The Equality of Women and Men

The Equality of Women and Men

The Current World Crisis:

November 25^th is the United Nations Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day is followed by sixteen days of action by the “White Ribbon Campaign” which is a campaign to raise awareness of the issue of violence against women by having men wear white ribbon symbols on their shirts.

The statistics of violence against women provided by various national and international government agencies and private organizations reveal an alarming reality of this gross injustice against half our world’s population. As an example of the extensive depressing statistics, a recent report from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) stated that 70% of women worldwide have experienced abuse in their lives. In Canada it is reported that 51% of women have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of sixteen. What is more alarming is that these statistics grossly under report the extent of violence against women as it is estimated that between 55% and 95% of women in many cultures throughout the world do not report the abuse they have suffered. Sadly the perpetrators of violence against women are often their male spouses, intimate partners and family members.

Violence against women is pervasive throughout our global society; it occurs in all ethnic, racial, religious, age, social and economic groups. The subordination of women is a universal fact that leads to greater and lesser degrees of the subjugation of women (bondage, subjection, control) and violence against women (physical, psychological, spiritual abuse).

According to a recent United Nations Fact Sheet on violence against women, “The roots of violence against women lie in historically unequal power relations between men and women and persistent discrimination against women.” Given these root causes, the question is not only one of eliminating violence against women but also how do we achieve gender equality and therefore end these inequities.

The Causes:

To better understand what is needed to achieve gender equality it is necessary to further analyze the causes of violence against women.

Social Anthropologist, Sherry B. Ortner, in her report “Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture?” describes the relationship between males and females. Males are more closely associated with, shaping and dominating culture and females are biologically (procreation), socially (primary domestic role) and psychologically (psychic structure – nurturing, etc.) more aligned with nature. As culture transcends and controls nature, therefore it is natural for men to devalue women and for women to devalue themselves.

Moojan Momen, in his paper “In all the Ways that Matter, Women Don’t Count” states that our social structure is a patriarchy in which men rule and power is the dominating value. This has evolved historically as power was valued and strong males were required when tribes/cultures/societies came in contact with each other and clashed over scarce resources (land, food, etc.)

A basic characteristic of a patriarchy is that the group in power subjugates the other groups in the society in order to maintain power, therefore, the less powerful women and their feminine attributes are devalued.

An alternative to the patriarchal society is the matrifocal society where women are the focus of the social group. The following table outlines the characteristics of these two societies:

Comparison of Characteristics of Patriarchal and Matrifocal Societies
Patriarchal Society	Matrifocal Society
Values: Power	Values: Nurturing
Authority	Life-giving
Control	Compassion
Victory	Sensitivity
Ownership	Spontaneity
Law	Creativity
Courage	Working with others
Strength	Giving support to others
Primary Interactions: power struggles and competition	Primary Interactions: mutual and co-operative
Results: victory and defeat: winners take all	Results: Victory and success are judged by the degree to which the condition of all is bettered.
The ends justify the means	The means are as important as the ends
Epitomized by: tradition, institutions, civilization, control over the natural world	Epitomized by: the natural world
Tends towards centralization of authority as this achieves more power	Tends towards decentralization as the mutuality and consultative decision-making that it favours best occurs in small, autonomous communities

Both of the above analyses demonstrate the historic and cultural roots of men’s dominance over women and confirm the root cause presented by the United Nations as the unequal power relationships between men and women.

Not directly addressed above is another serious, significant and pervasive cause of the subordination and abuse of women which is the religious traditions that have been misinterpreted and used by men as God given authority to subjugate women. Everything from the language used to some religious interpretations, dogmas, rites and practices are discriminatory and in many instances lead to violence against women including such practices as beatings, genital mutilation, and honor killings.

The Current Solutions:

There are numerous local, national and international initiatives underway to address the destructive prejudice against women. These actions can be generally categorized as follows:

Adaptive actions which predominantly occur at the local level such as legal aid, transition houses, and women’s support groups, help ameliorate the effects of abuse against individual women, however, as critically important that these services are, the systemic causes of abuse against women and the achievement of equality with men are not directly addressed.

Well-meaning campaigns such as the White Ribbon Campaign and the UN Secretary-General’s Campaign to identify male leaders as role models for better treatment of women help to raise the awareness of this critical global issue but, again the underlying causes are not directly addressed.

Many groups are working to empower women through education and other means so that women will occupy up to 50% of the power positions in society – politics, law, business, professionals, etc. Becoming equal partners in the power structure will achieve equality and end violence against women. However, this worthwhile action leaves the current patriarchal power structure in place with the same values. Women are co-opted by the existing patriarchal system and feminine values remain subordinated. Furthermore, women are seen by men as new competitors for power with additional skills and unique capabilities (e.g. sexuality, etc.). The economic empowerment of women is seen by men as a threat because society will judge the men as incapable and not in-charge as ‘head of the household.’ Economic improvement of women or of a society does not correlate to reduced violence against women.

