For those who receive my work as it comes out by email, please note that yesterday's essay "Relativity of Absolutism" was total bilge water -- I have heavily revised it. Since I cannot unsend essays already sent, replace what you got with the presentable version on the Badi' blog at:
<http://badiblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/p03-relativity-of-absolutism.html>
Most Canadian believers will have been notified of the following on the Canadian Baha'i Website:
CANADIAN BOOK ON BAHA'U'LLAH RECEIVING POSITIVE RESPONSE IN CHAPTERS BOOKSTORES
The official body is not so crass as to suggest this, so let me: on your next trip to Chapters, buy a copy for yourself, your local Baha'i and non-Baha'i library, and for your friends and neighbors. As a regular customer of Chapters, I certainly plan to do that next time I stop by. What is more, many libraries discard books as soon as the copyright is more than ten years old, so a new publication like this one has a much better chance of staying on the shelves than if you donated, say, Gloria Faizi's classic introduction.
My thanks to the Baha'i Views blog for pointing out this excellent study by Moojan Momen of the varying levels of apostasy in, or rather out of the Faith. It is good to know that scholars have terms for the different kinds of disaffection after people leave. I would have thought it was like divorces, a range from amicable to bitter separations.
<http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/apostasy.html>
A day or so ago an article appeared in the Ottawa Citizen by Baha'i essayist Jack McLean. It is part of their "Ask the Religion Experts" series, and the question they had for Jack was,
"Do you think Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is right to ban the Lord's Prayer from the beginning of the legislature each day? Should there be a moment of silence so everyone can say the prayers of their own faith instead?"
I am glad they asked Jack. Though usually I am overflowing with opinions, I personally cannot think of anything better than "I have no opinion" to that question.
A while ago I realized that I was forgetting my morning prayer and reading sometimes, so I signed onto one of those "Baha'i reading a day" services. It does the job, though it is annoying because it does not include the sources. Over several days they sent the following meta-quotes about the daily reading itself, all new translations from Baha'u'llah, in the Deepening Compilation, Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Nos. 363-365, p. 188
“Gather ye together with the utmost joy and fellowship and recite the verses revealed by the merciful Lord. By so doing the doors to true knowledge will be opened to your inner beings, and ye will then feel your souls endowed with steadfastness and your hearts filled with radiant joy."
"Peruse ye every day the verses revealed by God. Blessed is the man who reciteth them and reflecteth upon them. He truly is of them with whom it shall be well."
"Peruse My verses with joy and radiance. Verily they will attract you unto God and will enable you to detach yourselves from aught else save Him. Thus have ye been admonished in God's Holy Writ and in this resplendent Tablet."
I had no idea how important it is not just to read, but to read with joy. It is especially hard for me in the morning, because I have to make others make time. I drain myself browbeating a sullen wife and kids into slowing down to read and pray. It is never easy or painless. It is not, as I had hoped, getting easier as the kids get older. By the time I have the flock gathered around, it is very hard for me to avoid reading with gritted teeth, much less reading with joy and radiance. But that is what God wants, so that is how it will have to be. As Francis Bacon said, though with considerably less divine authority,
"Choose the life that is most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable."
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