Archive for July 2008
Question
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel (Heb. He Struggles with God), because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel (Heb. Face of God), saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
Genesis 32:24-31
Originally this blog was intended to be dedicated to Bahá’í apologetics. Since I started the blog I have strayed from that a bit, and become more and more convinced of the need for a good bit of Bahá’í apologetics online. So I have a question for you all, non-Bahá’í, born Bahá’í, convert, ex-Bahá’í, enrolled, unenrolled, etc. What issues in the Bahá’í Faith have you struggled to understand, accept, reconcile? What issues may have caused you trouble accepting the Faith, have tested your Faith, caused you to resign, stand in the way from accepting the Faith, or presented challenges to overcome? I mean theological issues, social teachings, practices, anything. If you want to give me detail you can, if you don’t fine.You are free to comment anonymously, or to email me at shalomatnight @ gmail . com
I will then be looking at these issues, studying the writings, my own experiences/beliefs and those of others and sharing my thoughts. There are issue that I have had these experiences with and I will share them. I would like to explore practical apologetics, especcially as I unfortunately see Bahá’ís online acting in ways online that I would call polemics under the guise of apologetics. Earnest discussion of faith, proofs and evidences, and life experiences are the apologetics I want to pursue.
