progressive revelation

Planet's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2011

2011-10-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

(Nasa image)

September 26, 2011

A. Syrian teen executed

CNN Syria

'Alhusni was only 18 when she stepped away from her Homs residence last month to buy groceries. Her family never again saw her alive. She was whisked away by Syrian security forces to coax the surrender of her activist brother, and ended up beheaded and dismembered, a neighbor, activists and human rights groups say...'

'Her older brother, Mohammed, became a well-known activist in the family's hometown of Homs in western Syria, often leading the demonstrations against embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and treating the wounded.'

The tremendous desperation and sickness of a regime to execute an eighteen year old woman largely it sounds like because of an association with her activist brother as she was rounded up off the street. According to the report she was decapitated, chopped into four parts and then burned.

(Windows Images)

B. Driving

Driving from Maple Ridge to Vancouver from home to church and back on Sunday is a spiritual challenge. I usually attempt to pray on the way there not leaving everything to do at the service or especially the Lord's Table. I confess my sins asking for cleansing and also thank the Lord for blessings and the lack of troubles in many areas. At the same time I definitely ask for changes and upgrades in my life.

1 Corinthians 11:26-34

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

The spiritual challenge comes from many of the drivers. I actually usually find the 'slow drivers' more irritating than the 'fast drivers'. Like many drivers I drive the speed limit/spirit of the law. I drive the allowable speed limit. The fast drivers that drive by, they pass and they tend to not be a danger to me very often. The slow drivers often are more likely to be a nuisance and a potential danger because of a tendency to, for example, not move to the slow lane, and worse to often keep hitting the brakes rather than simply slow down while in traffic. One should also be maintaining a proper distance between other vehicles in order to not be tempted to over brake. What hitting the brakes does is of course trigger those pretty red rear lights and cause cars behind them to often do the same. These red lights seem to serve as hypnotic stop signs for some, and not enough seem to realize that he or she may be a tailgater which is why one often hits the brakes. This approach to driving annoys me because it slows the traffic down, often needlessly and more importantly it also increases the chances of a multi-car pile-up. I have no interest in being involved in a 1980s episode of CHIPS.

If drivers would leave braking to basically stop lights, stop signs, initial parts of sharp corners and emergencies this would make freeway, highway and street driving more efficient and safer.

It would also improve my Sunday spirituality.

Further, I am not claiming to be a 'F1 driver' but I reason many people on the road over brake because they simply lack driving skill. Sadly, these types lead me to at times a struggle with the use of the tongue, and no I am not discussing the use of Biblical tongues.

Now the people in Vancouver proper especially that the cross the street, including crosswalks without even looking at the traffic, in faith, that is another story...

I always look, I am not interested in blind faith.

(Weirdwebsites.info)

Abbotsford, BC (Keller Williams scan)

September 27, 2011

C. Planet's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2011

Forbes: Top Ten

Manchester United

$1.86 Billion: English Premier League

Dallas Cowboys

$1.81 Billion: National Football League

New York Yankees

$1.7 Billion: Major League Baseball

Washington Redskins

$1.55 Billion: National Football League

Real Madrid

$1.45 Billion: Spanish La Liga

New England Patriots

$1.37 Billion: National Football League

Arsenal

$1.19 Billion: English Premier League

New York Giants

$1.18 Billion: National Football League

Houston Texans

$1.17 Billion: National Football League

New York Jets

$1.14 Billion: National Football League

Others listed:

Philadelphia Eagles, $1.12 Billion, National Football League
Baltimore Ravens, $1. 07 Billion, National Football League
Ferrari, $1. 07 Billion, Formula 1
Chicago Bears, 1. 07 Billion, National Football League

Fifty teams are listed, most from the National Football League.

I am 'of course' once again 'shocked' there are no National Hockey League teams on the list. One would think there would be with the mighty Toronto Maple Leafs and all that expansion to the southern United States.

"reward and punishment"

2011-09-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Justice He [Baha'u'llah] extols as "the light of men" and their "guardian," as "the revealer of the secrets of the world of being, and the standard-bearerof love and bounty"; declares its radiance to be incomparable; affirms that upon it must depend "the organization of the world and the tranquillity ofmankind." He characterizes its "two pillars" -- "reward and punishment" -- as "the sources of life" to the human race; warns the peoples of the world tobestir themselves in anticipation of its advent; and prophesies that, after an interval of great turmoil and grievous injustice, its day-star will shine inits full splendor and glory.

-- Shoghi Effendi

Helloo People

2011-09-24T14:05:00.001-07:00

Helloo People

The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat,...

2011-09-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

"Know of a truth that your subjects are God's trust amongst you. Watch ye, therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, or pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate. Arise thou, in My name, above the horizon of renunciation, and set, then, thy face towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy Lord, the Lord of strength and of might."And further We have said: "Deal not treacherously with the substance of your neighbor. Be ye trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the poor the things given unto you by God through His grace. He, verily, will bestow upon you the double of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous. O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer, then, with it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the wayward. If ye become aware of a sin committed by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your own sin. He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of grace abounding. O ye rich ones on earth! If ye encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully. Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one of you was created of a sorry germ."
-- Baha'u'llah

هموطن

2011-09-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

the purpose of this life is to .....

2011-09-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

In considering the effect of obedience to the laws on individual lives, one must remember that the purpose of this life is to prepare the soul for the next. Here one must learn to control and direct one's animal impulses, not to be a slave to them. Life in this world is a succession of tests and achievements, of falling short and of making new spiritual advances. Sometimes the course may seem very hard, but one can witness, again and again, that the soul who steadfastly obeys the law of Baha'u'llah, however hard it may seem, grows spiritually, while the one who compromises with the law for the sake of his own apparent happiness is seen to have been following a chimera: he does not attain the happiness he sought, he retards his spiritual advance and often brings new problems upon himself.
Universal House of Justice

Surih of the Temple

2011-09-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

In His [Baha'u' llah] Suratu'l-Haykal (the Surih of the Temple) He thus describes those breathless moments when the Maiden, symbolizing the "Most Great Spirit" proclaimed His mission to the entire creation: "While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden -- the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord -- suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good-pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honored servants. Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying: 'By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive.'"
-- Shoghi Effendi,

2011-09-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

The light that is shed from the heaven of bounty, and the benediction that shineth from the dawning-place of the will of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, rest upon Him Who is the Supreme Mediator, the Most Exalted Pen, Him Whom God hath made the Dawning-Place of His most excellent names and the Dayspring of His most exalted attributes. Through Him the light of unity hath shone forth above the horizon of the world, and the law of oneness hath been revealed amidst the nations, who, with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme Horizon, and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the kingdom of His knowledge: "Earth and heaven, glory and dominion, are God's, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord of grace abounding!"

Baha'u'llah

The teaching work .....

2011-09-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

The teaching work should under all conditions be actively pursued by the believers because divine confirmations are dependent upon it. Should a Bahá'í refrain from being fully, vigorously and wholeheartedly involved in the teaching work he will undoubtedly be deprived of the blessings of the Abhá Kingdom. Even so, this activity should be tempered with wisdom--not that wisdom which requireth one to be silent and forgetful of such an obligation, but rather that which requireth one to display divine tolerance, love, kindness, patience, a goodly character, and holy deeds. In brief, encourage the friends individually to teach the Cause of God and draw their attention to this meaning of wisdom mentioned in the Writings, which is itself the essence of teaching the Faith--but all this to be done with the greatest tolerance, so that heavenly assistance and divine confirmation may aid the friends.

the power of thought is dependent on its manifestation in deeds.

2011-09-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Some men and women glory in their exalted thoughts, but if these thoughts never reach the plane of action they remain useless:the power of thought is dependent on its manifestation in deeds. A philosopher's thought may, however, in the world of progressand evolution, translate itself into the actions of other people, even when they themselves are unable or unwilling to show forththeir grand ideals in their own lives. To this class the majority of philosophers belong, their teachings being high above theiractions. This is the difference between philosophers who are Spiritual Teachers, and those who are mere philosophers: theSpiritual Teacher is the first to follow His own teaching; He brings down into the world of action His spiritual conceptions andideals. His Divine thoughts are made manifest to the world. His thought is Himself, from which He is inseparable. When we find aphilosopher emphasizing the importance and grandeur of justice, and then encouraging a rapacious monarch in his oppression andtyranny, we quickly realize that he belongs to the first class: for he thinks heavenly thoughts and does not practise thecorresponding heavenly virtues.

-- 'Abdu'l-Baha,

.....polish the mirrors of hearts....

2011-09-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

The light of the sun becomes apparent in each object according to the capacity of that object. The difference is simply one of degree and receptivity. The stone would be a recipient only to a limited extent; another created thing might be as a mirror wherein the sun is fully reflected; but the same light shines upon both.

The most important thing is to polish the mirrors of hearts in order that they may become illumined and receptive of the divine light. One heart may possess the capacity of the polished mirror; another, be covered and obscured by the dust and dross of this world. Although the same Sun is shining upon both, in the mirror which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in all its fullness, glory and power, revealing its majesty and effulgence; but in the mirror which is rusted and obscured there is no capacity for reflection, although so far as the Sun itself is concerned it is shining thereon and is neither lessened nor deprived. Therefore, our duty lies in seeking to polish the mirrors of our hearts in order that we shall become reflectors of that light and recipients of the divine bounties which may be fully revealed through them.

....the worthless and foolish have fondly imagined ...

2011-09-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

That the Manifestations of Divine justice, the Day Springs of heavenly grace, have when they appeared amongst men always been destitute of all earthly dominion and shorn of the means of worldly ascendancy, should be attributed to this same principle of separation and distinction which animateth the Divine Purpose. Were the Eternal Essence to manifest all that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the plentitude of His glory, none would be found to question His power or repudiate His truth. Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and thunderstruck by the evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter nothingness. How, then, can the godly be differentiated under such circumstances from the froward?

This principle hath operated in each of the previous Dispensations and been abundantly demonstrated…. It is for this reason that, in every age, when a new Manifestation hath appeared and a fresh revelation of God’s transcendent power was vouchsafed unto men, they that misbelieved in Him, deluded by the appearance of the peerless and everlasting Beauty in the garb of mortal men, have failed to recognize Him. They have erred from His path and eschewed His company—the company of Him Who is the Symbol of nearness to God. They have even arisen to decimate the ranks of the faithful and to exterminate such as believed in Him.

Behold how in this Dispensation the worthless and foolish have fondly imagined that by such instruments as massacre, plunder and banishment they can extinguish the Lamp which the Hand of Divine power hath lit, or eclipse the Day Star of everlasting splendor. How utterly unaware they seem to be of the truth that such adversity is the oil that feedeth the flame of this Lamp! Such is God’s transforming power. He changeth whatsoever He willeth; He verily hath power over all things….

Flat Bible Revisited

2011-09-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Monte Carlo (Google Images)

A. Flat Bible

Flat Bible was originally discussed as a topic Monday, September 24, 2007

I will add material to this section of this month's post.

Progressive revelation is defined as the understanding that God's self-disclosure is in progression from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Grenz, Guretzki, and Nordling (1999: 96). Therefore the New Testament offers a more complete revelation from a Christian perspective. The Old Testament is to be understood in light of the fuller teaching of the New Testament. Grenz, Guretzki, and Nordling (1999: 96).

Someone once asked me in person about progressive revelation and we had a discussion on Facebook. This is the revised answer I sent:

At Columbia Bible College (Mennonite) and Canadian Baptist Seminary, I was taught that the Bible is not flat, as there is progressive revelation which ended in the apostolic age. Therefore there is no need or place for Islam, Latter-Day Saints, or other continuing the Christian faith.

Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. (Hebrews 12: 24). Hughes describes it as a better covenant (Hebrews 8: 6) as the old one was inadequate not permanent. Hughes (1977)(1990: 551). The law in particular was only a shadow of good things to come. (Hebrews 10). The law cannot save as discussed in Romans 4, but persons are saved through righteousness of faith fulfilled in Christ. Galatians 2 mentions the folly of following the law as we now have Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 4-6, Jesus explains the deeper spiritual meanings of the law. The new covenant provided atonement that was 'fully adequate and everlasting in its efficacy'. Hughes (1977)(1990: 551). Christ provides 'the blood of the eternal covenant (Hebrews 13: 20)'.
Hughes (1977)(1990: 551).

The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible is as valid as the New Testament, but it is often stated that one must interpret the Old Testament through the New Testament. I can agree with this concept since there is progressive revelation, but the Old Testament must be read in context, or else one risks reading the New Testament into the Old Testament. Christianity explains that the New Testament revelation of Christ/apostles does not contradict the previous revelation and instead adds to it explaining the plan of God. Islam is rejected for reasons such as the denial of key doctrines about Christ, including his deity, and the Latter-Day Saints theology is rejected for reasons such as holding to polytheism which is against Scriptural teaching. (Isaiah 43, 44, 45). There are various reasons why these other religions are rejected as well, but I mention those key points. If my concentration academically was more focused on the Hebrew Bible, I would have no problem with studying Hebrew scholars for the original context as this should be done, but I reason the New Testament can shed light on many of the older teachings.

In the Westminster Confession, Chapter XIX points out that the moral law does bind forever, even though true believers be not under law as a covenant of works. Westminster Confession (Chapter XIX). The new covenant does not contain the old covenant ceremonial laws but does contain the spirit of the same moral law. So, the same basic moral law is repeated.

GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI AND CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.

HUGHES, PHILIP. (1977)(1990) A Commentary On The Epistle To The Hebrews, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH (1646).

Monte Carlo (Google Images)

B. Aliens

In regard to a recent friendly discussion, the following is a philosophical difficulty with replacing the Biblical God or Deistic God with speculation that aliens created human beings and by default avoiding dealing with the issue of a primary cause.

Aliens existing in the physical universe of matter would likely be physical beings and would be finite. In philosophical terms a secondary cause when they commit actions.

Even if aliens from some hyper-speculative theory did create human beings, the aliens as a secondary cause would have created human beings also physical beings of finite matter, a secondary cause when they commit actions.

Therefore there would still be the need for an infinite, non-matter/non-material, primary first cause that existed prior to the beginning of finite time and matter in order to avoid a vicious regress in the process of creating the aliens.

Further:

In the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Simon Blackburn discusses ‘infinite regress’ and mentions that this occurs in a vicious way whenever a problem tries to solve itself and yet remains with the same problem it had previously. A vicious regress is an infinite regress that does not solve its own problem, while a benign regress is an infinite regress that does not fail to solve its own problem. Blackburn writes that there is frequently room for debate on what is a vicious regress or benign regress.

In The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, William Tolhurst writes that a vicious regress is in some way unacceptable as it would include an infinite series of items dependent on prior items. A vicious regress may be impossible to hold to philosophically, or it may be inconsistent. From the same volume, Raymond D. Bradley cautions that the mere existence of an infinite series is not the same as infinite regression, and is not philosophically objectionable. His first example is that every natural number (a positive integer, 1,2,3,4, …, or a non-negative integer, 0,1,2,3,4,…) has a successor that is a natural number. Bradley writes that it would not be illogical to state that each free act of consequence is a result of an act of free choice. Bradley thinks that trying to answer infinite regress by bringing in the idea of the theist’s God makes no sense.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford, University, Press.

