Here's an article I wrote about "Baha'i Views", for my "Deeds, Not Words" Web pages:

The first topic I want to discuss is a series of posts by George Dannells on his blog "Baha'i Views," promoting Moojan Momen's "marginal" and "apostate" stereotypes and extrapolating them into statements about "apostate," "marginal" and "unenrolled" Baha'is; and about an "oppositional coalition"/"anti-baha'i society." I see that "Baha'i Views" was featured in the March/April 2008 American Baha'i. There might be many more Baha'is reading Baha'i Views now, and some of them may be tempted to follow its example of labeling, stereotyping and depreciating people, and promoting estrangement.

I've sometimes seen people excusing such behavior as "defending the Faith." I urge anyone who might see it that way to prayerfully study and practice the guidance below from the Universal House of Justice, about responding to attacks on the Faith in Internet discussions. I haven't found any place where I can link to it on the Internet, but it can be found in the Ocean Software Library and on the BahaiResearch Web site.

I would also caution anyone who is tempted to repeat the statement that "unenrolled" means "expelled," "for reasons of behavior following a long process in which they were invited to change their behavior," not to do so without confirmation from authoritative Baha'i sources that every person who calls herself an "unenrolled Baha'i" was indeed expelled from the Faith for those reasons. Consider the possible implications of repeating that statement without such confirmation.

First, that is a very damaging statement. Apart from the issue of backbiting, certainly a person needs to be sure such a statement is true, before repeating it to others.

As of 15 April 2008, the Unenrolled Baha'i Yahoo Group has 238 members. I personally know one person who calls herself and some other people "unenrolled Baha'is." What that means to her is people who call themselves Baha'is, who aren't members. She says that she withdrew voluntarily, without any institutions finding fault with her behavior before she withdrew. I don't know how many other people call themselves "unenrolled Baha'is." It may be dozens, or even hundreds. I only know of three people who might be called "unenrolled Baha'is," who say they were expelled.

I've never seen any statements about any of that from any authoritative Baha'i source, but I know at least one person who calls herself an "unenrolled Baha'i," and says she was not expelled, and there may be many more. To say that "unenrolled" means "expelled," and suggest that it was for reasons of behavior following a long process in which they were invited to change their behavior, is not only a potentially false damaging statement, but also an allegation that all the people who call themselves "unenrolled Baha'is," and who say they were not expelled, are lying!

Apart from that, "Baha'i Views" looks very attractive to me, in presentation and content. I wish I had such a beautiful blog! I especially like stories about cluster development. Some of my other favorites are the ones about Green Faith Heros, the new look at the Baha'i Library Online Forum, Martha's Barn, and Resources for Baha'i Education and Children's Classes.