Comments for Sen McGlinn's blog

Comment on Why don’t Bahais teach in Israel? by Rudy D. Gumban

Rudy D. Gumban — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:58:36 +0000

Mr. Faruq Izadinia and Friends,
Folks, thank you for providing us with Persian Tablets of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha which has greatly enriched the discussion in this thread. I am intending to continue my post on this topic but I can see in the long-run the expanse of the discussion which might involve other ancillary topics but may help us understand it from better perspective and currently I am doing a research on this subject-matter for which I am requesting the friends if they can provide me with all the Persian Tablets of Hazrat Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha together with English translations, and also of the messages of Shoghi Effendi and Universal House of Justice relevant to the Prohibition Policy and you may send it to my email address at rgumban@yahoo.com or you may post it here at your choice and convenience. After I am done with it I will probably send it back to you for review or I may post it here again for further discussion.

Thank you.
Rudy D. Gumban

Comment on 1917 and all that by dale ramsdell

dale ramsdell — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:34:40 +0000

Reporters are notorious for not getting everything right. Therefore, they cannot be relied upon as sources for Sacred Text.
So much focus on details such as this, while interesting and have their place, sometimes distract our vision from the Sun of Truth shining for all to see. By this I mean that only the efforts of the seeker, or the seeking itself and the exercise of that capacity will ever allow someone to behold His Beauty. Even as Christ said, before His crucifixion: “Beholdest thou not the Son of Man seated on the right hand of power and might?” Few beheld their Lord when He was right in front of them. The same was true for Muhammad, the Bab, and Baha’u'llah

Comment on Ridvan message, 2013 by hassan idress

hassan idress — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:46:54 +0000

Alla’u'abha thanks my dear wish y. nice time my greeting

Comment on Ridvan message, 2013 by Lillian Jensen

Lillian Jensen — Sat, 04 May 2013 07:53:30 +0000

Thank you Sen!

Comment on Ridvan message, 2013 by Sen

Sen — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:57:07 +0000

Here it is Tom: http://senmcglinn.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/u-ridvan-2013-en.pdf On my computer, this works in Explorer and not in Firefox ...

Comment on Ridvan message, 2013 by Tom

Tom — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:38:00 +0000

Thanks Sen. Can i get a copy of the Pdf so that i can print?

Comment on “Without reference to particular individuals” by Sen

Sen — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 22:13:33 +0000

That’s a good analogy. Making and distributing car-keys is something quite different to driving.

Comment on “Without reference to particular individuals” by Xyz

Xyz — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 20:18:01 +0000

Are you saying the UHJ can define its own sphere of legislative action? It can’t. The way to see it is that Shoghi Effendi breaks down the legislative function of the UHJ into two parts. First is deciding whether a matter can or cannot be legislated by the UHJ. The second is the actual legislation on a matter that the UHJ can legislate on. The first belongs to the Guardian and the second to the UHJ. To give an analogy. The statement “I can drive a car” does not mean I have the key to a car. It means that once someone gives me the key to a car I can then drive a car. If no one gives me a key to a car I will not be driving a car.

Comment on “Without reference to particular individuals” by Sen

Sen — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:27:46 +0000

That’s not how Shoghi Effendi describes it, Xyz. It is precisely in its legislative function that the UHJ acts in a separate sphere.

… these twin institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u'lláh should be regarded as divine in origin, essential in their functions and complementary in their aim and purpose. … Severally, each operates within a clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction; each is equipped with its own attendant institutions — instruments designed for the effective discharge of its particular responsibilities and duties. Each exercises, within the limitations imposed upon it, its powers, its authority, its rights and prerogatives.

[which are, 1:] Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u'lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle … Without such an institution the integrity of the Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of generations would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would be totally withdrawn. …
“He is the Interpreter of the Word of God,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, referring to the functions of the Guardian of the Faith, asserts, …

[and, 2:]
Severed from the no less essential institution of the Universal House of Justice this same System of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be paralyzed in its action and would be powerless to fill in those gaps which the Author of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas has deliberately left in the body of His legislative and administrative ordinances. … “It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice,” … “to take counsel together regarding those things which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u'llah, p. 148)

I don’t see anything about the UHJ falling in the sphere of Guardianship here. They are “twin institutions.” Two organs in one body.

Comment on “Without reference to particular individuals” by Xyz

Xyz — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:40:53 +0000

You are correct that only the Guardian can define the sphere of the legislatve action of the UHJ. So the UHJ does fall within the sphere of the Guardianship as far as its legislative function goes. Only the Guardian can direct the UHJ about matters it can or cannot legislate upon. The separate sphere of the UHJ comes into effect while legislating. The Guardian cannot legislate on his own and he cannot override the decision of the majority.