BRADLEY, RAYMOND D. (1996) ‘Infinite Regress Argument’, in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

TOLHURST, WILLIAM (1996) 'Vicious Regress', in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

C. Atom

The smallest part of an element that can exist and consists of small dense nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons. The number of electrons equals the number of protons so the overall charge is stated to be zero. Electrons orbit around the nucleus. (61).

Oxford Dictionary of Science, (2010), Sixth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Would not an Atom and Eve cult be weird?

D. Video

Shared this one previously.

The commercial overlooks the fact many world religions have such different views on the nature of God, that they could not reasonably be expecting the same final ultimate spiritual being. Christianity is not expecting another teacher to surpass Christ, as God's work in Christ will not be surpassed.

The late Avatar Adi Da Samraj claimed to be the supremely great spiritual being. This is a false claim.

E. Jets

The new Winnipeg Jets main logo along with the main logos of the other six Canadian teams. Rumours are consistent in the media in Canada and the United States that Quebec City will be the next NHL franchise by relocation whenever that occurs, meaning Canada would have eight teams once again, its all-time high. Perhaps the Canucks can find a new team playoff time to meltdown against in the clutch. Yes, I am glad I am a Manchester United supporter.

F. Netlog and WAYN

Friends asked me to join each site, but so far I have found some of each site's membership questionable. On WAYN I have already been dealing with a Russian scammer, although she is using some newer techniques that I have not come across in years past with other scammers and now this morning via someone on Netlog here is this classic junk from 'Sweet Heart'. Enjoy.

Sites that mention:

Romancescam.com/Sweet Heart

Anti-scam/Sweet Heart

'Dear Sweet Heart
Greetings to you my dear, I am writing to you with a heart full of tears and sadness, but first I have to say compliments of the season and I'll be waiting for my email in response to my request to you, please tell me more about your car and intenssion to me if you agree to be intimate with me, My name is Miss Favour Siako i am 24 years old, but age does not matter in a real relationship, I am the only surviving daughter of my late father (Dr. Siako Adams) of Liberia, in the small town of Grand Bassa, am 5. 8tall 173cm, but I am currently residing in Dakar Senegal under asylum as a refugee, I'm a sophomore at the University of Liberia studying mass communication before the war started in my country until the death of my late father Dr S. Adams, my father was the director general of Siako Manufacturing and he was the personal advice to the former head of State ( former President of Liberia Charles Taylor) before the rebels attacked our house one early morning and killed my mom and dad in cold blood. I'm open minded girl easy, safe, hard working and caring, always keep my word. looking for someone who is honest, as I wrote in my profile to marry, no matter where it comes from and no matter their religion back tail.

I am single never married and active and I like everything he does, for example, easy and comfortable life, go to the beach, cooking, watching TV, like sports football, etc, shopping, reading newspapers and novels, walk.pls after long time I would have liked to chat with u but in this field are not allowed to go out often.

I have no relative who can now go to all my relatives ran away in the midst of war, the only person I have now is the Rev. Danny King, who is the pastor of Christ (for all Churches) here in the Camp been good to me since I got here, but I'm not living with him rather i am leaving in the women's hostel because the camp have two hostels one for men and another for women. And I use to contact you via computer Reverend Danny King here in the camp i sent and received, also here is the Reverend pastor Danny King phone number (+221-76-33-86-879) for easier to hear your voice, When you call tell the reverend pastor Danny King wants to speak to Miss Favour Siako He sent for me,

As a refugee here I have no right or privilege to any thing be it money or whatever because it is against the law of this country.I want to go back to my studies because i only attended my first year before the incident that traggic lead to my being in this situation now took place.Please hear this, I have my late father's account and death certificate here with me I'll send you the letter because when he was alive he deposited some amount of money a leading financial company in which he used my name, Favour and family members, the amount involved is (Certificate of Deposit) to (U.S. $ 4m) four million U.S. dollars deposited by my late father in the bank I'm the next of kin.

So I would like to help me transfer this money to their care and from it you can send some money for me to get my traveling documents and air ticket to come to meet with you.I kept this secret to people in camp here the only person who knows about it is the Reverend because he is like a father to me. So in the light of above i will like you to keep you and not tell anyone for fear I have lost my life and the money if people gets to know.

Remember i am giving all this information due to trust and love i deposited on you.I like honest and understanding people, truthful and a man of vision, truth and working hard.
The mean time I would like you to answer me as I told you I have much to say .. If you accept and is willing to help i connect my picture here, please kindly attach your recent photo and details to contact you to answer me.

Have a nice day and think you hear me.Awaiting
Thank you my dear and take good care of himself.
A lovely lady Favour yours'

The betterment of the world

2011-08-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

"The betterment of the world," is yet another statement, "can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable andseemly conduct." "Be fair to yourselves and to others," He thus counseleth them, "that the evidences of justice may be revealedthrough your deeds among Our faithful servants." "Equity," He also has written, "is the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluationof all things must needs depend upon it." And again, "Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust inhis judgment is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man's station." "Beautify your tongues, O people," He furtheradmonishes them, "with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherouslywith anyone. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people." "Let your eye bechaste," is yet another counsel, "your hand faithful, your tongue truthful, and your heart enlightened." "Be an ornament to thecountenance of truth," is yet another admonition, "a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of lifeto the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue." "Let truthfulness and courtesy be youradorning," is still another admonition; "suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savorsof holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Baha, lest ye walk in the ways of them whosewords differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirrorforth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from theirconduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shedupon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, theAll-Wise."

- Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice,

A rectitude of conduct,

2011-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

A rectitude of conduct, an abiding sense of undeviating justice, unobscured by the demoralizing influences which a corruption-ridden political life so strikingly manifests; a chaste, pure, and holy life, unsullied and unclouded by the indecencies, the vices, the false standards, which an inherently deficient moral code tolerates, perpetuates, and fosters; a fraternity freed from that cancerous growth of racial prejudice, which is eating into the vitals of an already debilitated society—these are the ideals which the American believers must, from now on, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives, ideals which are the chief propelling forces that can most effectively accelerate the march of their institutions, plans, and enterprises, that can guard the honor and integrity of their Faith, and subdue any obstacles that may confront it in the future.

This rectitude of conduct, with its implications of justice, equity, truthfulness, honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, and trustworthiness, mustdistinguish every phase of the life of the Baha'i community. "The companions of God," Baha'u'llah Himself has declared, "are, in this day, the lumpthat must leaven the peoples of the world. They must show forth such trustworthiness, such truthfulness and perseverance, such deeds and characterthat all mankind may profit by their example." "I swear by Him Who is the Most Great Ocean!" He again affirms, "Within the very breath of such soulsas are pure and sanctified far-reaching potentialities are hidden. So great are these potentialities that they exercise their influence upon allcreated things." "He is the true servant of God," He, in another passage has written, "who, in this day, were he to pass through cities of silver andgold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from whatever things can be seen in this world, be they itsgoods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction."

- Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice,

Words of Wisdom ....

2011-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

The source of all good is trust in God, submission unto His command, and contentment with His holy will and pleasure.
The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree.
The essence of religion is to testify unto that which the Lord hath revealed, and follow that which He hath ordained in His mighty Book.
The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained.
The essence of love is for man to turn his heart to the Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but Him, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his Lord.
The source of courage and power is the promotion of the Word of God, and steadfastness in His Love.
The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.

Words of Wisdom, Bahá'u'lláh

... trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity of heart

2011-08-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

The virtues and attributes pertaining unto God are all evident and manifest, and have been mentioned and described in all the heavenly Books. Among them are trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity of heart while communing with God, forbearance, resignation to whatever the Almighty hath decreed, contentment with the things His Will hath provided, patience, nay, thankfulness in the midst of tribulation, and complete reliance, in all circumstances, upon Him. These rank, according to the estimate of God, among the highest and most laudable of all acts. All other acts are, and will ever remain, secondary and subordinate unto them....

The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself is to summon all mankind to truthfulness and sincerity, to piety and trustworthiness, to resignation and submissiveness to the Will of God, to forbearance and kindliness, to uprightness and wisdom. His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds.

"Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh"

O concourse of the rulers of the world!

2011-08-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

Behold the disturbances which, for many a long year, have afflicted the earth, and the perturbation that hath seized its peoples. It hath either been ravaged by war, or tormented by sudden and unforeseen calamities. Though the world is encompassed with misery and distress, yet no man hath paused to reflect what the cause or source of that may be. Whenever the True Counsellor uttered a word in admonishment, lo, they all denounced Him as a mover of mischief and rejected His claim. How bewildering, how confusing is such behavior! No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony and union. The Great Being saith: O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny. If the rulers and kings of the earth, the symbols of the power of God, exalted be His glory, arise and resolve to dedicate themselves to whatever will promote the highest interests of the whole of humanity, the reign of justice will assuredly be established amongst the children of men, and the effulgence of its light will envelop the whole earth. The Great Being saith: The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment....
In another passage He hath written: Take heed, O concourse of the rulers of the world! There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom....
Blessed is the king who marcheth with the ensign of wisdom unfurled before him, and the battalions of justice massed in his rear. He verily is the ornament that adorneth the brow of peace and the countenance of security. There can be no doubt whatever that if the day star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

O ye the elected representatives of the people in every land!

2011-08-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

How true are these words of Baha'ullah taday.

O ye the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred grievously. And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. And whenever any one of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this motive hath limited his power to heal or cure.

Pay thou no heed to the humiliation to which...

2011-08-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Pay thou no heed to the humiliation to which the loved ones of God have in this Day been subjected. This humiliation is the pride and glory of all temporal honor and worldly elevation. What greater honor can be imagined than the honor conferred by the Tongue of the Ancient of Days when He calleth to remembrance His loved ones in His Most Great Prison? The day is approaching when the intervening clouds will have been completely dissipated, when the light of the words, “All honor belongeth unto God and unto them that love Him,” will have appeared, as manifest as the sun, above the horizon of the Will of the Almighty.

All men, be they high or low, have sought and are still seeking so great an honor. All, however, have, as soon as the Sun of Truth shed its radiance upon the world, been deprived of its benefits, and have been shut out as by a veil from its glory, except them that have clung to the cord of the unfailing providence of the one true God, and have with complete detachment from all else but Him turned their faces towards His holy court.
Render thanks unto Him Who is the Desire of all worlds for having invested thee with such high honor. Ere long the world and all that is therein shall be as a thing forgotten, and all honor shall belong to the loved ones of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.

Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning

2011-08-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thou art the Ever-Forgiving.

2011-08-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

I am a sinner, O my Lord, and Thou art the Ever-Forgiving. As soon as I recognized Thee, I hastened to attain the exalted court of Thy loving-kindness. Forgive me, O my Lord, my sins which have hindered me from walking in the ways of Thy good pleasure, and from attaining the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness.
There is no one, O my Lord, who can deal bountifully with me to whom I can turn my face, and none who can have compassion on me that I may crave his mercy. Cast me not out, I implore Thee, of the presence of Thy grace, neither do Thou withhold from me the outpourings of Thy generosity and bounty. Ordain for me, O my Lord, what Thou hast ordained for them that love Thee, and write down for me what Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones. My gaze hath, at all times, been fixed on the horizon of Thy gracious providence, and mine eyes bent upon the court of Thy tender mercies. Do with me as beseemeth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the God of power, the God of glory, Whose help is implored by all men.
~ Bahá’u’lláh

the integrity of your life

2011-08-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Letter to the 18 first believers, spiritual dawn-breakers called the Letters of the Living, from The Bab (meaning The Gate), Herald of the Baha'i Faith.

"O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories of His mystery. It behoves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion. For verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in His Book:[1] 'On that day will We set a seal upon their mouths yet shall their hands speak unto Us, and their feet shall bear witness to that which they shall have done.' Ponder the words of Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth to propagate the Cause of God. In words such as these, He bade them arise and fulfil their mission: 'Ye are even as the fire which in the darkness of the night has been kindled upon the mountain-top. Let your light shine before the eyes of men. Such must be the purity of your character and the degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth may through you recognize and be drawn closer to the heavenly Father who is the Source of purity and grace. For none has seen the Father who is in heaven. You who are His spiritual children must by your deeds exemplify His virtues, and witness to His glory. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?' . . .

O My Letters! Verily I say, immensely exalted is this Day above the days of the Apostles of old. Nay, immeasurable is the difference! You are the witnesses of the Dawn of the promised Day of God. You are the partakers of the mystic chalice of His Revelation. Gird up the loins of endeavour, and be mindful of the words of God as revealed in His Book:[2] 'Lo, the Lord thy God is come, and with Him is the company of His angels arrayed before Him!' Purge your hearts of worldly desires, and let angelic virtues be your adorning. Strive that by your deeds you may bear witness to the truth of these words of God, and beware lest, by 'turning back,' He may 'change you for another people,' who 'shall not be your like,' and who shall take from you the Kingdom of God. The days when idle worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time is come when naught but the purest motive, supported by deeds of stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the Most High and be acceptable unto Him. 'The good word riseth up unto Him, and the righteous deed will cause it to be exalted before Him.' You are the lowly, of whom God has thus spoken in His Book:[3] "And We desire to show favour to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make them Our heirs.' You have been called to this station; you will attain to it, only if you arise to trample beneath your feet every earthly desire, and endeavour to become those 'honoured servants of His who speak not till He hath spoken, and who do His bidding.' You are the first Letters that have been generated from the Primal Point,[4] the first Springs that have welled out from the Source of this Revelation. Beseech the Lord your God to grant that no earthly entanglements, no worldly affections, no ephemeral pursuits, may tarnish the purity, or embitter the sweetness, of that grace which flows through you. I am preparing you for the advent of a mighty Day. Exert your utmost endeavour that, in the world to come, I, who am now instructing you, may, before the mercy-seat of God, rejoice in your deeds and glory in your achievements. . . ."

[1 The Qur'án.]

[2 The Qur'án.]

[3 The Qur'án.]

[4 One of the Báb's titles.]

The purpose of religion ....

2011-08-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God's holy Willis to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world;make it not the cause of dissension and strife. The religion ofGod and His divine law are the most potent instruments and the surestof all means for the dawning of the light of unity amongst men. The progress of the world, the development of nations, the tranquillityof peoples, and the peace of all who dwell on earth are among theprinciples and ordinances of God. Religion bestoweth upon man themost precious of all gifts, offereth the cup of prosperity, impartetheternal life, and showereth imperishable benefits upon mankind. Baha'u'llah

The purpose of all the divine religions is the establishment of thebonds of love and fellowship among men, and the heavenly phenomena ofthe revealed Word of God are intended to be a source of knowledge andillumination to humanity. So long as man persists in hisadherence to ancestral forms and imitation of obsolete ceremonials,denying higher revelations of the divine light in the world, strife andcontention will destroy the purpose of religion and make love andfellowship impossible. Each of the holy Manifestations announcedthe glad tidings of His successor, and each One confirmed the messageof His predecessor. Therefore, inasmuch as They were agreed andunited in purpose and teaching, it is incumbent upon Their followers tobe likewise unified in love and spiritual fellowship. In no otherway will discord and alienation disappear and the oneness of the worldof humanity be established.
Abdu'lBaha

(LATEST) Be The Change You Want To See

2011-08-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

As Bahá'ís, having faith in the betterment of the world is very important. The quotation shown in the beginning of the video reminds us to not only show our faith in God through words alone; rather our lives should animate our belief through deeds and actions. The idea for this video came together when a group of youth met for a weekend and decided to make a song to show how faith inspires them. The first day was dedicated to inspiring workshops, brainstorming, writing and recording. The second day was spent filming and final critiques. This is the result!

