Travis Eneix

Some of you may have read earlier that I recently became ordained in the Universal Life Church. I got my ID card in the mail, and proudly show it off to anyone that stands still next to me for more than fifteen seconds. Making this move has had a profoundly confirming effect on some of my own religious/spiritual beliefs, and has led me down some interesting paths.

One of these lines of inquiry has been trying to look for religions with a truly open stance. They are few, and far between. The Universal Life Church is all embracing, its only directive to “do what is right.” I also came across the DoNoHarm website, whose only message is (you guessed it) “do no harm.” Fair enough, and very basic in its global appeal, but also very sparse in details.

In poking around more I indulged by curiosity about the Baha’i movement and found a good website about them here. Founded by the messianic figure, Bahá’u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind, the Baha’i faith purports to teach an open acceptance of all peoples of all races and creeds. The central theme of Bahá’u'lláh’s teachings is that humanity is a single race which should now be united in one global society.

Awesome! Just what I was looking for. I excitedly dug into the various web pages I found. Sadly, after about three minutes of excitement I came across this gem on the Wikipedia entry for the Baha’i faith:

Sexual relationships are permitted only between a husband and wife, and thus premarital or homosexual sex activity is forbidden.

Uh, oh.

Following the thread a little deeper we learn:

…it is clear from the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh that homosexuality is not a condition to which a person should be reconciled, but is a distortion of his or her nature which should be controlled or overcome. This may require a hard struggle, but so also can be the struggle of a heterosexual person to control his or her desires. - Letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, 12 January 1973; Lights of Guidance, p. 366, #1222

Ok, so, you’re welcome as long as you are straight, or curb your inclinations. Uh, huh.

The Baha’i church received some flak over this issue (likely from some homosexual people who would like to be accepted in a religion that says everyone should be accepted), and released a statement in 1996. Here are some excerpts:

• “…the sexual impulse is a God-given one… The appropriate circumstance for this is within marriage, the legally, socially, and spiritually sanctioned union of two adults of the opposite sex. Other expressions are neither valid nor to be encouraged.”
• “The moral and sexual education of children cannot be taken separately, and must be based upon heterosexuality, fidelity, and the family unit.”
• “This is taught by the world’s great religions, and is part of the basis of a stable and civilized society.”

That last one strikes me rather particularly. One of the central tenets of the Baha’i faith is that Bahá’u'lláh came to teach the most advanced message available directly from God. However, that last excerpt reads, to me, as “Well, yeah, this is the new deal but we don’t think we should rock the boat, or anything. The other guys say it’s supposed to be that way, so we will go with that.”

Bollocks.

I have run into this wall, in various forms, and for a variety of issue (sexual preference, gender equality, racial superiority, religious righteousness) in any faith which reaches a certain, very low, point of codification. It seems that as soon as you start to elucidate how a particular spiritual doctrine should play out in one’s life, some yahoo comes along and slaps down some line of “us vs. them.” The only paths truly free of that are the most simple of insights, such as those given by the Universal Life Church, Robert Anton Wilson, DoNoHarm, and Self-Inquiry.

I suppose there is a certain poetic justice in that, though. For, if what the great ones have said is true, then we are already saved/enlightened/awake/realized. We are, already as we are, part & parcel of God. We are the shining face of the one occurring ever-present occasion of Spirit. We are the Way. From the perspective it makes sense that we should not be helped by, or even need help from, any set of codes or rules. We should stand on our own feet and see, directly and without mediation, what we truly are. And, from that place of grace we will be naturally led to live our lives well and good. For, of it’s true, then we are all One and there is not Two anywhere to be found. In that light it only makes sens to not be cruel to your neighbor, for your neighbor is you.

Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law.

Do what is right.

Do no harm.

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