April 26, 2009
Dear Bahá’í Friend,
Your email letter of 14 February 2009, in which you describe some concerns felt by members of your community regarding different ways of teaching the Faith, has been received by the Universal House of Justice. We have been asked to convey the following.
In your letter, you raise various questions relating to teaching, with reference to different opinions held by members of the Bahá’í community. As mentioned in the 2008 Ridván message, the friends everywhere are learning how best to apply a range of approaches and methods in sharing Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, in keeping with the receptivity of their listeners. In this context, the House of Justice has been pleased to see that two developments are occurring in all parts of the globe, irrespective of the nature of the society in question.
First, the practice of discussing the principles and precepts of the Faith in a general way, which has resulted in a great many admirers of the Cause but few enrolments, is being complemented by an increasingly direct approach to sharing Bahá’u’lláh’s Message. More often than not, the friends have found the presentation of the Faith outlined in Book 6 of the Ruhi Institute most useful in this respect. It is clear, however, that those making such a presentation need to avoid the trap of reducing it merely to a series of points of information that are enumerated for the listener. Results worldwide leave little doubt that the heart of the listener is touched when the teacher understands the logic underlying the presentation and is prepared to offer it in its fullness. That so many believers who have been taught the Faith in this way have, through study of the courses of the institute, become active supporters of the Cause in their communities stands as ample testimony to the validity of the method. This development represents an important milestone, indeed, in the progress of the Faith.
Second, the habit of conversing with friends and acquaintances on matters of spiritual import, now engrained in the community, is being brought to bear increasingly on interactions with people who could otherwise be regarded as strangers. This tendency is manifesting itself in a number of ways, depending on the circumstances. Not infrequently, outreach to the wider community takes the form of a visit to a home, sometimes after prior arrangements have been made with the residents, although not always. What should be understood in this respect is that such visits are not isolated acts. A visit to a home should be seen as one element of a coherent pattern of action that seeks to enable specific populations to contribute to the construction of the society envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh. At the heart of the matter, then, is how a campaign of teaching the Faith by visiting homes relates to the other activities being undertaken in a neighbourhood or village—how it relates to the efforts to hold meetings that strengthen the devotional character of the wider community, to offer classes that foster the spiritual development of children, to form groups that channel the energies of junior youth, to establish study circles, open to all, that enable people of varied backgrounds to advance together and explore the application of the Bahá’í teachings to their individual and collective lives.
In this connection, the friends sometimes raise questions concerning a passage taken from a letter dated 20 October 1956 written on behalf of the Guardian to a National Spiritual Assembly. The letter states that “to distribute Bahá’í pamphlets from door to door … is undignified and might create a bad impression of the Faith”, adding that the Guardian “does not think the best interests of the Cause are served by such a method.” This statement, which refers to a particular approach to the distribution of Bahá’í literature, does not constitute a general prohibition on visiting people in their homes with the intention of presenting the Faith to them. It is, however, a reminder of the importance of dignity in whatever method of teaching one chooses to employ. Cultures differ, and what may be considered dignified in one locality may not be so in another. Nevertheless, within the context of a pattern of action such as the one described earlier, it would often be quite appropriate for Bahá’ís to visit people in their homes to explain the nature of the core activities of the Five Year Plan and invite them or their children to take part. In many cases, a visit to the home of someone to see whether he or she is interested in learning about the Faith would also be highly fruitful.
As you continue to reflect on this subject, you should remain ever conscious of the nature of the mode of learning that characterizes the worldwide enterprise in which the believers and their institutions are engaged. Methods of teaching cannot be governed by hard and fast rules. Clearly those who do not feel comfortable employing a specific direct teaching method should not be obliged to do so. Yet it is equally important that the inhibitions of individual believers, though rooted in the prevalent culture, and undoubtedly the result of a sincere desire to safeguard the interests of the Faith, do not prevent others from learning how to approach people directly and offer them the Message for which their hearts so desperately yearn. So strong should be the bonds which unite the friends that the diversity of their temperaments and backgrounds serves to open before them new vistas for the growth of the Faith, while at the same time protecting it from extremes.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
(US Baha’i National Administrative website)