NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/soc/religion/bahai/429

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-18 | 8.9 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!wupost!sdd.hp.com!think.com!eingedi!justice!justice!towfiq
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Date: 18 Nov 92 22:03:35
Distribution: world
Approved: [e-mail] (Mark Towfiq)
From: Eberhard von Kitzing - MPImF - Heidelberg - FRG <mpimfhd![e-mail]>
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
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Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Unity between Science and Religion
Lines: 186

Dear Ken,

Although I am one of your "victims" I like the way you ask questions.
It is always a good sign for me if someone wants to know the very
foundation.

In this posting three subjects will be dealt with: (1) the concrete
problem of cremation (2) what might be the purpose of such type of
laws and (3) what to do with "wrong" statements in holy writings.
Although the question of cremation is of rather low importance for me
and I would assume for most Baha'is,  this discussion may shed some
light on many other topics and aspects of the Baha'i-Faith.


1) the problem of cremation
===========================

For completeness I will include the whole text:

   "Thy letter has been received.  Due to the scarcity of time, I
   write the answer briefly: The body of man, which has been formed
   gradually, must similarly decompose gradually.  This is according
   to the real and natural order and Divine Law.  If it had been
   better for it to be burned after death, in its very creation it
   would have been so planned that the body would automatically become
   ignited after death, be consumed ad turned into ashes.  But the
   divine order formulated by the divine ordinance is that after death
   this body shall be transferred from one stage to another different
   form the preceding one, so that according to the relations which
   exist in the world, it may gradually combine and mix with other
   elements, thus going through stages until it arrives in the
   vegetable kingdom, there turning to plants and flowers, developing
   into trees of the highest paradise, becoming perfumed and attaining
   the beauty of color.

   Cremation suppresses it speedily from attainment to these
   transformations, the elements becoming so quickly decomposed that
   transformation to these various stages is checked."

            Star of the West vol 11, No. 19, p. 317

First of all as pointed out by Tim Nolan one has to say that this
special text is not a part of the "Baha'i Holy Scripture", because the
translations in the early days of the Baha'i-Faith were not very
accurate.  The "Star of the West" appeared in the beginning of this
century.  Therefore, I would not consider every word to be exact.  If
I would consider this question to be important I would write to the
Baha'i-World Center in Haifa, Israel, and ask if they have the
original letter or some other source to check such details.

The argument against cremation of human body as given by `Abdu'l-Baha
is that cremation is against the law of nature:

   "The body of man, which has been formed gradually, must similarly
   decompose gradually.  This is according to the real and natural
   order and Divine Law.  If it had been better for it to be burned
   after death, in its very creation it would have been so planned
   that the body would automatically become ignited after death, be
   consumed and turned into ashes."

A possible interpretation of the purpose of this law will be given
below.

The part which you suppose to contradict science is the last part of
that citation:

   "Cremation suppresses it speedily from attainment to these
   transformations, the elements becoming so quickly decomposed that
   transformation to these various stages is checked."

Because the scientific contence of this sentence has been questioned
let us first consider only this aspect.  The cremation of the human
body and indeed of any organic material means its decomposition
largely into small molecules like water, carbon dioxide and some ashes
consisting in minerals like calcium carbonate etc.  This means a high
entropy production.  It will take a considerable time until the carbon
dioxide is assimilated by plants and with the help of sunlight
transformed to carbon hydrates.

On the other hand if the body is buried in the earth, its components
can be directly assimilated by other organisms with much lower entropy
production.  Many of the molecular components like peptides and
carbohydrates can be reused directly.  For instance consider the
ecosystem of the green rain forests.  Any material is reused
immediately.  But if one start to interfere in these cycles, one kills
the forest.  Thus, I don't see the contradiction between the statement
of `Abdu'l-Baha and the todays scientific knowledge especially if I do
not use each word too literally (for reasons explained above).

I do not think that the biological material of the bodies of the human
population is highly important for the ecosystem of the earth. And I
don't assume a direct requirement for humification of human bodies for
the terrestrial biosphere.  Therefore, there seems to be an other
purpose for this law and many other than the direct one: it has the
"spiritual" meaning.


2) The spiritual meaning of "material" laws
===========================================

Very often in discussion about religious topics the "spiritual" is
conferred to statements to give them some mystic, if not irrational
meaning.  This some times helps to stop questioning.  According to my
understanding the term "spiritual" in the Baha'i-writings are used
with a somewhat different meaning.  `Abdu'l-Baha definitely states
that "spiritual attributes" have no meaning if they have no practical
consequences.

   "... the Spiritual Teacher is the first to follow His own teaching;
   He brings down into the world of action His spiritual conceptions
   and ideals." (`Abdu'l-Baha, "Paris Talks", p18)

Many religious laws have an educational purpose.  For instance the
purpose of the Islamic law forbidding to eat pork meat is obvious for
us today.  The law that one has to wash oneself before prayer led to
the development of the science of hygiene in the middle age in the
Islamic countries.  It took several hundred years for the western
countries to achieve the same level in theory and practice.

One purpose for this law in the Baha'i-Writings forbidding the
cremation of the human body may be to direct our attention to the
preservation of ecosystems.  This agrees with the argument given by
`Abdu'l-Baha that cremation is against the natural way of the
decomposition of the human body.  Thus, Baha'is are asked to preserve
the natural processes as they are found in our biosphere.


3) Mistakes in Holy Writings?
=============================

Your major question was:

   "When one of your teachings conflicts with science, is it your
   teaching, or science, which has made the mistake?"

This question cannot be answered with "yes" or "no".  There is a
fundamental principle in the Baha'i-Faith that neither certain persons
nor any institution has the right for an authoritative interpretation
of the Holy writings.  Thus, the "Baha'i-Teachings" are not a fixed
set of certain rules which can be said to agree with science or to
contradict it.  In any case it is my personal interpretation of the
Baha'i Holy Writings which agree or contradict.

The Baha'i-Faith has the advantage that we have the original writings
of the prophet founder of the Baha'i-Faith, Baha'u'llah.  Any text for
which the original signed by Baha'u'llah is not found is not included
in the "Holy Writings".

On the other hand (my personal interpretation of) the Baha'i-Writings
attribute a high station to the manifestations of God, His messengers,
His chosen ones:

   "Know verily that the essence of justice and the source thereof are
   both embodied in the ordinances prescribed by Him Who is the
   Manifestation of the Self of God amongst men, if ye be of the them
   that recognize this truth.  He doth verily incarnate the highest,
   the infallible standard of justice unto all creation."
    (Baha'u'llah, "Gleanings", p. 175)

This excludes the possibility of errors made by the manifestations of
God.  A statement which is definitely wrong can not come from God. On
the other hand my personal interpretation may be entirely wrong.
Additionally, because `Abdu'l-Baha stresses the unity between Science
and Religion this can be used to distinguish between reasonable and
unreasonable interpretations of the Baha'i-Writings.

   "How can a man believe to be a fact that which science has proved
   to be impossible? If he believes in spite of his reason, it is
   rather ignorant superstition than faith. The true principles of all
   religions are in conformity with the teachings of science."
    (`Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 141)

------------------------------------------------------------

Eberhard von Kitzing
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Medizische Forschung
Jahnstr. 29, D6900 Heidelberg, FRG

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