Efforts by governments and other organizations are also being made nationally and internationally to regulate equality and eliminate violence against women through the rule of law. However, as of 2006 only 89 out of the 192 United Nations member states had some form of legislation prohibiting domestic violence. Even where there are laws, the reality is that violence against women is either covered up or tacitly condoned. Economics Nobel Laureate Oliver Williamson states that “norms and practices that evolve within society are so powerful that they take precedence over regulation.” Culture takes precedence over the rule of law and discriminatory religious dogmas and traditions take precedence over the rule of law.

Efforts at religious empowerment of women are also considered essential to achieving equality and ending abuse. But this has led to a further fracturing of religious traditions; fundamentalist backlash; and contributed to the abandonment of religion as a moral force in society.

Sherry B. Ortner demonstrates in her paper “Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture?” that: “the whole scheme (of devaluing women because of their association with nature) is a construct of culture rather than a fact of nature. Woman is not “in reality” any closer to (or further from) nature than man – both have consciousness, both are mortal.” She concludes that both social institutions and cultural assumptions must be changed. “Efforts directed solely at changing the social institutions – through setting quotas on hiring, for example, or through passing equal-pay-for-equal-work laws – cannot have far-reaching effects if cultural language and imagery continue to purvey a relatively devalued view of women. Efforts directed solely at changing cultural assumptions – through male and female consciousness-raising groups, for example, or through revision of educational materials and mass-media imagery – cannot be successful unless the institutional base of the society is changed to support and reinforce the changed cultural view. Ultimately, both men and women must be equally involved in projects of creativity and transcendence.”

Another solution proposed by more radical groups is to overthrow the prevailing Patriarchal Structure. However, this simply reinstates an alternative power-based structure. As Moojan Momen explains “… if there are two groups, A and B, the first of which holds power as its supreme value and the second of which does not, then Group B loses whatever it does. If it sticks to its values and refuses to compete for power with Group A, it is subjugated and A’s values are imposed upon it. If B does compete with A, then this can only be through striving for power. In this case, B also adopts power as a value and, therefore, loses its own values. Either way, A succeeds in asserting its values upon B.”

In conclusion, all of these solutions either individually or taken together will not resolve the subordination of women as they do not fully address all the underlying causes of inequality and therefore they will not eliminate violence against women.

The Bahá’í Solution:

Following is an individual opinion of how the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith which are founded upon the authenticated revelation of Bahá’u'lláh, its Prophet-Founder, resolve this endemic injustice facing humanity. This solution is based upon the following basic premises:

• Society’s ideological, social/cultural, political, judicial, economic, and scientific/technological systems are not separate/independent or even inter-related compartments of life and society – they are intimately integrated, interdependent components of civilization. Therefore, a solution is needed that will influence, inform and change all of these components. As stated by Sherry B. Ortner, one system cannot be changed independently of another.
• The predominant religious/ideological beliefs and values of a society are the foundation of and shape all the other components of the society. Ideology determines peoples’ values, engages their hearts, minds and spirits and motivates people to act according to their deeply held beliefs and values. The predominant ideology of the world today is materialism and it is evident that everything is sacrificed towards economic ends. No permanent solution will be found to the subordination of women until the predominant power-driven, materialistic beliefs and values of society are replaced.
• The Bahá’í Faith is an ideology, a religion, a belief system Divinely revealed for the purpose to “safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men.” It is not an end in itself; it is a tool, an instrument for the wellbeing of all of humanity. It contains all of the necessary principles, teachings, structures, and most importantly, the moral/spiritual authority to transform all the components of society to achieve world peace.

While contributing to the betterment of the current global society in a multitude of ways at local, national and international levels, Bahá’ís are building an alternative civilization – a new world order – based upon fundamental universal, unifying principles including the “Equality of Women and Men” as one of the central principles of the Faith. By unequivocally proclaiming this principle and all that it means, all the social, cultural, moral, economic and religious dogmatic reasons to subjugate and harm women are invalidated. Bahá’ís are creating a united world civilization in which the masculine and feminine attributes and values will be more evenly balanced. This will be accomplished by:

• Raising the consciousness of the equality of men and women and all that this implies.
• Encouraging and welcoming women into full partnership with men in all fields of human endeavor.
• Creating unity and equality in the family founded upon the declaration “We will all verily abide by the Will of God” rather than the obedience of the wife to her husband.
• Universal education with priority given to girls and women as they are the first educators of their children.
• Recognizing true liberty/victory is achieved through submission to the Will of God.
• Replacing the primary values of power and material wealth with service and virtue.
• Replacing Competition to beat others with vying with others to achieve excellence.
• Setting the common good above private interest.
• Working for the betterment of the world rather than the acquisition of wealth and power.
• The creation of a divinely guided administrative order that places power and authority in elected institutions rather than appointed or elected individuals including the elimination of a clergy.
• Having a non-competitive, non-partisan democratic electoral process that facilitates the election of people based on their qualities of character irrespective of gender.
• Avoiding partisan politics and any other activity that will divert the Faith from its ultimate goal of the peace and well-being of all of humanity therefore avoiding the involvement of the Faith in the subversive acquisition of power.

