Bahá’í Thought

What Would 'Abdu'l-Baha Eat?

2009-11-24T07:47:00.005-03:00

Right in time for Thanksgiving, that annual ritual of mass consumption, is a fascinating piece in the Daily Mail about Christian inspired dieting:

New diet fads constantly offer hope to the unhappily overweight, before fading away, leaving only disappointed expectations and stubborn flab.

The more extreme the eating plan, the more keenly it's adopted - until its followers realise that measuring portions with a thimble isn't sustainable in the long term.

But there's a new diet trend which claims dizzyingly high success rates, promises painless life-long commitment and allows dieters to eat anything they want.

Faith-based diets take the principles of Christianity and apply them to our overwhelming craving for chocolate, chips and cheese.

Advocates say dieters learn to fill the spiritual hole inside themselves with something more powerful than saturated fats.

The basic principle common to the U.S. programmes Christian Weigh Down and Thin Within ('Helps you grow in faith while shrinking your waistline'), and the British equivalent Fit For Life Forever, is that dieters need to identify the deeper reasons why they over-eat, before they can hope to lose weight and keep it off permanently.

The trend began in America in the Eighties, but it's finally taking hold here, with Christian weight-loss groups springing up, and dramatically increased sales of 'spiritual dieting' books such as What Would Jesus Eat?, Hallelujah Diet and The God Diet. (Read the whole thing here)

While this article strikes me as slightly tongue in cheek, it reminds me of the Baha'i view that religion can be a powerful motivator of change in attitudes, emotions, and behavior:

"Religion, as we are all aware, reaches to the roots of motivation. When it has been faithful to the spirit and example of the transcendent Figures who gave the world its great belief systems, it has awakened in whole populations capacities to love, to forgive, to create, to dare greatly, to overcome prejudice, to sacrifice for the common good and to discipline the impulses of animal instinct." (The Universal House of Justice, 2002 April, To the World's Religious Leaders, p. 2)

Research by psychologists such as Robert Emmons, Kenneth Pargament and others support this statement from the Universal House of Justice. Viewing one's body as sacred, for example, has been found to be related to a variety of healthy behaviors among college students. Such research suggests that it makes sense to harness the power of faith to encourage healthier eating habits.

It makes me wonder what a program promoting healthy eating would look like if it was based on Baha'i teaching and practice. What might be the scriptural foundation of such a program? How might the example of 'Abdu'l-Baha be used? What would be the role of prayer, study of the Baha'i Writings or service? And most importantly, what catchy name would be given to this program?

Readers, what do you think?

Baha'i Dad Chronicles: Feeding Himself

2009-11-21T11:24:00.008-03:00

I took a break from my early morning routine of doctoral studies to greet my wife and son. As I entered the dining room, I heard Douglass Ali say "mmmmmmmm" with great pleasure. My wife announced that he was feeding himself. As I rounded the corner of the high chair I was greeted by a yogurt covered son! Feeding himself included putting the spoon in his mouth backwards getting most of it up his nose and all over his face. I also noticed that he had made some yogurt artwork all over his tray. Douglass continued, stabbing the spoon vigorously into his cup of yogurt and putting it in his mouth in whatever way he wished. Another milestone achieved, however messily.

Black Madonnas, Black Messiahs

2009-11-21T08:18:00.003-03:00

I was just speaking with my mother about the new disaster film 2012. While we disagreed about the merits of the film (mom loved it, I hated it), we agreed that as African Americans, the portrayal of our race was quite gratifying. 2012 featured not only an African American President (talk about art imitating life!) but two key characters who were African American Ph.D's. A central protagonist of the film is a black geologist who discovers the impending end of the world. Not only does he provide leadership in the effort to save the human race from extinction, but at a critical moment, provides moral clarity that saves thousands more lives and the souls of the surviving world leaders. This character made a black man want to stand up and shout Amen.

This movie reminded me of other recent films that featured people of African descent as saviors of humanity. One of the most magnificent and thought provoking was the film Children of Men. In Children of Men, the threat to human survival was not geological, but reproductive. People had stopped being able to have babies. But then hope arrives in the body of a young black woman who is miraculously pregnant. A scene late in the film after the arrival of her child shows this woman being escorted by her white protector through a raging battle field that suddenly becomes completely silent at the sight of her. This film turned the much vilified image of the unwed, young black mother completely on its head.

Though his films are generally less profound than Children of Men, Will Smith's characters save the world pretty much every summer. Most recently he was a military scientist saving the world from a viral apocalypse in I Am Legend. Earlier in his career he was saving the world from an alien invasion in Independence Day.

What I find fascinating about these movies is that they go far beyond simply portraying blacks in a positive light. Lots of movies these days show blacks as middle class professionals doing good things. Movies like Children of Men however, portray blacks as potential contributors to the very salvation of human civilization. Such a portrayal is the antithesis of the dehumanizing images of blacks in film that have haunted us since Birth of a Nation.

This emerging image of blacks as saviors of civilization is very much in line with the way blacks are viewed in Baha'i teaching. Baha'u'llah referred to blacks as "the pupil of the eye...dark in color but a fountain of light and the revealer of the contingent world." The Baha'i Faith teaches that blacks have "great gifts of mind and heart" that they will offer to the creation of a new, global civilization, in Biblical terms, the Kingdom of God on earth. Could it be that films like 2012 are preparing popular consciousness for acceptance of black men and women as sources of spiritual and moral leadership?

Spiritual Self-Mastery and Mental Health

2009-11-16T08:44:00.005-03:00

I wanted Baha'i Thought readers to know about an awesome workshop that will be taking place at Bosch Baha'i School in December entitled, "Spiritual Mastery and Mental Health". The info is below. I particulary hope readers on the West Coast take advantage of this opportunity and then comment on your experience on this blog so the rest of us can learn from you! Also, learn more about the Baha'i Association for Mental Health here.

Dear Friends,We hope to see you at the BAMH workshop at Bosch to be held on Dec 18-20, 2009 entitled "Spiritual Self-Mastery and Mental Health". Drawing upon the explanations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, this workshop will focus on the nature of the soul, its relationship to the rational mind, its interaction with the reactive physical self, and the stages of spiritual development. It will feature experiential and interactive exercises exploring the processes of prayer and meditation and deep listening, and it will explore their practical applications in increasing unity and opening options for acts of service, all essential to intensive programs of growth. It will be facilitated by Dulamdary Enkhtor, M.A., Ph. D. candidate in Clinical and Community Psychology, and Mary K. Radpour, LCSW, psychotherapist in private practice. The workshop is not limited to mental health professionals, and is open and suitable to wider audience. Please, see below the link to the detailed information on Bosch website.http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?1Q,P1,CC4548BE-32C2-4F3E-A307-6357849B66FF

Baha'i Dad Chronicles: 13 Months

2009-11-13T21:42:00.012-03:00

I think I'm turning into one of those dads who just want to talk about their kids all the time. Oh well, I guess there are worse states of being, right?

Douglass Ali had another busy month of milestones and adventures. One of the things he got to do was meet some old friends of his mommy's from her college days.

He also figured out that in addition to taking all the pots and pans out of the cupboard, he can also crawl inside there and hang around a bit.

His walking has given way to running which apparently works better if you also giggle while you do it. Maybe giggling would get me running around a bit myself. He continues with his fascination with placing objects inside other objects. Apparently his mother's cell phone ended up in the trash because of this fascination. More recently, he has discovered climbing. He will spend quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to climb onto or into something. I'm certain I'm going to discover him on top of the refrigerator one of these days. The biggest adventure of the month was celebrating his cousin's birthday. That's where he discovered one of those things that's full of multicolored balls that kids jump around in. He. Loved. It.

