On Thu, 17 Apr 2008, Susan Maneck wrote (excerpted):
>> A few years ago there was a book published about how to hold
>> firesides. It was excellent and its strong advice was not to invite
>> Baha'is to firesides.
>
> That raises an im****tant issue. From Paul's description it sounds like
> what he attended were not really firesides at all, but rather public
> meetings that happened to be held in people's homes. The Guardian
> stated that the fireside was the best teaching method because it
> allowed the seekers to ask all the questions in their heart. If
> instead it centers around a prepared speech I don't it serves its
> purpose.
But what were all the scores of meetings I attended? They were always
called firesides. Indeed, the husband of the principal host of one of
those I attended frequently kept bringing up the point that the
questions and interests of the visitors/inquirers should be paramount,
but he seemed to have little traction.
> As you would have gathered from my remarks on
> Anna's presentation, I don't like scripts period. But I think home
> visits have been a marvelous addition to our community life because
> they have drawn us together like never before. In America we have used
> them not just with new believers but with seekers as well.
I addressed this in a post I dispatched just a few minutes ago.
> We can't rely on Baha'i books and the internet to spread the Faith.
True, although the internet can be a useful tool. It was through the
internet, despite a comedy of errors, that I eventually talked to a
real live Baha'i (apart from the meeting I attended one evening in the
1960s).
> We can't rely on Baha'i books and the internet to spread the Faith. We
> are a community and communities are based on relation****ps, not books.
> And virtual relation****ps can't replace real ones.
Indeed.
--
Paul Bartlett
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