We thank you for giving us the opportunity to express our faith and look forward to seeing the other diversity of videos submitted.

Edited by:

Nadim Merrikh

It hath been decreed by Us that the Word…

2011-08-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

It hath been decreed by Us that the Wordof God and all the potentialities thereof shall be manifested unto men in strict conformity with such conditions as have been foreordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have, moreover, ordained that its veil of concealment be none other except its own Self. Such indeed is Our Power to achieve Our Purpose. Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a Revelation. Nay, all that is in heaven and on earth would flee in consternation before it.

Consider that which hath been sent down unto Muḥammad, the Apostle of God. The measure of the Revelation of which He was the bearer had been clearly foreordained by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. They that heard Him, however, could apprehend His purpose only to the extent of their station and spiritual capacity. He, in like manner, uncovered the Face of Wisdom in proportion to their ability to sustain the burden of His Message. No sooner had mankind attained the stage of maturity, than the Word revealed to men’s eyes the latent energies with which it had been endowed—energies which manifested themselves in the plenitude of their glory when the Ancient Beauty appeared, in the year sixty, in the person of ‘Alí-Muḥammad, the Báb.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

The purpose of God in creating man hath been,

2011-08-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

The purpose of God in creating man hathbeen, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. To this most excellent aim, this supreme objective, all the heavenly Books and the divinely-revealed and weighty Scriptures unequivocally bear witness. Whoso hath recognized the Day Spring of Divine guidance and entered His holy court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His Presence, a Presence which is the real Paradise, and of which the loftiest mansions of heaven are but a symbol. Such a man hath attained the knowledge of the station of Him Who is “at the distance of two bows,” Who standeth beyond the Sadratu’l-Muntahá. Whoso hath failed to recognize Him will have condemned himself to the misery of remoteness, a remoteness which is naught but utter nothingness and the essence of the nethermost fire. Such will be his fate, though to outward seeming he may occupy the earth’s loftiest seats and be established upon its most exalted throne. This principle hath operated in each of the previous Dispensations and been abundantly demonstrated…. It is for this reason that, in every age, when a new Manifestation hath appeared and a fresh revelation of God’s transcendent power was vouchsafed unto men.

Bahá'u'lláh Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

There are two mighty banners which ...

2011-08-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

There are two mighty banners which, when they cast their shadow across the crown of any king, will cause the influence of his government quickly and easily to penetrate the whole earth, even as if it were the light of the sun: the first of these two banners is wisdom; the second is justice. Against these two most potent forces, the iron hills cannot prevail, and Alexander’s wall will break before them. It is clear that life in this fast-fading world is as fleeting and inconstant as the morning wind, and this being so, how fortunate are the great who leave a good name behind them, and the memory of a lifetime spent in the pathway of the good pleasure of God.

`Abdu'l-Bahá The Secret of Divine Civilization

True civilization will unfurl its banner in ....

2011-08-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

True civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns—the shining exemplars of devotion and determination—shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking—the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world—should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations ascertained.
In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure.

`Abdu'l-Bahá The Secret of Divine Civilization

Looking through the Oxford Dictionary of Science

2011-08-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Somewhere where they receive a lot more sunny weather than Greater Vancouver...

A. Looking through the Oxford Dictionary of Science

Even as this is primarily a blog that deals with theology, philosophy of religion, Biblical studies and satire, scientific issues do arise as well and are of course important. Education and academics today do require at least at times the learning of disciplines outside of one's areas of expertise. Somewhat similarly my PhD thesis was completed within a Religion and Theology Department, but the content, as was the MPhil thesis, was as much philosophy/philosophy of religion and it was theology as it primarily dealt with the topics of the problem of evil and theodicy. As well I was required to do some research into empirical theology and social research which included statistics, and also researched how empirical theology related to science. With post viva revisions I was required to research some scientific journals on the subject of consciousness. Even without completing science course work and degrees I have done at least some science research in my academic career and reason I need to keep learning about science particularly in how it relates to the main disciplines I study. The origin of humanity is a topic/subject, for one, that can cover the disciplines of Biblical studies, theology, philosophy, and of course science.

Being quite pleased with the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy and the Oxford Dictionary of the Bible which I use, I bought on discount with damaged beat up cover the Oxford Dictionary of Science. Yes, I had to ask for the discount and all sales are final, but the price was right. Interestingly, unlike the other two texts this has no author on the cover, although there is a listing with Editors, Advisers, and Contributors provided on a credits page. I have bought other science texts during my academic career and been given other texts, but this text will be particularly helpful for blogging in its dictionary form and its size in larger than the other two Oxford volumes put together.

Oxford Dictionary of Science, (2010), Sixth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Interesting how the definition differs for entropy for example in the science text, compared to the philosophy text, a term and subject that would be discussed across disciplines even in theology at times:

From the Science Dictionary: Symbol (S) a measure of the unavailability of a systems energy to do work; in a closed system an increase in entropy is accomplished by a decrease in energy available. When a system undergoes change the entropy (S) changes by the amount equal the energy (Q) transferred to the system by heat divided by the thermodynamic temperature (T) at which this occurs. However, all real processes are to a certain extent irreversible changes and in any closed system an irreversible change is accompanied by an increase in entropy. (292).

In a wider sense entropy is interpreted as a measure of disorder, the higher the entropy, the greater the disorder and it states see the Boltzmann Formula. This is the second law of thermodynamics and involves the heat death of the universe. (292).

Simon Blackburn provides a less technical definition and agrees entropy is a property of a closed thermodynamical system. Entropy is a measure of the disorder in the system. He reasons the second law of thermodynamics states entropy always increases. Basically, a useful philosophical summation is provided. Blackburn (1996: 121).

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Also in the huge 889 page science volume:

Evolution: Interestingly the text theorized 3000 million (3 billion) years of evolution and explains that up until the middle of the 18th century there was the generally intellectually accepted concept that God created living species. The text then goes on to claim Darwinian natural selection which it states is supported by modern genetics, for example. But, it admits, and I find this quite interesting, that evolution as theory is quite controversial and needs to be firmly clarified in regard to relationships of groups above the species level (304).

All in all a useful text that I will be using as a tool for blogging.

Christian scientific site I am familiar with:

Reasons to Believe

Also Jeff Jenkins of Thoughts and Theology has been showing some clips from Exploration Films lately:

Exploration Films

B. Various

'Classic' high-pitched voice guru. No, all religions are not the same.

If you find the music annoying (one vote from me) you can of course turn the volume down on YouTube.

On the web this is noted as supposedly in India, the home of technical support for many home computer owners. Does potential electrical fire come to mind?

(Image from Amazon.com)

Thanks, Jeff

From:

The Vancouver Sun: Bert & Ernie wedding: Sesame Street says no

'Are wedding bells in the cards for Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie, roommates in the iconic children's TV show who have long been rumoured to be gay?

There's an online petition at the activism website Change.org, with more than 5,000 signatures, which is calling for such a union, or for something else to happen on the show to teach kids that having a different sexual orientation is OK.

"Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics . . . they remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation."'

I just heard about this on Albert Mohler's Podcast.

In regard to this article I think it is okay for kids to reason that the puppets are asexual/nonsexual. I think it is okay to let children figure it for themselves minus some political/moral agenda.

August 20, 2011

C. Age of the universe the Oxford Dictionary of Science

Having received a reasonable number of comments this month I return to the main topic. The text under this entry states that the age of the universe is the reciprocal value of the Hubble constant ( which is the rate at which the velocity of recession of galaxies increases with distance... Hubble time is a measure of age of universe assuming that expansion rate has remained constant, and it is assumed the expansion of the universe is accelerating. p 400). The Hubble constant according to the Oxford text is assumed to be 13.7 billion years old. p 18. But, it is admitted that the calculation of the Hubble constant and the age of the universe will depend of what theory of cosmology is used. They state that it is usually tied to calculations concerning the expansion of the universe arising from a big-bang theory. p. 18.

I deduce from this entry there is room for some debate in regard to the age of the universe, even from a secular scientific perspective in regard to cosmology which does overlap with the field of philosophy which of course overlaps with the field of theology.

احیای عظمت ایران

2011-07-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

فیلمی کوتاه دربارۀ تاریخ پرشکوه و گذشته پرعظمت ایران و پیش بینی آیندۀ این کشور از دیدگاه دیانت بهائی

... polish the mirrors of hearts ...

2011-07-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Promulgation of Universal Peace

2011-07-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today the world of humanity is in need of international unity and conciliation. To establish these great fundamental principles a propelling power is needed. It is self-evident that the unity of the human world and the Most Great Peace cannot be accomplished through material means. They cannot be established through political power, for the political interests of nations are various and the policies of peoples are divergent and conflicting. They cannot be founded through racial or patriotic power, for these are human powers, selfish and weak. The very nature of racial differences and patriotic prejudices prevents the realization of this unity and agreement. Therefore, it is evidenced that the promotion of the oneness of the kingdom of humanity, which is the essence of the teachings of all the Manifestations of God, is impossible except through the divine power and breaths of the Holy Spirit. Other powers are too weak and are incapable of accomplishing this.

For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and material civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are essential. Therefore, no matter how much material civilization advances, it cannot attain to perfection except through the uplift of spiritual civilization.

'Abdu'l-Bahá

When a true seeker determineth...

2011-07-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker's heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

Bahai Video!LET YOUR VISION BE WORLD-EMBRACING ♡ BAHAULLAH Part 1 of 3 ...

2011-07-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

The new 30 minute documentary production The Promise of World Peace - A Bahai Perspective was released in September 2006, produced and directed with association of Clear Sky Pictures, an award-winning, non-Bahai film producing company in Portland, Oregon. Weaving together interviews, historical documents and footage from around the globe. This documentary takes us inside the Bahai way of life and the daily struggle to promote unity in a conflicted world.

To be pure and holy in all things is ...

2011-07-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

O Friends of the Pure and Omnipotent God! To be pure and holy in all things is an attribute of the consecrated soul and a necessary characteristic of the unenslaved mind. The best of perfections is immaculacy and the freeing of oneself from every defect. Once the individual is, in every respect, cleansed and purified, then will he become a focal centre reflecting the Manifest Light.
First in a human being’s way of life must be purity, then freshness, cleanliness, and independence of spirit. First must the stream bed be cleansed, then may the sweet river waters be led into it. Chaste eyes enjoy the beatific vision of the Lord and know what this encounter meaneth; a pure sense inhaleth the fragrances that blow from the rose gardens of His grace; a burnished heart will mirror forth the comely face of truth.
My meaning is this, that in every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition and further the development of man’s inner reality. Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to spirituality, as the Holy Writings clearly state. And although bodily cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the spirit. It is even as a voice wondrously sweet, or a melody played: although sounds are but vibrations in the air which affect the ear’s auditory nerve, and these vibrations are but chance phenomena carried along through the air, even so, see how they move the heart. A wondrous melody is wings for the spirit, and maketh the soul to tremble for joy. The purport is that physical cleanliness doth also exert its effect upon the human soul.

Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

AMERICA AND THE MOST GREAT PEACE

2011-07-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

“O ye apostles of Bahá’u’lláh!” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá thus addresses them in oneof His Tablets, “May my life be sacrificed for you!… Beholdthe portals which Bahá’u’lláh hath opened before you! Consider howexalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain; howunique the favors with which you have been endowed.” “Mythoughts,” He tells them in another passage, “are turned towardsyou, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye knowhow my soul glows with your love, so great a happiness would floodyour hearts as to cause you to become enamored with each other.”“The full measure of your success,” He declares in another Tablet,“is as yet unrevealed, its significance still unapprehended. Ere longye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one ofyou, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of yourcountry the light of Divine Guidance and will bestow upon its peoplethe glory of an everlasting life.” “The range of your future achievements,”He once more affirms, “still remains undisclosed. I ferventlyhope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred andshaken by the results of your achievements.”
“The Almighty,” Heassures them, “will no doubt grant you the help of His grace, willinvest you with the tokens of His might, and will endue your soulswith the sustaining power of His holy Spirit.” “Be not concerned,”He admonishes them, “with the smallness of your numbers, neitherbe oppressed by the multitude of an unbelieving world… Exertyourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should succescrown your enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a centerfrom which waves of spiritual power will emanate, and the throneof the Kingdom of God will, in the plentitude of its majesty andglory, be firmly established.”

Shoghi Effendi :The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh

Victories of the Covenant (1 of 2)

2011-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Victories of the Covenant (2 of 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jdrgMzvmpE&feature=related

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight,

2011-07-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people.

Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was through the grace of God and with the aid of seemly words and praiseworthy deeds that the unsheathed swords of the Bábí community were returned to their scabbards. Indeed through the power of good words, the righteous have always succeeded in winning command over the meads of the hearts of men. Say, O ye loved ones! Do not forsake prudence. Incline your hearts to the counsels given by the Most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or tongues cause harm unto anyone among mankind.Bahá’u’lláh

..... trials and tribulations .....

2011-07-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation….

Delight not yourselves in the things of the world and its vain ornaments, neither set your hopes on them. Let your reliance be on the remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
~ Bahá’u’lláh

Earth is not man’s home,but .....

2011-07-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

The highest of created beings fighting to obtain the lowest form of matter, earth! Land belongs not to one people, but to all people. This earth is not man’s home, but his tomb. It is for their tombs these men are fighting. There is nothing so horrible in this world as the tomb, the abode of the decaying bodies of men.
.... I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.
Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness.
When soldiers of the world draw their swords to kill, soldiers of God clasp each other’s hands! So may all the savagery of man disappear by the Mercy of God, working through the pure in heart and the sincere of soul. Do not think the peace of the world an ideal impossible to attain!
If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual andpositive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men.
Do not despair! Work steadily. Sincerity and love will conquer hate. How many seemingly impossible events are coming to pass in these days! Set your faces steadily towards the Light of the World. Show love to all; ‘Love is the breath of the Holy Spirit in the heart of Man’. Take courage! God never forsakes His children who strive and work and pray! Let your hearts be filled with the strenuous desire that tranquillity and harmony may encircle all this warring world. So will success crown your efforts, and with the universal brotherhood will come the Kingdom of God in peace and goodwill.
`Abdu'l-Bahá

THE FOUR KINDS OF LOVE

2011-07-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

What a power is love! It is the most wonderful, the greatest of all living powers.

Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful.

There are four kinds of love.
The first is the love that flows from God to man; it consists of the inexhaustible graces, the Divine effulgence and heavenly illumination. Through this love the world of being receives life. Through this love man is endowed with physical existence, until, through the breath of the Holy Spirit—this same love—he receives eternal life and becomes the image of the Living God. This love is the origin of all the love in the world of creation.
The second is the love that flows from man to God. This is faith, attraction to the Divine, enkindlement, progress, entrance into the Kingdom of God, receiving the Bounties of God, illumination with the lights of the Kingdom. This love is the origin of all philanthropy; this love causes the hearts of men to reflect the rays of the Sun of Reality.
The third is the love of God towards the Self or Identity of God. This is the transfiguration of His Beauty, the reflection of Himself in the mirror of His Creation. This is the reality of love, the Ancient Love, the Eternal Love. Through one ray of this Love all other love exists.
The fourth is the love of man for man. The love which exists between the hearts of believers is prompted by the ideal of the unity of spirits. This love is attained through the knowledge of God, so that men see the Divine Love reflected in the heart. Each sees in the other the Beauty of God reflected in the soul, and finding this point of similarity, they are attracted to one another in love. This love will make all men the 181waves of one sea, this love will make them all the stars of one heaven and the fruits of one tree. This
love will bring the realization of true accord, the foundation of real unity.

`Abdu'l-Bahá

Arising to Act

2011-07-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Verily, I say unto thee, every soul which ariseth today to guide others to the path of safety and infuse in them the Spirit of Life, the Holy Spirit will inspire that soul with evidences, proofs and facts and the lights will shine upon it from the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, the believers of God throughout all the Republics of America, through the divine power, must become the cause of the promotion of heavenly teachings and the establishment of the oneness of humanity. Every one of the important souls must arise, blowing over all parts of America the breath of life conferring upon the people a new spirit, baptizing them with the fire of the love of God, the water of life, and the breaths of the Holy Spirit -- so that the second birth may become realized.

The highest righteousness of all is for blessed souls to take hold of the hands of the helpless and deliver them out of their ignorance and abasement and poverty, and with pure motives, and only for the sake of God, to arise and energetically devote themselves to the service of the masses, forgetting their own worldly advantage and working only to serve the general good.

Abdu'l-Baha

Arising to Act

2011-07-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Baha'u'llah (may my life, my soul, my spirit, be offered up as a sacrifice unto His lowly servants) hath, during His last days on earth, given the most emphatic promise that, through the outpourings of the grace of God and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom on high, souls will arise and holy beings appear who, as stars, would adorn the firmament of divine Guidance; illumine the dayspring of loving kindness and bounty; manifest the signs of the unity of God; shine with the light of sanctity and purity; receive their full measure of divine inspiration; raise high the sacred torch of faith; stand firm as the rock and immovable as the mountain; and grow to become luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation, mighty channels of His grace, means for the bestowals of God's bountiful care, heralds calling forth the name of the one true God, and establishers of the world's supreme foundation.

These shall labor ceaselessly by day and by night, shall heed neither trial nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their efforts, shall seek no repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort and, detached and unsullied, shall consecrate every fleeting moment of their life to the diffusion of the divine fragrance and the exaltation of God's holy Word. Their face will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be filled with joy. Their souls will be inspired, and their foundation stand secure. They shall scatter in the world, and travel throughout all regions. They shall raise their voice in every assembly, and adorn and revive every gathering. They shall speak in every tongue, and interpret every hidden meaning. They shall reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, and manifest unto every one the signs of God. They shall burn brightly even as a candle in the heart of every assembly, and beam forth as a star upon every horizon. The gentle breeze wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and revive the souls of men, and the revelations of their minds, even as showers, reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world.

I am waiting, eagerly waiting for these holy ones to appear; and yet, how long will they delay their coming? My prayer and ardent supplication, at eventide and at dawn, is that these shining stars may soon shed their radiance upon the world, that their sacred countenance may be unveiled to mortal eyes, and the billows of grace, rising from His oceans above, may flow upon all mankind. Pray ye also and supplicate unto Him that through the bountiful aid of the Ancient Beauty these souls may be unveiled to the eyes of the world.

Abdu'l-Baha

The whole duty of man in this Day is

2011-07-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man’s hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure.

Every eye, in this Day, should seek what will bestpromote the Cause of God. He, Who is the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness! Nothing whatever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy, among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
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. Bend your energies to whatever may foster the education of men. Nothing is, or can ever be, hidden from God. If ye follow in His way, His incalculable and imperishable blessings will be showered upon you. This is the luminous Tablet, whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds. Ponder it in your hearts, and be ye of them that observe its precepts.

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

Selfishness and egotism.

2011-07-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

“Men keep their possessions for their own enjoyment and do not share sufficiently with others the bounty received from God. Spring is thus changed into the winter of selfishness and egotism.

Jesus Christ said ‘Ye must be born again’ so that divine Life may spring anew within you. Be kind to all around and serve one another; love to be just and true in all your dealings; pray always and so live your life that sorrow cannot touch you. Look upon the people of your own race and those of other races as members of one organism; sons of the same Father; let it be known by your behaviour that you are indeed the people of God. Then wars and disputes shall cease and over the world will spread the Most Great Peace.”

هفتم وادی فنا است

2011-07-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

.............

ای حبیب من ، نغمات روح را به جان و دل گوش کن و چون بصر حفظش نما که همیشه ایام معارف الهی به مثابۀ ابر نیسانی بر اراضی قلوب انسانی جاری نیست . سحاب رحمت جانان جز بر ریاض جان نبارد و در غیر بهاران این کرم نفرماید . فصول دیگر را از این فضل اکبر نصیبی نیست و اراضی جُرُز را از این کرم قسمتی نه .

ای برادر ، هر بحری لولو ندارد و هر شاخی گل نیارد و بلبل بر آن نسراید.
پس تا بلبل بوستان معنوی به گلستان الهی بازنگشت و انوار صبح معانی به شمس حقیقی راجع نشد ، سعی کنید که شاید در این گلخن فانی بویی از گلشن باقی بشنوید و در زلّ اهل این مدینۀ جاوید بمانید .
و چون به این رتبۀ بلند اعلی رسیدی و به این درجۀ عظما فائز شدی یار بینی و اغیار فراموش کنی .

یار بی پرده از در و دیوار در تجلیست یا اولوالابصار

از قطرۀ جان گذشتی و به بحر جانان واصل شدی .
ای عجب که یار چون شمس آشکار و اغیار در طلب زخارف و دینار .
بلی ، از شدت ظهور پنهان مانده و از کثرت بروز مخفی گشته .
حق عیان چون مهر رخشان آمده حیف کــاندر شهــر کـوران آمـده

2011-07-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

مرثیه ای برای انتظار
شعری در توصیف شهادت حضرت رب اعلی

MARTYRDOM OF THE BAB

2011-07-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

It would indeed be no exaggeration to say thatnowhere in the whole compass of the world's religious literature, except in theGospels, do we find any record relating to the death of any of thereligion-founders of the past comparable to the martyrdom suffered by theProphet of Shiraz. So strange, so inexplicable a phenomenon, attested byeye-witnesses, corroborated by men of recognized standing, and acknowledged bygovernment as well as unofficial historians among the people who had swornundying hostility to the Bábí Faith, may be truly regarded as the mostmarvelous manifestation of the unique potentialities with which a Dispensationpromised by all the Dispensations of the past had been endowed.

The passion ofJesus Christ, and indeed His whole public ministry, alone offer a parallel tothe Mission and death of the Bab, a parallel which no student of comparativereligion can fail to perceive or ignore. In the youthfulness and meekness ofthe Inaugurator of the Bábí Dispensation; in the extreme brevity and turbulenceof His public ministry; in the dramatic swiftness with which that ministrymoved towards its climax; in the apostolic order which He instituted, and theprimacy which He conferred on one of its members; in the boldness of Hischallenge to the time-honored conventions, rites and laws which had been woveninto the fabric of the religion He Himself had been born into; in the rolewhich an officially recognized and firmly entrenched religious hierarchy playedas chief instigator of the outrages which He was made to suffer; in theindignities heaped upon Him; in the suddenness of His arrest; in theinterrogation to which He was subjected; in the derision poured, and thescourging inflicted, upon Him; in the public affront He sustained; and,finally, in His ignominious suspension before the gaze of a hostile multitude-- in all these we cannot fail to discern a remarkable similarity to thedistinguishing features of the career of Jesus Christ.

Shoghi Effendi,

2011-07-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

The peoples of the world are fast asleep. Were they to wake from their slumber, they would hasten with eagerness unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. They would cast away everything they possess, be it all the treasures of the earth, that their Lord may remember them to the extent of addressing to them but one word. Such is the instruction given you by Him Who holdeth the knowledge of things hidden, in a Tablet which the eye of creation hath not seen, and which is revealed to none except His own Self, the omnipotent Protector of all worlds. So bewildered are they in the drunkenness of their evil desires, that they are powerless to recognize the Lord of all being, Whose voice calleth aloud from every direction: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Wise.”

Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye cannot, if ye be of them who judge fairly. The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise. By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead.

Bahá'u'lláh

The Hidden Words

2011-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

O Son of Desire!
How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and not the regions of satanic fancy. The comb, too, have I given thee that thou mayest dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My throat.

O Son of Being!
If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall visit thee. Fear not abasement, for glory shall one day rest on thee.

O Son of Spirit!

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty! Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

O Son of Spirit!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

~ Bahá’u’lláh from The Hidden Words

The virtues that befit his dignity are ....

2011-07-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

The heights which, through the most gracious favor of God, mortal man can attain, in this Day, are as yet unrevealed to his sight. The world of being hath never had, nor doth it yet possess the capacity for such a revelation. The day, however, is approaching when the potentialities of so great a favor will, by virtue of His behest, be manifested unto men. Though the forces of the nations be arrayed against Him, though the kings of the earth be leagued to undermine His Cause, the power of His might shall stand unshaken. He, verily, speaketh the truth, and summoneth all mankind to the way of Him Who is the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Say: O friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that floweth through the heavenly grace of Him Who is the Lord of Names. Let others partake of its waters in My name, that the leaders of men in every land may fully recognize the purpose for which the Eternal Truth hath been revealed, and the reason for which they themselves have been created.

قسم بعزّت و بزرگواری تو ای مولای من و مقتدای من و حبيب من

2011-07-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

قسم بعزّت و بزرگواری تو ای مولای من و مقتدای من و حبيب من كه شكايت نميكنم بسوی تو از آنچه وارد شد از حضرت تو و ظاهر شد از جانب تو بلكه سرهای عاشقان تو طالب كمندهای محكم است و گردنهای طالبان روی تو منتظر شمشيرهای برنده و سينه های منيره از جذب و شوق مترصّد تيرهای زهر آلوده . زهرهای كشنده نزد عاشقان از خمرهای حيوان نيكوتر و زخمهای هلاك كننده از شربتهای لطيف پاكيزه‌تر . پس معدوم شود نفسيكه در راه عشق تو جان نبازد.

و مفقود شود وجوديكه در طلب وصل تو سر نيندازد و بميرد قلبی كه بذكر تو زنده نگردد و دور شود هيكلی كه بجان طالب قرب نشود و مشقّتهای باديه عشق را نچشد. و لكن ای سيّد من باز گشت و توبه مينمايم بآنچه مشغول شدم در ساحت قدس تو باين كلماتيكه ظاهر نشده مگر از غفلت اين عبد از مقامات قرب و وصل . زيرا كه هر كه بتو رسيد از غير تو باز ماند و هر كه از تو گذشت بغير تو مشغول شد . پس وای بر كسيكه از تو بريد و بغير تو پيوست و در وادی حيرت نفس سرگردان بماند و بمرد و از مدينه حيات باقيه و زندگانی دائمه محروم ماند .
و بعزّت و جلال تو ای پرورگار من كه مشاهده ميكنم دوستان و مُحرمان كعبه وصال تو را و سرمستان خمر جمال تو را كه مشعوفند ببدائع قضای تو و مسرورند ببلاهای نازله از نزد تو اگر چه قهر صرف باشد و يا غضب بحت . زيرا كه اين قهر مالك لطفهاست و اين غضب سلطان مهرها و اين سمّ محيی جانها . جبروت عزّت طائف اين ذلّت است و ملكوت غنا طالب اين فقر .
و تو ای مولای من راجع فرمودی اين طير را از جسد ظلمانی بلاهوت معانی و از غذاهای روحانی مرزوق گشته و بنعمتهای صمدانی محظوظ شده و بتو راجع گرديده و بر تو وارد آمده و ارتقا برفارف قدس تو جسته و در جوار رحمت تو مستريح گشته و بر كرسيّ افتخار مقرّ گزيده و در هواهای عزّ روح طيران مينمايد و از باده‌های وصال احديّه مينوشد و از شرابهای لقای صمديّه می آشامد . و چون بحكمتهای بالغه مستور فرمودی اين مراتب را در پرده‌های قدرت خود لهذا صعب گشته بر عباد حكم فراق و سخت است بر ايشان امر طلاق و بجزع می‌آيد نفوس از ملاحظه آن و بفزع ميآيد عقول از مشاهده آن . و از جمله آن بلايای مقدّره و مصيبتهای جليّه مستوره اين مصيبت بديعه و اين بليّه جديده است كه باو محترق شد اكباد و مشتعل شد حقائق عباد و مضطرب گشت اهل بلاد . پس نماند چشمی مگر آنكه خون گريست و باقی نماند قلبی مگر آنكه كأس الم بچشيد و رؤوس عالين برهنه و عريان شد و نفوس راضين از غم نالان گشت فؤادها مكدّر شد و نورها تاريك و مظلم گشت و منقطع شد روح از اماكن خود و تبديل گشت سرور از محافل خود . پس وای وای از آنچه ظاهر شد و هويدا گشت و اين است از قضاهای ثابت تو در شجره ظهور تو ای پروردگار من.

Entitlement philosophy and an earning based philosophy

2011-07-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Belchen, Germany (trekearth.com)

A. Quebec is more deserving than Winnipeg?

I still do not consider myself an NHL fan. I am a fan of European football, Manchester United, Arsenal, and the UEFA Champions League. I am an observer of the NHL and not a follower like I was when I was younger. I still am not impressed by how the League is run, especially in regard to franchise location, although I like how the League is seemingly being somewhat forced into reevaluating that philosophy and recently relocated Atlanta to Winnipeg which had lost its team in 1996. Winnipeg lost its team due to a variety of economic reasons and the fact it had an old outdated arena and no prospects for a new one, or a local owner that wanted to continue losing money. It now has a newer arena and a billionaire co-owner. The League also has revenue sharing and a salary cap. Quebec also lost its team one season prior to Winnipeg for similar reasons including an old outdated arena and no prospects for a new one, and no local owner that wanted to continue losing money. When Winnipeg received Atlanta via relocation the Mayor of Quebec reportedly stated in the Montreal Gazette:

Montreal Gazette

'"Today we should be thrilled. The best thing that could happen to us is to see Winnipeg get its team. Usually, we could be next on the list," the mayor told reporters.'