Finally, he's getting into the swing of the "play date" thing. He had several visits with other Baha'i kids in the area. Good times indeed. Let's see what the next month will bring!

Good Without God

2009-11-01T05:30:00.006-03:00

The atheism ads have now arrived in my own city of Boston. Check it out:

Beside ads beckoning believers to explore Islam, attend services at the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church, or learn about the healing powers of Christian Science, the walls of the city’s subway cars will make room this month for another creed: nonbelief.

A group called the Boston Area Coalition of Reason has spent $11,000 to buy ads on more than 200 subway cars on the Red Line and Green Line to raise awareness about people who believe that God is a myth. Surveys suggest that they account for an increasing number of Americans.

The ads, which were unveiled yesterday and will be up for the next month, are set in a background of blue sky with puffy clouds. The bold-lettered message reads: “Good without God? Millions of Americans Are.’’

“The point of this ‘Good without God’ campaign is to reach out to the millions of humanists, atheists, and agnostics living in the United States,’’ said Fred Edwords, head of the United Coalition of Reason, which is sponsoring the campaign in Boston, as well as similar efforts in New York, New Jersey, and Chicago. “Nontheists sometimes don’t realize there’s a community out there for them, because they’re inundated with religious messages at every turn. So we hope this will serve as a beacon and let them know they aren’t alone.’’

The national coalition, funded by an anonymous donor, has already sponsored ads this year on billboards and transit systems in cities including Dallas; Charleston, S.C.; Des Moines; Phoenix; and New Orleans, with the message: “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.’’

You can read the whole story here.

Anyone familiar with this blog knows that I yawn in the face of the so called 'New Atheism'. This article bugged me though. Not because there is anything wrong with people of any belief system promoting their views or trying to alert those with similar beliefs that they are not alone. What bugged me was the following portion:

They also point to polls suggesting that the numbers of nonbelievers are increasing.

A 2007 Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, for example, found that 20 percent of Americans surveyed between the ages of 18 and 25 say they have no religious affiliation or consider themselves atheists or agnostics, nearly double the percentage of those who said that in a similar survey 20 years ago.

Another Pew survey that year found 12 percent of Americans surveyed who were 20 and older described themselves as not religious, up from 8 percent in 1987.

The author of this article lumps being 'unaffiliated' or describing oneself as not religious together with being atheist or agnostic. This gives the impression that there is some kind of rising tide of 'nonbelievers' in America. However, being unaffiliated or identifying as non-religious in a survey tells us nothing about a person's belief or lack of belief in God. Rejection of organized religion, a well documented phenomenon in contemporary social science, is not the same thing as rejecting God. Research suggests that the "Nones" as they now being called, are a a complex and diverse group only a small portion of which could be considered atheists. Some have characterized these Americans as those who "believe but don't belong", which may be a more accurate description than "nonbelievers".

Good without God? I'd settle for good journalism.

Baha'i Dad Chronicles: Busy Boy

2009-10-24T08:09:00.002-03:00

One of the fun things about being a new parent is observing which of your character traits are emerging in your kid. It seems that my son is taking after me in the sense of being a very busy boy. As I watch him, it appears that like his father, he has a long list of tasks to perform each day. The following are a few of the items I imagine are on his to-do list:

1. Make sure parents get up on time.
2. Make sure parents remember how to change diapers.
3. Distribute toys throughout the house so they are more easily accessible.
4. Drink large amounts of mommy-produced, liquid sustenance.
5. Redecorate living room by pushing small furniture around.
6. Talk on the grown-up phone.
7. Talk on the toy phone.
8. Try to use mommy's laptop.
9. Pour my snacks onto the floor. They taste better that way.
10. Eat whatever parents are eating.
11. Change the channels on the TV.
12. Pull all pots and pans out of the cabinet.
13. Put all of my clothes onto the floor.
14. Place little objects inside bigger objects.
15. Pull out every plug I see.
16. Let parents know what I do not like as loudly as I can.
17. Turn objects upside down.
18. Get my dance on.
19. Climb the stairs as much as possible.
20. Resist sleep as long as I can.

Hot Bloggin': October 2009

2009-10-14T07:06:00.002-03:00

In the spirit of my previous post, Unloose Your Keyboards Heroes of God I'd like to try and make Hot Bloggin' a monthly feature on Baha'i Thought. The mission of Hot Bloggin' is to recognize the awesomeness of long time Baha'i bloggers and also encourage new blogs on the block. Here goes:

Baha'i Coherence discusses the nobility of the soul

Baha'i Faith in Egypt adds an artistic touch

Baha'i Perspectives is having a laugh

Barnabas takes on Iran's nuclear ambitions and human rights

Iran Press Watch has the latest on the denial of higher education to Iranian Baha'is

Jeune Street is Facebookin' Faith

Where the World is Going ponders identity

Baha'i Views has a little Baha'i inspired hip-hop

Befriended Stranger continues the prayer station

Football and Faith links civilization building to football

Love from Leila is filled with angst

Luminous Realities wrestles with resistance

Moving Pictures discusses Capitalism: A Love Story

Sliding Thoughts has some stunning photos

I'd love to hear from readers with suggestions for the November edition of Hot Bloggin'. You can include your own blog of course.

Baha'i Dad Chronicles: Our Son Is One

2009-10-11T06:01:00.015-03:00

Time flies when you're having a son. It is hard to believe that a year and four days ago I laid eyes on this little guy for the first time. Those of you who have been following Baha'i Dad Chronicles know that it has been a very full year. Infancy has given way to toddler-hood and baby Douglass looks like a little boy now. Though he's not quite old enough to say so, I think he knows that he's at a different stage in his journey. His wobbly-walk is now a more confident stride. He knows what he wants and goes and gets it. He is trying patiently to train us to comply with his wishes (sometimes not so patiently actually). The toys from his baby days have been cast aside for the bigger and better.

His first birthday party went off with little fuss and lots of fun. Small, intimate, full of love and laughter. The guest of honor was a boy from his day care who brought his mommy and grandparents along. They both lit up when they saw each other and energetic play ensued. I think it was nice for Douglass to have someone his own size arrive after dealing with big people all day.

It was fun to watch Douglass opening his gifts and the obvious excitement he felt about his new toys. A big hit was a toy cell phone that he marched around with for most of the party.

Near the end, he let us all know that the party was over by promptly falling asleep. Now that's how a party should end!

O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate.

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Too Much Information

2009-10-06T19:39:00.004-03:00

I know that we are living in the information age, but I think there are times when it's TMI (too much information). I may be a minority here but I'm really not interested in knowing about the private lives of public figures. For example, I have not been nor will I ever be interested in whether David Letterman had sex with women he works with. Call me old fashioned but I think that is between him and his wife and is none of my business.

It seems to me that in the current tell-all, blog-all, tweet-all culture we have, the question of whether we should know so much about the private lives of public figures doesn't get asked. I understand that there can be value in getting some of this information. For example, learning about the various scandals of politicians may empower me to cast an informed vote. Hearing about the latest antics of some star or starlet may provide a cautionary tale that prompts me to look at my own behavior or perhaps avoid a bad decision.

However, I think that there may be a dark side to even well-intentioned spreading of information about the private lives of public figures. First, I believe some of the desire to know such things about them is because we view their humiliation as entertainment. Not exactly good for the soul.

"Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed." (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

In addition, much of this information overload encourages a kind of media-driven, nationwide session of gossip and backbiting which are likewise spiritually unhealthy.

"Remember, above all, the teaching of Bahá'u'lláh concerning gossip and unseemly talk about others. Stories repeated about others are seldom good. A silent tongue is the safest. Even good may be harmful, if spoken at the wrong time, or to the wrong person." (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 124)

On the flip side, public figures sharing incredibly personal things has become a kind of ritual. These days rather than a confidential visit to a priest you put your stuff out on Facebook ,or Youtube, or go on national television and say things that probably should have been kept to yourself.

