Importance of Nonviolence in Families

23 November 1993

Dear Bahá'í friend,

Further to our letter of 14 November 1991, the Universal House of Justice has now completed its consideration of your letter of 21 September 1991, in which you raised a number of questions pertaining to violence and to the sexual abuse of women and children. We have been instructed to provide the following response to your questions.

As you know, the principle of the oneness of mankind is described in the Bahá'í Writings as the pivot round which all the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh revolve. It has widespread implications which affect and remold all dimensions of human activity. It calls for a fundamental change in the manner in which people relate to each other, and the eradication of those age-old practices which deny the intrinsic human right of every individual to be treated with consideration and respect.

Within the family setting, the rights of all members must be respected. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has stated:

“The integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered and the right of the individual members must not be transgressed. The rights of the son, the father, the mother - none of them must be transgressed, none of them must be arbitrary. Just as the son has certain obligations to his father, the father, likewise has certain obligations to his son. The mother, the sister, and other members of the household have their certain prerogatives. All these rights and prerogatives must be conserved...”

The use of force by the physically strong against the weak, as a means of imposing one's will and fulfilling one's desires, is a flagrant transgression of the Bahá'í Teachings. There can be no justification for anyone compelling another, through the use of force or through the threat of violence, to do that to which the other person is not inclined. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has written, "O ye lovers of God! In this, the cycle of Almighty God, violence and force, constraint and oppression, are one and all condemned." Let those who, driven by their passions or by their inability to exercise discipline in the control of their anger, might be tempted to inflict violence on another human being, be mindful of the condemnation of such disgraceful behaviour by the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.

Regarding Bahá'í teachings on homosexuality

5 July 1993 

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice

July 5, 1993

From: The Research Department

Homosexuality

Mrs. ..., in a letter to the Universal House of Justice dated 15 March 1993, has raised several questions about the Bahá'í view of homosexuality. A number of her questions arise from an article she has read recently in the Atlantic Monthly magazine which supports the view that homosexual tendencies are biologically based. In particular she expresses concern for the plight of several Bahá'í men whom she knows and who are faced with the difficult struggle against their homosexual preferences. We provide the following response.

We attach a selection of extracts from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, and from letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi and of the Universal House of Justice pertaining to homosexuality. These extracts offer many insights into the subject. In particular we direct Mrs. ...'s attention to the letters of the Universal House of Justice. They provide clear summaries of the Bahá'í view of homosexuality and also discuss, in the context of the homosexual affliction, the nature and purpose of man and the spiritual struggles with which he must contend in this life. In consideration of the questions raised by Mrs. ..., we summarize below some of the fundamental points made in the attached extracts:

1. Homosexuality is strongly condemned by Bahá'u'lláh (Extracts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

2. The Bahá'í Writings do not point to the causes of homosexuality (Extracts 11, 13, 16), although they do state that

3. Homosexuality is an "aberration", and is "against nature" (Extracts 3, 4, 5, 13, 17).

4. Homosexuality can be overcome (Extracts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17), and

5. The individual is expected to make an effort to overcome the affliction (Extracts 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17).

Guidance on membership by Bahá'ís in the organization Amnesty International

14 February 1993 

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 4 January 1992 seeking guidance on membership by Bahá'ís in the organization Amnesty International. We have been instructed to provide the following reply.

The House of Justice warmly acknowledges your devoted work with the organization since becoming a member in 1981, and it can appreciate your apprehension over learning in a discussion with another Bahá'í that membership by Bahá'ís in Amnesty International is not permitted. There is no question as to the merits and great services rendered by Amnesty International, nor of the parallels between a number of its goals and those of the Bahá'í Faith. However, problems could arise if you, as a member of the organization, were called upon to undertake actions which would be politically hazardous to Bahá'ís residing in other lands, or which conflict with Bahá'í principles.