These are but a few of the salient directions found in the volumes of the Bahá’í Teachings. There is much, much more guidance for building this new world order. These teachings are not a collection of ideas from people, they are the Revelation of Bahá’u'lláh, the Divine Source of guidance for this age of human evolution. The key to the success of the Bahá’í solution to achieve the equality of women and men is that it engages our minds, attracts our hearts, quickens our spirits and transforms us individually and collectively. In closing, following is a quotation from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings regarding the equality of women and men:

And among the teachings of Bahá’u'lláh is the equality of women and men. The world of humanity has two wings — one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly.

Don Brown, Sooke, B.C., Canada

(References to quoted sources provided upon request.)

Letter to Dr. Martin in regards to Persecution in Iran

The Bahá’í Communities

Of the Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca Federal Riding

Persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran Intensifies

Update May 14, 2009

Dear Dr. Martin,

It has been one year since the arrest of the seven Bahá’ís who were coordinating the affairs of the Bahá’í community in Iran. In spite of calls for their release by governments, human rights organizations and leaders of thought throughout the world, an additional charge of “spreading corruption on earth” has been brought against them. This is an extremely serious crime in Islamic law which could result in the execution of these innocent people.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of Bahá’ís arrested over the first four months of this year and acts of harassment and abuse have escalated. This systematic persecution of the Bahá’ís clearly demonstrates the strengthened determination by the Iranian authorities to eradicate the Bahá’í community as a viable religious organization in Iran.

Attached is an update regarding the plight of the Bahá’ís in Iran prepared by the Canadian Bahá’í Office of Government Relations.

We are very thankful for your active and ongoing support of our Bahá’í community. Your personal initiatives such as writing to the Minister of External Affairs and your most recent support of the motion condemning the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran are greatly appreciated by the Bahá’í community both locally and nationally. The seriousness of the current situation in Iran impels us to ask for your assistance once again. We appeal to you to mark this anniversary by protesting, whether through statements in the House of Commons or to the press, the continued imprisonment of the Bahá’í leadership.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

With sincere gratitude,

Don Brown,

On behalf of the Bahá’í communities of Colwood, Esquimalt, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, Saanich, Sooke and View Royal

Email: donhbrown@shaw.ca

Update on the Persecution of the Baha’is of Iran

The seven Bahá’ís who had served on an ad hoc group (“Friends in Iran”) that coordinated the spiritual and community affairs of the 300,000 Bahá’ís of Iran were arrested in March and May of 2008. Twelve months later they remain in Evin prison, having been subjected to intense interrogation, having had no access to legal counsel and having had very restricted visits from family.

In February 2009, Iranian authorities announced that they had completed their investigation of the “Friends in Iran”. They were to be charged with “espionage on behalf of Israel”, “insult to the sacredness [of Islam]”, and “propaganda against the regime” and their case was being referred to the Revolutionary Court the following week for an indictment. An international outcry over the blatant falsity of the charges ensued and the authorities changed the investigating magistrate.

New Charge

Some twelve weeks after the investigation had reportedly been concluded, the families of the Friends were informed that a new charge would be brought against them: “spreading corruption on earth” (“Mofsede-fel-Arz”).

As statements made by judicial officials have thus far proved generally unreliable, this recent charge may well prove to be nothing more than yet another tactic aimed at terrorizing the families of the “Friends in Iran”. Nonetheless, the crime of ‘spreading corruption on earth’ is regarded as extremely serious within Islamic law and, as it is set out in Iran’s penal code, is cast in such vague terms as to place anyone accused of committing it in an extremely vulnerable position. Depending upon the severity of the perpetrator’s actions in the view of the court, punishment can range from execution to

imprisonment, exile, or amputation of a leg or hand.

Efforts to Eliminate the Bahá’í Community as a Viable Entity Intensify

In late February, Iranian authorities declared the ad hoc arrangements made to tend to the spiritual needs and coordinate the activities of the Bahá’í community in Iran illegal. Instead of releasing the Friends – who as loyal and law-abiding citizens immediately expressed their willingness to bring to a close their collective functioning – and ameliorating the situation of the Bahá’ís in general, the authorities have done the opposite.

Following the announcement by the Bahá’ís of Iran that the local and national ad hoc coordinating groups – which were now deemed illegal – would cease to function at the national and local level, Iranian authorities began what appears to be a concerted effort to bring a halt to any Bahá’í activity that extends beyond private, individual acts of faith.

