Baha’i Perspectives

nadim February 13th, 2009

Man is even as steel, the essence of which is hidden: through admonition and explanation, good counsel and education, the essence will be brought to light. If, however, he be allowed to remain in his original condition, the corrosion of lusts and appetites will effectively destroy him.

~ Baha’u'llah

The article which forms the background of this blog entry is from the UK’s Sunday Times. Entitled “Cure for the Facebook generation“, the article actually has little to do with Facebook itself (I imagine the reason was purely to capture the reader’s attention). Rather, it highlights a study conducted which examines the impact of greed culture and individualism on today’s children.

Britain’s cult of individualism, greed and selfishness has so blighted children’s lives that families and pupils need basic training in love and moral responsibility, according to a landmark report on the state of childhood.

More than 35,000 people contributed to the inquiry, which recommends measures including emotional report cards for children to give a snapshot of their mental and moral state at the ages of 5, 11 and 14.

Every now and again, we come across an article that strikes a chord within us, one that has us nodding thoughtfully as our eyes slide down the screen (or newspaper if you’re old-fashioned). Not only did this article have me nodding, but it actually evoked feelings of impatient anxiety.

Here’s one way to describe the feeling:

Imagine being back in high school and your science teacher asks the class a real brainteaser, which (to your surprise) you know the answer to. You wave your arm frantically trying to catch the teacher’s attention. only for your gestures to go unnoticed. You squirm so much that you almost fall off your chair, as you watch those around you fail in their responses, until at long last the skinny finger is extended in your direction.

Further extracts from the Times article:

A Good Childhood states emphatically that society has been damaged by rampant individualism… and that this ethos needs to be replaced by a greater sense of personal responsibility and the common good.

It calls for “a radical shift away from the excessively individualistic ethos which now prevails, to an ethos where the constant question is, ‘What would we do if our aim was a world based on love?’ ”

It paints a stark picture of social breakdown. The report cites evidence that this country [Britain] has some of the worst rates of child unhappiness, poverty, family breakdown and child violence in the western world.

Two-thirds of respondents say the moral values of children have declined; other polls show people’s trust in one another has crumbled.

These results are hardly a surprise. We see the evidence all around us, yet to pinpoint exactly how it happened is far from easy. The cults of individualism and greed have certainly played a role. However one can also mention the declining influence of true religion as a positive guiding force, replaced by moral laxity, on the one hand, and fanaticism on the other. One can talk about the initiatives to remove religious instruction classes from school curricula, or the increased demands placed on parents to provide for their families. And then there’s the good old World Wide Web, which when taken to excess has it’s own pitfalls, like Facebook addiction, stunted social skills, etc.

You will probably have your own list of modern-day offenders, so enough on that topic.

Before examining the solution proposed in the article, a few words should be mentioned about the recent experience of the Baha’i community.

Baha’is have long recognized the plight faced by children the world over, children living in societies where the sense of close community has all but vanished and moral education neglected almost in it’s entirety. Aware of the dire need for a remedy, Baha’i communities worldwide have, in the past decade, put classes for the moral and spiritual development of all children — not just children of Baha’i parents — at the very top of their plans of action.

More will be said about this later on, in the meantime let’s read on…

The solution, according to the experts who wrote the report, is to emphasise love and mutual respect in education, public policy and personal life. The recommendations include “civil birth” ceremonies to foster a sense of commitment for atheist parents who do not want their children christened; more prenatal classes to educate parents about child-rearing responsibilities; promotion of team sports; and the development of a sense of wonder and inner peace.

Without delving into the points above, I would invite the reader to consider whether they fall into the realms of:

A) definite non-solution
B) partial solution
C) the only solution
D) too vague a suggestion

(For the record, my answers were mainly B and D, sprinkled with a bit of A).

Going further, it makes sense to then pose the question: is it worth making the effort to develop an educational curriculum that will encompass these partial solutions, or, as some might suggest (adopting the attitude that it’s impossible to please everyone) do we “leave it up to the parents”? But what of parents who have psychological and emotional problems of their own? Or those who feel that teaching their kids about moral virtue in the face of MTV-culture is simply an exercise in futility? Or, and this is the true story of someone I met recently, you are a mother who has to work 18 hours a day, 6 days a week, just to earn enough money for your family to survive?

The Baha’i community recognizes that these are very real problems which cannot be ignored. Moreover, it recognizes the diversity of thoughts, feelings and convictions that characterize each individual’s set of beliefs, differences which contribute to the richness of society, yet all too often become barriers to (or excuses against) a solution.

But should we accept this to be the case? Can we allow this to be the case?

Indeed, the Scriptures of the world’s major faiths share a wealth of common ground in terms of teaching us how to lead spiritual lives. More so, it seems, than leaders of religion will care to admit.

The Baha’i community places great emphasis on the moral and spiritual education of children and youth, with a focus on providing ongoing opportunities for developing a sense of world citizenship and a lifelong commitment to serve humanity.

Children are the most precious resource a community has. Like young trees, children grow and develop in whatever way they are trained and according to the influences they experience. Baha’i spiritual education for children is intended to nurture spiritually vibrant and healthy young people who will grow up without prejudice and with a positive, powerful sense that they are important to God and have a role to play in serving humanity.

(From www.bahai.us)

A remarkable movement is taking shape and gaining in momentum across thousands of neighbourhoods. It is characterized by a curriculum that teaches eternal spiritual verities while addressing challenges that are unique to the modern age. This movement is still in its early stages. Its aim is to dispel the gloomy picture painted by the Times article. For now it remains under the radar, yet within it lies the solution which independent studies, like the one described here, are crying out for.

Tags: childhood, morality, spirituality

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