As you point out, Amnesty International, from its own viewpoint, is a non-political organization; however, its definition of "politics" is different from that used in the context of Bahá'í teachings. In addition, Amnesty International states that it is opposed to the death penalty in all cases and without reservation, while the law of Bahá'u'lláh expressed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas is that the death penalty is applicable for murder and arson under certain circumstances.

Even though it is not appropriate for Bahá'ís to become members of Amnesty International, its humanitarian aspects make it possible for Bahá'ís to have friendly relationships with the organization. Thus, Bahá'ís are encouraged to feel free to collaborate as individuals in certain Amnesty International's projects, while retaining the right to abstain from participation in actions which could conflict with Bahá'í principles.

Diacritics and meaning of "Self-subsisting"

21 January 1993

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Your letters of 17 and 23 December have been received at the Bahá'í World Centre, and we are to provide the following response.

Although it appreciates your desire to make the Writings more accessible, the Universal House of Justice does not feel that it would be justified for your pamphlet to appear without the use of diacritical markings; nor would it be appropriate for you to change the form of word endings to make the style accord with modern usage. There are several reasons for this.

You should be aware that the system adopted by the Guardian is such that anyone familiar with the original languages (e.g., Arabic or Persian) can immediately tell exactly which word has been transliterated. Moreover, by adopting a style somewhat removed from everyday discourse, it was possible for Shoghi Effendi to capture something of the allusive, poetic, and highly metaphorical nature of the original languages without its seeming ridiculous. In any case, although the language may appear archaic at first glance -- because of the word endings, obsolete contractions and other incidental features -- in actuality the language of the Bahá'í Writings is indeed far closer to everyday English than the authorized version of the Bible which millions of English-speaking Christians are able to read with understanding even though many of the English words in the Bible have disappeared from the language or have taken on completely different meanings.

In your second letter, you have stated that the term "self-subsisting", which Bahá'u'lláh often uses to characterize God, "means nothing" in the English language. It is likely that this term signifies in some way a basic concept of the Faith; namely, that creation is an emanation from God, without Whose continuing bounty and grace it would cease to exist. The term thus underscores the immense contrast between our reality, which is related to the contingent world, and His reality which is independent of any cause and which entirely transcends the world of being. Indeed, the point is that He is the Cause of being itself. There is a way to deduce such a meaning, however, solely from the common meaning of the words. According to its primary dictionary definition, "to subsist" means to have existence, to persist or continue. The addition of "self" makes it reflexive. Knowing just these two things, can we not then say that if God is self-subsisting it means that there is nothing other than Himself upon which He depends for His continuing existence? In other words, He exists in and of Himself without being dependent on any other cause: He has no creator and there is nothing prior to Him.

Translation of Authoritative Bahá'í Texts into the Spanish Language

6 January 1993

To the National Spiritual Assemblies of Spanish-speaking countries

Dearly Loved Friends,

The Universal House of Justice has recently had occasion to review the development of Spanish Bahá’í literature and assess its current needs. One of the important issues relates to the translation of authoritative Bahai Texts into the Spanish language. This matter has been the object of a good deal of consideration in conferences and consultations on Spanish Bahá’i publishing in recent years. One recurring recommendation is for the establishment of an international body responsible for the direction and approval of such translation work.

The House of Justice has now decided to appoint an International Panel for Spanish Translations of Bahá’í Literature, to consist, initially, of three competent and experienced believers, namely: Mr. Nabil Perdu of Spain, Mr. Conrad Popp of Chile, and Mrs. Migdalia Diez of Puerto Rico. This group will be responsible for producing authorized Spanish versions of the Bahá’i Writings suitable for all the Spanish- speaking Bahá’is of the world.

The Universal House of Justice will provide guidance to the panel directly and keep the members informed of any corrections and revisions to the authorized English versions of Bahá’i Texts decided upon at the World Centre.