Since the beginning of March, some 35 believers in 11 different localities, who had formerly served as members of the coordinating groups at the local level as well as others who have been active in the life of the Bahá’í community, have been summoned to the local offices of the Ministry of Intelligence, interrogated, and then pressured to sign an undertaking that they will not engage in any Bahá’í activity whatsoever with others. All have declined to sign this undertaking.

Summary arrests, too, are on the rise. In the first four months of this year, there have already been 38 arrests, which is more than half the highest number of Bahá’ís arrested in any of the years since 2005 (2005 – 68; 2006 – 65; 2007 – 14; 2008 – 60).

The tactics employed in the persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran show signs of a strengthened determination on the part of the Iranian authorities to carry out their intention to eradicate the Baha’i community as a viable entity in Iran. These include covert efforts to identify and monitor the believers throughout the country; demonization of the Bahá’í Faith and its adherents from the nation’s pulpits; a systematic, long-running campaign of incitement to hatred through state-controlled mass media; gross misrepresentation of the Faith’s history and teachings in school text books; systematic efforts to impoverish the Bahá’ís through denial of access to higher education and to earning a livelihood; systematic exclusion of Bahá’ís from employment in the civil service, educational institutions, the legal profession, and the debarring of Bahá’ís from employment in just over two dozen types of business on the grounds that they are either “unclean” or pose a security risk; systematic efforts to drive all the Bahá’ís out of certain villages and rural areas; and persistent official denial that the Bahá’í Faith is a religion.

Sustained pressure on Iran to respect its international human rights obligation is urgently required.

For further information or updates on the situation of the Bahá’ís of Iran please contact

Susanne Tamás, Director

Office of Governmental Relations

Bahá’í Community of Canada

613 233 37121

613 266 8677 Cell

bccottaw@ican.net

Sooke News Mirror: Religious Persecution (Letter to the Editor)

The Bahá’í community of Sooke is increasingly concerned about the escalating human rights abuses in Iran.

According to Amnesty International, currently there are over 200 people of various ethnic and religious minorities unlawfully imprisoned by the Iranian Islamic regime.

In February, a Christian church was burned to the ground in Mashad, Iran, because a local Muslim man had converted to Christianity. In recent weeks Churches have been forcibly closed and other discriminatory actions have been taken against Christians.

There has also been a significant increase in the persecution of the 300,000 Iranian Bahá’ís by the government of Iran. There are more than 30 Bahá’ís including youth, women and elderly people in their 70s, in prison, suffering inhumane conditions solely because of their religious belief.

These criminal violations against the Bahá’ís and the human rights abuses of other peoples of the world are, we believe, acts of prejudice. We ask for your prayers for an end to the persecutions in Iran and for all those suffering religious and human rights violations in the world. The more that people of all faiths and spiritual beliefs join together in opposing oppression, the sooner we will all be freed from the devastating consequences of religious, racial and ethnic hatred.

There has been strong, concerted actions by national governments, leaders of thought, and international human rights organizations to the recent acts of persecution against the Iranian Bahá’ís. On March 30th, 2009, Canada’s House of Commons unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Baha’is in Iran. In his opening remarks in the House of Commons introducing this motion, M.P. Mr. Mario Silva, made the following statement:

I am reminded of the famous quote by Pastor Martin Niemöller who remarked, when referring to the Holocaust, “When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I was not a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out”.

For more information on the Bahá’í Faith and the current situation in Iran please visit the website: www.bahai.org. For further information on the House of Commons motion please visit our website: www.Sookefriends.com.

Don Brown, the Bahá’í Community of Sooke, phone: 250-642-7992 email: donhbrown@shaw.ca

Canada’s House of Common’s Resolution on the Persecution of Baha’is

During the 90 minute debate on the motion regarding the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran, members of all the political parties spoke in favour of the motion. Following is a brief summary of some of the salient remarks made in the House of Commons.

Attacks against the Iranian Bahá’ís have been ongoing since the inception of the Islamic revolution and have intensified over the past few years. These abuses have been independently documented by the United Nations Human Rights Special Rapporteurs and other international human rights organizations.

This particular motion calls to attention the wrongful arrest and detention of seven members of the group, the Friends of Iran, who oversee the needs of the Bahá’í community in Iran. They have been held in the Evin prison in Tehran for over 10 months without formal charges or access to legal counsel or evidence brought against them. The last Bahá’í national assembly was executed and this group is also facing possible execution.

A lawyer and Nobel Peace Laureate, Shirin Ebadi, has been subjected to harassment, death threats and subsequent closure of her offices when she announced her intention to represent the Bahá’ís in court.

These arrests have taken place in the context of an upsurge of arbitrary arrests, raids on homes, expulsion of university students, harassment of school children, destruction of graveyards, and virulent attacks in government controlled media. Bahá’ís are being subjected to intimidation, violence and death threats.

The Bahá’í community in Iran poses no threat to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The principles of the Bahá’í Faith require its members to be obedient to their government and to avoid partisan political involvement, subversive activity and all forms of violence.