"...such confession before people results in one's humiliation and abasement, and God -- exalted be His glory -- wisheth not the humiliation of His servants." (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 24)

I think our society is losing any sense of what we really need to know about others and what others really need to know about us. If so, what might that mean for our souls? What would it be like if the private lives of public figures stayed a little more private?

Unloose Your Keyboards Heroes of God

2009-10-03T07:22:00.005-03:00

If you are a Baha'i who has considered starting a blog of your own, this post is for you. If you're a Baha'i who has considered commenting on this blog but didn't, I've got something to say to you as well.

First things first. I want to say thank you. Baha'i Thought crossed the four year mark this past month and its success is due to those who read it. While Baha'i Thought has not quite made it from the margins to the mainstream of on-line discourse about religion, society and culture, the possibility of doing so inspires me to keep giving this my all. This blog is based on a simple premise; Baha'is have something to say about what's happening in the world that can change it for the better.

The need to speak up about what Baha'is believe is a point made over and over in our Writings.

"Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the entire creation, the name of God, and celebrate His praise, in such wise that all created things may be regenerated and made new. Speak, and hold not thy peace." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 27)

"This is the day in which to speak. It is incumbent upon the people of Baha to strive, with the utmost patience and forbearance, to guide the peoples of the world to the Most Great Horizon. Every body calleth aloud for a soul. Heavenly souls must needs quicken, with the breath of the Word of God, the dead bodies with a fresh spirit. Within every word a new spirit is hidden." (Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 82)

"Lift up your voices and sing out the song of the Kingdom. Spread far and wide the precepts and counsels of the loving Lord, so that this world will change into another world, and this darksome earth will be flooded with light, and the dead body of mankind will arise and live; so that every soul will ask for immortality, through the holy breaths of God." (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 1)

I know it may be hard to believe that an activity with as silly-sounding a name as "blogging" could serve as a vehicle for the spiritual transformation of the planet, but it can. Blogging can be an on-line embodiment of this powerful statement by 'Abdu'l-Baha:

"It is therefore urgent that beneficial articles and books be written, clearly and definitely establishing what the present-day requirements of the people are, and what will conduce to the happiness and advancement of society. These should be published and spread throughout the nation, so that at least the leaders among the people should become, to some degree, awakened, and arise to exert themselves along those lines which will lead to their abiding honor. The publication of high thoughts is the dynamic power in the arteries of life; it is the very soul of the world." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 109)

I am personally inviting every Baha'i reading this post who has not yet done so to move from reader to writer, to share your thoughts with a waiting world. Start blogging today. Unloose your keyboards heroes of God! If you're not sure how to get started you can learn here.
You can also learn from the example of others such as Agency and Change, Baha'i Coherence, Baha'i Perspectives, and Jeune Street. The important thing is to get going.

"There is no time to lose. There is no room left for vacillation. Multitudes hunger for the Bread of Life. The stage is set. The firm and irrevocable Promise is given. God's own Plan has been set in motion. It is gathering momentum with every passing day. The powers of heaven and earth mysteriously assist in its execution. Such an opportunity is irreplaceable. Let the doubter arise and himself verify the truth of such assertions. To try, to persevere, is to insure ultimate and complete victory." (Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America, p. 17)

Now I understand that not all of you will have the time, energy or inclination to start a blog of your own. People regularly ask me, "Phillipe! How do you find time to do this?" The answer is I don't find time to do it, I just do it. However, there is a less time consuming way to share your Baha'i thoughts with the world; leaving comments on this and other Baha'i blogs. Comments are just as important a contribution as blogging itself because they turn a monologue into a dialogue. It's the dialogue that makes a blog truly successful in my opinion. Over the years there have been some brilliant comments left on this blog, some of which put the original post to shame. There have also been some lively exchanges among those leaving comments. For all those who have thought about leaving a comment but didn't, all the quotes I've included above apply equally to you. Unloose your keyboard! Share your view, share your voice.

I understand if you may be nervous about leaving comments. I can't promise you that your ideas won't invite criticism. You may even get bruised a bit (I know I have!). What I can say is that thoughtful, well-articulated comments can have as much impact as the original blog post. For example, I have sometimes personally invited people to comment because their knowledge or expertise in an area exceeded my own or because I knew they would have something interesting to say. I also want to be clear that agreement with me is not a condition of leaving comments on Baha'i Thought. As 'Abdu'l-Baha has told us, "The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions".(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 87)

In summary, if you aren't blogging yet, get going. If you aren't leaving comments, start doing so. You may be surprised by the impact you make. I know I was.

The Mind and the Color-Line

2009-10-01T06:25:00.004-03:00

Photo of John McWhorter

Linguistics Professor and cultural critic John McWhorter has a piece on African American studies that is worth reading. The essence of it is the need for intellectual diversity in the way courses in these departments are taught. While I frequently disagree with him, I have long admired his thinking and enjoyed reading what he had to say. There was a particular portion of the essay that reminded something I've wanted to write about for some time:

"However, equally central to honest engagement with "black thought" are modern figures often considered controversial by the campus set, such as Shelby Steele, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Debra Dickerson, and Stanley Crouch. (I will refrain from putting myself on this list, but will mention that my work is not uncommonly assigned to college students and seems not to leave them deaf to America's sociological imperfections.) Also useful, given that African-American Studies syllabi typically include some white writers, would be Stephen and Abigail Thernstrom, Lawrence Mead, Dan Subotnik and Peter Wood.

There is an argument hardly unfamiliar in the halls of ivy that black writers of this ilk are irrelevant to serious discussion because they are traitors to the race. Those charges must be permitted as free speech - but have no place in any brand of academic inquiry. All of the writers I have listed are careful thinkers deeply concerned with the fate of black America."

It reminded me of a conversation I had during the Gates-Crowley incident a couple of months ago. I mentioned that a well known Asian American commentator was critical of the President's remarks about the incident and supportive of Crowley. One listener responded that the person in question was an embarrassment to Asians. Another wondered aloud how much they "must hate themselves". I found these remarks troubling as I always do when people start talking this way. Why not simply disagree with her ideas? Why make it about her being Asian? Having been on the receiving end of similar comments most of my life, I thought it wise to hold my tongue.

The common thread between what I heard in that conversation and the reference to traitors to the race made in McWhorter's essay is a largely unchallenged assumption that your race or ethnicity obligates you to think in a particular way (liberal or progressive). People with this viewpoint seem to believe that thought is, or at least should be, determined by the color of your skin.

As a Baha'i, I believe that just as the soul has no race, neither does the mind. This is important because the way we talk about race, like so many other issues, reflects our assumptions about who we think we are. In "Who Are We Anyway?" I wrote:

"Stated simply, so called racial identities represent not who we are but rather something that is done to us and which to varying degrees we do to ourselves. I would go beyond race though and say that we are likewise 'gendered', 'sexually oriented', 'ethnicitied', 'nationalitied' and on and on. All of these dimensions of our human experience are at best descriptive but are not definitive. The soul has no race, no sexual orientation, no ethnicity, no nationality, no class. We are more than the sum of these social constructs. I believe the degree to which these so called 'identities' have assumed a primacy in the way we think about ourselves and others is a measure of the power materialistic assumptions about reality have come to exert in our lives. My point is not that these aspects of the soul's journey in this world have no meaning, they may even be said to facilitate our spiritual development in important ways. Rather, it is a more subtle issue of maintaining a balanced understanding in which the soul remains at the center of our self-concept..."

The idea that our thoughts should be determined by our skin color reflects a view of self and others where the soul has been de-centered and materialistic conceptions of "identity" reign supreme. As such, it is an ultimately dehumanizing and thus oppressive idea.

