate, and lobby for the advancement of the cause: a stoic self perception of being distant and autonomous. This is incredibly difficult and the odds are remote.

Broken into my waking... to find a warm body and two hearts beating in the dark chilled night, rhythmically, frantically, and without permission. We are alone and there is life, and we are in love in this moment. And in this moment we have captured each other. Amazing, what are the odds?

Blogging the Giants of Atheism Pt. 1/3

Poking around on utube, I found this fascinating discussion between 4 of the most outspoken atheists out there today: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris. I have watched four parts out of the twelve so far and have decided to start a 3 part series of my own, linking to four clips at a time and throwing out stream of consciousness reflections on what I watch. Here are the first four clips. I invite your own commentary on these videos!

Discussion - Part 1
Discussion - Part 2
Discussion - Part 3
Discussion - Part 4

So far most of what they say I agree with, except of course the atheism part. I have been a little disappointed by the fact that they haven't differentiated between rational faith and irrational faith. (for example accepting scientific empiricism vs. believing in a 6000 year old earth) I was happy in the beginning of the second clip when Harris allowed for the reality and language of supernatural experiences, if not supernatural reality itself. I was also appreciative of Hitchens (who I think in general to be an incredible charismatic and profoundly intelligent writer) disagree with Dennett that religious people claim not to doubt their faith, giving a few examples. Then Dawkins makes an unfair assertion in my view that people of faith pray over and over to brainwash themselves out of doubt. Not really. We pray because it invokes the experience of self sacrifice and oneness with our reality. We pray because we want to detach ourselves from our own ego and open up to love and compassion in our lives. I don't pray because I want to be cured of doubt. It would scare me if I had absolutely no doubt. Of course I doubt; there is no way to prove that I am praying to anything other than the floor and ceiling. But I feel that it is even harder to prove that something (the universe) came from nothing. Human consciousness has evolved the capacity for self reflection, scientific inquiry, and the conscious development of all virtues. It seems to me unlikely that this consciousness born out of some form in some galaxy was an accident. It seems to me likely that the universe itself is moving towards a greater perfection, one that will spawn in our day and age the unity of humankind. It is interesting to think of how the cells in a human body unite to form a human consciousness. What new meta consciousness will be created when humankind unites?

By the beginning of part 3, it is starting to feel like an atheism support group. The biggest frustration with watching this is that they are taking the most extreme examples of religious dogmatism and intolerance, and using them as examples of the delusion of belief. Why not instead argue the most rational forms of spiritual practice? Why not argue against Robert Wrights argument for purposeful directionality in a material universe? Why not argue against Adam Frank's promotion of spiritual experience without regard to religious reality?

Finally! by the middle of part 3 Dawkins suggests that there is a difference between sophisticated, nuanced professors of theology and the Jerry Falwells of the world. Then he says, which I agree with, that many of these said theologians will say one thing to each other and something much more dumbed down and literal to their congregation. I think that this has been a major problem with religion generally. The "flock" relies on the clergy for spiritual interpretation, and are then very susceptible to manipulation. In the Baha'i faith, we are all encouraged to independently investigate the truth. There is no clergy to interpret the writings for us. In fact, there is a highly developed process of study that relies on dialogue and practical application.

Interesting line by Harris: "What does moderation consist of, it consists of having lost faith in all of these propositions, or half of them because of the hammer blows of science." If religion is seen as a static belief not prone to evolution, then I agree. But, if religion is viewed as a constantly evolving structure, based upon the conceptual capacity of its adherents, then science can be seen as a necessary catalyst for religious evolution. And religion can be seen as the core human experience of the sacred that takes us beyond reductionist explanation, into a realm of meaning and motivation.

In the beginning of part 4, Dennit says that in fact the clergy deserve ridicule because they should know better. The flock should not be ridiculed because they are just placing their faith in a percieved authority. Good ol' Hitchens. He counters Harris and says that its the congregation who make a fool out of themselves. Also compares irrational believers to racists who claim that they know no better. Concludes by saying all those believing in religious superstition are open to ridicule.

Near the end of part 4, they argue that science is subject to competition and peer review, whereas religious theology is not. Dawkins makes the point that we don't understand quantum physics, but that it can still be used to make very accurate predictions and eventually we will understand it better. On the other hand, we don't understand the concept of the "Trinity" and it never will be understood, much less be used to make any kind of prediction. Again, while I agree with the said virtues of science, it does not address human motivation in an ontological manner. In a manner that is meaningfull in that we choose to give it meaning because it makes our life worth living. The "Trinity" was a theogical construct arising out of a projected ontological need, and was valuable for its time and place. In this day we can move on from antiquated theologies, but we shouldn't forget them.

A Compass Rose for the Path of Faith

At last, the tree of his longing yielded the fruit of despair, and the fire of his hope fell to ashes.

The Seven Valleys, p. 13

A lover feareth nothing and no harm can come nigh him: Thou seest him chill in the fire and dry in the sea.

The Seven Valleys, p. 9

Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation....

Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 129

THE essence of these words is this: they that tread the path of faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse themselves of all that is earthly -- their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth.

Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 3

Sacrifice and Sustainablity

The systematization of Baha'i activity means that mechanisms are provided by which every element of a line of action can be expanded in proportion to the growth of the whole. Children's classes, home visits to new believers, junior youth groups, etc. multiply in relation to each other. As new believers enter the faith, they are empowered to provide the services sustaining community life. Human resources are deployed in such a way that new human resources are in turn raised up. It's like the growth of a body. One leg doesn't grow way faster than the other. The skeleton grows at the same pace as the muscles that surround them. Etc.

This resolves a long-standing problem in social action so long as efforts are channeled into activities that further this systematization.

Sacrifice and sustainablity no longer pull in opposite directions. Greater levels of sacrifice lead to greater levels of sustainability. The harder a community pushes, the better prepared they will be to hand over responsibilities to new collaborators before existing collaborators descend into spirals of burnout.

The training and mobilization of human resources is an on-going cycle which, with every turn reinforces it's own stability.

Now, about moving out of that first cycle.....

Sapling

The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and hold words, so that is root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.

-Baha'u'llah


Taking root, satiated no longer, the rotten stump has finally released its burden and we realize the ontological bankruptcy. There is no more power that can be willed without a heavy dose of nausea. But here we are, every moment is a potential foundation for something.