Persecution of religious and ethnic minorities goes beyond the Baha’i community and includes Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sufis and Sunni Muslims. The rights of women and workers are suppressed; academics, journalists, and human rights defenders intimated; and the Iranian authorities have limited the freedom of expression and the media.

The motion is not against Islam or the people of Iran, but against the repressive Iranian government.

The Bahá’ís have recently been given support by Iranian academics, writers, artists, journalists and activists throughout the world.

In his opening remarks introducing the motion, M.P. Mr. Mario Silva, made the following statement:

I am reminded of the famous quote by Pastor Martin Niemöller who remarked, when referring to the Holocaust, “When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I was not a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out”.

The Motion

Mr. Wayne Marston (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, NDP):

… It is very important for the people at home who are watching the debate tonight to understand first of all that there was consensus, as the previous speaker just said, in our committee. We all understand the importance of this situation in Iran. I also believe it is important to read the motion that is contained in the report. The motion reads:

Whereas, the House of commons recognizes that on 14 May 2008, six members of an informal group known as the Friends in Iran that oversee the needs of the Bahá’í community in Iran were arrested and taken to the political prisoners section of Evin prison in Tehran, where the seventh member was already being held, following her arrest in Mashhad in March 2008.

And whereas, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in October 2005, uncovered a confidential letter from the Command headquarters of the Armed Forces of Iran ordering the identification and monitoring of all Bahá’ís and their activities.

And whereas, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief stated on March 20, 2006, that she “also expresses her concern that the information gathered as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of and discrimination against, members of the Bahá’í Faith, in violation of international standards … The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating”.

And whereas, the Bahá’í community of Canada is gravely concerned for the safety of these seven Bahá’ís who have been held without formal charges or access to legal counsel or evidence brought against them and being subjected to harsh treatment and interrogation with very restricted visits from family members for more than nine months.

And whereas, Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi who announced her intention to defend the Bahá’ís in court has since been harassed and her offices have been closed.

And whereas, the Deputy Prosecutor General has announced that these prisoners will be tried by the Revolutionary court on charges of “espionage on behalf of Israel”, “insult to the sacredness (of Islam)” and “propaganda against the regime” – all of which are capital offences.

And whereas, such charges are frequently used by Iranian authorities to target human rights defenders and religious minorities and there is nothing in the history or teachings of the Bahá’í community to lend any credence to such charges.

And whereas, these arrests have taken place in the context of an upsurge of arbitrary arrests, raids on home, expulsion of university students, harassment of school children, destruction of graveyards, virulent attacks in government controlled media.

Therefore, be it resolved that this House condemns the ongoing persecution of the Bahá’í minority of Iran and calls upon the government of Iran to reconsider its charges against the members of the Friends in Iran, and release them immediately or failing this, that it proceed to trial without further delay, ensuring that the proceedings are open and fair and are conducted in the presence of international observers.

This not one of those debates where members try to score points at the expense of other parties in the House. No, Mr. Speaker, as you have listened, you will have heard unity in the House, unity in support of human rights and security for the Baha’i people in Iran.

Is there no God?

Is There No God?

By Don Brown

On Monday, January 12, 2009, the CBC National News reported that posters proclaiming “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” were being displayed on 30 buses throughout London, England for four weeks.

The atheist posters are the idea of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and have been supported by prominent atheist, Professor Richard Dawkins. The purpose of the campaign is to provide alternative slogans to the Christian posters on the buses in order to make people think. In BHA’s view “thinking is anathema to religion”.

The question of the existence of God has challenged philosophers and great thinkers throughout the ages. God’s existence is clearly proclaimed in all the great religions, however, this has not satisfied many people who have searched for an independent, “scientific” proof of the existence of God.

In recent years, this challenge was taken on by mathematician/philosopher and member of the Bahá’í Faith, Professor William S. Hatcher (1935-2005). No doubt, one of the motivations for Dr. Hatcher to scientifically prove God’s existence is in response to one of the fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith: “…that religion must be in harmony with science and reason. If it does not conform to science and reconcile with reason, it is superstition.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 455)

Dr. Hatcher developed a clear, and in my view, indisputable proof of the existence of God utilizing first order logic. He bases his proof on four scientifically provable metaphysical principles. Following is a paraphrased, simplified description of these principles and the application of these principles to prove God’s existence. A much more complete and technical discussion is presented in Dr. Hatcher’s book, “Minimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Bahá’í Revelation.” The four principles are:

Principle 1 (P1): We define Reality (V) as the sum of all existence, material and non-material. Every entity, or phenomenon, past, present or future taken together makes up Reality. In mathematical terms this can be stated as Reality (V) is the composite of everything.

Principle 2 (P2) Nothing exists without a reason, either within itself, that is, self-caused; or it owes its existence to something else, that is, its existence is caused by something other than itself, but not both. Therefore, all phenomena are either self-caused (B→B: B causes B) or other-caused (A→B: A causes B, and A is not equal to B, A≠B) but not both.