The idea having been implied by the League which has also been discussed by the media in both Canada and the United States is that if Quebec, like Winnipeg builds a 15, 000 seats NHL size/type arena it will very likely be next in line to receive a franchise should one become available.

However, former Quebec Nordiques or Nordique great and member of the European Parliament Peter Stastny took a negative route according to the Winnipeg Free Press:

Winnipeg Free Press

'BRUSSELS, Belgium -- With apologies to Winnipeg, former Quebec Nordiques great Peter Stastny says Quebec City should have been first to see the return of the NHL.

Stastny even admits he was less than thrilled to learn that the Manitoba capital got an NHL club before Quebec City.

"Personally, I was sad," Stastny said Wednesday, adding that Quebec was more deserving of the distinction.'

Further

'Despite Stastny's assessment, Winnipeg had several advantages over its Quebec rival.

The Manitoba capital has a larger population and a completed, modern arena -- built mainly with private cash.'

My take is that, not knowing his heart (motives) of course, is that because he played for Quebec and because the NHL Quebec team, not the WHA team, did generally better than Winnipeg on the ice, he may think it sad that Quebec did not receive a franchise back first, and that Quebec should have received this distinction first.

This type of thinking comes across as entitlement philosophy as opposed to an earning based philosophy. Let us face it, entitlement philosophy it is often associated with both Canada and Europe more so than the United States, although it does exist there also. Winnipeg builds the 15, 000 plus seat/type NHL arena owned by suitable people that could own an NHL club in 2004 and in 2011 and Quebec still has not, although it is being planned and it does have suitable ownership. Winnipeg was in a position to purchase and properly support a franchise, Quebec was not.

Therefore, Stastny is philosophically mistaken.

Further, as side issues, I hope Quebec does receive either the next relocated franchise or the next one after that, if not Southern Ontario receives it. Actually when I a kid, I received Stastny's autograph, he was a nice man.

Political map of Canada, please click for magnification.

B. Rights

I tried to find a good definition of Entitlement in one of my philosophy texts but there was nothing suitable, and so I went to the 'Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy' which I used for my PhD and it is reliable and it uses the term entitlements is the context of defining rights. Rights are a type of entitlement by this definition and so I suppose are a useful example here.

Stanford

'Rights are entitlements (not) to perform certain actions, or (not) to be in certain states; or entitlements that others (not) perform certain actions or (not) be in certain states.'

Chevreuse, France (trekearth.com)

The West? Is this tied to an attitude of entitlement too often?

C. The Work of Christ as Remedy to the Problem of Evil

From my MPhil (Wales) of 2003 Edited

I think, however, the philosophical discussion needs to be complemented by the theological remedy. I can understand Alister McGrath’s perspective on suffering as in many post-Enlightenment works the faith has been under attack because of the problem of evil. The attacks were of a philosophical nature and thus dealt with so, but ultimately the defence of Christianity comes down to divine revelation. McGrath stated in Iustitia Dei:

'The central teaching of the Christian faith is that reconciliation has been effected between and God and sinful man through Jesus Christ, and that this new relation between God and man is a present possibility for those outside the church, and a present actuality for those within its bounds. McGrath (1986: 1).'

Since to McGrath this is the central teaching, it makes sense in apologetics featuring the problem of evil, that the work of Jesus Christ in atonement which includes restoration and reconciliation, must be central. He thus thinks discussions on the problem of evil that do not deal with this in strong fashion, are lacking. Suffering was written to comfort those struggling with the problem of evil and to inform them that ultimate victory over suffering will be had through Jesus Christ.

McGRATH, A. (1986) Iustitia Dei, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

McGRATH, A. (1992) Bridge-Building, Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press.

McGRATH, A. (1992) Suffering, London, Hodder and Stoughton Limited.

Interestingly, those in Christ are entitled to punishment (Romans 1-3) but the atonement is for sin and the elect are in Christ (Romans 8, Ephesians 1), and those in Christ are saved by grace through faith unto good works.

D. Satirical look at career prospects

That job is in the tank...

Larry Potter?

Match I attended with Uncle Chucky

Thank you to Philip for sending this to me.

O people of Bahá ...

2011-06-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

By the righteousness of God! The world and its vanities, and its glory, and whatever delights it can offer, are all, in the sight of God, as worthless as, nay, even more contemptible than, dust and ashes. Would that the hearts of men could comprehend it! Cleanse yourselves thoroughly, O people of Bahá, from the defilement of the world, and of all that pertaineth unto it. God Himself beareth Me witness. The things of the earth ill beseem you. Cast them away unto such as may desire them, and fasten your eyes upon this most holy and effulgent Vision.
Say: Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning. Suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Bahá'u'lláh

... the cities of men’s hearts...

2011-06-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Know thou that We have annulled the rule of the sword, as an aid to Our Cause, and substituted for it the power born of the utterance of men. Thus have We irrevocably decreed, by virtue of Our grace. Say: O people! Sow not the seeds of discord among men, and refrain from contending with your neighbor, for your Lord hath committed the world and the cities thereof to the care of the kings of the earth, and made them the emblems of His own power, by virtue of the sovereignty He hath chosen to bestow upon them. He hath refused to reserve for Himself any share whatever of this world’s dominion. To this He Who is Himself the Eternal Truth will testify. The things He hath reserved for Himself are the cities of men’s hearts, that He may cleanse them from all earthly defilements, and enable them to draw nigh unto the hallowed Spot which the hands of the infidel can never profane. Open, O people, the city of the human heart with the key of your utterance. Thus have We, according to a pre-ordained measure, prescribed unto you your duty.
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

O Son of Spirit!

2011-06-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

O Son of Spirit!I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty! Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.

The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh

O true companions ...

2011-06-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wherefore, O loved ones of God! Make ye a mighty effort till you yourselves betoken this advancement and all these confirmations, and become focal centres of God's blessings, daysprings of the light of His unity, promoters of the gifts and graces of civilized life. Be ye in that land vanguards of the perfections of humankind; carry forward the various branches of knowledge, be active and progressive in the field of inventions and the arts. Endeavour to rectify the conduct of men, and seek to excel the whole world in moral character. While the children are yet in their infancy feed them from the breast of heavenly grace, foster them in the cradle of all excellence, rear them in the embrace of bounty. Give them the advantage of every useful kind of knowledge. Let them share in every new and rare and wondrous craft and art. Bring them up to work and strive, and accustom them to hardship. Teach them to dedicate their lives to matters of great import, and inspire them to undertake studies that will benefit mankind.

Selections From the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá

O true companions!

2011-06-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

O ye friends of God! Because, in this most momentous of ages, the Sun of Truth hath risen at the highest point of the spring equinox, and cast its rays on every clime, it shall kindle such tremulous excitement, it shall release such vibrations in the world of being, it shall stimulate such growth and development, it shall stream out with such a glory of light, and clouds of grace shall pour down such plentiful waters, and fields and plains shall teem with such a galaxy of sweet-smelling plants and blooms, that this lowly earth will become the Abhá Kingdom, and this nether world the world above. Then will this fleck of dust be as the vast circle of the skies, this human place the palace-court of God, this spot of clay the dayspring of the endless favours of the Lord of Lords.

Selections From the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá

If adversity befall thee not ....

2011-06-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

O Son of Man!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light of thy love for My beauty?
Bahá’u’lláh

Utterance must needs possess ....

2011-06-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

O My Name!
Utterance must needs possess penetrating power. For if bereft of this quality it would fail to exert influence. And this penetrating influence dependeth on the spirit being pure and the heart stainless. Likewise it needeth moderation, without which the hearer would be unable to bear it, rather he would manifest opposition from the very outset. And moderation will be obtained by blending utterance with the tokens of divine wisdom which are recorded in the sacred Books and Tablets.

Thus when the essence of one’s utterance is endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be the prime factor in transforming the souls of men. This is the station of supreme victory and celestial dominion. Whoso attaineth thereto is invested with the power to teach the Cause of God and to prevail over the hearts and minds of men.

Bahá’u'lláh

LAWḤ-I-MAQṢÚD (Tablet of Maqṣúd)

2011-06-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requireth.

I fain would hope that He Who is the All-Sufficing, the Inaccessible, may heed the solicitation of this lowly servant, may attire the people of the world with the raiment of goodly deeds and purge them from evil inclinations. He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise, the All-Perceiving. He heareth and seeth; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Bahá’u’lláh

کشور مقدس ایران در خلال آثار بهائی

2011-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

حضرت عبدالبهاء میفرمایند:
"ای اهل ایران ...متبوع و مُطاع کلّ آفاق بودید حال چگونه از عزّ قبول باز مانده در زاویۀ خمول خزیده اید. منشأ ء معارف و مبدء تمدّن جهانیان بودید اکنون چگونه افسرده و مخمود و پژمرده گشته اید؟

حضرت بهاءالله میفرمایند:
"ای اصحاب ایران شما مشارق رحمت و مطالع شفقت و محبّت بوده اید و آفاق وجود به نور خرد و دانش شما منوّر و مزیّن بوده. آیا چه شده که به دست خود بر هلاکت خود و دوستان خود [بهائیان] قیام کردید؟

حضرت عبدالبهاء میفرمایند:
"خدا چه نعمتی به ایرانیان عنایت فرمود ولی قدر ندانستند. اگر کفران ننموده بودند دولت ایران اوّل دولت می شد

حضرت عبدالبهاء میفرمایند:
"مستقبل ایران در نهایت شکوه و عظمت و بزرگواری است زیرا موطن جمال مبارک [بهاءالله] است، جمیع اقالیم عالم توجّه و نظر احترام به ایران خواهند نمود، و به یقین بدانید چنان ترقّی نماید که انظار جمیع اعاظم و دانایان عالم حیران ماند

حضرت عبدالبهاء میفرمایند:

"اگر ایرانیان گوش به نصیحت می دادند البتّه محفوظ می ماندند ولی اذن صاغیه نداشتند هر چه نصیحت کردیم به قساوت قلب مقابله کردند، شعر مشهور فارسی را به خاطر آرید: گوش اگر گوش من و ناله اگر نالۀ تو. مکاتیب عبدالبهاء را که از بدایت انقلاب مفصّل مرقوم شد و به طهران ارسال گشت مطالعه نمائید. جمیع وقایع حالیه در اوقات سالفه اخبار شده است، از جمله این عبارت است:
تا دولت و ملّت مانند شهد و شیر به یکدیگر آمیخته نگردند فلاح و نجاح محال است، ایران ویران گردد و عاقبت منتهی به مداخلۀ دوَل متجاوره شود. پس ای احبّای الهی، به جان و دل بکوشید تا در میان دولت و ملّت التیام دهید، و اگر عاجز گشتید کناره گیرید و امثال ذلک، ولی نشنیدند بلکه مست بادۀ غرور بودند که مائیم نژاد کیانیان، مائیم سلالۀ رستم دستان، بلکه نخواندند، لهذا نتیجۀ این جهالت حال حاضر شده است

سایت آئین بهائی
http://aeenebahai77.info/node/420

The work of a true Bahá’í

2011-06-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

"Without action nothing in the material world can be accomplished, neither can words unaided advance a man in the spiritual Kingdom. It is not through lip-service only that the elect of God have attained to holiness, but by patient lives of active service they have brought light into the world.

Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!
This is the work of a true Bahá’í, and this is what is expected of him. If we strive to do all this, then are we true Bahá’ís, but if we neglect it, we are not followers of the Light, and we have no right to the name.

God, who sees all hearts, knows how far our lives are the fulfilment of our words."
`Abdu'l-Bahá

This is the Day

2011-06-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal.

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfil that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.

This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God's mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Day Star of His loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.

The Promised One.

2011-06-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Behold, how the divers peoples and kindreds of the earth have been waiting for the coming of the Promised One. No sooner had He, Who is the Sun of Truth, been made manifest, than, lo, all turned away from Him, except them whom God was pleased to guide. We dare not, in this Day, lift the veil that concealeth the exalted station which every true believer can attain, for the joy which such a revelation must provoke might well cause a few to faint away and die.

He Who is the Heart and Center of the Bayán hath written: “The germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of all those who follow Me.” And, again, He saith: “Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Bayán, do justice to His Cause.”
Whoso hath searched the depths of the oceans that lie hid within these exalted words, and fathomed their import, can be said to have discovered a glimmer of the unspeakable glory with which this mighty, this sublime, and most holy Revelation hath been endowed. From the excellence of so great a Revelation the honor with which its faithful followers must needs be invested can be well imagined. By the righteousness of the one true God! The very breath of these souls is in itself richer than all the treasures of the earth. Happy is the man that hath attained thereunto, and woe betide the heedless.

... arise and, with absolute detachment ....

2011-06-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Book of God is wide open, and His Word is summoning mankind unto Him. No more than a mere handful, however, hath been found willing to cleave to His Cause, or to become the instruments for its promotion. These few have been endued with the Divine Elixir that can, alone, transmute into purest gold the dross of the world, and have been empowered to administer the infallible remedy for all the ills that afflict the children of men. No man can obtain everlasting life, unless he embraceth the truth of this inestimable, this wondrous, and sublime Revelation.

Should any man, in this Day, arise and, with absolute detachment from all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, set his affections on Him Who is the Day Spring of God's holy Revelation, he will, verily, be empowered to subdue all created things, through the potency of one of the Names of the Lord, his God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Know thou of a certainty that the Day Star of Truth hath, in this Day, shed upon the world a radiance, the like of which bygone ages have never witnessed. Let the light of His glory, O people, shine upon you, and be not of the negligent.

Bahá'u'lláh

Divine Power

2011-06-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

The vitality of men's belief in God is dying out in every land; nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir of His potent Revelation can cleanse and revive it? Is it within human power, O Hakim, to effect in the constituent elements of any of the minute and indivisible particles of matter so complete a transformation as to transmute it into purest gold?

Perplexing and difficult as this may appear, the still greater task of converting satanic strength into heavenly power is one that We have been empowered to accomplish. The Force capable of such a transformation transcendeth the potency of the Elixir itself. The Word of God, alone, can claim the distinction of being endowed with the capacity required for so great and far-reaching a change.

Universal Peace

2011-06-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

O thou who art carried away by the love of God! The Sun of Truth hath risen above the horizon of this world and cast down its beams of guidance. Eternal grace is never interrupted, and a fruit of that everlasting grace is universal peace. Rest thou assured that in this era of the spirit, the Kingdom of Peace will raise up its tabernacle on the summits of the world, and the commandments of the Prince of Peace will so dominate the arteries and nerves of every people as to draw into His sheltering shade all the nations on earth. From springs of love and truth and unity will the true Shepherd give His sheep to drink.

O handmaid of God, peace must first be established among individuals, until it leadeth in the end to peace among nations. Wherefore, O ye Bahá’ís, strive ye with all your might to create, through the power of the Word of God, genuine love, spiritual communion and durable bonds among individuals. This is your task.

Rejoice not in the things ye possess;

2011-06-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead.

Bahá'u'lláh.

Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.”

2011-06-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Day Spring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good;....

O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord of Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments, shining above the day spring of His bountiful care and loving-kindness.

Say: From My laws the sweet smelling savor of My garment can be smelled, and by their aid the standards of victory will be planted upon the highest peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: “Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.” Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe. By My life! He who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favor, will circle around My commandments that shine above the Day Spring of My creation.

Bahá'u'lláh

Spiritual power and divine civilisation

2011-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and material civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are essential. Therefore, no matter how much material civilization advances, it cannot attain to perfection except through the uplift of spiritual civilization.

All the Prophets have come to promote divine bestowals, to found the spiritual civilization and teach the principles of morality. Therefore, we must strive with all our powers so that spiritual influences may gain the victory. For material forces have attacked mankind. The world of humanity is submerged in a sea of materialism. The rays of the Sun of Reality are seen but dimly and darkly through opaque glasses. The penetrative power of the divine bounty is not fully manifest.

Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace

No Doomsday or Tombsday

2011-06-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

May 26, 2011

A. Doomsday/Tombsday (or sadly was it Dumbsday?)

Uncle Chucklins sent me this link that also contains a video concerning Harold Camping:

IBTimes San Francisco

'May 24, 2011 8:46 PM EDT

The failed Doomsday prophet Harold Camping, the president of Family Radio who raised over $80 million of donations over the past five years, said he has no intention of giving any money back to those who have donated for his false Doomsday campaign.'

The article notes the network has 66 stations worldwide with Internal Revenue Service filings revealing the non-profit group worth $72 million dollars.

'Camping has repeatedly announced in the public that the Doomsday will take place on May 21, 2011 when 200 million people will Rapture and the remaining people will go through series of natural disasters, including earthquakes that would make Japan's recent earthquakes “look like a Sunday school picnic in comparison,” until October 21, 2011 when the world will be destroyed completely. Basing his calculation on Bible verses, Camping said he was, “without any shadow of a doubt it (Doomsday) is going to happen.”'

In the article it appears he has no intentions of returning any donations.

I noted on my other blog previously that this was a false prediction, I stated, edited:

thekingpin68 February 2011

'I saw two of these signs locally today, finally.

As I stated on Facebook. I reason this represents false prophecy. It is from Harold Camping of Family Radio, California.

In this rare case a friend wanted me to publicly make a comment because the billboard signs were local and very public and so I posted on Facebook prior to Blogger...

Matthew 24: 34: 41 NASB

34"Truly I say to you, (AS) this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

35"(AT)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36"But (AU) of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

37"For the (AV) coming of the Son of Man will be (AW) just like the days of Noah.

38"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, (AX) marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that (AY)Noah entered the ark,

39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the (AZ) coming of the Son of Man be.

40"Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

41"(BA) Two women will be grinding at the (BB) mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Also in Matthew 24: 24, Jesus warned against false Christs and false prophets that would show great signs and wonders, and if possible even mislead the elect.'

Further today:

H.L. Ellison states that the time of second coming is unknown except to the Father, but this does not mean there will not be clear signs before it. Ellison (1986: 1146). R.T. France reasons that date of the parousia (second coming/advent) is unknown to human beings and to angelic beings and even to the Son. A limitation of Jesus' earthly knowledge as human, although he is still both God/man. France (1985)(2001: 347).

Camping when he predicts anything rapture related is not merely suggesting signs, as many of us in the Christian community do, but is going beyond on that into the error of false prediction and false prophecy.

I do not know the man's motives but he would have millions of reasons to have bad motives. But only God can judge his heart properly...or mine.

ELLISON, H.L. (1986) ‘Matthew’, in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

FRANCE, R.T. (1985)(2001) Matthew, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.

B. Calvinism

Blackburn page 53.

I have quoted secular philosopher Simon Blackburn a fair amount on my blogs and within my Wales MPhil and PhD theses. I find him a very useful philosopher and scholar. I am Reformed and basically hold to TULIP, and of course this too would need to be defined and debated. Since I have Reformed Baptist leanings although I am a member of a PCA church while in Canada, I consider myself more so Reformed than Calvinist or Calvinistic.

I suppose Blackburn's definition is basically largely correct although in regard to freedom Calvin does note...

If freedom is opposed to coercion, I both acknowledge and consistently maintain that choice is free and I hold anyone who thinks otherwise to be a heretic. If, I say, it were called free in this sense of not being coerced nor forcibly moved by an external impulse, but moving of its own accord, I have no objection. Calvin (1543)(1996: 68).

What Calvin seemingly opposed theologically and philosophically was libertarian free will, as he reasoned that a person with a corrupt nature would make choices via that nature. In the 'Introduction' to Calvin's The Bondage and Liberation of The Will the author A.N.S. Lane states that ' Calvin argues even the best of human works are tainted by human sin'. Introduction (xxi). A fallen human being was of a corrupt human nature and would always commit actions accordingly. Because of the sinful nature continual resulting sinful thoughts and actions could not be avoided by libertarian choice. However, a person was not forced or coerced by an outside force to commit acts that he or she would then be held morally accountable for.

To further clarify, this does not mean a person with a corrupt sinful nature will always sin, a particular sin, so, for example a person could resist a temptation, but the person will always be sinful.

For the Christian, being regenerated, born again (John 3), is the process by which God begins to work good in the person which culminates in the resurrection. At the resurrection, the taint of sin is removed from the human spirit/body unity. In contrast to human wickedness from a corrupt nature, Calvin noted goodness results from the grace of the work of the Holy Spirit. Calvin (1543)(1996: 115). This spiritual work starts the transformation is the elect.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford, University, Press.

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

LANE, A.N.S. (Introduction) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

C. Satirical look at career prospects

I have between 150-200 CVs out this year for teaching positions at colleges, Universities, seminaries, and positions in regard to media/radio and publishing. But I suppose I need to consider my options outside of my four degrees (and future academic writing such as journals and books)...

Photo via email from Philip Hayes

One could start an international Yarsel business.

The Báb

2011-05-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Of all the tributes which Bahá’u’lláh’s unerring pen has chosen to pay to the memory of the Báb, His “Best-Beloved,” the most memorable and touching is this brief, yet eloquent passage which so greatly enhances the value of the concluding passages of that same epistle. “Amidst them all,” He writes, referring to the afflictive trials and dangers besetting Him in the city of Baghdád, “We stand life in hand wholly resigned to His Will, that perchance through God’s loving kindness and grace, this revealed and manifest Letter (Bahá’u’lláh) may lay down His life as a sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the most exalted Word (the Báb). By Him, at Whose bidding the Spirit hath spoken, but for this yearning of Our soul, We would not, for one moment, have tarried any longer in this city.”

“I am the Primal Point,” the Báb thus addresses Muhammad Sháh from the prison-fortress of Máh-Kú, “from which have been generated all created things… I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the light of God whose radiance can never fade… All the keys of heaven God hath chosen to place on My right hand, and all the keys of hell on My left… I am one of the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognized Me, hath known all that is true and right, and hath attained all that is good and seemly… The substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the worldly-wise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover.” “Should a tiny ant,” the Báb, wishing to stress the limitless potentialities latent in His Dispensation, characteristicall affirms, “desire in this day to be possessed of such power as to be able to unravel the abstrusest and most bewildering passages of the Qur’án, its wish will no doubt be fulfilled, inasmuch as the mystery of eternal might vibrates within the innermost being of all created things.” “If so helpless a creature,” is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s comment on so startling an affirmation, “can be endowed with so subtle a capacity, how much more efficacious must be the power released through the liberal effusions of the grace of Bahá’u’lláh!”

پیام مرکز جهانی بهائی 24 اردیبهشت 1390

2011-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

پیام مرکز جهانی بهائی 24 اردیبهشت 1390

۱۷ شهرالجمال ۱۶۸
۲۴ اردیبهشت ۱۳۹۰

پیروان جان‌فشان جمال قدم در کشور مقدّس ایران ملاحظه فرمایند

دوستان عزیز و محبوب،

سوّمین سالگرد مسجونیّت اعضای هیئت سابق یاران یادآور شرایط دردناکی می‌باشد که جامعۀ بهائی ایران هم‌چنان با آن رو به رو است. ادامۀ این وضع اسف‌بار ایجاب می‌کند که فرزندان راستین این سرزمین در بارۀ علل بنیادین این ظلم و پی‌آمدهای گستردۀ آن در آیندۀ مملکتی که زمانی پرچم‌دار حقوق انسان بوده است به تفکّر و تعمّق پردازند.

امروز بر هر ناظر بی‌طرفی روشن است که هفت نفر اعضای هیئت سابق یاران مصداق بارز زندانیان وجدان هستند. بازتاب مکرّر نام این هفت نفر در رسانه‌های جهان نمادی از اعتراض ملل عالم به ظلم و ستمی است که بهائیان ایران از خرد و کلان و پیر و جوان صرفاً به خاطر معتقدات دینی و باورهای وجدانی خود در معرض آن قرار دارند: کودکانی که در مدارس پیوسته از طرف اولیای مدرسه مورد اهانت و تحقیر قرار می‌گیرند و در نهایت مظلومیّت مجبور به دفاع از شرافت انسانی خود می‌شوند و پدران و مادران آنان باید در کمال دل‌شکستگی این اعمال غیر انسانی را برای فرزندان خود به نحوی توجیه نمایند که بذر کینه و نفرت در قلوب پاک آنان کاشته نشود؛ جوانانی که از تحصیلات عالیه محروم گشته‌اند و والدین‌شان که خود از استخدام و شغل و حرفه ممنوع و با مشکلات شدید اقتصادی رو به رو هستند باید در عین حال درد عدم استطاعت مالی برای برآوردن نیازهای فرزندان دل‌بند خود را نیز تحمّل نمایند؛ افرادی که بدون کوچک‌ترین خطا و بر خلاف تمام موازین قانونی بازداشت شده و با خشونت مورد بازجویی قرار گرفته در موحش‌ترین زندان‌ها به بند کشیده می‌شوند و از حقوق حقّۀ زندانیان نیز محرومند؛ خانواده‌هایی که در معاشرت با همسایگان و دوستان خود باید محتاط باشند زیرا ماٴمورین امنیّتی مردم را به شدّت از معاشرت با بهائیان بر حذر می‌دارند؛ فرد فرد اعضای جامعۀ بهائی که به علّت تبلیغات منفی و نشر اکاذیب و توهین به مقدّسات آنان از طرف مسئولین امور، پیوسته احساس ناامنی می‌نمایند؛ و احبّای عزیزی که در شهرها و روستاها در سراسر ایران شاهد تخریب و آتش زدن خانه، مزرعه و محلّ کسب و کار خویش و حتّی هتک حرمت و ویرانی قبور عزیزان از دست ‌رفتۀ خود هستند و تظلّم و دادخواهی آنان نیز به جایی نمی‌رسد.

البتّه بهائیان تنها شهروندانی نیستند که در عین بی‌گناهی از حقوق حقّۀ خود محروم شده و مورد انواع بی‌عدالتی قرار گرفته‌اند. بسیاری دیگر از مردان و زنان آزاده و شریف آن مرز و بوم نیز برای دفاع از آزادی و حقوق انسانی و نهایتاً پیشرفت و آبادانی کشور خود، متحمّل مشقّات فراوان گردیده با شهامتی قابل ستایش در مقابل شدیدترین مظالم ایستادگی نموده تسلیم تعصّبات جاهلیّه و خرافات مبتذله نشده‌اند.

استقامت سازندۀ شما و نتایج آن از انظار ناظران هوشیار پنهان نیست. ملاحظه فرمایید که چگونه از یک طرف در طیّ سه سال گذشته، جامعۀ بهائی اگرچه از موهبت هدایات هیئت‌های یاران و خادمین خود محروم بوده ولی به مدد تاٴییدات آسمانی و همّت یکایک شما عزیزان به تمشیت امور خود ادامه داده و ابعاد ابتکارات شخصی و نتایج مشاورات گروهی‌اش گسترشی شایان یافته است. هر یک از شما در هر فضا و هر مکان، چه در فسحت ایوان و چه در سلول‌های تنگ و تاریک زندان، چون شمع برافروختۀ ید قدرت رحمان بر همگان نور امید و پرتو عشق و محبّت ‌افشانده‌اید. اتّحاد جامعه و هم‌بستگی اعضای آن و قابلیّت رسیدگی به نیازهای یکدیگر به مراتب بیشتر شده، روابط اجتماعی اعضای آن با آشنایان و همکاران گسترده‌تر و محکم‌تر گشته، پویایی جامعه در راه خدمت به دیگران افزون گردیده و خیل مشتاقان به سوی حریم قدس جانان مستمرّاً در حرکت بوده است. فداکاری‌های بی‌شمار شما عزیزان اثرات عمیقی نیز در بیداری وجدان مردمان شریف آن سرزمین داشته است. در همین مدّت به برکت جان‌فشانی‌های شما، قابلیّت جامعۀ بهائی در سراسر عالم برای کمک به ازدیاد توان‌مندی مردم جهت تعیین مسیر پیشرفت معنوی، اجتماعی و مادّی خود، به نحو چشم‌گیری افزایش یافته و توجّه عموم به ویژه جوانان به مطالعۀ حقایق این آیین نازنین بیش از پیش جلب شده و تمایل آنان برای مشارکت در مشروع عظیمی که بهائیان به آن اشتغال دارند فزونی گرفته است.

از سوی دیگر، کذب اتّهامات وارده از طرف متعصّبین بر بهائیان در پیشگاه وجدان مردم ایران و جهان به اثبات رسیده، آرزوی دشمنان دیرینه برای تضعیف جامعۀ اسم اعظم در آن سرزمین بر باد رفته و اقوال و ادّعاهای دروغین مسئولین امور در نزد خاصّ و عام بی‌اعتبار شده است. در عین حال تضییقات وارده به دیگر شهروندان نیز گسترش یافته است. سنّت شوم زورگویی و ستم‌پیشگی چنان بر آن سرزمین حاکم گردیده که هیچ‌ یک از ایرانیان از گزند آن در امان نیست. به نظر می‌رسد که اولیای امور از این حقیقت غافلند که به شهادت تاریخ، ظلم و ستم هرگز بقای هیچ نظامی را تضمین ننموده است. ملاحظه فرمایید که چگونه نظریّات و خواسته‌های افراد نادیده گرفته می‌شود و حقوق انسانی آنان همواره پایمال می‌گردد، گویی آنچه در نزد اولیای امور از کمترین اولویّت برخوردار است رفاه، آسایش، ترقّی و سعادت تودۀ مردم است. نتیجۀ دردناک این فجایع بر همگان روشن است. حضرت بهاءالله فرزند ارجمند ایران‌زمین در الواح مهیمن خود به حکم‌رانان جهان توصیه می‌فرمایند که مظهر عدل و انصاف باشند، به قدرت و لشکر و خزائن خود اطمینان نکنند و دست خود را از ظلم کوتاه نمایند. به آنان هشدار می‌دهند که مردمان سرمایه و ذخایر اصلی هر سرزمین هستند، مبادا امور آنان را به دست سارقین بسپارند. از اولیای امور می‌خواهند که آنچه را برای خود می‌پسندند برای مردم نیز اختیار نمایند، از غرور بپرهیزند، از صرف ذخایر مملکت در راه مقاصد شخصی و تحمیل سختی و مشقّت بر مردم اجتناب نمایند و از آه و نالۀ مظلومان بهراسند. هیکل مبارک تأکید می‌فرمایند که اگر چنین کنند دیگر صرف مبالغ هنگفت برای انباشتن اسلحه لزومی نخواهد داشت، آزادی و صلح و آشتی مستقرّ خواهد شد و مُلک و ملّت آسایش خواهد یافت.