In addition, this way of thinking about race tends to fuel the discourse of disunity through encouraging people to demonize difference of opinion. As I've mentioned, difference of opinion is essential to the advancement of civilization because it is a necessary element of truth seeking. How could it possibly be beneficial to racial or ethnic minorities to engage in "race traitor", "self-hater" rhetoric that discourages diversity of thought about who they are, the meaning of their past, and the possibilities for their future? Speaking to and about each other in these ways keeps the mind imprisoned by the color-line.

O OFFSPRING OF DUST! Be not content with the ease of a passing day, and deprive not thyself of everlasting rest. Barter not the garden of eternal delight for the dust-heap of a mortal world. Up from thy prison ascend unto the glorious meads above, and from thy mortal cage wing thy flight unto the paradise of the Placeless. (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

Hip Hop Intellectual Resistance

2009-09-28T21:00:00.003-03:00

I have a confession. I don't know anything about hip-hop. In fact I am a hip-hop ignoramus. I do know one thing though. If you hear about a book written by A. Shahid Stover you need to read it. Whenever I've had the pleasure of talking with this radical thinkin', oppression-smashin' brother it has been an IQ-enhancing experience.

Guess what? Stover has a book out called "Hip-Hop Intellectual Resistance" and I want Baha'i Thought readers who might be down with this topic to know about it. Here is the 411 on this soon to be (if not already) best seller and its author:

As an engaging philosophical work of social critique and cultural commentary, A. Shahid Stover ignites a series of explosive, critical interrogations which explore and reveal a tense unity of Hip Hop aesthetics and radical social theory. Written with the compelling audacity of a young iconoclast, Stover challenges the reader with an elevated critical discourse which remains diligently grounded and ever relevant to “the streets of a world in structural transition, spiritual alienation, socio-political upheaval and intellectual revolt.”

Hip Hop Intellectual Resistance is not a book of academic contemplation, but of genuine ‘existential liberationist’ commitment as lived and experienced by a new voice of independent radical thought.

A. Shahid Stover is a writer/radical intellectual/underground eMCee who currently lives in New York City. Stover is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of THE BROTHERWISE DISPATCH (www.brotherwise.com), an online journal focused on radical theory, social critiques and human liberation.

Although A. Shahid Stover’s independent investigation of truth has never been confined to the academic world, he did study History and Education at Coastal Carolina University and Journalism at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Stover credits his true education to constant reading and writing, browsing bookstores, grassroots teaching, heated lyrical battles, world travel, keeping an ear to the streets, intense study groups, freestyle rhyme ciphers, authentic conversations, and informal discussions with people from all walks of life.

A. Shahid Stover began writing as a freelance reporter for The Carolina Times (one of the oldest independent Black newspapers in America) and has also written as a freelancer for The Source Magazine of Hip Hop music, culture, and politics.

You can purchase the book here.

I'll close with these words from the Baha'i Writings exemplified by Stover's literary achievement:

"It is therefore urgent that beneficial articles and books be written, clearly and definitely establishing what the present-day requirements of the people are, and what will conduce to the happiness and advancement of society. These should be published and spread throughout the nation, so that at least the leaders among the people should become, to some degree, awakened, and arise to exert themselves along those lines which will lead to their abiding honor. The publication of high thoughts is the dynamic power in the arteries of life; it is the very soul of the world."(Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 109)

Racism: More Than a Mosquito

2009-09-28T07:59:00.005-03:00

Cultural commentator John McWhorter uses the mosquito as a metaphor for racism. I'll include two portions from his recent column in the New Republic that mention this metaphor:

"Like mosquitoes, some small, irritating racist element will always exist in every society..."

"It is certainly not pretty that some people's take on Obama is likely mediated by racism. But the phenomenon is less a matter of open bigotry than a breach of civility. Who ever thought that all people would be civil at all times? And who ever thought, given the inherent imperfectability of humankind, that racism is somehow different from our other flaws and could be subject to complete elimination? No one pens doorstop volumes announcing that mosquitoes still exist. We know they do, and we assume they always will, because life isn't perfect. The issue is how close to perfect we can expect to get. Surely, healthcare, two wars overseas, and a deeply ailing economy are more important than mosquitoes -- or whether some people's feelings about Barack Obama are less than, yes, civil." (Read the whole thing here)

What I take from this column is that racism is an annoyance that we can live with and is not something to make a big fuss over especially when there are more "important" things to be concerned about. The use of the mosquito metaphor however, reveals a failure to recognize that neither all mosquitos, nor all forms of racism are equal. A malaria carrying mosquito for instance is far from a mere annoyance. Likewise, there are forms of racism that for many Americans are a life and death matter. Structural, or institutional racism for example, is a powerful social determinant of quality of life issues such as health. Structural racism refers to a social order which perpetuates inequities among racial groups. Here is some information about racial inequities in health from the Office of Minority Health from 2007 that illustrates this point:

Even though the Nation’s infant mortality rate is down, the infant death rate among African Americans is still more than double that of whites. Heart disease death rates are more than 40 percent higher for African Americans than for whites. The death rate for all cancers is 30 percent higher for African Americans than for whites; for prostate cancer, it is more than double that for whites. African American women have a higher death rate from breast cancer despite having a mammography screening rate that is nearly the same as the rate for white women. The death rate from HIV/AIDS for African Americans is more than seven times that for whites; the rate of homicide is six times that for whites.

Hispanics living in the United States are almost twice as likely to die from diabetes as are non-Hispanic whites. Although constituting only 11 percent of the total population in 1996, Hispanics accounted for 20 percent of the new cases of tuberculosis. Hispanics also have higher rates of high blood pressure and obesity than non-Hispanic whites. There are differences among Hispanic populations as well. For example, whereas the rate of low birth weight infants is lower for the total Hispanic population compared with that of whites, Puerto Ricans have a low birth weight rate that is 50 percent higher than the rate for whites.

American Indians and Alaska Natives have an infant death rate almost double that for whites. The rate of diabetes for this population group is more than twice that for whites. The Pima of Arizona have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. American Indians and Alaska Natives also have disproportionately high death rates from unintentional injuries and suicide.

Asians and Pacific Islanders, on average, have indicators of being one of the healthiest population groups in the United States. However, there is great diversity within this population group, and health disparities for some specific segments are quite marked. Women of Vietnamese origin, for example, suffer from cervical cancer at nearly five times the rate for white women. New cases of hepatitis and tuberculosis also are higher in Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the United States than in whites.

The racism as mosquito metaphor only makes sense if racism is understood primarily in emotional terms, as a reflection of the feelings of individuals towards others. As I have said before, the tendency to psychologize racism, to reduce it to a kind of mindset, encourages the kind of discourse exemplified in McWhorter's column. Racism becomes trivialized and easily ignored, minimized or denied. The Baha'i Faith teaches that racism is far from trivial and it is not purely a matter of the heart. Racism is an obstacle to world peace and the advancement of civilization itself:

"Racism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier to peace. Its practice perpetrates too outrageous a violation of the dignity of human beings to be countenanced under any pretext. Racism retards the unfoldment of the boundless potentialities of its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. Recognition of the oneness of mankind, implemented by appropriate legal measures, must be universally upheld if this problem is to be overcome." (The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace)

There is however good news:

"Racial and ethnic prejudices have been subjected to equally summary treatment by historical processes that have little patience left for such pretensions. Here, rejection of the past has been especially decisive. Racism is now tainted by its association with the horrors of the twentieth century to the degree that it has taken on something of the character of a spiritual disease. While surviving as a social attitude in many parts of the world -- and as a blight on the lives of a significant segment of humankind -- racial prejudice has become so universally condemned in principle that no body of people can any longer safely allow themselves to be identified with it." (The Universal House of Justice, 2002 April, To the World's Religious Leaders)

One of the great challenges of the 21st century will be transforming this universal condemnation of racism into a new social order that promotes racial equity. This will require clarity of vision regarding the nature of this problem which does not simply exist in the mind but in the fundamental structures of our society. Racism is more than a mosquito.