Principle 3 (P3): If A causes B then A is the cause of every part of B. In other words if A causes B (A→B), and B is composed of elements C (C1+C2+C3…=B) then A causes all the elements C of B (A→C).

Principle 4 (P4): A composite A cannot be the cause of one of its own components. For example, a car (the composite) cannot be the cause of its own steering wheel (a part), because the car does not logically exist until the steering wheel exists. Thus the car’s existence cannot precede the steering wheel’s existence. Note that this does not negate the possibility that a component can cause the whole composite.

Utilizing these scientifically logical principles, Hatcher definitively proves the existence of God.

First: The Reality V as defined by Principle P1, which is a composite of everything, cannot be self-caused, that is V cannot cause V because by Principle P4, the composite V cannot cause any of its components, therefore Reality V must be other-caused, that is caused by something else. In fact this demonstrates that no composite phenomenon can be self-caused. Therefore V is caused by some phenomenon G, (G→V where G≠V).

Second: Every phenomenon is either a component or subsystem of V as per the definition V being all reality. Therefore G is a component of V and G causes V: G→V. As defined in Principle P3, since G causes all of V, then it must cause itself as part of V; that is G→G, therefore G is self-caused.

Third: G is a single entity rather than a composite with parts because if G had some component C, then according to Principle P3 it would be the cause of its part G→C which contradicts Principle P4 which states a composite cannot be the cause of any of its parts. Therefore, G is a self-caused, single, entity.

Fourth: Since G causes V (G→V) and every phenomenon B is a part of V, therefore by Principle P3, G causes all the components of V that is G→B. Therefore G is a self-caused, single, universal entity that is the cause of all of V.

Fifth: If it is assumed that there is another self-caused phenomenon D i.e. D→D then because G has already been shown to be the universal cause of V, then G must also be the cause of D (G→D). But since, according to Principle P2, a phenomenon cannot be both self-caused and other-caused, therefore G must be D. Therefore G is the self-caused, single, universal, unique entity.

Finally, Hatcher introduces one more metaphysical principle, Principle P5: If A causes B (A→B) then the value of A (i.e. the properties of A) must be greater or equal to the value of B (A ≥B). This principle states that a lower thing cannot be the cause of a higher thing: only something of equal or higher value can be the cause of a given entity. Since human beings are phenomenon of Reality V and humans are conscious beings, therefore G must be a conscious being. G is the self-caused, single, universal, unique, conscious being with all the properties of creation to an infinite degree.

This definition of G is the definition of God, the Creator found in all the world religions. One of the many quotations from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings on this subject states:

Existence is of two kinds: one is the existence of God which is beyond the comprehension of man. He, the invisible, the lofty and the incomprehensible, is preceded by no cause but rather is the Originator of the cause of causes. He, the Ancient, hath had no beginning and is the all-independent. The second kind of existence is the human existence. It is a common existence, comprehensible to the human mind, is not ancient, is dependent and hath a cause to it. The mortal substance does not become eternal and vice versa; the human kind does not become a Creator and vice versa… (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 61)

This proof of God is based on first-order logic and it does not require a leap of faith or an “individual spiritual experience.” To disprove this proof, requires disproving one or more of the metaphysical principles. The more one delves into these principles using science, philosophy or mathematics, the more evident it is that these principles are logical and sound. Careful reflection and thought on these principles also verifies their validity and the truth that God exists.

United Nations International Day For The Elimination of Violence against Women

Gender-based violence, either public or domestic that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm to women and girls affects at least one out of three women in the world. This suffering afflicts women of every age, race, class, culture and religion.

In commemoration of the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Sooke Bahá’í community is hosting a discussion evening on Friday, November 28th, 2008 at 7:00 PM at 5686 Woodlands Road, phone 250-642-7992.

Representatives from the local RCMP Victim Services and the Sooke Transition House will be speaking on this critical issue, particularly with regards to our local District and how it affects all of us. Following the presentations will be a discussion on this complex issue with the ultimate goal being to eradicate violence against women and girls in Sooke.
Everyone is welcome to come and join in these talks and vital discussion. Included on this website are two excellent articles on violence against women prepared by the Bahá’í International Community’s Office for the Advancement of Women at the United Nations.

The articles:

1. Beyond Legal Reforms: Culture and Capacity in the Eradication of Violence Against Women and Girls

2. Backgrounder for Beyond Legal Reforms

*right click & save-as to computer for best reading experience.

The Face of God

Few poems have touched me more deeply than one by John Magee, a 2nd World War pilot who flew Supermarine Spitfires over England during 1940-41.