آرزوی اهل بهاء به فرمودۀ حضرت عبدالبهاء آن است که "...ایران سبب حیات جاودان جهان گردد و علم صلح عمومی و امان و روحانیّت محضه در قطب امکان برافرازد...." این بینش روحانی است که به شما نیرو می‌بخشد تا به رغم همۀ مشقّات و تضییقاتی که پیوسته بر شما وارد می‌شود هم‌چنان مشتاق خدمت به این آب و خاک بمانید. پس کما کان به حکمت‌های بالغه و وعود حتمیّۀ الهیّه ناظر باشید، با اطمینان کامل به آینده بنگرید و هم‌چون گذشته زندگی خود را وقف خدمت به نوع انسان نمایید: به انجام وظایف روحانی فردی خود قائم باشید، گفتمان‌های هدف‌مند خود را در فضاهای موجود با جدّیّت دنبال کنید و در فعّالیّت‌های اجتماعی و امور عامّ المنفعه تا حدّ امکان مشارکت نمایید. در راهی که برای زندگی خود انتخاب کرده‌اید با شادی و سرور گام بردارید و مطمئن باشید که در تحمّل شداید و بلایا شریک مولای توانای خود هستید.

به یاد فرد فرد شما عزیزان در اعتاب مقدّسۀ علیا دست به دعا برمی‌داریم و این بیان مبارک حضرت عبد‌البهاء را به یاد می‌آوریم که می‌فرمایند:

...یاران ایران از جان و روان عزیزترند زیرا در سبیل الهی امتحانات شدیده دیده‌اند صدمات عظیمه تحمّل کرده‌اند خانه و کاشانه به تالان و تاراج داده‌اند هدف تیر ملامت گشته‌اند و آماج سنگ شماتت شده‌اند جان و روان فدا نموده‌اند و از بوتهٴ افتتان و آزمایش مانند ذهب خالص با روی شکفته بیرون آمده‌اند. لهذا در نزد عبدالبهاء از جان عزیزترند و در نزد ملأ اعلی معزّز و محترم. لهذا به هر یک که رسی آن جان پاک را در آغوش گیر و از طرف من ببوی و ببوس. اگر چنین نمایی مذاق این مشتاق حلاوت بی‌منتها یابد و سبب سرور کلّی گردد...

[امضا: بیت العدل اعظم]

ای ظالمان ارض از ظلم دست خود را کوتاه نمایید ...

2011-05-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

....عالم در هیجان است و سیل خروشان تحوّلات با سرعت و قوّتی بی‌سابقه در جریان. نظم و ترتیب دیرینۀ عالم دست‌خوش تزلزل گشته و دگرگونی‌های شگرفی که در روابط بشری در همۀ سطوح رخ داده تجدید نظری بنیادین در کلّیّۀ جنبه‌های حیات انسانی را طلب می‌کند. کشور ایران البتّه از این مقتضیات زمان برکنار نیست. ملاحظه فرمایید که با چه عزم جزمی مردم آن سرزمین در بنای جامعه‌ای پیشرفته و سربلند می‌کوشند و در این راه از تحمّل هیچ عذابی دریغ ندارند. موسم نوروز و تازگی طبیعت فرصت مناسبی برای تجدید قوای روحانی و بازنگری امور وجدانی و معنوی فراهم می‌سازد. شایسته است که در این بهار دل‌انگیز که نمادی از بهار روحانی است در مکالمات هدف‌مند خود با همسایگان، دوستان، آشنایان، همکاران و هم‌فکران، در مورد آنچه موجب توان‌مندی انسان برای کمک به رفاه مادّی و معنوی دیگران می‌شود به تبادل افکار پردازید و در چگونگی بنای اجتماعی که در آن استعداد‌های هر فرد بدون توجّه به پیشینۀ قومی، مذهبی، جنسی و یا طبقاتی شکوفا می‌شود، تاٴمّل فرمایید. به اتّفاق در بارۀ هدف واقعی عالم هستی و زندگی دنیوی تفکّر و تعمّق نمایید، زیبایی و کارآیی جامعه‌ای مبتنی بر اصل وحدت در کثرت را در نظر گیرید و در مورد شرافت ذاتی انسان که او را قادر می‌سازد تا سعادت خود را در سعادت دیگران ببیند به بحث و گفتگو مشغول شوید.

ظالمان را به خداوند واگذارید و این بیان مبارک را به خاطر آورید که می‌فرمایند: "ای ظالمان ارض از ظلم دست خود را کوتاه نمایید که قسم یاد نموده‌ام از ظلم احدی نگذرم." ورای مصائبی که شما را از هر جهت احاطه نموده بنگرید و به بینش شکوهمند این امر اعظم که اصلاح عالم و سعادت امم است ناظر باشید. با تأسّی به حیات هیاکل مقدّسۀ امر الله و نیاکان روحانی خود و بر طبق مثل بارزی که خود در طیّ سی سال گذشته به جهانیان ارائه داده‌اید در شداید صبور و بردبار بمانید، به فداکاری‌های الهام‌بخش خود ادامه دهید و سهم خود را در بنای جهان و ایرانی متّحد، آباد و آزاد بیش از پیش ادا نمایید.

در اعتاب مقدّسۀ علیا به یاد فرد فرد شما عزیزان هستیم.

[امضا: بیت العدل اعظم]

Ponder a while.

2011-05-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ponder a while. What is it that prompted, in every Dispensation, the peoples of the earth to shun the Manifestation of the All-Merciful? What could have impelled them to turn away from Him and to challenge His authority? Were men to meditate on these words which have flowed from the Pen of the Divine Ordainer, they would, one and all, hasten to embrace the truth of this God-given, and ever-enduring Revelation, and would testify to that which He Himself hath solemnly affirmed. It is the veil of idle imaginations which, in the days of the Manifestations of the Unity of God and the Day Springs of His everlasting glory, hath intervened, and will continue to intervene, between them and the rest of mankind. For in those days, He Who is the Eternal Truth manifesteth Himself in conformity with that which He Himself hath purposed, and not according to the desires and expectations of men. Even as He hath revealed: “So oft, then, as an Apostle cometh to you with that which your souls desire not, do ye swell with pride, and treat some as impostors, and slay others.”

Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised One, have nevertheless denied Him. Both Annas, the most learned among the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, denounced Him and pronounced the sentence of His death.

Bahá’u’lláh

Only those with spiritual eyes .....

2011-05-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

He Who is the Day Spring of Truth is, no doubt, fully capable of rescuing from such remoteness wayward souls and of causing them to draw nigh unto His court and attain His Presence. “If God had pleased He had surely made all men one people.” His purpose, however, is to enable the pure in spirit and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their own innate powers, unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that thereby they who seek the Beauty of the All-Glorious may be distinguished and separated from the wayward and perverse. Thus hath it been ordained by the all-glorious and resplendent Pen….

That the Manifestations of Divine justice, the Day Springs of heavenly grace, have when they appeared amongst men always been destitute of all earthly dominion and shorn of the means of worldly ascendancy, should be attributed to this same principle of separation and distinction which animateth the Divine Purpose. Were the Eternal Essence to manifest all that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the plentitude of His glory, none would be found to question His power or repudiate His truth. Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and thunderstruck by the evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter nothingness. How, then, can the godly be differentiated under such circumstances from the froward?

Bahá’u’lláh

BAHA’U’LLAH

2011-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Like the Manifestations of God gone before Him, He (BAHA’U’LLAH) is both the Voice of God and its human channel: “When I contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created things ‘verily I am God!’; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it coarser than clay!

“Certain ones among you,” He declared, “have said: ‘He it is Who hath laid claim to be God.’ By God! This is a gross calumny. I am but a servant of God Who hath believed in Him and in His signs... My tongue, and My heart, and My inner and My outer being testify that there is no God but Him, that all others have been created by His behest, and been fashioned through the operation of His Will.... I am He that telleth abroad the favors with which God hath, through His bounty, favored Me. If this be My transgression, then I am truly the first of the transgressors...

I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight.

Some inspirational statements within my academic career

2011-05-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Conwy Gardens, Wales 2001 (thekingpin68)

Update

I have reposted this article for May (May 1). It was originally published April 25, but I have added more statements in May. As I have noted presently on my other blog, thekingpin68, I am going to try to write one post per month per blog (thekingpin68 and satire and theology) and I will attempt to place more than one section/article in each post. So two posts per month overall, with always the possibility of more.

I am not personally interested in a 'Twitter' like short blog approach with several monthly posts. Although I admit some have success with it.

Thank you to you loyal readers including the anonymous ones. Commenters, followers and links also appreciated of course. Cheers.

Big D, has stated I should put a post together with inspirational statements from my nearly twenty years of academic education.

These will be paraphrased since I do not walk around with a note pad, recorder, or personal assistant. The dates will also be estimated.

Columbia Bible College 1991-1995: Professor J

'I don't have time to read fiction because there is too much non-fiction for me to read.'

I have largely had to live by this as with my four degrees I have spent a lot time studying Biblical Studies, Theology, and Philosophy of Religion as well as dabbling in Statistics, Social Research, Psychology and Science, and there has not been much time to read fiction.

That is if I wanted to have any kind of social life outside of reading.

Which I do.

Columbia Bible College 1991-1995: Professor J

'Looking through both tears of despair and tears of joy, one cannot see the truth very clearly'.

Profound.

I doubt this is true in every case. I tend to think that at times with increased emotions the brain becomes more active and thoughts can become more clear as long as one remains controlled.

I can grant, however, that with intense out of control emotions leading to tears, yes, objectivity will very likely be impaired.

Trinity Western University/Canadian Baptist Seminary 1997-1998: Theology Professor R

'When I am asked to speak at a funeral and I am not reasonably sure if the deceased knew the Lord, I state that the Lord is a perfect and just judge'.

I think that is a good approach.

Trinity Western University/Canadian Baptist Seminary 1997-1998: Theology Professor R

'There is no point having you students write term papers because at your level you have nothing significant to add'.

I was fine with this comment. I was looking at this pragmatically. I was inspired by the pragmatism. We were taking Theology I and Theology II at a Masters level together at nights over several hours for a few weeks. I certainly did not want to add term papers to that agenda! The Professor was not liked by all but I still like and respect him and my marks were high and I learned a fair amount.

I never sold-out my Christian faith and philosophy academically, but I have always been very pragmatic when it comes to academics as well. I discuss this in my e-book.

The University of Manchester 1999-2000: Advisor and Professor P

'I have never met an animal like you.'

This unfortunately makes me think of the poppy song called 'You're a strange animal'.

This statement was in the context of this 'tutor' wanting me to change my views in regard to the problem of evil, theodicy and the nature of God in order for me stay within the theology and religion department. I was soon forced to leave and he did not want me there in the first place. The person that had accepted me was away on the Continent for a year.

I was soon inspired to succeed at Wales.

Wales University 2000: Advisor and Professor W

Via a phone conversation...

'The only advice I will give you concerning women is to date someone that will attend the same church as you'.

This I think is vitally very good advice which I will always follow.

Wales University 2000: Advisor and Professor W

'Liberals have taken advantage of conservatives in the British academic system for 40 years and I am sick of it'.

True enough and I experienced this, but I was inspired with God's help to work hard and succeed anyway within they system by the rules without compromising my worldview.

I managed to meet Theologian John R.W. Stott very briefly after he spoke at a church in Manchester. I explained to him that I was working on a PhD on the problem of evil. He said to me...

John Stott 2001: Speaker

'You are a very brave man'.

Turns out with all I went through he was correct.

The other day at church I bought one of his books. I was advised not to cite him in my PhD as he was not considered academic enough at Wales. At the very end of the book 'Basic Christianity' Stott explains that a Christian should follow Christ wholly and unreservedly in service. Stott (1958)(2009: 156). I will not claim that for myself in a perfect sense, but I will state that I did serve the Lord in a sacrificial sense in the UK and in my academic career.

Also at church the other day, I bought a book from Arthur W. Pink, a theologian I cited in my PhD. The book I bought is 'The Attributes of God'. He states:

Arthur W. Pink 1975: Theologian and Author

'Here is an encouragement to prayer. There is no cause for fearing that the petitions of the righteous will not be heard, or that their sighs and tears shall escape the notice of God, since he knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. Pink (1975)(2009: 23).

The Lord hears the prayers of his people, and answers within his will. I can have that peace, as can others in trusting in the Lord. This does not guarantee happiness in regard to an issue that is being prayed on, but at least there can be peace that the Lord has heard the prayer.

John 14:6 (New American Standard Bible)

6Jesus said to him, "I am (A)the way, and (B)the truth, and (C)the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

This has always been important theologically and philosophically for me. Certainly Christianity does not have all truth, and other many other worldviews and religions have truth, but if Christianity is essentially true the claims Christ made on this point are essential.

David J. Ellis describes Christ as the vital link between the heavenly and earthly realms. There is no salvation apart from his teaching and Jesus as a person cannot be separated from what he does. Ellis (1986: 1254).

I will add that having studied various worldviews at secular Universities I reason the Christian worldview is the most true.

ELLIS, DAVID, J. (1986) 'John', in The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

PINK, ARTHUR, W. (1975)(2009) The Attributes of God, Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids.

STOTT, JOHN, R.W. (1958)(2009) Basic Christianity, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids.

I may add some more statements to this post as they come to mind.

Trinity Western University/Canadian Baptist Seminary 1998-1999: Biblical Studies Professor from South Africa

'Class (Closs) when writing an exam do your best and do God's best'.

This professor was nice enough to introduce to me to the department at Manchester. Too bad it did not work out...

Columbia Bible College 1991-1995: Professor K

'If you use a better grade of paper you are more likely to receive an outright 'A' in my course'.

Yes this was the case. I was using the standard academic grade paper but I went out and purchased higher grade paper for my printer just for my World Religions and World History courses with this Professor. In his defence, and I wrote him this by email this year, his technical preparations foreshadowed some of types technical things expected of my theses writing in Britain several years later.

John Calvin 1543: Theologian

'All things are subject to his power, and so there is no created thing which does not, either of its own accord or under coercion, obey his will. Accordingly everything that happens happens of necessity, as he had ordained. Satan too and all the wicked are submissive to his authority, so that they cannot move beyond what he has commanded, for they are constrained by his hand as though by a bride or a halter, so that by now he restrains them, since it pleases him to do so, and now he drives them on and guides them to execute his judgements.' Calvin (1543)(1996: 39).

