Heya ^__^ Last year I found this awesome video about homosexuality and the Baha'i Faith. It explained the rationale for the position of the Baha'i Faith, and what this actually means. The video file is now, corrupted :(, but when I did find it, I actually copied down the words lol so... here are a couple of paragraphs from the talk :)
To understand the Baha'i Faith and its teachings, there's a very central theological concept about the Bahai Faith that needs be considered: that we are essentially spiritual beings that happen to be in a material matrix - that this world, the material world and its impulses are marginal - secondary to our purpose here, which is to develop spiritually. If you're spiritually atoned, you can really just see outside of this material construct. Realizing this is what will bring us closer to God, spirituality and spiritual growth; and contribute to the betterment of the world around us .
If we can break free from these material constructs, we can stop being so materially obsessed. Our passions for luxury and greed, and prestige and whatnot, these things that cause destruction in our world will also dissolve. Fundamentally, as individuals, we need to be free from this material construct.
Realizing we are spiritual beings in a material world, such impulses become marginal and we aren't slaves to them. This idea applies to all facets of Baha'i law. Our laws also keep us from exploiting our material impulses, we're to be free from that...we're to be free from obsessing over those material desires and impulses, we should be outside of that.
In a heterosexual relationship, you cannot have sexual acts outside of marriage, before marriage, and extramarital. For a heterosexual, you're supposed to have pure thoughts, you're supposed to atone yourself. While we can enjoy this material world, it should not be the primary determinant of our actions. However, this is a concept that is very deep and profound, requiring much reflection and study.
The Baha'i writings explain that the primary purpose of marriage is the procreation of children. That's the primary purpose of marriage, and within marriage, the sex impulse is contained. Outside of that, the heterosexual relationship say before marriage and outside of marriage, is exploitation of the material impulse – exploiting it, just seeking physical pleasure from it.
Likewise, in sexual acts of a homosexual nature – there's no practical purpose to it outside of material pleasure That's not to say the Baha'i faith has problems against homosociality – which is often appointed as one and the same as homosexuality. In the Baha'i Writings, when homosexuality is prohibited, it's specifically talking about the sexual impulse. Because this action is fundamentally exploitation of the material impulse.
That's not to say that homosociality, homoromantisism is something that's prohibited in the Baha'i Faith. In fact, the quote from Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, on homosexuality, defines that no matter how fine a love between two people of the same sex to let it take form in sexual acts, is really wrong. It's not saying that love between two people of the same sex is wrong. It's not saying that that relationship that you can have between two people of the same sex, is wrong.
It's referring strictly to the sexual act. It's just like two heterosexual people committing sexual acts outside of marriage. Homosexual Baha'is are completely welcome into the Faith, no one's going to tell them what to do...there's a choice, everyone knows what it is...they can participate in the Baha'i Community like anyone else. It's just that sexual act is prohibited in the Baha'i Faith... Just as heterosexuals cannot commit sexual acts that are prohibited in the Baha'i Faith.
Hope you find that interesting/helpful :-)
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It's always a difficult question to answer. Here's another response I wrote to a friend, once:
ReplyDeleteSimply, Baha'i law restricts sexual relations to a man and the women to whom he is married. There's manifold discussion exploring the reasons why. It is important to emphasize that even so, discrimination is in no way allowed, and the prohibitions against discrimination can be said to be even more weighty. And again, Baha'i law is only binding for Baha'is.
Shoghi Effendi (he's known as the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, he was the Central Figure of the Baha'i Faith after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha, who was the Central Figure after the passing of Baha'u'llah), emphasizes that love between two people of the same sex is in no way bad, but it shouldn't lead itself to expression in sexual acts.
In terms of understanding what these laws are, Baha'u'llah describes them as "lamps of His loving guidance". There's an analogy, which I don't know if I've shared with you before (if I have, I'm sorry lol! I ♥ analogies :D) about laws. So we have material laws, we have to eat, or we'll starve. That's a law of nature. Parallels to drawn this, are drawn with the law regarding prayer, and the same thing applies with prayer being food for the soul - if we don't pray, our soul will starve. And then if we eat food, there's some that are harmful, there are some that are healthy. These are bound up in laws of nature - stating what reality is. The same applies to spiritual laws, they are stating what reality is, so we can understand a course of life that is most beneficial to us.
If there's anything that doesn't make sense or doesn't really follow just let me know k! lol :) I'm kinda working out my thoughts as I type!
But I think I'll just end with a comment on how we relate to these spiritual laws, and let me know thoughts, questions etc!
We are spiritual beings in a material world, and so this material world and our material impulses are marginal, or secondary to our purpose here, which is to develop spiritually. And, the more one develops spiritually, the more clear this concept will be, and the more spiritual growth etc.
That being said, we have this world for us to enjoy, it's all here for us to enjoy, but we just shouldn't become caught up in it, and let it compromise our primary purpose, which is to develop spiritually. And so we have laws, guidelines etc about how to use this world safely, or in a way that will best benefit us.
I hope that made sense and/or helped lol! :)
One of the gifts that I observe is coming from the current global focus on homosexuality, openness about it, and the increased public acceptance of it, is that there is now research occurring. The harmony of science along with Baha'u'llah's teachings will give doctors and psychologists greater knowledge and people greater access to informed medical treatment if they choose to pursue it.
ReplyDeleteSusanne