The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous system-the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

-Baha'u'llah


Something is happening in the world right now that is being overlooked by the news media and its obsession with the snarky politics born of a lower nature. It is being missed because it is taking root in the hearts and minds of the most vulnerable, receptive, and pure hearted among us, slowly maneuvering through the forgotten soil of forgotten potential, gaining strength in a process which is a reflection of the original divine impulse. It cannot be, will not be belittled, will not be disregarded as we disregard our corrupted leaders. Of what would be perceived as a threat to the decomposing heroes of world order, it is just beneath the surface.


A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause or perceived its motive...O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer not your labors to be wasted through the vain imaginations which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth as at the break of day, the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men, the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll. With the utmost unity, and in a spirit of perfect fellowship, exert yourselves, that ye may be enabled to achieve that which beseemth this Day of God. Verily I say, strife and dissension, and whatsoever the mind of man abhorreth are entirely unworthy of his station. Center your energies in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable, it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation, whose power hath cased the foundations of the mightiest structures to quake, every mountain to be crushed in to dust, and every soul to be dumbfounded. Should the greatness of this Day be revealed in its fullness, every man would forsake a myriad of lives in his longing to partake, though it be for one moment, of its great glory-how much more this world and its corruptible treasures!

-Baha'u'llah


There are no news cameras in the room where hearts are met, where intentions among enclaves are woven with the divine spirit into collective action. There are no cameras in the world that will capture the groundswell until it is sudden and shocking. The trust of God is in our hands, and as we build so shall we become the trust of God.

I fear that we will forget and lose our sight...

The sun is setting and we chase the Kingdom's shadow.

Meditation on the History of Non-Involvement in Politics

Every generation or so Iran tends to blow up, i.e. this month's demonstrations, the Islamic Revolution, the Tobacco revolt. Whenever these happen Baha'is try to weather the storm and avoid being accused of being on one side or the other. But there was one of these mass uprisings that was different than all the others. It was specifically led by the faith. In 1848-9 the Babi movement reached its climax with the Bab's trial, the conference of Badasht, mass sympathy with the Bab and his followers, and of course the various uprisings led by Babi clergy in Mazindaran, Nayriz, and Zanjan. Whenever the Iranian people arise to display their discontent, it always evokes memories of those heady days of the Bab's movement. For this reason, the tradition of Baha'i non-involvement in politics must be placed in the context of its application to the Iranian situation.

During Baha'u'llah's Baghdad ministry, many, if not most Babis assumed he was revitalizing the community so as to return to the anti-state warfare of Mulla Husayn, Quddus, Vahid, Hujjat, etc. Baha'u'llah consistently counselled Babis to pursue teaching instead. This goes back even before his imprisonment and exile. God only knows what would have happened if he had pursued holy war. Most likely, now there would be no such thing as the Baha'i Faith, or Babi Faith for that matter.

Secondly, take the Constitutional Revolution in Iran from 1906-11. Calls for modernization and democratization appeared to be the fulfillment of long-held Baha'i dreams. Opposition forces wondered where the Baha'is were in all that. Instead, Abdu'l Baha was dedicating the greater share of attention to the teaching work, especially in the United States. The rapid development of that community during that period is in large part attributable to the fact that the faiths' best and brightest had been sent to consolidate that fledgling community, Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, Mirza Haydar Ali, etc. If 'Abdu'l-Baha had been turning his attention to Iranian politics what would that have gained anyone? I suppose we could have been a tiny minority party in a parliamentary regime that collapsed two generations later. By focusing on the Western Baha's 'Abdu'l-Baha could hasten the day when they would send pioneers to every corner of the globe.

The wisdom of non-involvement in politics is always clearer, even obvious, in retrospect. With that said, junior youth groups will alone accomplish in the next decade the sorts of social transformation token involvement in statist politics could only dream of. And this is only at a very early stage in the development of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan. But this is only possible if Baha'is don't let themselves get distracted by the lure of advancing a statist arrangement.

Montessori, Evolution, and Spirituality

I have always been interested in education, and for many years I dedicated my time to working with children through facilitating virtues classes. But it wasn’t until my daughter, Sasha, was born that I began to take interest in educational philosophies. I wanted to know what I could do to encourage her, challenge her, but not overwhelm her. I wanted to know how children learned. Throughout Sasha’s three years I have found three perspectives on education that have defined my own approach: Montessori, Evolution, and Spirituality.

The three above perspectives have given me a new lens through which to view child development and have helped me create an environment for my daughter that encourages learning. I am not an expert in the field of child development and have only had a glimpse of what all three perspectives offer, on so many levels and in so many ways, to this field. With regard to this paper, however, I will only be addressing the topics that pertain to the experiences I’ve had with my daughter. I will be referring to what I’ve learned about my role as a guide and about providing an environment that encourages self-directed learning, includes a range of activities, and is filled with beauty, natural elements, and purpose. Finally, I will be discussing what I’ve learned about how to prepare my daughter for the world.

As a new mother I had no idea whether I was providing my daughter with an encouraging and stimulating learning environment or not. Sasha had tireless energy and an insatiable curiosity. She was constantly on the move. Nothing held her attention. I felt overwhelmed and drained by the end of the morning when she went down for her nap. I spent hours looking for activities and toys that would stimulate and challenge her and increase her attention span and concentration. When I finally found something and introduced the new toy or activity to her, she would fiddle with it, figure it out, and be done with it in about two minutes. This was to be the case for about one year, until I found Montessori.

The Montessori Method

Maria Montessori, a physician, anthropologist and educator, developed a child-centered approach to education. The Montessori method fulfills the developing needs of children by exposing children to a broad range of experiences, honoring their learning preferences and choice of activities, respecting the pace at which each child learns, encouraging active, self-correcting learning, and providing multi-age classrooms. The teacher has the role of a guide, who is trained to “follow the child” by observing the activities the child is naturally drawn to, and patiently encourages and directs his or her development. Montessori addresses the entire child and his or her physical, intellectual, creative, and spiritual development.
The first thing I learned was that children purposefully choose the activities they want to engage in, rather than randomly select them. I introduced a few Montessori activities and put them next to the toys Sasha already had. From that point on Sasha stopped playing with her plastic toys and only engaged in the Montessori activities. The reason, I learned, is that children will choose those activities that meet specific developmental needs. If children are given the freedom to do so, they will choose purposeful activities over trivial ones. I realized that I had been choosing all of Sasha’s activities when I should have been letting her choose.

