“Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.”

Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?” “No one, sir,” she answered. “Well then, Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.” (John 8:7-11)

Those were the words of Lord Christ 2,000 years ago! Unfortunately, humanity has not learned since that we should not judge others. It is only up to the Divine to render whatever judgment is needed. The carnage of June 12, 2016 in Orlando, Florida took place because a deranged individual decided to be a judge and executioner of gay people. Let there be no mistake, Daheshism—just like all Abrahamic faiths does not condone gay behavior, but that is our belief and we have the right to believe in whatever our religion dictates, but it doesn’t give us the right to persecute, hate, or kill those who are not aligned with our point of view.

Daheshism believes in the sanctity of life. Taking the life of another individual is not permitted—except in the case of self-defense or the defense against an attack on the homeland. It follows that Daheshism opposes capital punishment. During the persecution of our Beloved and Guiding Prophet that began on August 28, 1944, and despite all the pain and suffering that he endured as an innocent man, he chose to fight back with the power of his pen and not with violence. The power of his pen helped expose the actions of the tyrant President of Lebanon and led to his removal from office.

We need not agree with others, but we should respect the fact that every individual is free to determine his/her destiny and, as a result, face the consequences—be they good or bad. Ultimately, it is a matter between that individual and his Creator.

Mounir Murad