Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site noscvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!noscvax!walker From: walker@noscvax.UUCP (Janet M. Walker) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Ba'hai response and questions Message-ID: <707@noscvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 19:05:10 EST Article-I.D.: noscvax.707 Posted: Wed Dec 5 19:05:10 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Dec-84 04:41:08 EST References: <2558@ucla-cs.ARPA> Reply-To: walker@cod.UUCP (Janet M. &) Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center Lines: 57 >so, what exactly is the position of Ba'hai about the place of women on its >spiritual path. no nice, comforting remarks; give me some quotes out of the >basic texts that Ba'hais look to as guide-posts. >where are the spiritual WOMEN? From the Baha'i writings: "Humanity is like a bird with its two wings - the one is male, the other female. Unless both wings are strong and impelled by some common force, the bird cannot fly heavenwards. According to the spirit of this age, women must advance and fulfill their mission in all departments of life, becoming equal to men. They must be on the same level as men and enjoy equal rights. This is my earnest prayer and it is one of the fundamental principals of Baha'u'llah." "When men bring forward ...proof of their superiority the assertion that women have not achieved as much as men, they use poor arguments which leave history out of consideration. If they kept themselves more informed historically, they would know that great women have lived and achieved great things in the past, and that there are many living and achieving great things today." "Women must go on advancing ; they must extend their knowledge of science, literature, history, for the perfection of humanity. Erelong they will receive their rights. Men will see women in earnest, bearing themselves with dignity, improving the civil and political life, opposed to warfare, demanding suffrage and equal opportunities. I expect to see you advance in all phases of life; then will your brows be crowned with the diadem of eternal glory." "The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting - force is losing its weight and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in shich woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine, and more permeated with the feminine ideals - or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more balanced." Abdu'l-Baha (son of Baha'u'llah - founder of Baha'i Faith) There is much more. Equality of men and women is one of 12 major principals of the Baha'i Faith. Also the elimination of ALL forms of prejudice (sexual, racial, religious, ethnic, economic - you name it) is another. AS for spiritual women - there are many. Read the story of Tahirih, the first 'suffragette'. She publically removed her veil, among many other things, in 19th century Iran. In fact, the thought of the equality of men and women was virtually unheard of until Baha'u'llah proclaimed it in the mid 19th century. Look what's happened since! (You don't have to be a Baha'i to be influenced by the principals we feel God has declared for this day!) -- Janet M. Walker MILNET/ARPANET: walker@nosc UUCP: [ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax]!sdcsvax!noscvax!walker ---------- "O Friend! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love." ---------------------------------------------------------------------