19 Suggestions for
THE QUICKENING
of the Bahá'í Faith in America
Dear Friends,
Why did "The Vision of Race Unity" campaign fail? It was carried on via television commercials in the Atlanta area from June to September 1997. A 30 minute video was shown twice per day over a three month period. The commercials generated about 300 calls, and the result was 3 declarations (The Baha'i-The Religious Construction of a Global Idenity, p.181). The campaign was a dismal failfure. I will share with you the reason why "The Vision of Race Unity" campaign failed, and what Message will actually work.
1) "Race Unity" is no longer a unique message. Even the Southern Baptist Convention (once and all-white church filled with KKK members and supporters) now has "race unity" for all those who desire it. The Mormon Church (who onced banned all "Negroes" from its temples and priesthood), has over 20,000 African-American members, and about 400,000 members in black Africa. "Race Unity" is no longer "particular" to Baha'is. Yet, Baha'is continue to use it over and over again, with only a small trickle of declarants each year.
2) The television info-mercial with telephone number was actually a good idea, but it's Message was wrong. The Message should center upon Baha'u'llah and not one or more the "The Principles" such as Race Unity. The Baha'i Faith is centered on Baha'u'llah, not Race Unity or any of The Principles. Currently, the only prospecting-message used in North America is the Baha'i Faith is a "way" to work for race unity and world peace. But, that's not what the Baha'i Faith is. The Baha'i Faith is the Kingdom of God the Father on Earth. Present it as such, in such language, and you'll get a lot more religious Seekers.
3) Baha'u'llah should be presented as "The Spirit of Truth" and not as "World Teacher" or "the Manifestation of God for our Age" (which non-believers will not understand). Jesus promised that the Spirit of Truth would come to teach them all things, and Baha'u'llah identified Himself as "the Spirit of Truth". It is Baha'u'llah, and His powerful and beautiful WORDS, that will attract most people; not Race Unity, nor Equality of the Genders, nor Esperanto. The key is Baha'u'llah and His Words. His Words contain POWER. The masses recognized Jesus was from God because of His miracles, and His words. The Words of a Manifestation of God contain POWER. Use them.
4) By far the most likely Americans to become Seekers (and then Baha'is) are college and university students; especially those majoring in history, teaching, political science, and social science. Concentrate your efforts there! Mass mail to them. You can purchase their addresses from mass-mailing companies. Establish a "Baha'i Mission" next to major universities, 19 target universities, in the continental U.S. Call Baha'i "missionaries" to serve 9 months in these missions; NOT going to school, but teaching the Faith to student Seekers. Place adverts about the Faith in these 19 target-university newspapers; NOT about Race Unity or World Peace, but about Baha'u'llah being the Spirit of Truth! Establish a Baha'i Missions Fund to support these missions. Train the Missionaries for 19 days before sending them to their "Mission" far away from their home. Apply strick rules like Mormon missionaries must follow (no dating, no working, no going to school, going door to door and teaching Seekers). Teach the missionaries "Tracting" (to go door to door handing out invitations). This is not "canvassing" (i.e. trying to convince people at the door). It is simply handing-out literature, and an "invitation" to a Public Information Meeting about Baha'u'llah. The missionaries would spend time either "tracting" (door-to-door handing out invitations to a Public Information Meeting), or "side-walking" (handing out invitations to those they meet on the side-walk--university "villages" have large side-walk populations during the day), or "teaching" (holding Public Information Meetings about the Faith, showing a DVD, handing out free literature, answering questions). Choose 9 or 19 "target" universities in the continental U.S. and establish Baha'i Missions (with "missionaries") near them.
5) Advertise about Baha'u'llah in New Age magazines and publications. New Age magazines and publications are the only "religious" publications which will allow Baha'i advertising. Again, do not center the advert on "Race Unity" or any of "The Principles". Center it on Baha'u'llah as the promised Spirit of Truth. Offer free Baha'i literature to be mailed via the bahai.us/contact URL.
6) In the Name of God, STOP teaching that Jesus came only to "preach peace and tolerance" and "unite cities" and "improve the status of minorities and women" and "write a book of laws" and "prepare the way for the greater Revelation of Muhammad". Jesus did NONE of these things! Jesus came to offer Himself as a final sacrifice for the sins and iniquities of all mankind (GWB 86, TAB 543). Stop presenting Jesus as "just one Prophet" among many. Present Him as the "very Savior of mankind" (PUP 62)as 'Abdu'l-Baha called Him; as "the Lord of the Visible and Invisible" (GWB 57), as "the Lord of all being" (ESW 100), as "the Son of God" (SAQ 63, WOB 105). That is how the Holy Writings describe Him!
7) I have prepared an online article titled THE QUICKENING. It is divided into 19 chapters online. Please read it. Glean from it. I think you'll find many useful suggestions in that online article.
8) The teching work in Utah and other Mormon area is also quite dismal. One pioneer couple has been there 30 years, and has made one convert. Very few Mormon Seekers exist, and those who do come are often pushed away by the Friends innocently saying something highly offensive to Mormons such as "Oh, we have nothing to say about him" or "No, we do not think he was inspired of God at all!" Present Joseph Smith as a SEER who prophesied of Baha'u'llah in the capacity of a SEER. Only about 1 in 10,000 Mormons would respond to an invitation to come to a meeting to talk about Race Unity or World Peace. However, about 1 in 20 Mormons will want to read 1891: Did Joseph Smith Prophesy of Baha'u'llah? I have included a copy of 1891 to some of you. Please read it. Please make copies for others. If you did not receive a copy, then you can read it online at: https://mustagath.angelfire.com/1891.html
9)The "Race Unity/World Peace/Equality" Message will continue to fail to attract but a small trickle of Seekers. This will not change. I have prepared a series of online articles for the Friends to read. All of the articles are non-copyrighted. Internet artices do not go through the review process, and do not need institutional approval. All of the aritlces below are linked at:
Thank you. Go in Peace!