In my MPhil and PhD theses I take the compatibilistic position that significantly free thoughts and actions that one would be held morally accountable for by God would not be forced or coerced. Human sin, in a sense, is not forced or coerced upon a person by God or any outside force.

Therefore, human sin can be traced to human corruption (Romans 1-6) and sinful thoughts and a limited free will leading to sinful choices, all within the will of God.

So, these would be appear to be the thoughts and more clearly actions of 'its own accord' Calvin was discussing.

Further, I admitted in my Doctorate that not all human actions were significantly free if forced/coerced and that not all human actions were morally significant if same.

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

How can I not be inspired by Chuck?

Conwy Overview, Wales 2001 (thekingpin68)

My 'Estate': May 18, 2011 at a prayer time (thekingpin68)

Festival of Ridván

2011-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

In a Tablet Bahá'u'lláh extols the glories of the Festival of Ridván and describes its significance in these terms:

Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

In one of His prayers revealed in Adrianople, Bahá'u'lláh refers to this new creation in these words:

How great is Thy power! How exalted Thy sovereignty! How lofty Thy might! How excellent Thy majesty! How supreme is Thy grandeur--a grandeur which He Who is Thy Manifestation hath made known and wherewith Thou hast invested Him as a sign of Thy generosity and bountiful favour. I bear witness, O my God, that through Him Thy most resplendent signs have been uncovered, and Thy mercy hath encompassed the entire creation. But for Him, how could the Celestial Dove have uttered its songs or the Heavenly Nightingale, according to the decree of God, have warbled its melody? I testify that no sooner had the First Word proceeded, through the potency of Thy will and purpose, out of His mouth, and the First Call gone forth from His lips than the whole creation was revolutionized, and all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth were stirred to the depths. Through that Word the realities of all created things were shaken, were divided, separated, scattered, combined and reunited, disclosing, in both the contingent world and the heavenly kingdom, entities of a new creation, and revealing, in the unseen realms, the signs and tokens of Thy unity and oneness.

Bahá'u'lláh's Departure from the Garden of Ridván

2011-05-01T00:11:00.000-07:00

A memorable account of Bahá'u'lláh's departure has been given by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Faith:

The departure of Bahá'u'lláh from the Garden of Ridván, at noon, on the 14th of Dhi'l-Qa'dih 1279 A.H. (May 3, 1863), witnessed scenes of tumultuous enthusiasm no less spectacular, and even more touching, than those which greeted Him when leaving His Most Great House in Baghdád. 'The great tumult,' wrote an eye-witness, 'associated in our minds with the Day of Gathering, the Day of Judgment, we beheld on that occasion. Believers and unbelievers alike sobbed and lamented. The chiefs and notables who had congregated were struck with wonder. Emotions were stirred to such depths as no tongue can describe, nor could any observer escape their contagion.' Mounted on His steed, a red roan stallion of the finest breed, the best His lovers could purchase for Him, and leaving behind Him a bowing multitude of fervent admirers, He rode forth on the first stage of a journey that was to carry Him to the city of Constantinople. 'Numerous were the heads,' Nabíl himself a witness of that memorable scene, recounts, 'which, on every side, bowed to the dust at the feet of His horse, and kissed its hoofs, and countless were those who pressed forward to embrace His stirrups.' 'How great the number of those embodiments of fidelity,' testifies a fellow-traveller, 'who, casting themselves before that charger preferred death to separation from their Beloved! Methinks, that blessed steed trod upon the bodies of those pure-hearted souls.' 'He (God) it was,' Bahá'u'lláh Himself declares, 'Who enabled Me to depart out of the city (Baghdád), clothed with such majesty as none, except the denier and the malicious, can fail to acknowledge.

O kings of the earth ...

2011-04-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Compose your differences, and reduce your armaments, that the burden of your expenditures may be lightened, and that your minds and hearts may be tranquillized. Heal the dissensions that divide you, and ye will no longer be in need of any armament except what the protection of your cities and territories demandeth. Fear ye God, and take heed not to outstrip the bounds of moderation, and be numbered among the extravagant.

We have learned that you are increasing your outlay every year, and are laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is more than they can bear, and is a grievous injustice. Decide justly between men, and be ye the emblems of justice amongst them. This, if ye judge fairly, is the thing that behoveth you, and beseemeth your station.

Beware not to deal unjustly with any one that appealeth to you, and entereth beneath your shadow. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be ye of them that lead a godly life. Rest not on your power, your armies, and treasures. Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs. Succor cometh from Him alone. He succoreth whom He will with the hosts of the heavens and of the earth.

Know ye that the poor are the trust of God in your midst. Watch that ye betray not His trust, that ye deal not unjustly with them and that ye walk not in the ways of the treacherous. Ye will most certainly be called upon to answer for His trust on the day when the Balance of Justice shall be set, the day when unto every one shall be rendered his due, when the doings of all men, be they rich or poor, shall be weighed.

If ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal language, We have revealed in this Tablet, Divine chastisement shall assail you from every direction, and the sentence of His justice shall be pronounced against you. On that day ye shall have no power to resist Him, and shall recognize your own impotence. Have mercy on yourselves and on those beneath you.

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind…

2011-04-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and 11 the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.

Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.

O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, “the Kingdom is God’s”, may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.

The Valley of Love

2011-04-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

The steed of this Valley is pain; and if there be no pain this journey will never end. In this station the lover hath no thought save the Beloved, and seeketh no refuge save the Friend. At every moment he offereth a hundred lives in the path of the Loved One, at every step he throweth a thousand heads at the feet of the Beloved.....

A lover feareth nothing and no harm can come nigh him: Thou seest him chill in the fire and dry in the sea. A lover is he who is chill in hell fire;
A knower is he who is dry in the sea....

He hath bound a myriad victims in his fetters, wounded a myriad wise men with his arrow. Know that every redness in the world is from his anger, and every paleness in men’s cheeks is from his poison. He yieldeth no remedy but death, he walketh not save in the valley of the shadow; yet sweeter than honey is his venom on the lover’s lips, and fairer his destruction in the seeker’s eyes than a hundred thousand lives.

Wherefore must the veils of the satanic self be burned away at the fire of love, that the spirit may be purified and cleansed and thus may know the station of the Lord of the Worlds.

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SVFV/svfv-2.html

O wayfarer in the path of God!

2011-04-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Be not grieved if thou performest it thyself alone. Let God be all-sufficient for thee. Commune intimately with His Spirit, and be thou of the thankful. Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Should any man respond to thy call, lay bare before him the pearls of the wisdom of the Lord, thy God, which His Spirit hath sent down unto thee, and be thou of them that truly believe. And should any one reject thine offer, turn thou away from him, and put thy trust and confidence in the Lord, thy God, the Lord of all worlds.

By the righteousness of God! Whoso openeth his lips in this Day and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it been foreordained in the realm of God’s Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.

There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men, who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who, before the gaze of the dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven, shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of the blamer will never defeat.

The Power of Divine Assistance

2011-04-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

"Dost thou believe thou hast the power to frustrate His Will, to hinder Him from executing His judgement, or to deter Him from exercising His sovereignty? Pretendest thou that aught in the heavens or in the earth can resist His Faith? No, by Him Who is the Eternal Truth! Nothing whatsoever in the whole of creation can thwart His Purpose . . .."
"Know thou, moreover, that He it is Who hath, by His own behest, created all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. He can, then, the thing that hath been created at His bidding prevail against Him?"

"Every single letter proceeding from Our mouth is endowed with such regenerative power as to enable it to bring into existence a new creation--a creation the magnitude of which is inscrutable to all save God. He verily hath knowledge of all things."
From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

"Say, verily any one follower of this Faith can, by the leave of God, prevail over all who dwell in heaven and earth and in whatever lieth between them; for indeed this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the one true Faith. Therefore fear ye not, neither be ye grieved.

"Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the source of dominion. He createth whatsoever He willeth by His Word of command `Be', and it is. His hath been the power of authority heretofore and it shall remain His hereafter. He maketh victorious whomsoever He pleaseth, through the potency of His behest. He is in truth the Powerful, the Almighty.

Heed not your weaknesses and frailty; fix your gaze upon the invincible power of the Lord, your God, the Almighty … Arise in His name, put your trust wholly in Him, and be assured of ultimate victory.

From the Writings of The Báb

A Timeline of Dr. Russell Norman Murray's academic history

2011-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Byrne Road Cactus Club, Burnaby BC

Photo by Trevor Epp (April 2, 2011)

I was called 'The Don' and thekingpin.

Photo by Dave Murray (April 2, 2011)

Thanks for the cake, Chuck.

A Timeline of Dr. Russell Norman Murray's academic history by Chucky with assistance from thekingpin with some of the funny bits especially.

PhD Graduation Party April 2, 2011. Byrne Road, Cactus Club Cafe, Burnaby, British Columbia

Thanks to friends and family for the excellent PhD Graduation Party at Byrne Road, Cactus Club.

Thank you to Cactus Club, Byrne Road as well. Professional with first-rate food and service as it has been with every Cactus Club Cafe I have been to.

Dr. Russ Murray:)

Chucky...

(~1987) Russ becomes a fan of cult expert Dr. Walter Martin - the flame is kindled. He realizes there is more to ministry than Ernest Angley, Peter Popoff and Oral Roberts.

(1989) Russ attends a Christian college & careers bible study and makes some friends who notice and encourage his passion for apologetics. Russ makes fun of his friends by drawing comic strip stories about them and others. His friends Chuck and Bobby are easy targets. Bobby shows his muscles off for the girls at Bible school.

(1990) Russ decides to quit insurance and call center work and pursue an academic career in Biblical studies/theology/philosophy, starting with Columbia Bible College. Russ becomes acquainted with the Mennonite belief system that his goofy pal Chucky was raised with. This system is soon rejected for Reformed Theology. Sorry, Gerry. Russ hangs with Bobby Buff at school. They almost always skip chapel and play foosball. Russ takes classes from and befriends Chucky's relative, Gerry. Uncle Gerry mentors Russ and has a theory.

(1995) Russ completes his Bachelor of Arts degree. First trip to Britain with Chucky. Travelling by train and bus. Russ gets a sore toe in the Cotswolds. Chucky misreads the bus schedule and after failed attempt to hitchhike back to Stratford, asks a local to call a taxi. Russ has to have toe surgery in Birmingham. Chucky meets David Forbes, and eats haggis and black pudding at Brian Forbes' place. David keeps us up all night with crazy wonderful stories and then puts in a full day driving the double decker bus. Russ relaxes at the Giants' Causeway in northern Ireland. Chucky stops a crazy drunk lady from jumping into the River Liffey in Dublin. Russ used some of his counselling from Bible School and was told to "F off". Russ goes to Canadian Baptist Cemetary (part of ACTS at TWU campus) for his first masters. First attempt at focusing on theodicy. Russ becomes well-acquainted with the TWU photocopier.

(1997) Russ completes his MTS degree. Lack of support from some lovely baptist professors at ACTS drives Russ to aim for a PhD. Mega 2-part vacation - California to see Rush with Chucky, Greg D. and biological cousin Colin, then 2nd Britain trip with Chucky to check out schools. Looking for CD shops in San Francisco, we find ourselves in Castro district, by accident. The gay capital of the world. The Rush show was enjoyed by all. Later we would find a high quality recording of the very same concert. Post-show rendezvous was difficult, especially with no cell phones, but successful. Cousin Colin departs in mysterious fashion. We are ditched. We are not sure if Colin headed back to Castro. Greg D takes bus from Seattle and Russ and Chucky fly to London. Russ and Chucky rent a car and deal with the stress of trying to drive on the left and navigate out of central London to get to Cambridge. Chucky directs Russ down a one way street the wrong way. Schools visited: U. of London, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol. Russ recalls a stuck-up guy at London: "I don't know that your 1st class Christian honours are not our 3rd class honours."

(1999) Russ accepted for MPhil/PhD program at Manchester. Russ attends Manchester, discovers British bias against North American theological training, labelled as fundamentalist. Advisor was away at Germany for year. A source, with a similar name ;) tells me Prof. Jantzen, of Manchester, had it in for TWU students and she used to attend, and so she wanted me out. Prof. Pailin ended up being a real Pailin in the ass. Leaving his flat for a short trip back to Canada, Russ returns to find his Manchester flat burglarized. Conflicts at Manchester lead Russ to attempt switching to Nazarene Theological College (also in Manchester). Nazarene is blocked by their relationship with Manchester, politics force Russ to search for another school.

(2000) In despair about his situation, Russ sends out emails to a few other potential schools, prays, and the following day receives a call from Dr. William Kay at University of Wales, which offers a distance learning PhD. But must first complete a British MPhil degree. Russ started the MPhil while in Manchester. Did Chapter 1 in the UK. Chucky comes over from Belgium to visit at Christmas time, and Russ and Chucky are attacked downtown, Russ getting bottled. UK doctor attempts to fix the nose by hand, makes it worse. Nasal and dental reconstructive surgery were done after returning to Canada.

(2001) Russ works from home, and rekindles his relationship with the TWU photocopier. Russ learns statistics, as advisor (William Kay) has statistical background and they decide a survey approach to theodicy would be unique and interesting.

(2003) Russ completes the MPhil for U. of Wales with no revisions, despite having to deal with annoying vitreous floaters and sleep apnea related fatigue. Sleeping 12 hours a days to do 12 hours of work, including thesis writing and blogging.

(2004) Russ begins blogging, starting with thekingpin68 blog, with posts on various theological topics, and beautiful scenic photos of places around the world. A guy named "Jeff" becomes an early fan and voluminous writer, also providing occasional humourous photoshopped images. An annual feature is the “non-conformist of the year”, selected among Russ' many nicknamed friends. Bobby Buff is the 10-times winner. Russ begins work on the PhD.

(2006) Russ adds a second blog, satireandtheology. Today both blogs receive about 15,000 pages views a month combined. First PhD advisor (Mark) advises Russ to avoid a philosophical approach. Mark leaves the University; Russ is assigned another advisor (Rob). There is a long delay between advisors. Rob wanted way more work - lots of additions. Rob then leaves for another school (Chester).

(2009) Russ goes to Wales and impresses the examiners with his thesis defense (viva). The examiners ask for a more philosophical approach and revisions that took another eight months.

(2010) Russ finally gets word that his PhD revisions have been accepted. University of Wales, Lampeter is involved in merger with Trinity University College. The merged school is called University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. The merger slows up processing of the doctorate. Russ' doctorate was basically lost and was only found when he emailed the top three persons at TSD and they put pressure on the office to get it done. Diploma arrives in the mail with stamps from both University of Wales and University of Wales, Lampeter. Fortunately it is not bent like his Silver Surfer comic book. (2011) Russ develops a following among young, female Brazilian bloggers. Also some from Spain and Argentina.

Photo by Dr. Russ Murray (April 2, 2011)

BA, MTS, MPhil, PhD (Order on wall, PhD, up BA, down MTS, MPhil)
My wall completed after my PhD graduation party.
Photo by Dr. Russ Murray

Thank you to Philip Hayes for the last three images from Icanhasmotivation.com