The next step, then, was providing her with a variety of activities to choose from. Dr. Montessori explains that children learn through all five senses, so I found activities that stimulated her senses. One activity I had was a basket full of interesting objects to explore. Every week or so I would change the objects. At the age of one, Sasha loved her “nature basket.” There were beautiful, smooth polished stones that she could feel; there were acorns, feathers, and other interesting things to touch, feel and smell. Another activity stimulated her hearing and consisted of shaking little bottles filled with rice, beans, or sand and matching the two bottles that made the same sound. I filled the room with these and many other sensory-rich experiences.

I made the necessary adjustments and set up our home so that it was child-centered. I tried to see the world through my daughter’s eyes. Everything in our house was out of reach, which made Sasha completely dependent on the adults. I set up our home so that she could move about independently of me. She had small chairs and a table, low shelves with a range of activities and toys that I made and bought, low shelves with snacks and water that she could reach when she desired. I put a few stools around the house so that she could easily have access to things that were out of reach. With a room full of varied and accessible activities Sasha now had the possibility of exploring these areas according to her natural inclinations. She had control over her own learning, and I was now able to begin my observations.

I learned a great deal about detachment from the principle of “following the child.” I say “detachment” because sometimes I tend to interfere with my daughter’s activities, imposing my will rather than trusting her natural choices. There is a balance between guiding her and giving her the freedom to choose, but for now I’m focusing on trying to understand the underlying lessons in all the activities she engages in. For example, when I sit down to play with Sasha I notice that all she wants to do is have a picnic (her latest fascination). She loves to lay down a blanket, bring her basket full of fruits and vegetables, and sit down with me and her teddy bear for a picnic. I’ve come to understand that there are great lessons for her in this activity. For example, during our picnic Sasha handed out slices of apple to me and her bear; She was practicing being considerate and learning to share. She was practicing Math when she counted how many “people” were having a picnic and then counted how many slices of apples she had. She learned that she needed one more slice so that everyone could have a piece; She was learning generosity, detachment, and kindness when she gave the only two pieces of apple to me and her bear and left none for herself.

The first time I introduced a Montessori activity to Sasha she was one year and five months old. It was really the first time I had seen her focus and be completely immersed in what she was doing. The activity consisted of scooping uncooked beans from one bowl and putting them in another with a spoon. In this simple activity she was developing her fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and was accustoming her eyes to movement from left to right (the order of her scooping) which would later prepare her for reading and writing. I learned that the most important part of engaging in an activity was the process of doing it–not the end result–because it was this process that would help her acquire skills.

My daughter suddenly was engaged in working on an activity for more than two minutes. The issue wasn’t that she couldn’t concentrate on anything, as I had once thought, it was that she was concentrating on everything! The challenge was providing her with enough varied activities to choose from. And I had found them. Sasha was increasing her concentration, developing important skills, and having fun at the same time. And I was learning about the powerful tool and art of observation. I was loving Montessori. But there was something missing: I didn’t know why this method worked, and I was longing to get to the root of the issue of how children learn.

An Evolutionary Perspective

Some time later I was introduced to education from an evolutionary perspective by my Professor, Gary Bernhard. While reading his book, Primates in the Classroom (1988), I found the answer. What I came to understand is that over hundreds of thousands of years, through evolution, human beings have developed specific ways of learning which have influenced how children learn today. Children have been learning through observation, imitation, play and exploration. What children saw and experienced throughout the day was what they became as adults.

Toys versus Tools

Children need to understand how the things they do in life relate to the adult world. The children of our ancestors built their own “toys” which were actually replicas of adult tools. Their form of play consisted of creating their own miniature version of the adult world, experimenting with the various tools, observing and playing, and imitating the adults. As a result, by a very early age (around six years old) children were already very useful and helpful members of their society. I couldn’t help but contrast that scenario with what happens today where children are generally not exposed to the working adults and are not taught to be part of daily activities and chores until they are around six years old when they begin school.

I realized through Sasha’s eagerness to do things by herself and to help out with household activities that the desire to be useful continues to be a strong need in human beings today. I took a look at some of my daughters toys (the non-Montessori ones) and realized they had no connection to the real world. Her toys had no resemblance to real-life tools. The plastic, push-the-button toys were designed mostly for entertainment, and only a few minutes of entertainment. I realized that if I was to continue to raise my daughter using the conventional methods and toys, she would have no connection with the adult world. For what was I preparing her then? I wanted to help her have a glimpse of how society functioned and how she could fit into it and be useful even at her age.

Dr. Montessori explains that children need this sense of purpose and that when given the option between toys or tools, children choose tools (Montessori, 1967). That is not to say that children shouldn’t have toys, but that we need to look at the quality and purpose of the toys.

The Montessori method encourages toys made of natural elements, such as wood. When I compared natural toys with plastic ones, I found a world of difference. Even adults are attracted to these natural objects. There is something comforting in the feel of the wood; there is weight, texture and smell. A child who has plastic toys has no way to assess the material they are made of, which makes for a learning experience that isn’t as rich. I noticed that Sasha was more careful with her beautiful, heavy toys. She didn’t just drop them on the floor when she was done. She learned the gentleness that comes with taking care of something beautiful.

In order to help my daughter prepare for and have a sense of purpose in an adult world, something which children naturally desire, I decided to include her, as much as I could, in the workings of life. Any process I, or other adults, were involved with, I did my best to explain to her and to let her participate in. For example, when we go to the grocery store she takes her own little shopping cart and loads it up with some of the things on our list. We talk about the food we see and where it all comes from. We talk about the farmers who help us by growing the food, and, depending on the season, we plant things together. We talk about the people who pick the fruits and vegetables and those who transport the produce to the stores. When we have the chance, we go apple or blueberry picking. Finally, we talk about the people that unload all the produce at the grocery store and how they put all the food out for the customers to see and buy. And when we pass by the grocers who are putting produce in the displays, I point the grocers out and tell her we must thank them for all the work they do. She begins to understand, not only to be appreciative of people and their work, but also that what she used to think magically appeared somewhere was actually the result of many people, doing many different jobs.