Mr. Perdu is being asked to serve as the coordinating member of this panel, and as its point of reference and central address. He will act in conjunction with his fellow members for the services to be performed. These services will for the most part consist of supervising the preparation and approval of translations and revisions of the Spanish versions of the authoritative texts of the Faith, that is, the works of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as well as the writings of Shoghi Effendi and the messages of the Universal House of Justice. The work of the panel will involve not only its own members but others it may wish to call upon. In the course of its activities it should welcome and consider suggestions, concerns and appeals about its translations and services from various quarters. The panel will in this way serve as a central core for the many friends able to assist in these far-reaching tasks. It should strive to continually raise the quality and accuracy of the translations of Spanish Bahá’í literature.

Childhood abuse, and revoking parent's right of marriage consent

December 1992

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Your letter of 23 October 1992 addressed to the Universal House of Justice was received on 29 November 1992, and we have been asked to provide the following response.

The House of Justice is very pleased to learn of the progress you are making in recovering from the difficulties of the past, and is delighted by your wholehearted and enthusiastic commitment to the practice of the Teachings and your involvement in Bahá'í community activities. It is confident that, with the passage of time, you will proceed from strength to strength, and that your earnest endeavours will be reinforced by the spiritual potencies of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.

Turning now to the questions you have raised, the House of Justice has decided that when a Bahá'í has suffered sexual abuse such as incest from a parent, that believer is free to approach the National Spiritual Assembly for a determination that such an action warrants deprivation of the right of the parent to give consent to marriage. At present such matters have to be referred by a National Assembly to the Universal House of Justice on a case by case basis.

You are encouraged to follow the advice of your therapist in regard to the absences which you should take from your employment in order to facilitate your healing from the trauma you experienced in the past. The time taken away from work beneficial to society would doubtless be more than compensated for by the increase in effectiveness with which you will be able to perform such functions when your healing is more advanced. Your therapist is also in the best position to assist you to distinguish between those events which have occurred, and any other impressions in your memory which may not be based on actual experiences.

The House of Justice has asked us to reiterate the expressions of sympathy and loving concern expressed in the letter of 9 September 1992 sent to you on its behalf, and to assure you of its prayers at the Sacred Threshold for your continued healing and for your abiding happiness.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

The “House of Justice's reference to Bahá'u'lláh as ‘the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet’”

21 December 1992

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 24 November 1992 and has asked us to send you the following reply.

That the House of Justice's reference to Bahá'u'lláh as "the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet" has caused, as you say, such misconceptions among the believers is a sign of the degree to which the friends need to study the Writings and deepen their understanding of the Teachings of the Faith. Had they done so sufficiently they would surely have been able to comprehend the context in which the statement was made, as you did, and would have been untroubled by it.

In answer to a recent letter on the subject, the following comments were conveyed on behalf of the House of Justice, and we repeat them here as an assistance to you in explaining the matter to any friends who raise it with you.

It would seem that the agitation shown by certain of the friends to the description of Bahá'u'lláh as "the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet", and their impression that this indicates some new doctrine, arises from their lack of familiarity with the range of expressions used in the Sacred Writings and by the beloved Guardian, and their inability to grasp that such expressions are used in the context of the illumination of the stations of the Manifestations of God as conveyed by Bahá'u'lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán and elucidated by the Guardian in "The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh".

This description, in fact, is not so different from the Guardian's words in his cablegram of 3 June 1957, which appears on page 122 of "Messages to the Bahá'í World". He refers to:

“… the adoption and execution of preliminary measures designed to herald the construction in future decades of the stately, befitting Mausoleum to enshrine the holiest dust the earth ever received into its bosom.”

Anticipation of Guardianship in the Kitab-i-Aqdas

Memorandum

To: The Universal House of Justice  

December 8, 1992

From: The Research Department

The Research Department has studied the questions raised by Mr. ... in his letter of 24 October 1992 to the Universal House of Justice. Mr. ... is writing a paper on the…

Mr. ... draws attention to Shoghi Effendi's statement that the Kitab-i-Aqdas anticipates the institutions of the Administrative Order "in a number of passages". He expresses the view that the Guardianship is anticipated in the passage concerning the "endowments dedicated to charity". In addition, he has been informed that since Bahá'u'lláh provides, in the Aqdas, for payment of the Huququ'llah without specifying its recipient, this particular passage implicitly anticipates the Guardianship. He asks whether one or both of these passages anticipate the Guardianship. We provide the following response.

