Association for Baha'i Studies : 6th Annual Conference

Three questions are posed and addressed: "What is healthy? What is marriage? And what is it we are trying to communicate. Danesh reviews the various phases through which positive marital communication is integrated. He emphasizes shared purposes, spiritualization and encouragement as elements in a healthy marital relationship.

His Calligraphy and Humour

Mishkín-Qalam—also known as Aqá Husayn-i-Isfahání—was an outstanding calligrapher and an Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh.

When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to 'Akka, Mishkín-Qalam was separated from Him and was sent to Cyprus with the faithless half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh, Mírzá Yahyá. As soon as Mishkín-Qalam was released from prison on Cyprus he hastened to 'Akka to be near Bahá'u'lláh. After the passing of Bahá'u'lláh he became 'Abdu'l-Bahá's devoted servant.

He lived nearly 100 years, passing away in 1912.

In many academic fields the scholarship is divorced from problems on the ground. Bahá'í scholarship should be rooted in the everyday problems of humanity. 'Abdu'l-Bahá said 'ye are the physicians of mankind'.

Bahá'ís have a vision for human transformation; it focuses on latent human qualities. At the heart of all relationship is our love for Bahá'u'lláh. We love Him by loving our fellow humans.

Marriage Breakdown in North American Society

"Divorce is one of most powerful stresses of the life." It compares closely to the actual death of a spouse. Furturemore it is been shown that that stresses of this type contribute to developent of serious medical conditions and long-term psyco-social disorders.

The family has become isolated from its traditional purposes. We now have the categories of nuclear family; long-time family; marriage without children; children without marriage and communal living. Meanwhile the divorce rate continues on the increase.
 

A Baha’i Perspective

Dr. Khavari relates that marriage and family are now in a critical condition being attacked both inwardly and outwardly. 'Abdu'l-Baha pointed out that marriage was a divine insitution.

Khavari reviews the purpose of marriage; explains what a sound basis for family formation should be; and points out the proper attitudes about marriage. Dating and courtship are covered. He reviews two forms of healthy communication in a family: 1. man-wife; and 2. group.

Finally he gives a prescription for family well-being.

“The current level of life stress is not a novel phenomenon. In fact, the word stress was first used in the fifteenth century” Since the turn of the twentieth century, however, social consciousness of life stress has risen dramatically, particularly in the Western world, and stress and anxiety have become common terms.

Stress was originally defined in reference to human biology. In this talk stress includes artifical and spiritual realities. A broader meaning of stress is suffering.

Jane Faily starts by saying that as the “all human institutions are in disorder”; so too is Bahá’í marriage.  We live in one of the most trying times in history.

Ms. Faily then explores the traditional roles of men and women in marriage and society. In the past there was stability and harmony in marriage; that order rested on the dominance of men and the compliance of women. That has disappeared. “We are in an awkward age.” The harmony has vanished. We need to recreate the institution of marriage based on Bahá’í teachings.

Mr. Douglas Martin introduces Hand of the cause of God 'Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. Rúhíyyih Khánum warned against an elitist attitude that some literate Bahá'ís may hold against teaching illiterate people. She emphasized the importance of teaching illiterate indigenous peoples. Unlike her educated audience she holds that in her experience those village people who lack formal education seem to more easily embrace the truth of Bahá'u'lláh Teachings. They have capacity just as educated people have capacity. Some spiritual giants have come into the Cause from very humble origins.