Sound and Fury

2009-09-25T17:35:00.004-03:00

This morning I almost drove off the road laughing at a piece on National Public Radio about a theatrical production called "Say It Ain't So Joe". This show is based on the vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden and puts their debate into song. The lyrics come almost verbatim from what they each said during the debate.

Once I recovered from laughing I thought about how so much of the political culture in America right now seems more theatrical than practical. I'm not mocking the millions of sincere souls who attempt to work the levers of democracy everyday to advance their aims. However, one has to admit that amongst the meaningful efforts at civic engagement and good governance there is a lot of just plain silliness that goes on. For example, perhaps someone should do an opera called "Pulling the Plug on Grandma" next.

Pondering this reminded me of a fascinating story from the childhood of Baha'u'llah that He has preserved for us in His Writings.

"When I was still a child and had not yet attained the age of maturity, My father made arrangments in Tihran for the marriage of one of My older brothers, and as is customary in that city, the festivities lasted for seven days and seven nights. On the last day it was announced that the play "Shah Sultan Salim" would be presented. A large number of princes, dignitaries, and notables of the capital gathered for the occasion. I was sitting in one of the upper rooms of the building and observing the scene. Presently a tent was pitched in the courtyard, and before long some small human-like figures, each appearing to be no more than about a hand's span in height, were seen to emerge from it and raise the call: "His Majesty is coming! Arrange the seats at once!" Other figures then came forth, some of whom were seen to be engaged in sweeping, others in sprinkling water, and thereafter another, who was announced as the chief town crier, raised his call and bade the people assemble for an audience with the king. Next, several groups of figures made their appearance and took their places, the first attired in hats and sashes after the Persian fashion, the second wielding battleaxes, and the third comprising a number of footmen and executioners carrying bastinados. Finally there appeared, arrayed in regal majesty and crowned with a royal diadem, a kingly figure, bearing himself with the utmost haughtiness and grandeur, at turns advancing and pausing in his progress, who proceeded with great solemnity, poise and dignity to seat himself upon his throne.

At that moment a volley of shots was fired, a fanfare of trumpets was sounded, and king and tent were enveloped in a pall of smoke. When it had cleared, the king, ensconced upon his throne, was seen surrounded by a suite of ministers, princes, and dignitaries of state who, having taken their places, were standing at attention in his presence. A captured thief was then brought before the king, who gave the order that the offender should be beheaded. Without a moment's delay the chief executioner cut off the thief's head, whence a blood-like liquid came forth. After this the king held audience with his court, during which intelligence was received that a rebellion had broken out on a certain frontier. Thereupon the king reviewed his troops and despatched several regiments supported by artillery to quell the uprising. A few moments later cannons were heard booming from behind the tent, and it was announced that a battle had been engaged.

This Youth regarded the scene with great amazement. When the royal audience was ended, the curtain was drawn, and, after some twenty minutes, a man emerged from behind the tent carrying a box under his arm.

"What is this box," I asked him, "and what was the nature of this display?"

"All this lavish display and these elaborate devices," he replied, "the king, the princes, and the ministers, their pomp and glory, their might and power, everything you saw, are now contained within this box."

I swear by My Lord Who, through a single word of His Mouth, hath brought into being all created things! Ever since that day, all the trappings of the world have seemed in the eyes of this Youth akin to that same spectacle. They have never been, nor will they ever be, of any weight and consequence, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. How greatly I marveled that men should pride themselves upon such vanities, whilst those possessed of insight, ere they witness any evidence of human glory, perceive with certainty the inevitability of its waning. "Never have I looked upon any thing save that I have seen extinction before it; and God, verily, is a sufficient witness!"
(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 165)

I wonder how much of what we watch on the news or read in the papers is "akin to that same spectacle" described by Baha'u'llah from that day in His childhood. How much energy is expended in pomp and posturing that does little to advance civilization or the soul? How much human striving is dissipated in the sound and fury of partisan bickering which bears nothing but bitter fruits? It is true that the absurdity of some of what passes for politics today is comedic, but it is also a bit tragic. We need more statecraft than stage craft, more problem solving than play acting. The needs of the hour demand it. Will our leaders deliver?

Prayer in Public Life

2009-09-24T05:58:00.004-03:00

I've been doing a lot of reading about prayer and mental health recently because I might be doing my dissertation on the topic. It's been quite interesting, especially how spending so much time thinking about something makes it seem to pop up all over the place. For example, there's an initiative to have large numbers of Muslims gather on the national mall to pray for the nation on Saturday. This week will also witness "See You At the Pole" prayer sessions led by students at public and private schools nationwide. Recently a principle was facing jail time for offering prayer at a meal during a school function.

These stories and similar ones got me thinking about a topic I've wanted to write about for a long time. This is a tendency in some circles to insist that public prayer use 'politically correct' language.

I recall a national event being covered by the media where a journalist found it interesting that a Christian pastor had prayed in the name of Jesus Christ. I found it interesting that anyone would find that interesting. How else would a Christian pastor be expected to pray? The implication of the journalist's commentary was that this pastor had done something problematic if not offensive, relative to non-Christian Americans.

As a Baha'i and a frequent participant in interfaith activities, I appreciate the desire to encourage religious expression that has a spirit of inclusiveness. I'm always grateful when I hear someone strive to do that as they pray at a public gathering. However, I never expect it and certainly would not demand it or criticize them for not doing so. If I did, I would be crossing the line between a legitimate desire for inclusiveness and an illegitimate desire to impose my values on that person. How ironic it would be that in an effort to be inclusive, I should tell someone else they have to pray my way.

The way a person prays should be a matter of conscience, not political correctness. Prayer said under pressure to conform to the expectations of others risks losing its very character as a sacred act. Even in public life, prayer is ultimately deeply personal. That needs to be respected.

"Reveal then Thyself, O Lord, by Thy merciful utterance and the mystery of Thy divine being, that the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls - a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds - that all things may be merged into nothingness before the revelation of Thy splendor" (Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 69)

Hysterical Color Blindness

2009-09-21T06:54:00.003-03:00

If the health care debate was not hot enough, it has now become 'colored' by commentary that opposition to the President's agenda is motivated by racism. Reasonable people can disagree about this as the President himself recently exemplified. However it has got me thinking about something I've observed recently that concerns me. It seems that for some Americans to even mention the possibility of racism as a factor in a situation has become intolerable. For some in fact, the very effort to discuss racism has become a form of racism!

I've been pondering the possible origin of this attitude and I believe that it represents a somewhat extreme form of color-blind ideology. Color-blind ideology is captured in the oft stated phrase, "I don't see color". Now generally the person who makes this statement is not being literal, but actually means, "I don't judge people based on color." Not judging people based on color is something I completely support as a Baha'i:

"Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God and what is the standard or criterion by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other than the divine virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore, every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is, verily, in the image and likeness of God. If a man possesses wealth, can we call him an image and likeness of God? Or is human honor and notoriety the criterion of divine nearness? Can we apply the test of racial color and say that man of a certain hue -- white, black, brown, yellow, red -- is the true image of his Creator? We must conclude that color is not the standard and estimate of judgment... (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 69)

The problem with color-blind ideology is not the goal of ending color-based judgments of human beings. Who could disagree with that? The problem is that when we claim not to see color we are not being truthful. How can an effort at social change be healthy or effective if it is based on an untruth?

"Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all of the worlds of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also become realized" (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 384)

I believe that there are Americans for whom long term insistence on the untruth of not seeing color has effected their ability to see racism itself. Not only that, but they insist that others join them in this not seeing. This is why they get so upset when people bring up the possibility of racism. I refer to this state of being as hysterical color-blindness.

Let me repeat that reasonable people can disagree about whether particular incidents or trends in America are based on racism or not. What I am describing is a completely different phenomenon. Hysterical color-blindness is anything but reasonable. It is the insistence that race not be discussed and the denial of the truth of racism even in the face of supporting evidence.

The good news however is that hysterical color-blindness can be cured. The healing process begins with abandoning the rhetoric of not seeing color. The next step is to replace efforts at color-neutrality with becoming a color-lover. What I mean is that we should not only see color but see color variation in human beings as a reflection of the love and creativity of God.

I believe that color has a positive value and offers insight into the nature of God and the God-human relationship. What do I mean? How can anyone who has enjoyed the brilliant reds, oranges, and indigos of a sunset, the lush greens of a pristine forest, the cool blues of Caribbean waters, or the brown, blue, grey or green of a lover's eyes believe that God is anything but a lover of color? God is the Creator of color, the ultimate Artist. Why would this not also apply to skin-color? As 'Abdu'l-Baha has told us, "This variety in forms and colorings which is manifest in all the kingdoms is according to creative wisdom and has a divine purpose." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 113)

We need to reclaim color so that we can strive to discover its "creative wisdom" and "divine purpose". We need to not only see color but learn to love what we see.

Don't Demonize Difference of Opinion

2009-09-19T12:00:00.002-03:00

The Washington Post's "On Faith" panelists are weighing in on the issue of civility this week. Here is the paragraph provided by "On Faith" to launch the discussion:

State of Our Disunion

In his prayer at the Inauguration, pastor Rick Warren said, "As we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ."

Since then, clarity, responsibility, humility and civility seem to have given way to self-righteousness, anger, resentment, and what columnist Kathleen Parker calls "a political era of uninhibited belligerence" that is finding expression in sermons, at town hall meetings, on radio talk shows, even on the floor of Congress -- especially when we differ.

Why are people so angry and belligerent, and so willing to express their anger publicly? Why has our civil discourse become so uncivil? What does this public anger say about our private faith? What should we do about it? (You can read what all the panelists are saying here)

My thought is that what we are witnessing is the inevitable fruit of the discourse of disunity which I described in a previous post:

A basic assumption that seems to have taken hold in popular discourse about social problems in America is that every issue can be boiled down to view A and “contrasting” view B. Another assumption is that the only possible positions available for people is to be either “for” view A or “for” view B. This is exemplified in the way that the media structures the discourse on social problems, one talking head represents view A and another talking head represents view B and they argue with each other (often loudly). This perpetuates a kind of bi-polar perspective on reality where there are only two sides to any issue and only one of those sides can ultimately prevail. I refer to this as the discourse of disunity. Long term exposure to this kind of discourse tends to narrow the mind and harden the heart. Sadly, a virtual disunity industry keeps the population in a perpetual state of polarization. This may help people win elections and keep the pundits well paid, but it is useless as far as finding real solutions to the challenges facing the United States. (Read the whole post here)

One sign that you are hearing the discourse of disunity is the tendency of the speaker to demonize those who disagree with them. Their argument stops being about the merits or demerits of ideas and becomes focused on the character or motives of others. It's important to note that this tendency can be found across the political spectrum and on all sides of the current debates roiling the country. Speaking in this way I believe, is due to a failure to appreciate that the 'goodness' or 'badness' of a person's ideas is not necessarily a reflection of the 'goodness' or 'badness' of the person. Demonizing difference of opinion could be seen as a politicized version of fault-finding, a bad habit that is discouraged in Baha'i teaching:

"It is my hope that you may consider this matter, that you may search out your own imperfections and not think of the imperfections of anybody else. Strive with all your power to be free from imperfections. Heedless souls are always seeking faults in others." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 244)

Another problem with demonizing difference of opinion is the failure to recognize that diverse viewpoints are actually necessary for finding the truth. What 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote regarding consultation among members of Spiritual Assemblies (local governing councils of a Baha'i community) is worth considering regarding public discourse generally:

"The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should anyone oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions." (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 87)

We need to stop hurling the epithets, "liar", "racist", "nazi", "socialist" etc. around not only because they are uncivil but because they are epistemologically unhelpful. The truth remains hidden in the presence of the discourse of disunity and without it we cannot possibly have sound policies.

"In order to find truth we must give up our prejudices, our own small trivial notions; an open receptive mind is essential. If our chalice is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity, and unity is necessary if we would reach truth, for truth is one." (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 136)

What Does Love Look Like?

2009-09-15T06:38:00.005-03:00

The New York Times has a very thought provoking piece on love and parenting. I hope that every parent and every potential parent reads it and tells me what they think. Here is a portion of the piece:

More than 50 years ago, the psychologist Carl Rogers suggested that simply loving our children wasn’t enough. We have to love them unconditionally, he said — for who they are, not for what they do.

As a father, I know this is a tall order, but it becomes even more challenging now that so much of the advice we are given amounts to exactly the opposite. In effect, we’re given tips in conditional parenting, which comes in two flavors: turn up the affection when they’re good, withhold affection when they’re not.

Thus, the talk show host Phil McGraw tells us in his book “Family First” (Free Press, 2004) that what children need or enjoy should be offered contingently, turned into rewards to be doled out or withheld so they “behave according to your wishes.” And “one of the most powerful currencies for a child,” he adds, “is the parents’ acceptance and approval.”

Likewise, Jo Frost of “Supernanny,” in her book of the same name (Hyperion, 2005), says, “The best rewards are attention, praise and love,” and these should be held back “when the child behaves badly until she says she is sorry,” at which point the love is turned back on.

Conditional parenting isn’t limited to old-school authoritarians. Some people who wouldn’t dream of spanking choose instead to discipline their young children by forcibly isolating them, a tactic we prefer to call “time out.” Conversely, “positive reinforcement” teaches children that they are loved, and lovable, only when they do whatever we decide is a “good job.”

This raises the intriguing possibility that the problem with praise isn’t that it is done the wrong way — or handed out too easily, as social conservatives insist. Rather, it might be just another method of control, analogous to punishment. The primary message of all types of conditional parenting is that children must earn a parent’s love. A steady diet of that, Rogers warned, and children might eventually need a therapist to provide the unconditional acceptance they didn’t get when it counted.

But was Rogers right? Before we toss out mainstream discipline, it would be nice to have some evidence. And now we do.

In 2004, two Israeli researchers, Avi Assor and Guy Roth, joined Edward L. Deci, a leading American expert on the psychology of motivation, in asking more than 100 college students whether the love they had received from their parents had seemed to depend on whether they had succeeded in school, practiced hard for sports, been considerate toward others or suppressed emotions like anger and fear.

It turned out that children who received conditional approval were indeed somewhat more likely to act as the parent wanted. But compliance came at a steep price. First, these children tended to resent and dislike their parents. Second, they were apt to say that the way they acted was often due more to a “strong internal pressure” than to “a real sense of choice.” Moreover, their happiness after succeeding at something was usually short-lived, and they often felt guilty or ashamed. (Read the whole thing here)

As a new parent it never occurred to me to consciously use the giving or withholding of affection as a form of behavior modification for my son. As a social scientist in training, the findings of the studies mentioned in this piece definitely give me food for thought. My question right now is what does 'love' look like in the parent-child relationship?