High Flight

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunwards I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds – and done a thousand things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air, Up, up the long delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, Where never lark, or even eagle, flew; And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

As I re-read High Flight I ponder the impetus for the young pilot’s use of, “the face of God” in his last line. When I learned the author was the son of devoted Christian parents, I surmised he first heared the expression  within the context of his Judeo-Christian upbringing. There are numerous references to the, “Face of God” in the Old Testament, e.g. “As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness: shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness.” Ps.17:19, and, “Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercy’s sake.” Ps. 31:16.

Investigating the use of the same concept in the scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith (my own)  I have discovered that the Revelation of Baha’u'llah, which is contained in over 100 volumes, makes extensive use of the concept.  While the word “face” itself is used over 600 times in His writings, often it is used in referring to the face of the seeker in relation to “the Face of the One sought” (God’s Face). For example, “Blessed is the man that hath set his face towards God,…”and, “…then turn thy face towards Him Who is the Life-Giver of the world.” And, “O thou who hast set Thy face towards the splendours of My Countenance!”.

But the Writings of Baha’u'llah are also replete with the use of the concept of God’s face used by the aviator, and the old Testament. Here are but two examples: “Detach yourselves from all else but me, and turn your faces towards my Face, for better is this for you than the things ye possess.” Gl. 257:25. Plus, “And whensoever the portals of grace did open…they all denied Him, and turned away from His Face– the Face of God Himself.”

How perfect that Magee should end his poem with such a provacative image. Could anything in its place have been more fitting? To me the young aviator conveys by means of this sonnet of a mere 14 lines, a multi-faceted metaphor offering us glimpses of an ecstatic and mystical experience which, on September 3, 1941, in the cockpit of his aircraft, invaded his soul.

When I reflect upon the level of evident spiritual maturity the poet had reached at age 19, I am filled with immense admiration and a touch of regret, recalling the state of my own dereliction at the same age. Besides his contribution as a fighter pilot toward the protecting of Great Britain, the poem John Gillespie Magee Jr. has left to posterity will surely continue to inspire generations of humanity yet unborn, to slip “…the surly bonds of earth” in a spiritual, if not a physical sense as he did and seek, in their own way, “to touch the Face of God.”

Written by: Bill Skuce

A Bahá’í’s Perspective On the Current Global Economic Crisis*

In recent weeks we have witnessed an unprecedented meltdown of the world’s global economic system which is permeating the entire world. Trillions of dollars have been lost on the world’s stock markets. Many global financial institutions and other major enterprises in all sectors of the world economy are facing bankruptcy. The response of governments has been dramatic. Coordinated efforts are being made to pump billions of dollars into the national economies in order to bring stability to the markets and re-establish the status quo of the current free enterprise capitalist system. Governments are also talking about added regulations to ensure this crisis does not recur. But is this enough?

Another view is that a more fundamental rethinking of the system is required as the current capitalist system is “morally and intellectually bankrupt”. Capitalism “abandons starving millions to the operations of a market system that all too clearly is aggravating the plight of the majority of mankind, while enabling small sections to live in a condition of affluence scarcely dreamed of by our forebears.”

Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith has revealed new laws and social principles to heal the economic, social and spiritual ills of the world and bring peace and well-being to all of humanity. It is strikingly evident from this current crisis just how closely interconnected our world has become. The solutions presented in The Bahá’í Writings are revealed for this age of human history as they are centered on the pivotal principle of the oneness of the entire human race; that we are one human family sharing one common homeland – the planet earth.

The foremost challenge facing us all is the need for a transformative change in our individual and social consciousness and behaviour. We are in reality spiritual beings with a higher purpose to know and love God, to work for the betterment of the world, and to acquire virtues to fulfill our purpose in this life and in our continued service after leaving this world. This stands in sharp contrast to the materialistic view of human reality that we are constantly bombarded with which says that we are essentially material beings and the goal of human life is to satisfy material needs and wants. Current social values of self interest, material acquisitions and personal advancement over others, need to be replaced with setting the common good above private interest, moderation and service to humanity.

Within the economic sphere the application of the Bahá’í social principles and this transformation in consciousness will result in a number of significant changes including:

•    All trade and economic barriers will be eliminated including subsidies to certain sectors in order to maintain competitive advantage.
•    A single currency will be adopted worldwide which will curb unproductive speculation and unpredictable market swings, promote a leveling of wages and prices throughout the world and significantly contribute to balanced trade among nations.
•    The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be fully utilized in environmentally sustainable ways, its markets will be coordinated and developed and its distribution of products will be equitably regulated.
•    The extremes of wealth and poverty will be eliminated through graduated taxation, just laws and voluntary sharing.
•    The personal initiative and freedom of individuals will be safeguarded including private ownership.
•    The fundamental purpose of all enterprises will be to work for the betterment of the world rather than maximizing returns for the shareholders. Products and services will be fairly priced achieving sustainability and moderate profits with 20% to 25% of the profits shared with the employees of the enterprise.
•    Strikes and lockouts will be eliminated and labour/management disputes will be settled through legal means.
•    Begging will be eliminated. Everyone will have the opportunity to develop a trade or profession and be employed. Work done in the spirit of service is worship.
•    The ruling principle of the economic system will be justice – the law of force will be replaced with the force of law.

