Belief11

BOOK 2 INTRODUCING BAHA'I BELIEFS SECTION 11: Equality of men and women
	When conversing with friends, you will often be able to draw upon the ideas in the following passage about the equality of men and women: The physical sun, through its light and heat, reveals the reality of all things on earth. without its rays, these realities would be shrouded in darkness. Likewise, the Sun of Baha'u'llah, shining in full splendor in the spiritual sky, has made manifest realities that were not apparent in the past. One such reality is the equality of men and women. Through the rays of the Sun of Truth, the capacities of women have been so illumined that the equality of men and women is now an established fact. Baha'u'llah has stated in the clearest terms that in the sight of God there is no distinction between men and women. The condition of inequality that has existed throughout the ages is not the result of the superiority of men; it is simply that women have not been given the same opportunity to develop all their potentialities. In spite of the prejudice against them, however, history records the lives of numerous women who have achieved the greatest of accomplishments. The first woman to accept the Truth of God's new Revelation' was the Persian poetess, Tahirih. As she witnessed the dawn of a new Day, she became fully aware of the reality of the equality of men and women and dedicated her energies to proclaiming this truth. Her knowledge and eloquence baffled the most learned men of her time. Although all the forces of an oppressive king and an ignorant and proud clergy were against her, not for a moment did she hesitate to speak the truth. And in the end, she gave her life for the new Faith she had so firmly embraced. To believe in that which God has not intended is ignorance and superstition. Today women should be allowed every opportunity to become educated and to assume a position of equality with men in all fields of human endeavor. Until the equality of men and women becomes a reality in this world, as it is in the spiritual realm, the real progress of humankind is not possible
1)	You should, as always, study this passage in your group and then mark the topics of conversation below into which you could introduce the above ideas in a natural way. Discuss in your group how you would work the ideas into the conversation. ____ Family life ____ The establishment of peace ____ Great women in history ____ Human progress
2)	How would you respond if someone asked you the following question: "If women assume an equal position with men in all fields of endeavor, who will take care of the children?"
3)	It would be useful for you to memorize the following quotations of Baha'u'llah related to this subject: "Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God." "Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other." "In this Day the Hand of divine grace hath removed all distinctions. The servants of God and His handmaidens are regarded on the same plane."


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