Who are the Ungodly and Why Should We Avoid Them? That’s the double-question answered by Bahá’í blogger Susan Gammage in a recent post. Her answer to the first question implies her answer to the second. It comes in two parts:
The ungodly are
- those who disbelieve in God
- those whose hearts are turned away from God
I’m not sure whether the answer is “1 and 2” or “1 or 2.” Either way, the implications are astonishing.
The first definition is straightforward and identifies a class of people that can be spotted and shunned accordingly. It’s simple: shun anyone who doesn’t claim to believe in “God.”
The second definition is much more interesting: it requires that one see into the hearts of others and judge them as either godly or ungodly. One might object to this as it seems like Ms. Gammage is playing God by judging the hearts of others, but if one must avoid the ungodly, one must necessarily recognize the ungodly. It is one’s duty as a Bahá’í (so long as the second definition is included).
Scary stuff, and that’s just a start. Here is how Susan Gammage describes the ungodly:
- they set their hearts on lying tales
- they follow empty words
- they are the helpless victims of their corrupt inclinations and desires
- they are wayward and perverse
- they disport themselves with their own idle words
- they are the helpless victims of their corrupt inclinations and desires
- they are neither trustworthy nor truthful
- nothing can deter them from evil
- nothing can hinder him from betraying his neighbor
- nothing can induce him to walk uprightly
- there is no motivation within them to resist temptation
- most of them don’t want to repent
- etc.
Ms. Gammage, it logically follows, knows how God sees them:
- they are the enemies of God
- they are accounted among the dead
- they are rejected of God
Ms. Gammage also knows the destiny of the ungodly:
- they shall surely enter the gates of hell
- they shall not find a patron or anyone to plead for them
- they shall never attain God’s Presence
- a grievous chastisement awaits them
- their good actions will not have complete effect
- they are deprived of the bounties and blessings of God
- they will fall into despair
- they will be utterly destroyed
- they will be denied all refuge
- they will become the most vile creatures of the earth
- they will become the victims of degradation and shame
- their power will be turned into weakness
- their glory will be turned into shame
- their courage will be turned into fear
- the wrathful anger of the Almighty will take hold of them
- etc.
Ms. Gammage goes on to explain why Bahá’ís should shun the ungodly. Feel free to read for yourself, but you’ve probably got the gist of it by now.
This all is nothing new to me but Ms. Gammage really spells it out. I’m a Bahá’í by birth and upbringing but I am also ungodly. I mean I’m just a mortal, the farthest thing from a god, so this put me in something of a quandry as a young believer: How should I strive to avoid myself? The beginning of a mystical journey …
[2023 update: Ms. Gammage’s site is no longer extant. The Internet Archive has the page archived as late as February 2019]
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