Archive for December, 2011

I came across an amazing pdf document online consisting of 154 pages on games people can play that are more in keeping with the spirit of the age as reflected in the Writings of Baha'u'llah. The document was last updated just a few weeks ago. Thanks, Linden Qualls, for doing this! -gw

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~l.qualls/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/1agamesrules.pdf

Children's understanding of oneness derives from concrete activities which promote synergy, cooperation, unity, and an experience of interdependence—all of which are inherent properties of cooperative games. Cooperative games are a concrete metaphor in action for unity in diversity and oneness.

My personal opinion is that under most circumstances, most competitive games tend to promote values and attitudes that directly undermine unity and the oneness of humanity paradigm. Children can't learn oneness and unity when they are being taught to dominate, to control, to be superior, to succeed at the expense of others. Think of the themes found in typical competitive American board and group/team games:

• Us versus them
• Play to overcome and beat others
• Were number one, we’re the best
• Exulting in other’s failures, depending on it for own success, feeling good when others have faults, weaknesses, or make mistakes
• Yay winners, boo losers—lack of respect and exclusion of the weaker and less coordinated. (Think of “last one there is a rotten egg”)
• Being first, or having the most is the criteria that establishes the winner

Remember, the themes in games influence formation of our social attitudes.

But in the divine teachings equality is brought about through a ready willingness to share. It is commanded as regards wealth that the rich among the people, and the aristocrats should, by their own free will and for the sake of their own happiness, concern themselves with and care for the poor. This equality is the result of the lofty characteristics and noble attributes of mankind.

The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality perpetrates an injustice against one half of the world’s population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to political life, and ultimately to international relations. There are no grounds, moral, practical, or biological, upon which such denial can be justified. Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge.

On both continents, but especially in North America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá received a highly appreciative welcome from distinguished audiences devoted to such concerns as peace, women’s rights, racial equality, social reform and moral development.

 

The fruits of the devoted efforts of several Pierce County Bahá'ís were wonderfully revealed on Wednesday, December 14, 2011, when the Bahá'ís in Pierce County sponsored a dinner for the parents of the Salishan neighborhood children attending the various classes in that neighborhood. A total of nearly 70 persons attended, the vast majority being non-Bahá'í parents from the neighborhood and their children. About half of those attending were children, with nearly all of them from non-Bahá'í neighborhood families. Following dinner, 25 of the children gathered at the front of the room and sang songs and recited prayers that were learned in the classes. The children all wore paper head bands with their names on them in big letters and with assorted virtues written on paper leafs that were attached to the headbands. After the program, all enjoyed cake. The past few years have borne very promising results. Many in the neighborhood are being imbued with the virtues of human conduct that will help make this a better world for everyone. This dinner was the first such event, and we hope to do this again annually.