Movement

Movement is an essential requirement in the learning process. Our nomadic foraging ancestors were constantly on the move because it was required for survival. Dr. Montessori also discusses the importance of movement and explains that it is essential for learning because a child is made up of both mind and body, and to think of one without the other is to “break the continuity that should reign between them” (Montessori, 1995, p.141). Formal schooling was introduced only about two hundred years ago, when children who once roamed freely were required to stop the movement so necessary for exploration and learning, and stillness and quietness were suddenly the new standards of children’s behavior. If children learn by actively participating in acquiring their knowledge, and if they do so through imitation, exploration, play and observation, then the assumption that learning is best done in a quiet, still environment is an incorrect one. “There is no necessary gap between the processes of social development that satisfy biologically based needs and the processes of intellectual development that prepare children for life in the modern world” (Bernhard, 1988, p.138).

I took a look around my house and realized there were many barriers that restricted my daughter’s movement. The things that apparently were created for our children’s protection, (cribs, playpens, strollers, security gates, etc.) were restricting her ability to move and explore. How could I be protecting my daughter when I was depriving her of these experiences? I decided to get rid of the restrictive objects. Not surprisingly, I soon found my life to be chaotic. I was constantly after my daughter getting her out of trouble. But many lessons came from this disruption in my life.

House-Proof the Child

I removed all dangerous objects, such as poisons and household cleaning supplies, and then stepped out of Sasha’s way to let her explore. This action required a lot of my attention, energy, and time, but Sasha was in heaven. She was able to go to all the once-inaccessible places, open the once-locked, forbidden cupboards, explore to her heart’s content. The security gates and playpens, I realized, were for my own comfort. They made it possible for me to contain and deprive her of valuable lessons in the name of “safety.”

When it came to other dangers that I couldn’t remove, such as the stove, I decided to teach Sasha about them, rather then keep her away from them. I talked to her about fire and things that are hot, and how fire burns and hurts. I realize now that not only was she learning that fire was dangerous, she was also learning that not everything in a house is safe. She was learning to recognize dangers and learning how to avoid and handle them. I was giving her discernment so that if she was ever alone, she had the tools to know how to act.

I decided that if I was going to remove the gates and teach Sasha “freedom with responsibility” (an important Montessori principle), I would also return the beautiful, delicate objects that I had once removed so she wouldn’t break them. By removing these objects I had been depriving my daughter of beauty and art, and of learning self-control. Instead, I showed her how to look at and care for these beautiful things. On one occasion I let her hold a delicate, ceramic frog made in Costa Rica. She knew she had to sit down and handle it with care. Her eyes were filled with awe as she took in the smoothness and the beautiful, bright colors. When she was finished she carefully handed it back to me. I could tell that she was proud that she had taken such good care of it. I sensed then that by giving her responsibilities, Sasha felt important and trusted.

A Spiritual Education

As a member of the Baha’i Faith I believe peace is not only possible, but inevitable. Humanity will come to recognize the principle of the oneness of mankind, “a spiritual truth which all the human sciences confirm” (UHJ, 1985). If I am to prepare my daughter to be an adult in this day and to contribute to the process of unification, it is through a spiritual education.

I am teaching my daughter to become aware that she is a spiritual being and that she must act on this awareness. In other words, it is not sufficient to know we are spiritual beings, we must act as spiritual beings by using the tools of the virtues. I’m teaching Sasha awareness of the virtues, of their power and beauty. I’m teaching her how to express the virtues in various situations and which virtue is applicable to which situation. I hope that the virtues are built into a strong foundation in her life, rather than simply embellishing her character.

Some ways to help my daughter put the virtues into action are to teach her
to be friendly when she sees people who dress or look differently; when she sees someone who is sad, to comfort that person; when she sees someone who is lonely, to befriend him or her; to teach her about all religions and that they all come from the same God, with the hope that she will consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of love and fellowship; to teach her about the cultures of the world so they won’t seem foreign to her, and so on. In this way I’m teaching my daughter to have a vision that is world-embracing rather than confined to herself, to love the world, not just her country. I am teaching her that her worth lies in service and virtue, and that through pure and goodly deeds she can contribute to building a new civilization that will bring about peace. I’m teaching her to think “at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race” (Abdu’l-Baha, 1982, p. 3).

Raising my daughter has been an inner spiritual journey for me as well. Because children learn through observation, I’ve learned that teaching through example is more effective than teaching through words. I have to model the virtues I’m teaching her.

World-Proof the Child

In writing this paper I’ve come to another realization about equipping our children for the real world. In the same way I prepared my daughter to explore the house safely, so must I prepare her to explore the world. Even if I wanted to, there is no way for me to put up a “security gate” and child-proof the world to protect her. There are innumerable things that I don’t want her exposed to, but my job is to give her the tools to recognize dangers and the spiritual foundation and discernment to recognize right from wrong.

Because of my daughter’s ceaseless energy and curiosity, I became just as energetic and curious about a “solution.” When I found the solution I realized it was I who needed fixing. Our children are wired to survive, and while they don’t have much knowledge of the world, they know exactly how to get it, if we only give them the opportunity. Children can’t learn about the world if we create an artificial, restraining environment around them.

I recently read a comment by a developmental molecular biologist, Dr. John Medina, who said that the brain is not interested in learning; it is interested in surviving. So what does it take to survive in this new global community? If I believe, as I do, that mankind is moving forward toward a unified society, then I know that educating children to be tolerant, to find the commonality in the human family, and to become champions of Justice is a means for survival in this new world.

I’ve learned that in a child-centered environment, where children participate in daily chores and general workings of life, adults are sending the message that children are useful and trusted. There is great responsibility and self-esteem that comes when one is trusted. A child who has not been given this opportunity is having nothing asked of him. What must a child think of a world that requires little of him?

In implementing an evolutionary perspective to my daughter’s education I have learned that I must expose her to the workings of the world, to give her a larger context in which to view her learning, to give her an opportunity to be actively involved in the adult world, and I have come to understand that she learns best through play, exploration, observation and imitation. In implementing the Montessori method I have learned about the art of observing and becoming detached enough to allow my daughter to choose the activities she is naturally drawn to, to trust that children choose the activities they need for further development, and of the importance of providing an environment filled with beauty and art. In implementing a Spiritual approach to education I have been able to distinguish between the less desirable goal of raising children for the purpose of fighting their way to the top of a competitive society, and the more desirable goal of raising children to know that they are noble human beings who can contribute to and bring forth an ever-advancing civilization.