These changes are also intimately tied to other social principles enunciated in the Bahá’í Sacred Writings which will bring about a new world order of a commonwealth of autonomous nations functioning in unity and peace under the overall authority of an elected world governing institution. These changes will occur; either through an act consultative will, or after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity’s stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour. This is the stark choice and the special opportunity that is facing all of humanity at this critical time in our collective history.

Religion plays a pivotal role in achieving the vast changes outlined above. Religion alone can provide the unity of conscience, the moral certitude and the divinely inspired motivation to cultivate in man’s nature such a fundamental change as to enable him to adjust the economic relationships of society. This in fact, is the root cause of all of humanity’s social, economic and environmental problems – our lack of applied spirituality.

This begs the question: What can we do now as ordinary citizens facing the stresses and pressures of a crumbling world economy? Over the last twenty-five years the Bahá’í community has been participating in social and economic development in local communities throughout the world including social projects and sustainable enterprises in literacy training, schools, moral education, the environment, health, community banking, agriculture, the arts, media and micro-enterprises. In the greater community, the cooperative movement, community economic development and the non-profit sector are all to a greater or lesser degree learning to apply spiritual, social and moral principles to improve the lives of the people in their communities. These diverse, multifaceted initiatives represent the first glimmerings of the new economy and provide the means to become directly involved in building the new world order at the grassroots level. It requires time, self-sacrifice and a critical mass of like-minded people working together to implement these projects.

Secondly, we can independently and collectively develop our spiritual consciousness. To aid us in our spiritual quest and to help us make sense of the diverse religious traditions in our society are the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith and the soul-stirring inspiration of the Divine Revelation of Bahá’u'lláh.

You are invited to join us for a discussion on this topic on Friday, October 24th, 7:00 PM at 5686 Woodlands Road, Sooke BC phone 250 642-7992.

*Note: The above article is a personal perspective of the current economic crisis based upon my own research of the Bahá’í Writings and the current economic conditions facing the world. This is not an official statement of the Bahá’í Faith and the reader is encouraged to independently investigate the truth and efficacy of these views. Secondly, I apologize that due to time constraints I have not included references to the multiple sources of information that I used to develop this article. Further information regarding these principles and the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith are available from our local Bahá’í community and through various internet sources including the Bahá’í Community of Canada website: www.ca.bahai.org and the Bahá’í International website: www.bahai.org. If you have any questions or comments please contact me at 250-642-7992 or email me at donhbrown@shaw.ca. Don Brown

Proud of Canada

Proud of Canada

“We are proud it was Canada that put forth the recent resolution at the U.N. regarding the persecution of minorities in Iran,” said Houri Skuce, one of five members belonging to the Baha’i Community of Sooke who have Iranian roots. Mrs. Skuce, born in Tehran, the capital of Iran said, “We all have relatives in Iran who suffer opression and persecution under the Iranian government policy toward Baha’is and other minorities.”

Canada, with 41 co-sponsors, put forward a resolution, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly December 19, 2007, expressing “deep concern” about “ongoing systematic violation of human rights” in Iran and the”increasing discrimination and other human rights violations against persons belonging to religious, ethnic, linguistic or other minorities” including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sufis and Sunni Muslims and Baha’is. (UN Dec.19 BWNS)

“Concerning Baha’is,” said Mrs. Skuce, “the resolution notes that in particular there have been attacks on Baha’is and their Faith in State-sponsored media; there’s been increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify and monitor Baha’is, to prevent Baha’is from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically. Furthermore,” she added, “there has been a distressing increase in cases of arbitrary arrest and detention.”

Shirin Aghdasi, another Sooke Baha’i born in Iran says, “I have a son going to college here; if we were still living in Iran he would not be allowed into college or university. If we were living there my husband and I would most likely not be able to work; we would be watched by the government and our Faith would be attacked, ridiculed, misrepresented and slandered in the newspapers, in the mosques and on television. People here cannot really imagine what life in Iran is like for the Baha’is who live there. My daughter, she attends school here….it would be terrible for her, they treat girls and women so badly.”

The resolution Canada put forward describes the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and notes emphatically, “confirmed instances” of “torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations”, public executions, including stoning, and “arrests, violent repression, and sentencing of women exercising their right to peaceful assembly, a campaign of intimidation against women’s human rights defenders, and continuing discrimination against women and girls.” (UN Dec.19 BWNS)

“Our Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to peacefully unite all the races and peoples in one universal Cause and one common Faith,” said Mrs. Skuce, “we are obedient to the government in whatever country we live and we practice good citizenship. We love our homeland but are very saddened by what is and has been happening there to the Baha’is, the country’s largest minority, and to other minorities who live there.”