Posted by Marie Lortie (65.93.89.219) on August 16, 2002 at 08:06:52:

In Reply to: Re: parents of Shoghi Effendi posted by Rob on August 15, 2002 at 18:27:41:

Rob,

I live within an old and stable Baha'i community. There are numerous families of Baha'is who have come from Iran and have been Baha'is for decades. While they are not scholars, they can tell more stories about Baha'i history than is written. One thing is certain - Effendi excommunicated his parents and others. Whether the cause of the excommunication was retaliatory, just, petty, noble, necessary ... no-one knows. There are so many rumors surrounding not only this aspect of his life, but the same rumors go back even further, to the very heart of the ascendancy and descendancy debate. The rumors surronding Abdu'l-Baha are even more scandalous but I have never accepted them.

Not that I can possibly know the truth, since my own devotion to Baha'i is total. When the rumors creep into firesides, I politely take my leave.

But it is difficult, when certain members' grandparents or great-grandparents or great-great-granparents, etc... were there, in 1844 or 1924, and passed on gossip and innuendo, to ignore it.

Do not let gossip, rumor and outright lies about the possible human imperfections of the Prophets allow you to stray from the central Truths, Moralities and God-Blessed Perfections of our Faith.

Marie.

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