The issues raised by Mr. ... are addressed in a letter dated 27 May 1980 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice in response to a number of questions about the Kitab-i-Aqdas. The relevant section of this letter is cited below:

The Station of Bahá'u'lláh and the Significance of His Revelation

15 October 1992

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 3 September 1992 and is very glad that you have raised this matter. It has recently been disturbed at the degree to which these issues seem to have been giving concern to Bahá’ís in different parts of the world. It may, indeed, be providential for the matter to be brought to the fore now, before the English translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is published. We have been asked to convey to you the following comments.

As you know, the human soul is “a heavenly gem … whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel,” “one of the signs of God, a mystery among His mysteries.” If even the soul of man is so ineffable a reality, how can a human being claim to understand or to set forth the nature of the Manifestations of God, of the relationships between Them, or of Their relationship to God, let alone to grasp the nature of God Himself?

Bahá’u’lláh has explained these mysteries to a degree never before approached, but we must accept that they are realities that cannot be defined in a rigorous manner, as one would attempt to define the terms of mathematics or even of philosophy. This is a realm of knowledge in which poetry, analogy, hyperbole and paradox are to be expected; a realm in which the Manifestations Themselves speak with many voices. Undoubtedly you are familiar with the passage in the Kitáb-i-Íqán in which Bahá’u’lláh elaborates this theme, commenting on Muhammad’s statement: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.”

Authenticity of some prayers and Tablets

September 1992

From time to time the National Spiritual Assembly [of US] receives letters from Bahá'ís or local Spiritual Assemblies about the authenticity of certain prayers or "tablets" that are circulated in typed form.

The Research Department of the Universal House of Justice is asked to check these writings for authenticity. The following works that commonly circulate in the Bahá'í community are not authentic:

• "Fourth Dimensional Consciousness" and other instructions to Marie Watson. This so-called tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá is erroneous; Shoghi Effendi has stated that it is not a work by 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• "O God! Give me knowledge, faith and love...." This prayer was written by Ibrahim Kheiralla, a Covenant-breaker; he attributed it, however, to Bahá'u'lláh.
• "Hold Thou my right arm, O God! and dwell continually with me. Guide me to the fountain of Thy knowledge and encircle me with Thy glory...." Another prayer written by Ibrahim Kheiralla and attributed by him to Bahá'u'lláh.
• The Significance of the Greatest Name, beginning "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha! The cry that renovates the soul...on that cry are all the cries of the universe sounded." The Research Department has not been able to find, either in English or Persian, such statements attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
• The Marriage Tablet, beginning "The bond that unite hearts most perfectly is loyalty..." This is not a tablet at all, but is an unauthenticated record by Ahmad Sohrab of a talk by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The friends may use it, but it should be made clear that this is not Bahá'í scripture.
• "There is a power in this cause, a mysterious power, far, far beyond the ken of men and angels...." This passage is from Ahmad Sohrab's diary and should be considered as interesting material, but not as scripture.
• "O Lord! Open Thou the door, provide the means...." This is a free translation of part of a prayer revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the friends in Tehran, incomplete, and unfortunately, even erroneous.
• "Oh God! Make me a teacher in Thy Cause...." This prayer cannot be confirmed as authentic as no original has been found.
• "O Our God! We beg of Thee...that Thou wilt guide us always...and that we may ever be strong and fully prepared to render instant, exact and complete obedience." This prayer cannot be confirmed as authentic as no original has been found.
• "My strength is the assistance of the Blessed Perfection...." From the pilgrim's notes of Julia Grundy, Ten Days in the Light of Akka, p. 63.
• "Fill Thou, O God, our home with harmony and happiness, with laughter and delight...." Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but in fact it is three short supplications that appear on pages 147 and 148 of The Mission of Bahá'u'lláh by Hand of the Cause George Townshend.

 (Baha’i Library Online)