"Aenon E. Moss"
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called "The Mormon Church" or "The LDS Church") was founded by Joseph Smith Jr. in 1830. Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God, in fact, perhaps the greatest Prophet of all time; second only to Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith originally called himself a "Seer" but over time he became known as a "Prophet". He claimed to see a vision of "the Father and the Son" near Palmyra, New York, in the year 1820. He founded the Mormon cities of Kirkland, Ohio, and Nauvoo, Illinois. He will killed on June 27th, 1844, in the Hancock County Jail, in Carthage, Illinois. He prophesied (praw-fess-side) twice, in 1835, and again in 1843, that the "Son of Man" would appear in the Holy Land in the year 1891, wearing red apparel. In 1891, Baha'u'llah, wearing His red robe, climbed Mount Carmel and uttered the Tablet of Carmel; His great announcement to the world-at-large that the Son of Man had come. In 1863, Baha'u'llah revealed His true name and station only to the Bábís; not to the world-at-large. His true name and station was a "secret" to the world-at-large until He recited the Tablet of Carmel, in red apparel, on Mount Carmel, in 1891.
Only about 1 in 10,000 Mormons (Latter-day Saints) would be drawn to the Faith via the World Peace/Race Unity/Equality Message (i.e. the only Message the Faith uses in North America to draw Seekers). However, about >>>>>1 in 20<<<<< Mormons would be interested in reading 1891: Did Joseph Smith Prophesy of Baha'u'llah?. This article is not copyrighted. It is an Internet article, and thus does not go through the Review Process. All Baha'is in heavily Mormon areas should read 1891, and this article should be given to Mormon Seekers at Public Information Meetings.
Advertisements for "1891" should be placed in university and collage newspapers where there would be a high-degree of Mormon students: such as Boise State University, University of Idaho, Southern Idaho College, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, Dixie College (St. George, UT), Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Mesa Community College, Glendale (AZ) Community College, Phoenix College, Gilbert-Chandler C.C., Salt Lake C.C., University of Utah, (note: Brigham Young Univ. will not allow such an advert). Mormon college and university students are the most likely to become Mormon Seekers, and later Baha'is. Only about 1 in 3,000 of Mormon Students will be interested in coming to a meeting to discuss World Peace or Race Unity. About 1 in 20 Mormon Students will be interested in getting a copy of 1891: Did Joseph Smith Prophesy of Baha'u'llah?. Please read it before you judge it.
What is the meaning of Hell-fire and Demons in the Bible and Qu'ran? Read how Baha'u'llah believed that our material/physical dimension (i.e. the material planets) was the meaning of Hell-fire and Demons in the Bible and Qu'ran.
Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i, the Shi'ite Seer, taught the doctrine of "ra'ja" (Arabic: "Return"), that the spirits and souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones "return" in every Dispensation. This is why Mollah Husayn Bushru'i was the "return" of the nafs (soul) of the Prophet Muhammad. This is why The Báb could claim to be the "return" of the ruh (spirit) of the Imaam Mehdi; a young boy who "disappeared" in 260 A.H. This is why Quddús, the 18th Letter of the Living, could claim to be the "return" of the nafs (soul) of the Imaam Mehdi. Human souls do not "return". Only the souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones. Shaykh Ahmad taught that the spirits and souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones were not human, but the "Perfections" and "Qualities" of ALLÁH (i.e. His Names/Attributes).
'Abdu'l-Baha denied vehemently He was "Christ". But did He also deny He was "Jesus"? Jesus Christ was a combination of two Divine Beings in one body: the Spirit of Truth--Christ, and the WORD of God--Jesus). Jesus was the "Word" incarnate (John 1:1-2,14). This is why Jesus said "the Father is in me". He meant that literally. The Father (Holy Spirit) entered Jesus at His baptism; which made Jesus a Prophet. Before that, Jesus was merely a Chosen One. Jesus was "unique" in that He was both a Prophet (because the Holy Spirit dwelt in Him) and a "Chosen One" (He was the WORD incarnate). Baha'u'llah identified Himself as the Spirit of Truth, and referred to His Eldest Son as "the Word" and "the Mystery of God"; titles of Jesus found in the New Testament.
Shoghi Effendi did not want the Friends presenting 'Abdu'l-Baha as the "return of Jesus Christ". Did this mean He was not the "return" of the nafs (soul) of Jesus? Or, did this mean that Shoghi Effendi believed it was not the right time to reveal this great mystery to the world?
Read this long article (68 printed pages) that reviews the Curse of Canaan doctrine (i.e. that Noah cursed his grandson Canaan and his descendants to become the slaves of other bloodlines) in the light of the Baha'i Teachings. The author believes that the Curse of Canaan was a true Curse of God, but that Baha'u'llah atoned for those under the Curse of Canaan in the Siyah Chal.
The WORD of God is not one of His Name/Attributes, but His "command". ALLÁH said "Be!" (Arabic: "kún") and created the Cosmos. The "kún" is called the "Command of ALLÁH". The WORD of God is part of the World of Command; which is the Mediator between the World of God (Names/Attributes) and the World of Creation. The WORD has a unique station between the World of God and the World of Creation. The center verticle HA ("H") and horizontal HA ("H") in the ringstone symbol forms a Cross, and simbolizes the WORD of God (verticle "H") in the World of Command (horizontal "H"); the Mediator between God (top "B") and His creation (lower "B").
The Curse of Canaan in the Light of the Baha'i Teachings
http://mustagath.angelfire.com