The UHJ deceived millions of Baha'is to believe that they're not proselytizing.

Baha'i Hack Scott Hakala gets exposed on /r/exbahai

Hello u/DavidbinOwen (Scott Hakala) and welcome to r/exbahai. About an hour ago, your comment on this sub made the following points:

• Most of us did not provide a "great reason for leaving".
• Most of us are "not very positive about life or much else".
• Many ex-Baha'is do not participate on this sub because of its negativity, disparagement, and misrepresentation of the Faith.

How about I tackle the first point since the last two are obvious broad assumptions on your part? Let's see...what's a great reason for leaving a religion? How about deception? Here an example:

It is true that Bahá'u'lláh lays on every Bahá'í the duty to teach His Faith. At the same time, however, we are forbidden to proselytize, so it is important for all believers to understand the difference between teaching and proselytizing. It is a significant difference and, in some countries where teaching a religion is permitted, but proselytizing is forbidden, the distinction is made in the law of the land. Proselytizing implies bringing undue pressure to bear upon someone to change his Faith. It is also usually understood to imply the making of threats or the offering of material benefits as an inducement to conversion. In some countries mission schools or hospitals, for all the good they do, are regarded with suspicion and even aversion by the local authorities because they are considered to be material inducements to conversion and hence instruments of proselytization.

(The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 513)

The definition of "proselytize":

v. intr.
(1) to induce someone to convert to one's faith
(2) to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause
v. tr.
to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)

...

convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another
(Oxford Dictionary)

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to try to persuade people to share your religious or political beliefs
(Macmillan Dictionary)

...

to convert (someone) from one religious faith to another
(Collins English Dictionary)

...

(1) to try to convert (a person), especially to one's religion
(2) to persuade to do or join something, especially by offering an inducement
(Webster's New World College Dictionary)

...

English
to try to persuade someone to change their religious or political beliefs or way of living to your own
American
to try to persuade someone to change his or her religious beliefs, political party, etc., to your own
(Cambridge Dictionary)

...

v. intr.
(1) to attempt to convert someone to one's own religious faith
(2) to attempt to persuade someone to join one's own political party or to espouse one's doctrine
v.tr.
to convert (a person) from one belief, doctrine, cause, or faith to another
(American Heritage Dictionary)

...

v. intr.
to make converts or proselytes
v. tr.
to convert to some religion, system, opinion, or the like; to bring, or cause to come, over; to proselyte
(Webster's 1913 Dictionary)

To conclude, the UHJ deceived millions of Baha'is to believe that they're not proselytizing in the absence of coercion by conveniently redefining the word to require coercion. Why? To disassociate themselves from its negative connotation and subsequently, they adopted the euphemism, "teaching".

EDIT: I didn't dox because you revealed your name yesterday on Reddit.

Source : https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/77oy2f/welcome/