From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Am I a Compu-evengalist
Date: 12 Aug 92 14:31:56 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <1992Aug12.015808.25194@massey.ac.nz>, J.Ainikkal@massey.ac.nz 
(J. Ainikkal) in reply to Arindam Gosh you write:

JA>I was under the belief that Bahai's did not go around 'converting' people.

I hope that I can say that your impression IS correct. Or should I say
WAS correct. :-) Baha'is do not go around converting people. There is
neither clergy/evangelists in the Baha'i Faith chartered to convert 
people, nor could a Baha'i claim to be one. Arindam or any Baha'i could 
only share his or her views with others and leave the issue at that. 
Arindam's zeal and vigor in sharing his newly found path appears to have 
left a negative impression on you. If you were to question his zeal and 
its possible negative impression on others I would have wholeheartedly 
agreed with your observation. Instead you write:

JA>To me U are another religious fanatic.
JA>Most religions have 'bullshit' reasons like yours. 
JA>So whats new about U or your faith or your 'methodology of conversion'. 
JA>All U want is for us to convert from our faith to yours. 
JA>U are presuming that your faith is 'superior' to mine.  
JA>Using one faith to 'con' people into believing another?

Looking at this issue from a practical perspective, it is virtually an 
impossibility for Arindam or any other Baha'i to CONVERT someone on the
net by the virtue of DISCUSSION and SHARING OPINIONS alone. Any form of
human transformation, including conversion of an individual, requires 
three basic steps, in my opinion, 1- KNOWLEDGE, 2- VOLITION and 3- ACTION 
on the part of the audience, A- BRAIN WASHING, B- INSENTIVE and C- PRESSURE 
on the part of the preacher. While, I submit that Arindam's activities are 
a basic means for the impartation of some measure of KNOWLEDGE, about the 
Baha'i approach to religion, to the readership of this newsgroup, yet,
he neither has any control over people's VOLITION to accept his views, nor 
could he manipulate, by any means, their ACTION to convert and become a 
Baha'i by either of the factors A-C mentioned above. So, your concern for 
the "conversion" of people in the context of an electronic forum is perhaps 
nothing to worry about, except, if you are under the impression that the 
readers of this group are incapable of making intelligent choices by them-
selves and for themselves, thus in need of others to decide for them.

JA>After reading some of your articles I believe that the Bahai Faith stinks
      				       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
JA>- just like all other religions.  It almost has a 'kill all the extremists'.
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
John, you are OVER-concluding here my friend. Arindam has attempted to 
identify a social problem (i.e. religious hatred) between two groups of 
people (i.e. Hindus and Muslims). Furthermore, he has attempted to identify 
some reasons behind such social problem (i.e. lack of Muslim respect for 
the Hindu Scriptures in the majority of cases, and perhaps visa versa), and 
has attempted to offer a solution to this misunderstanding (i.e. by suggesting
each group must attempt to study the Scriptures of the other group in order 
become familiar with it, thus more capable of judgment). Finally he has
attempted to highlight the SIMILARITIES between Bhagavad Gita and the
Qur'an. As there are two ways to look at a semi-filled cup of water (i.e.
half full and half empty), there is of necessity two ways for considering
the Gita and the Qur'an (i.e. COMPARISON -based on similarities-, and 
CONTRAST -based on differences-). While CONTRASTING various Scriptures
is a valid approach for scholastic purposes, yet, the time has come for us 
to COMPARE them and observe the similarities between them in order to heal 
the historical wounds and find a solution to our social problems.

Regrettably you do not appear to have understood more than a minuscule
portion of what Arindam has attempted to say perhaps in the wrong
environment. Yet, you have somehow managed to find it reasonable to 
criticize Arindam as well as ALL the belief systems including the Baha'i 
Faith in a foul language. 

I'd like to close with the following two quotations:

"They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, 
care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter 
search out the truth AND not insist upon their own opinion, for 
stubbornness and persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to 
discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honored 
members (of the deliberating body) must with all freedom express their 
own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the 
thought of another..."
						Abdu'l-Baha
Furthermore;

"...The members (of the deliberating body) 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 any one 
oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until the 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
Warm regards,

Kamran Hakim
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian