Being kind with animals and vegetarianism; an ethical teaching a proselytizing strategy?
One of the characteristics of proselytizing literature of Bahaism is bolding issues which are acceptable in public thoughts, today. The issues like peace, human rights, environment, animal rights and vegetarianism. These concepts are usually seen more than its theological and fundamental issues in introducing Bahaism. So, investigating the ratio of them with the main teachings of this creed seems necessary and essential.
In the first look, stressing on being kind with animals perks as an ethical and humane teaching; but referring to the Baha’i texts reveals that this principle is not absolute. Those resources which are stressing on being kind with animals consider it allowable to kill dangerous or harmful animals. Consequently; contrary to the image which are presented, this teaching is an exception, too and cannot be introduced as an absolute main title.
The issue of vegetarianism is similar, too. Although Abdul Baha introduces the vegetarian diet as the future food of human being in some of his works, but there isn’t any commandment concerning the prohibition or even necessity of leaving meat in the book Aghdas or other legislative texts. Consequently, Bahaism is an ethical advice more than being a religious commandment. This issue has caused the most Baha’is to use meat in practice, too.
On the other side, investigating Bahaullah and Abdul Baha‘s lives indicates that they haven’t been bond with vegetarianism, too and have eating meat in their daily lives. This historical reality poses this question: Why hasn’t vegetarianism had a clear reflection in the practical courses of Bahaism founders if it has possessed an important position in the Baha’i thought?
The other the remarkable note is the time and method of bolding these teachings. In the contemporary world, animal rights, environment and healthy nutrition have been changed into common cultural and medium discourses. It is natural for each religious movement to introduce itself using the concepts which are in accordance with the ethical sensitivities of addressees today. In this way, this possibility can be posed that bolding issues such as vegetarianism in the proselytizing literature of Bahaism possesses identity and proselytizing application, too; although proving this claim needs proselytizing and medium documents of the Baha’i community to be studied.
Comparing this approach, Islam has presented a coherent system about animal rights at first. In the Islamic jurisprudence; in addition to eating meat, harassing animals are considered as forbidden and exact rituals has been determined for sacrificing animals, too. From the sharpness of the slaughtering tools to avoiding unnecessary suffering for the animal. Thus, being kind with animals is not just an ethical slogan in Islam, but it is a part of a coherent system.
As a result, the main issue in criticizing these teachings, is not the principle of being kind with animals or paying attention to nutrition health; because these concepts are acceptable in Islam, too. What is needed to be investigated critically are the distance between the proselytizing literature and the real position of these teachings in the main texts of Bahaism, the extent of practical undertaking of its leaders and followers and also the proselytizing application of these concepts in introducing this creed today. The scientific criticism will be influential when it is done based on the main documents and resources and proselytizing slogans and fundamental teachings are distinguished.
Keep in touch with us: bahaismiran85@gmail.com