References

Abdu’l-Baha (1982). Selection From the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha. Wilmette, IL: Baha’i Publishing Trust.

Bernhard, J. Gary (1988). Primates in the Classroom. Amherst, MA: The University of Massachusetts Press

Medina, John (2008). Brain Rules. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

Montessori, Maria (1995). The Absorbent Mind. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

The Universal House of Justice (1985). The Promise of World Peace. Retrieved on 3/10/09 from:
http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-2-1.html

Justice and the Independent Investigation of Reality

Of the many ideas propounded by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, among the most appealing and distinctive is the independent investigation of reality. With this principle, He called His listeners to think for themselves, explore new ideas, and break free from the out-moded standards prevailing around them. He presents it as essential to the realization of the hopes expressed in His writings and talks: the ennobling of humanity, the harmony of science and religion, universal peace, the unity of the world’s religions, the recognition of Baha’u’llah as the Manifestation of God for today. Evident throughout His Father’s writings, this principle is linked to the idea of justice. From the Hidden Words the reader finds: The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice... By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor;[1] and in “the Words of Wisdom” The essence of all that We have revealed for thee is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye.[2] This connection with justice illustrates the role independent investigation must play in the establishment of God’s justice.

Independent investigation finds its opposite in imitation, the basic problem of which is its overly social nature. Imitation is to look to the deeds and sayings of one’s peers, past and present, rather than to the insight one could have into the real conditions under consideration. With imitation, people are content to do what everyone else is doing. This can come through the reproduction of patterns inherited from past generations or, in another sense, through their very dissolution. The unending parade of trends and fashions, new technologies and consumer good is just as indictable, inasmuch as it can be characterized by the unthinking imitation of one’s peers. In this way, social bonds and antagonisms take great precedence. In turn, they are increasingly received as natural, inevitable, perhaps even sacred. ‘Abdu’l-Baha warns of the danger this poses in one of His many statements on World War I.

And the breeding-ground of all these tragedies is prejudice: prejudice of race and nation, of religion, of political opinion; and the root cause of prejudice is blind imitation of the past—imitation in religion, in racial attitudes, in national bias, in politics. So long as this aping of the past persisteth, just so long will the foundations of the social order be blown to the four winds, just so long will humanity be continually exposed to direst peril.[3]

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s teachings on this principle are founded on the notion that humans can have knowledge of a unique reality. Imitation holds people from this firm cord, allowing them to drift in the proliferation of differences. But for ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and indeed the entire Baha’i faith, humanity is not doomed to clashes of opinion, religion, ideology, or culture. Shared knowledge of a common reality can serve as a basis for the unity of the human race.

Among these teachings was the independent investigation of reality so that the world of humanity may be saved from the darkness of imitation and attain to the truth; may tear off and cast away this ragged and outgrown garment of a thousand years ago and may put on the robe woven in the utmost purity and holiness in the loom of reality. As reality is one and cannot admit of multiplicity, therefore different opinions must ultimately become fused into one.[4]

It is easy to mistake the expression “independent investigation of reality” as tolerance, even encouragement, of the proliferation of different perspectives. Certainly, it implies that one must not force one’s views on another. But it also requires that people strive for agreement on the basis that there is one reality that all are to investigate using their own intelligence. This is not to dismiss differences, as if they are entirely superficial or insubstantial, that with a bit of reflection they can easily be surmounted; or to confuse difference with conflict or violence. ‘Abdu’l-Baha is famous for celebrating the frank and loving exchange of views. And whether it be in His promotion of modernization in Iran (notably in The Secret of Divine Civilization) or the manner in which He introduced Western believers into the predominantly Middle Eastern Baha’i community, ‘Abdu’l-Baha never settled for cultural imperialism. The independent investigation of reality proceeds as a de-socialization of thought rather than the imposition of one social position over others. The idea is that earnest and thoughtful investigation can expose errors and misunderstandings left to fester when imitation holds sway. When a great number of people live and act by this principle, their views will become increasingly harmonious. Similarly, the “independent” nature of this investigation does not mean it is performed alone or without the assistance of others. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s frequent promotion of consultation demonstrates this beyond a doubt. In passage after passage, independent investigation is opposed to imitation, not cooperation. Any collaborative inquiry by which participants actively engage their own intelligence is clearly acceptable within this framework. Indeed, taken with ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s statements on consultation, it would be preferable.

People must show an effort so as to become more knowledgeable about what’s happening around them. They must develop those capacities, latent within the human form, that allow them to discover and meditate upon their situation. This is another way in which the establishment of God’s justice requires the deployment of specifically human powers. In one piece of correspondence ‘Abdu’l-Baha praises two of His followers for displaying the independent investigation of reality. For the imitator saith that such a man hath seen, such a man hath heard, and such a conscience hath discovered; in other words he dependeth upon the sight, the hearing and the conscience of others and hath no will of his own. Now, praise be to God, ye have shown will-power and have turned to the Sun of Truth.[5] Worth noting is that people do not imitate others at random. It is often tied into structures of power, within which certain individuals are deemed more worthy of imitation than others. It is assumed that these individuals are more qualified to take the lead. Therefore, for the sake of unity, the great majority should hold back their own insight in deferment to the views of these elite few; which is not to say that even this small group are necessarily united amongst themselves. This, of course, is referring to clericalism; and more specifically, to the history of Shia Islam and the direct endorsement of imitation encountered therein. With this as His context, ‘Abdu’l-Baha is discussing universal participation in a way that includes not only the labor of the masses, but their insight and discernment as well. The independent investigation of reality is a principle by means of which human thought can become a rallying point for the realization of God’s justice.
[1] HWA 2
[2] TB p.156
[3] SWAB 202.3-4
[4] Ibid 227.7
[5] Ibid 14.1-2

