“Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved.”- Baháʼu'lláh
Given the above, I am concerned with some of the comments regarding the term “misinformation,” particularly in Lessons VIII & IX, where this word is used several times, synonymous with the term “half- truths,” stating such things as “Science is pushed aside, and opinions take the place of facts.” This is then followed, on pg 50, by some examples of “misinformation” regarding vaccines (i.e.”You get sicker from a vaccination than you do from the virus itself.” and “We do not need vaccines; our immune system gives us full protection against viruses.”). Many well-informed people would say these comments are true information, not mis-information, based, either on their own history of vaccine injury, or on their independent investigation of the scientific data. Furthermore, Lesson IX, #4 says “People in the community choose not to get vaccinated because of the spread of misinformation.” This simple comment may be perceived as a judgemental & prejudicial statement against the growing number of those who do not choose to vaccinate their children or themselves. Comments like this may be an unnecessary test to steadfast Baha'is and friends of the Faith who feel that their decision to not vaccinate comes from thorough research, reflection, and prayer.
I am reminded of two excerpts from Abdul Baha’s Paris Talks regarding seeking truth without compromising unity.
“All are seeking truth, and there are many roads leading there to. Truth has many aspects, but it remains always and forever one. Do not allow difference of opinion, or diversity of thought to separate you from your fellow-men.”
“we should love one another; that we should seek out our own shortcomings before we presume to condemn the faults of others, that we must not consider ourselves superior to our neighbours! We must be careful not to exalt ourselves lest we be humiliated.”
In addition, there are some statements in the book that are written as facts, yet published studies show otherwise. For example:
Lesson VIII, #4 assumes vaccinated people cannot pass on the disease (please see attached paper on Pertussis breakthrough infections),
Lesson VIII, #5 connects the almost eradication of polio to its vaccine (please see attached paper on vaccine-derived poliovirus),
Lesson VIII, #2 describes what is in vaccines but omits the other carcinogenic and immune disrupting materials listed in each individual vaccine package insert (ie- aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80).
I am also attaching a famous Harvard study showing that, in the current system of how side effects are reported, only 1% of true side effects are actually documented.
Lastly, a recent book by Kennedy and Hooker, “Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak,” reviews over 100 published studies of vaccinated and unvaccinated people, showing, time and again, that the unvaccinated fare better in the long run. Although these 100 studies are peer-reviewed, they have gone largely unnoticed and not referenced when vaccine safety and efficacy are discussed in the media or within regulatory agencies.
The above references are my attempt to show that the science is not settled; that “Medical science is only in its infancy.” There are well done published studies showing peer reviewed results in reputable western journals that contradict the dominant narrative of vaccines as safe, effective, and the primary reason for the elimination of diseases.
Although the medical school I attended was/is one of the best global research institutions, University of California- San Francisco (UCSF), we were not taught how to identify side effects of vaccines, that vaccines can cause harm and death, how to document side effects in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), how to use the system in order give patients true informed consent of the risks associated with vaccines, & how lawmakers and pharmaceutical companies kept poor vaccines in circulation for years after they knew they were causing harm. Unless aiming for a concurrent PhD, MD’s receive little training on how to thoroughly analyze statistics in medical research papers. Therefore, your average MD will read the abstract and conclusion of a paper and accept it as truth, without analyzing whether the data matches the written conclusion or if the appropriate statistical analysis tool was used to accurately present the findings. A doctor like myself has to do this research about vaccines on their own time: outside of school or after a long day of clinic. We cannot converse with peers about these topics because to say “vaccines may cause harm” is blasphemy and can cost a doctor their job or their license. This is all to inform you of the powerful forces affecting the narrative of vaccines.
I humbly ask DL Publicaciones, because of the controversial & inconclusive aspect of vaccines as “safe and effective”, and in order to continue to be a welcoming religion, one that promotes unity & continued independent investigation of truth, that it remove Lessons VIII & IX and substitute the chapters with themes mentioned in depth in the Holy Writings, such as nutrition. As it stands now, nutrition is mentioned briefly in Chapter VII, yet given the treasures found in The Lawh-i-Tibb and the extensive Writings of Abdu’l Baha, several chapters can be dedicated to this topic alone. Perhaps the junior youth in the story can have a nutritional educational campaign instead of a vaccine campaign. As a family medicine doctor, one of our main purposes is preventive medicine, and there is no better determinant of illness than the food we eat & the water we drink. It can cause, worsen, improve, & cure diseases, including diseases of bloodborne pathogens. Nutrition is the foundation of health and well-being, and what better way to spiritually empower junior youth around the world than to have them understand that their health lies not in an injectable drug, but in their everyday choice, just like their spirituality lies in their everyday choice.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Dr. Marilyn Calderon
