ناقضین (covenant breaker) (taboo) [also see destructive cult study]
[my individual belief is that there is no infallible institution in the entire Baha'i world that has the current legitimate (under the covenant) power to declare some one nakazeen]
the ritual swearing down of satan, such as stoning satan on Hajj, or the self flagellation with mourning of Ashura, no longer a locus of worship to these Muslim converts to Baha'ism the next best thing became the swearing down of each others enemies as "covenant breakers" and "shunning"
this process as a ritual increases feelings of faith and belief.
we would refer to this process as sharp boundary delineation, which makes the distinction between in and out groups even more emphatic.
group solidarity increases feelings of loyalty and authority, increased solidarity increases feelings of faith, making it more emotionally valuable to belong to rigid boundary groups. It also increases one's sense of feeling like they are a part of history, that every step they take has universal impact and is fulfilling destiny.
having a "taboo" enemy is also kinda like a tribal coming of age ritual, entrance into the group and defending the group against out-groups.
Taboo:
"Taboos are not limited to the Pacific, however, every society has restrictions that limit behavior in one respect or another , usually in association with sex, food, rites of passage, sacred objects, and sacred people....most taboos are reinforced by the threat of punishment meted out by supernatural forces." (Moro et al, 2008, pg. 49)
"Taboos also function to distinguish between and control social groups, threatening violators with supernatural punishments as severe as the denial of salvation. Depending on the culture, sacred authority is often as compelling as the civil codes to which people are required to comply. Simply stated the breaking of a sacred taboo, as opposed to a civil sanction, is a sin. The impersonal power of mana made certain objects and people in pacific cultures taboo. Although the concept of mana does not exist in contemporary Western cultures, certain symbols and objects are similarly imbued with such an aura of power or sacredness that they, too, are considered taboo."
(Moro et al, 2008, pg. 49)
[ Mana in the Baha'i religion is paralleled in the concept of "infallibility" (Ma'sum), to have sacredness and authority is to have this sacred infallibility, being guided by the Holy Spirit. Behavior examples are the sacredness of images of the Bab and Baha'u'llah; the sacredness and "awe" of the seat of the Universal House of Justice in Hafa; for the BUPC the sacredness of the token of Hair and Blood of Baha'u'llah; the authority of Yeshua the High Priest, etc. ]
In-Groups and Out-Groups:
In sociology and social psychology, ingroups and outgroups are social groups to which an individual feels as though he or she belongs as a member, or (for outgroups) to which they feel contempt, opposition, or a desire to compete. People tend to hold positive attitudes towards members of their own groups, a phenomenon known as ingroup bias. The term originates from social identity theory which grew out of the work of social psychologist Henri Tajfel. Using a method called the minimal group paradigm, Tajfel discovered that people can form ingroups, as well as outgroups within a matter of minutes. Such groups can form even on the basis of seemingly trivial characteristics, such as preferences for certain paintings.[1] Tajfel's experiments also demonstrate that people are likely to privilege ingroup members (e.g. by awarding them more points or money), even when groups have been formed on trivial characteristics. Members of outgroups may be subject to outgroup homogeneity biases.
In evolutionary psychology, ingroup favoritism is seen as an evolved mechanism selected for the advantages of coalition affiliation.[2] Elements of favoritism are flexible in that they can be erased by social categorization manipulations.[3] Other components appear less flexible, or even essential - for instance this has been claimed for sex and ethnicity.[4][5] A biological basis for these multiple systems for favoritism is indicated by behavior genetic research.[6]
Most people belong to multiple social groups. Commonly encountered ingroup members include family as well as people of the same race, culture, gender and religion. Research demonstrates that people often privilege ingroup members over outgroup members even when the ingroup has no actual social standing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingroups_and_outgroups accessed 7/30/2011