The Divine Plan and the Independent Investigation of Reality

There are a great many examples from the life of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in which He demonstrates independent investigation of reality. Of these, one will be examined, inasmuch as it illustrates the powerful role that action must play in this process. It comes from Tablets of the Divine Plan, where in His tablet of 21 February 1917 addressed to the Baha’is of Canada and Greenland He discusses His 1912 visit to Montreal. He recounts that before he departed for Canada many advised him not to travel to that city. He summarizes their objections, writing that “the majority of the inhabitants are Catholics, and are in the utmost fanaticism, that they are submerged in the sea of imitations, that they have not the capability to hearken to the call of the Kingdom of God, that the veil of bigotry has so covered the eyes that they have deprived themselves from beholding the signs of the Most Great Guidance, and that the dogmas have taken possession of the hearts entirely, leaving no trace of reality.”[1] In short, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s acquaintances did not believe the people of Montreal were capable of observing the cherished principle under consideration. They believed He should not bother with this city and should focus on other populations. He, no doubt, listened intently to these concerns. But, He writes, these stories did not have any effect on the resolution of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He, trusting in God, turned his face toward Montreal. When he entered that city he observed all the doors open, he found the hearts in the utmost receptivity and the ideal power of the Kingdom of God removing every obstacle and obstruction. It was possible that the concerns of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s acquaintances were well founded. In which case, the visit could have been a grinding disappointment. The unreceptivity of that population could be established based on an engagement with real conditions. But that does not seem to be how His acquaintances came to their conclusions. What is more likely, is that their concerns were animated largely by prejudice; a prejudice about the prejudice of others. The best way to investigate the reality of this situation is to put forth the effort and actually teach amongst the people of Montreal. It is then possible to test whether they are in the utmost fanaticism, lack the capability to hearken to the call of the Kingdom of God or if dogmas have taken possession of the hearts entirely. As it happened, they were not. ‘Abdu’l-Baha was greatly impressed with the receptivity of those He encountered. He writes that he found no antagonist and no adversary and that [t]he believers he met in that city were in the utmost spirituality, and attracted with the fragrances of God. Had he taken His acquaintances at their word, merely imitating the received views of His hosts, the reality of the situation could not have been disclosed. Prejudice would have, once more, been reinforced. By showing forth an effort to test these expectations, He made it an occasion for his followers to learn not just about unfamiliar peoples but also about the attitudes they held about them.

Abdu’l Baha mentions that, though His visit was very short, the seeds He scattered would produce great harvests. He concludes this section with His wish for this community. Therefore I hope that in the future Montreal may become so stirred, that the melody of the Kingdom may travel to all parts of the world from that Dominion and the breaths of the Holy Spirit may spread from that center to the East and the West of America. Among the members of this community was Mary Maxwell, daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s hosts May and Sutherland Maxwell, more widely known as Ruhiyyih Khanum Rabbani, Hand of the Cause of God and wife of Shoghi Effendi. Later in her life she traveled the world, promoting the Baha’i Faith and assisting local communities, no matter how isolated, in their own efforts to bring the faith to the masses of humanity. Gauging the profound and reverberating effect of these visits is a task far beyond the confines of this discussion. What can be said is that ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit was no doubt worthwhile.
[1] TDP 13.3 p. 93-4

Inchoate Reflections on the Baha'i Institute Process

I was engaged in the discussion forum "Planet Baha'i" and we were talking about the institute process. There seems to be strong feelings on both sides as to its value. Here were some of my thoughts mostly in response to others...in no particular order.

When I learned about the institute process, it was like a breath of fresh air to me. When me and others (mostly in my age group) started promoting this in our community, we found stiff resistance with the LSA and most elders of the community. I couldn't understand, this was direct guidance from the UHJ, and it made so much sense to me. Now the LSA is fully on board and are magnificent. Still though many in our community feel alienated by the process. We need to do a better job helping people find their unique path of service.

I had always thought of future Baha'i expansion and influence as something magical, nothing that I could relate to my own observations of the Baha'i community. But then there was this process which seemed to (and still does) provide the links between now and world transformation. Even now, I see the steps that will get us there, and they require a lot of work and focus, but they aren't supernatural, they are very practical. Moreover, they draw upon some of the most innovative approaches to education and experiential, phronetic, and context dependent community development, learning, and capacity building.

I too found Ruhi 1 to be rudimentary the first time I did it. But with a mix of people, especially those hearing the teachings for the first time, it is often very profound and excessively challenging. Even for deepened Baha’is, it is easy to have read that "Truthfulness the foundation of all human virtues", but to actually discuss the real life implications is useful for everybody, especially when there is the clash of opinion and conceptual framework. Then there are the service components, which also seems easy. But if we do them completely, fully accounting for the injunctions like the one I mentioned, or "Let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path", it gets to be a lot more challenging.

It is also important to remember that Ruhi came from cycles and cycles of systematic learning, action, and reflection. This is the same thing we are doing now in our cycles of growth. And who knows, the materials of the future might come from the very experiences we are having now. We just needed to get the process jump-started, which required a pre-designed institute process. The US has had a lot of catching up to do, but we will get there, and when we do we will lead the world spiritually. All it takes is some faith and determination.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that we are in a learning process and need to be patient with each other. The institute was created for a good reason, there needed to be some cohesion in our efforts that seemed lost in the 80's and 90's. On the other hand some people might be overzealous in their interpretation of the guidance, and demand that everybody fall into narrow categories of service.

I heard a great talk on my Pilgrimage by a House member. He was saying that the core activities right now will not be the core activities in the future. The point is to make them so much a part of our identity that they become second nature, kind of like Feast and the Holy Days. When they do become part of the fabric, then we will be ready to engage in more creative and complex acts of service in the community. But, we need to crawl and walk before we can run. Sometimes obedience is the best medicine, even if it doesn't make sense.

Just a personal reflection from somebody in their mid 20's. The effects of the institute process for me have been amazing. So many people have joined the faith in our community through both direct teaching and the Ruhi process. The people who are coming in are not just those who are extremely interested to begin with, but those who feel their life changing through a process of true investigation and relationship building. I think we have a lot of baggage as a community and a lot of cultural norms that will be upended as new people with different backgrounds and baggage come in.

It is the job of the Area Teaching Committee, Auxiliary Board Member, LSA, etc to worry about the large scale trend in the community. For the rest of us, we can carve out a niche that is meaningful to us. With a little creativity, we can also align it with the goals of the 5 year plan. In my community (Albuquerque, NM) there is also an ongoing dialogue as to the nature of the five year plan, some people look to apply it with 20 degree clarity and others are looking backwards, hearkening to the old days. I have found the most success cultivating small scale friendships and discussion groups.