Three selections for the Baha'i Writings immediately came to mind. The first is from a portion of a letter from the Universal House of Justice:

"An all-embracing love of children, the manner of treating them, the quality of the attention shown them, the spirit of adult behaviour toward them -- these are all among the vital aspects of the requisite attitude. Love demands discipline, the courage to accustom children to hardship, not to indulge their whims or leave them entirely to their own devices. (The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 157, 2000, p. 9)

I find it interesting that "an all-embracing love of children" is followed by the standard "love demands discipline, the courage to accustom children to hardship".

The next selection is from Baha'u'llah's mystical work the Seven Valleys which is about the journey of the soul:

"And if, by the help of God, he findeth on this journey a trace of the traceless Friend, and inhaleth the fragrance of the long-lost Joseph from the heavenly messenger, he shall straightway step into THE VALLEY OF LOVE and be dissolved in the fire of love. In this city the heaven of ecstasy is upraised and the world-illuming sun of yearning shineth, and the fire of love is ablaze; and when the fire of love is ablaze, it burneth to ashes the harvest of reason. Now is the traveler unaware of himself, and of aught besides himself. He seeth neither ignorance nor knowledge, neither doubt nor certitude; he knoweth not the morn of guidance from the night of error. He fleeth both from unbelief and faith, and deadly poison is a balm to him. Wherefore Attar saith: For the infidel, error -- for the faithful, faith; For Attar's heart, an atom of Thy pain. The steed of this Valley is pain; and if there be no pain this journey will never end. (Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 7)

In referring to the "steed of pain" as a necessary vehicle for the valley of love, I think Baha'u'llah is trying to tell us that love does not always feel good. In fact, at certain stages of the soul's journey, pain is a requirement for progress.

Finally, 'Abdu'l-Baha offered this commentary on love, "If I love you, I need not continually speak of my love -- you will know without any words. On the other hand if I love you not, that also will you know -- and you would not believe me, were I to tell you in a thousand words, that I loved you" (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 16)

It seems to me that one of my tasks as a parent is to show my son through deeds what love looks like. Part of this will be helping him to understand that love (even when it is unconditional) does not always look pretty or feel good. In fact, sometimes the pain he may experience in his relationship with me will be the evidence of my love.

I also believe I have a duty to show him that there are consequences for the way he behaves. One of those consequences is the way others feel and behave toward him (including his parents). I'm not advocating the 'conditional parenting' tactic, but knowing when what he does has a negative impact on others is a crucial part of his socialization and spiritual development. Who will teach him that if not his parents? How best to do so is something that his mother and I will have to learn, making lots of mistakes in the process.

I would love to think that our son will someday participate in a study and happily report how much he liked his mom and dad. Is that our goal though? And if he reported otherwise does it mean we were bad parents? I guess time will tell.

Is 'Godliness' Contagious Too?

2009-09-13T07:12:00.005-03:00

The New York Times Magazine has a great piece about research on "social contagion". Here is a brief selection:

"...Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing. And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people". (Read the whole thing here)

If physical or mental health can be spread from person to person through association, how about spiritual health? I'm reminded of Baha'u'llah's emphasis on keeping company with 'godly' folks:

O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and he that desireth to hearken unto the word of God, let him give ear to the words of His chosen ones. (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

O SON OF DUST! Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire. (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

A simplistic reading of these passages could lead a person to believe that Baha'u'llah is encouraging us to avoid those who don't share our beliefs. However, godliness is not simply a matter of having a certain set of beliefs or membership in a particular faith community. Godliness is about reflecting God's image and likeness as 'Abdu'l-Baha has explained:

"According to the words of the Old Testament God has said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This indicates that man is of the image and likeness of God -- that is to say, the perfections of God, the divine virtues, are reflected or revealed in the human reality. Just as the light and effulgence of the sun when cast upon a polished mirror are reflected fully, gloriously, so, likewise, the qualities and attributes of Divinity are radiated from the depths of a pure human heart...Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God and what is the standard or criterion by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other than the divine virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore, every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is, verily, in the image and likeness of God" (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 69).

In light of Christakis and Fowler's research, it could be that the wisdom of seeking fellowship with godly people is that it affects our souls in a positive way, that we become spiritually healthier through such associations. Not only that, but other people in our lives may become spiritually healthier as well.

This has implications for the intentional building of spiritual communities, a central part of the Baha'i approach to social change. Community building based on Baha'i teaching could be seen as the weaving of social networks that spread spiritual health from person to person. This has the potential to contribute to an epidemic of godliness.

"If a small number of people gather lovingly together, with absolute purity and sanctity, with their hearts free of the world, experiencing the emotions of the Kingdom and the powerful magnetic forces of the Divine, and being at one in their happy fellowship, that gathering will exert its influence over all the earth" (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 80).

A Swirled World

2009-09-12T07:11:00.007-03:00

This is officially my favorite photo of my son Douglass Ali ( at least today anyway). When I took the photo he was walking towards me laughing with his cute "I'm swirled." T-shirt on. A friend of ours who is a white Southerner married to a Ghanaian, gave him the shirt right after he was born. It is a little tribute to his multiracial parentage.

I was thinking this morning about how much I like the "swirled" concept. I've never liked hearing people referred to as "half-this" or "half-that". I look at my son and see 100% Douglass Ali. Referring to people as "mixed" is slightly better though I've never really liked that either. "Multiracial" is the most accurate given that his mother is also "swirled" with a Russian-Jewish American father and a German American mother, while his father is a swirl of African, European, and Cherokee ancestry. It's nice to now have "swirled" as an option because it is a more fun way of describing him and may prove useful once he's old enough to start wondering about race.

I was also thinking that my son's T-shirt is an apt metaphor for the kind of world that Baha'is are striving to build. This is a world that is united in its diversity, where human differences come together in ways that make things better.

"This diversity, this difference is like the naturally created dissimilarity and variety of the limbs and organs of the human body, for each one contributeth to the beauty, efficiency and perfection of the whole. When these different limbs and organs come under the influence of man's sovereign soul, and the soul's power pervadeth the limbs and members, veins and arteries of the body, then difference reinforceth harmony, diversity strengtheneth love, and multiplicity is the greatest factor for co-ordination"(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 291).

In order for a swirl to work it requires that the different flavors can be both seen and tasted. Otherwise it is simply a big, sweet, mixed-up blob. Creating a global blob is not what Baha'is are trying to do. We are trying to swirl the world.

"Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the world-wide Law of Bahá'u'lláh. Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity"(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 41).

Baha'i Dad Chronicles: What A Month!

2009-09-09T06:06:00.021-03:00

I would have to say that this has been the most exciting month of Douglass 'Ali's little life. Where do I begin. First of all, he is walking. I can't make up my mind if he walks like a penguin, a cowboy or a cowboy-penguin but the boy is walkin' y'all. Legend has it that I was walking in my 10th month so I guess you could say this is an in-your-father's-footsteps kind of achievement. There were a number of other firsts as well.

He had his first trip to the world famous Quincy Market where he spent a lovely afternoon with some old friends of his parents and all their kids.

He hosted his first backyard picnic complete with his buddy Connor from daycare. It was a hot day so he decided to show off his arms and abs.

He attended his first wedding and ran into his other buddy, Mishkin. Those two took the wedding by storm, proudly displaying their 'bromance' for all to see. Rumor has it, Douglass had to decline on several proposals from older women that day as well.

He had his first opportunity to welcome a newborn at the same hospital he arrived in. His auntie Sam had a beautiful baby girl named Amelia, whose itty-bittyness made Douglass look like some kind of giant. I cannot believe that not so long ago he was a new arrival. Later, Douglass was able to visit Amelia at home and made sure that her mommy was putting her diaper on properly. That's what big brothers are for, right?

