Re: Believer Beware- Turf War

Dermod Ryder wrote:

> "Jerry Joplin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Rod wrote:
> > > Jerry Joplin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > >>I'm saying that all attacks against the Baha'i community are attacks on
> > >>the whole of the faith.
> > >
> > > Without even establishing that ANY ATTACK on COMMUNITY OR WHOLE FAITH
> > > has transpired.
> >
> > Everyone (except you) has agreed that the attacks on the Iranian Baha'i
> > community are attacks on the whole of the Baha'i Faith.
>
> Everyone has NOT agreed on that.

You are entitled to disagree, of course.

> The attacks on the Iranian community have
> been precisely that - no other Bahai community, or part thereof,  in the
> world has been subject to attack by Iranian religious nutters.
>

It did seem that they took the approach of defending the homeland first from the
cancer of Bahism.  However, it did seem that their goal was the elimination of
the cancer of Bahism.
    "A plan must be devised to confront and destroy their cultural roots outside
the
country."
- 1991 Iranian Government document on "the Bahá'í question"
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&selm=an_420696835


>
> It has not been established even, that the attacks are the product of
> religious intolerance.  Motivation therefor may be other than hatred of the
> BF as blasphemous heresy.
>

It does not appear to be a racial or class thing, gauging by the quoted IRI
statement.  For example:

"They can be enrolled in schools provided they have not identified themselves as

Bahá'ís.  Preferably, they should be enrolled in schools which have a strong and
imposing religious ideology."
and,
    " ... their religious and propaganda activities should be answered by giving

them religious and cultural responses, as well as propaganda.
Propaganda institutions (such as the Islamic Propaganda Organization) must
establish an independent section to counter the propaganda and religious
activities of the Bahá'ís."

>
> You might begin to understand the complexity of this subject if you were,
> for example, to consider the praxis of Ian Paisley.  He says some pretty
> nasty things about the Cathoilic faith yet does not attack the Catholic
> community, many of whom acknowledge his good work as a politician to advance
> their interests.  Here is a man who attacks a Faith yet desists from
> attacking a community, indeed, doing the contrary by endeavouring to look
> after it.

Love the sinner, and deny him education, professional advancement, etc.  After
all, the garbage man doesn't need these things.