For example, we have a study circle that started with 3 long time Baha’is, two brand new Baha’i’s, and 3 seekers. At the beginning the facilitator made it clear that the first and foremost intention was to create (many didn't know each other) and strengthen relationships. Everybody has a strikingly different temperament and conceptual vantage point. Sure we followed Ruhi protocol for the most part, but that was really just one of the means by which we explored spiritual AND profane subjects that were interesting to us, which was itself just a means by which we became very good friends and generated small scale cultural space

Ideally, the Institute process is supposed to be a process of reflection/action/reflection where cultural and practical knowledge is generated in a systematic manner. This did occur in Columbia, and Ruhi was the result, but I see where you are coming from, that was their process, not ours, we are being told to use it as a tool to jump start coherent development.

Just my opinion, but Ruhi, with all its strengths and flaws, is more important for the process than the content. Once the process becomes second nature to us, then we can better insert our own cultural dynamism and produce our own content must stronger than before.

I think you are saying that content is important too. No? Well okay, but it is the process of content (knowledge) generation that is the most exciting. It requires all the fruits of previous knowledge, and gets blended up into experiential learning, which is very bottom up (Ruhi, a bottom up fruit resulting in top down application is meant as a jump start of our own engine of phronesis).

Of course Ruhi is also valuable as a tool by which we systematically deepen large numbers of folks in the writings, and in each other. So yes content is important too.

I hear a lot from baby-boomers that things were so much more vibrant in the 70's and 80's. That is my parent’s generation, and growing up with two artists has given me a great appreciation for that time in American history. On the other hand, I and a lot of others in my age group also see a lot of missed opportunities. It seems to be that vibrancy overpowered practicality and sustainability. A lot of people entered the faith because it was cool, but not many stayed because there was no support infrastructure, there was no systematic way to deepen the new believers in a context of service. That is why young people my age (in their 20's) are kind of frustrated with our parent’s generation more generally. It feels as if they are always reminding us how much cooler things were, yet we can't see much to show for it now.
We want something that is dynamic, but also something that is coherent and sustainable, something that lasts.

Yeah, I think the LSA’s role is changing quickly. Right now it might seem as if it is sitting in the background, but soon I believe a more exalted form will emerge out of the fog. One thing they have that the appointed cluster bodies don't have nearly as much is authority, experience, and the trust of the community. This is extremely important, especially as vast numbers of people enter the faith with vast quantities of baggage. The institute is the engine of growth, but the LSA are the bolts that hold the car together

The Frustration Materialist Have With Imprecise Spiritual Language

It is refreshing to hear a discussion of sincere agnostics discuss the prospects of spirituality and God in light of a scientific orientation. If you have the time definitely watch it:

http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/20509?in=00:00&out=55:46





I think for Baha'i's who start with a spiritual orientation, it is easy to accept science as a welcome complement. We have certain assumptions that make them easily compatible.


I am one of those people. I have always had an intuitive feeling about spirituality; it has always seemed second nature. So then, the language I used is couched in the assumption of spiritual reality, even in a scientific discussion.


I realize more now that many people do not contain any such intuition naturally. Nothing is assumed, and for them discussing spirituality with a believer of any religion can be very frustrating, because the language is different. The word "spirituality" is frustrating because it contains a metaphysical assumption, even before the discussion starts. To them "spirituality" is just a fancy word for moral inspiration predicated upon a belief in eternal purpose and accountability, the predisposition of which can be explained by biological and cultural evolution. How much more frustrating for somebody like a Baha'i to claim harmony of science and religion so easily, while using sloppy and imprecise language to justify it.


Part of the Baha'i belief in "progressive revelation" is that we must always reinterpret and refine our beliefs based upon evolving evolutionary capacity and scientific development. It is a pursuit that I hope to keep exploring and writing about in more detail. That is, wiping away the baggage of popular interpretation of the Baha'i writings, and understanding them again in a more detached and analytical manner. Of course this aproach has its limits; subjectivity and experience is indespensible to making any logical value judgement. And really in the end it is a matter of faith either for or against belief. In any case, I believe that faith in its true form, is the opposite of delusion.

St. Paul the CEO of Brand Jesus and Other Adventures in Accidental Morality

Wright, an agnostic evolutionary biologist argues that the brotherly love of the Bible was a social revolution arising from utilitarian impulses.

This is a common argument among evolutionary biologists, but Wright puts an interesting spin on it while trying to sell his theory to the religiously inclined.

"And if history naturally produces moral insight—however mundane the machinery that mediates its articulation—then maybe some overarching purpose is built into the human endeavor after all."

It goes on to view St. Paul's preaching in this light.

"Why all the kin talk? Because Paul wasn’t satisfied to just have a congregation in Corinth; he wanted to set up franchises—congregations of Jesus followers—in cities across the Roman Empire. These imperial aspirations, it turns out, infused Paul’s preaching with an emphasis on brotherly love that it might never have acquired had Paul been content to run a single mom-and-pop store"

I think he overreaches in his argument that it wasn't so much Jesus that preached brotherly love, but Paul and other followers who taught it in order to be more successful with the Jesus franchise. It also belittles Paul's profound religious inspiration that the Jewish identity of distinctiveness was not as important as the new Christ spirit which made everbody equal and the community better because of their diversity. The essay eventually leads to his final argument that in today's world, pragmatism should convince people of all faiths to embrace a sense of universal brotherhood.

"For all three Abrahamic faiths, then, tolerance and even amity across ethnic and national bounds have a way of emerging as a product of utility; when you can do well by doing good, doing good can acquire a scriptural foundation. This flexibility is heartening for those who believe that, in a highly globalized and interdependent world, the vast majority of people in all three Abrahamic faiths have more to gain through peaceful coexistence and cooperation than through intolerance and violence. If ancient Abrahamics could pen laudable scriptures that were in their enlightened self-interest, then maybe modern Abrahamics can choose to emphasize those same scriptures when it’s in their interest. And if some people find it dispiriting that moral good should emerge from self-interest, maybe they should think again. At least, the Abrahamics among them should think again. The Hebrew Bible, considered a holy text by all three Abrahamic faiths, sees the pragmatic value of virtue as itself part of divine design."

While I agree with the ends, again, I think it is shallow to present this case as an appeal to more narrow self interests. Humans have the capacity to not just tolerate, but actively embrace those of a different background. I am not here to argue whether these religions were divinely inspired, a result of psychological and social need, or both. But it does seem to me, based upon his argument, that if the current great religions cannot get out of their shell and embrace universal unity in diversity, then either a new pragmatic moral ethos, or a new more progresssive revelation is needed. I believe that they both already exist in a highly coherant framework within the Baha'i Faith.