He ate corn on the cob for the first time. Corn on the cob must be the funnest food of all time to eat. It was certainly fun to watch him eat it. It reminded me of the first time I grew my own cornstalk. I had read that plants grow better if you talk to them. So what did I do? I read books to my cornstalk.

Finally, he played on the beach and waded in a lake for the first time. This was during a visit with his mom's parents in New Hampshire. Playing in the sand was quite fun. However, trying to do his cowboy-penguin walk through the water was a rude awakening. He promptly fell into the water and let us know quickly that he was not 'feelin' it'. With a little encouragement, he started to enjoy himself a bit though.

In a few short weeks he will be a year old. Baha'i Thought will feature a 'Baha'i Dad Chronicles' round-up in honor of the little guy.

O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.

(Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)

Does Health Care Reform Start At Home?

2009-09-07T14:21:00.003-03:00

A recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal by the president of Whole Foods about the health care reform debate has kicked up controversy and inspired some to call for a boycott. One of the parts of the editorial that I found most thought provoking was the following:

Rather than increase government spending and control, we need to address the root causes of poor health. This begins with the realization that every American adult is responsible for his or her own health.

Unfortunately many of our health-care problems are self-inflicted: two-thirds of Americans are now overweight and one-third are obese. Most of the diseases that kill us and account for about 70% of all health-care spending—heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and obesity—are mostly preventable through proper diet, exercise, not smoking, minimal alcohol consumption and other healthy lifestyle choices.

Recent scientific and medical evidence shows that a diet consisting of foods that are plant-based, nutrient dense and low-fat will help prevent and often reverse most degenerative diseases that kill us and are expensive to treat. We should be able to live largely disease-free lives until we are well into our 90s and even past 100 years of age.

I have not had the opportunity to independently verify the truth of the claims made in these paragraphs but they seem worth pondering. In the past, I would have dismissed such assertions as the usual individualist ideological tactic of minimizing the social dimensions of a problem while emphasizing the role of personal choice. I'm beginning to think however, that any meaningful discussion of health care reform must include a discussion of self-care reform. If access to high quality and affordable health care is a right, then making good choices regarding my own health behavior is equally a responsibility. As my wife wisely and frequently reminds me, those aspects of my health I can control, I should control. In addition, I should care about my own health, but I should also care how my poor health can negatively impact my neighbor through potentially contributing to higher health care costs. Baha'u'llah said it this way, "Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savor of such deeds as are performed in His path, and partake of the sweetness of such humility and submissiveness as are shown for His sake. Forget your own selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbor"(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 9).

Thinking seriously about self-care reform is not about absolving government of its responsibility to fix a broken system. It is about making a mental shift toward considering self-care as a contribution to the social good. It might even provide some added motivation to do the healthy thing when I'd rather not. Making such a mental shift is similar to thinking more about how my personal choices can negatively or positively impact the environment. It means adopting a world embracing vision of the spiritual and social implications of my health behavior. I cannot justly demand that society provide for my well-being without being willing to contribute to the well-being of society. Making efforts at self-care reform is a way for me to make such a contribution, however small it may be. As the late Michael Jackson would have put it, I have to start with the man in the mirror.

"the honor and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world's multitudes should become a source of social good. Is any larger bounty conceivable than this, that an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 2)

An Atheist I Agree With

2009-09-05T10:00:00.004-03:00

In a previous post "Got God?" about the atheist ads on buses in the UK, I took advantage of a site that allowed you to make up your own bus ad. My ad read, "Arguing About God is Dumb. Have a Nice Day. PS. Eat your vegetables." An atheist author of a recent book that argues in favor of religion seems to agree with me. Here is a portion of his blog entry from the Washing Post site "On Faith":

For centuries, the theism-atheism debate has been dominated by two positions: hard-core believers fervently committed to their faith in a living God; and militant atheists vehemently driven to repudiate the Divine. The time has come to admit that after more than 2,000 years of back-and forth proofs and counterproofs, this debate has reached an insolvable impasse. The question about the existence of God can never be resolved to either side's satisfaction. But the discussion need not end there. We are still left with the important issue of the value of religion. And this is a debate that religion can win. "An Atheist Defends Religion" redefines the terms of the debate, offering a new direction and perspective.

I am not a person of faith: I do not feel the majesty or mystery of the Holy. But neither do I stridently repudiate God. Indeed, there is a part of me that wants to believe in God. That makes me an "aspiring theist." And I want to believe in the Divine because, on balance, religion provides a combination of benefits -- moral, emotional, aesthetic, psychological, existential, communal, and even physical-health -- that no other institution can replicate. These are the essential qualities that make religion so enthralling, enriching, enlightening, and enrapturing. They explain how we achieve our fullest humanity only in religion.

The question I present is not whether God exists, but whether the world is a better place because people believe God exists. This book, as a consequence, is not a defense of God; rather, it is a defense of the belief in God and of religious belief in general. (Read the whole thing here)

I always find it refreshing when someone takes an old debate and frames it in a new way that offers new possibilities for thought and action. I am also reminded that the approach being offered by this author is similar to the way that I'm approaching the study of religion as a social scientist in training. Being a Baha'i, I obviously believe in God but also recognize the limits of science regarding metaphysical questions. Thankfully, I do not need to try and use my research to prove or disprove religious beliefs, but rather to understand their implications for individuals and for society. More specifically, as a social worker, I can use science to understand how religion can be used for the betterment of human life and the advancement of civilization. I would much rather spend my time doing that than arguing about the existence of God.

"All blessings are divine in origin but none can be compared with this power of intellectual investigation and research which is an eternal gift producing fruits of unending delight...A scientific man is a true index and representative of humanity, for through processes of inductive reasoning and research he is informed of all that appertains to humanity, its status, conditions and happenings. He studies the human body politic, understands social problems and weaves the web and texture of civilization". (Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 60)

Prayer, Sex, and Marriage

2009-09-03T20:44:00.002-03:00

The Catholic News Service has an interesting story about the inclusion of a prayer to be said by married couples before love making in a recently published prayer book. Here's a bit from the story:

British prayer book for spouses includes 'Prayer Before Making Love'

By Simon Caldwell
Catholic News Service

LONDON (CNS) -- A prayer for couples to recite "before making love" has been included in a new British book of prayers for married couples.

The 64-page "Prayer Book for Spouses" contains prayers for every station of family and married life, including engagement, planning a family, raising children and caring for sick and dying relatives.

The booklet, published by the Catholic Truth Society, a London-based publisher and charity, also includes a "Prayer Before Making Love."

The prayer reads: "Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts. Place within us love that truly gives, tenderness that truly unites, self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive, forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes.

"Open our hearts to you, to each other and to the goodness of your will," it says. "Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness. Clothe us in true dignity and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, forever and ever. Mary, our mother, intercede for us. Amen." (Read the whole thing here)

Having a book of prayers appropriate to a variety of issues is familiar to Baha'is. However, to the best of my knowledge there is no "prayers for sex" section of any Baha'i prayer book I've seen. Hearing about this Catholic prayer got me thinking again about sex in the Baha'i community. I have all kinds of questions related to sex in Baha'i marriage. For example, what does "chaste and holy" sex between married couples look like? Is there an appropriate place for lust between spouses or is that unchaste? If there was a Baha'i prayer for marital love making, what might it say? How might it be similar to or different from this Catholic prayer? Are there particular spiritual qualities that are important for good sex in Baha'i marriage? Most importantly, how might we go about systematically educating couples about these issues and engaging the community as a whole in frank and loving consultation regarding them? I don't have any answers but look forward to continuing to ponder these things and hope you will share your thoughts as well.

"In a true Bahá'í marriage the two parties must become fully united both spiritually and physically, so that they may attain eternal union throughout all the worlds of God, and improve the spiritual life of each other. This is Bahá'í matrimony." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 372)