A Baha'i's Interpretation of "Original Sin"

The concept of original sin has been the lynchpin of Christian theology for centuries. Many Christians interpret the book of Genesis, when Adam ate of the apple from the tree of good and evil, as the downfall of man. It gives their faith in the historical Jesus as the only means by which people can be redeemed of the sin of Adam and be born again of Christ. While giving Christians assurances of their faith, it has turned other people off. Many find it inconsolable that a baby is born sinful and guilty and will be consigned to hell if it dies before being baptized, inconsolable that everybody before the time of Jesus was consigned to hell, inconsolable that everybody who is raised in an isolated area without hearing about Jesus is consigned to hell. For many, including myself, these are disturbing interpretations.

Baha’i’s take the opposite view of human nature. We believe that humans are inherently noble, “A mine rich in gems of inestimable value”. We can choose to polish these gems and express our true nature, or we can ignore our true selves and fall into great degradation. Yet Baha’i’s also claim to believe in the Bible; for us there is a deeper meaning to the biblical idea of original sin.

Paul the apostle speaks quite extensively on the topic of original sin, especially in the book of Romans. The story of Adam and Eve was well known from the Book of Genesis. Paul took it to mean that the sin of Adam was imputed to all men, regardless of their relative morality. The Jewish law was a form of death, an albatross that could not be extricated by human will alone.

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. ..For if by the transgression of the one, death reined through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will rein in the life through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:12-17

According to Paul’s story, we were recreated in the likeness of Christ through the mercy which required the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This was the meaning of Jesus when he claimed to fulfill the Law in its entirety.

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished." Matthew 5:17-18

Through his sacrifice we were saved, not through our own merits, but through the grace of God. We were freed from the law which kept us under the weight of sin, and death.

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." Romans 7: 4-6

On the surface, these teachings suggest a very linear progression from the fall of Adam, to the naïve attempt by Abraham and Moses to redeem humanity through the Law, to the final redemption via the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. There are some obvious logical problems with this interpretation, not the least contained within the Bible itself. Consider the following story told by Jesus.

“Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house-for I have five brothers-that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:22-31

It is clear from this passage that before the time of Jesus, there was already a distinction between Hades (Hell), the place where the rich man was consigned, and a heavenly place where Lazarus was consigned.

So how do we make sense of the contradictory ideas that salvation is reliant on a specific event in history, and this account of salvation well before the time of Jesus? Most Christians placed a heavy emphasis on the historical Jesus, even though Jesus stated that The Christ has been around for eternity.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad”. The Jews therefore said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am”. John 8:56-58

This passage clearly establishes Christ as an eternal spiritual presence. One that was around long before Jesus’s body was ever born into the world. His life, which was evident in the original Word, was also the light of men from the very beginning.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1: 1-5

If we are to understand the description of God as spirit and love…

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

"The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:1

...then it makes sense to view the Christ in much the same manner.

So then there must be a way to understand the historical nature and redeeming act of Jesus in the context of the eternal nature of Christ and spirit? Consider the explanation given by Baha’u’llah on the nature of the prophets and manifestations of God.

"…It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold Them all abiding in the same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. Such is the unity of those Essences of Being, those Luminaries of infinite and immeasurable splendor! Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of Holiness proclaim saying: “I am the return of all the Prophets,” He, verily, speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every subsequent Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact, the truth of which is firmly established….
The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.”
It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Well Springs of Divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of Divine wisdom, all their utterances are, in reality, but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they, therefore, feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same..." Gleanings XXII
Baha’i’s believe in the idea of progressive revelation which asserts that there is only one religion which has been refreshed and expanded upon throughout history. While the core spiritual message has always been the same, its conceptual framework and the social laws have differed according to the needs of people at their stage of evolution. Jesus himself spoke of progressive revelation using the parable of the wineskins.

"No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the will not match the old.
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.
But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins." - Luke 5:36-3
For progressive revelation to be credible from a biblical point of view, then there must be a deeper meaning to the concept of original sin than has commonly been interpreted. Investigating this deeper meaning, we must first consider the meaning of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection from the dead as laid out at the end of each Gospel. Paul gives us a useful place to start.

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him." Romans 6: 4-9
What does it mean to die with Christ in order to live with him? Paul is constructive in this train of thought. He clearly distinguishes between the heavenly body and the earthly body.

"But someone will say, how are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come? You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own...There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another." 1 Corinthians 15:35-40
The earthly body must be “united with Him in the likeness of His death”, so that the spiritual body can be raised “in the likeness of His resurrection”.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body, if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Clearly the physical body of Jesus was not raised as the Gospels seem to suggest and as many Christians believe, but instead his spiritual body manifested in the early Christian community.

"So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one of another." Romans 12:5

So who was Adam in this story? According to Paul, Adam represents the human’s physical nature, the part that must be sown. Christ represents the spiritual nature, the part the must be resurrected.

"The first Man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam(Christ) became a life-giving spirit. However the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven, heavenly. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. And just as we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." 1Corinthians 15:35-50

It is easy to ask at this point, if original sin has a spiritual meaning instead of a literal one, why wasn’t the Bible more clear about that? Jesus was clear that his message at the time could only be delivered according to the capacity of the people to comprehend it. That is why he spoke in parables, in a figurative language.

"Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." (Psa 78:2) Mat 13:34-35

He also promised to speak much more clearly the next time around.

"These things I have spoken to you in a figurative language; an hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the father." John 16:25

Paul also alluded to this, claiming that spiritual things cannot be understood using a natural (or literal) mindset.

"For to us God revealed them through the spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of a man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of god; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." 1 Corinthians 2:10-14

Today we are capable of thinking much more complex and abstract thoughts than the people thousands of years ago. Science has progressed to a point that the old ways of viewing the universe no longer apply. If Jesus had to speak in parables for people to understand, imagine how much more figurative the language must have been in Old Testament times for people to understand. This is why there are so many impossible stories in the Old Testament. It was useful for people at that time to take the creation story, or the story of Noah’s Ark literally, because the spiritual teaching could not be understood any other way. In this day, we are ready to be told “plainly of the father”.

Abdu’l Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah and the appointed interpreter of his writings, gives a very useful explanation of the meaning of Adam and Eve.
It is worth reading in its entirety