Recovering from childhood trauma

9 September 1992

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 21 July 1992, which raises a number of questions as a consequence of your traumatic experiences as a child. We have been asked to provide the following response.

The House of Justice is distressed to hear of the appalling ceremonies in which you were compelled to participate as a child. You are truly blessed to have been enabled to accept Bahá'u'lláh as the Manifestation of God for this Age, and to have access to the limitless spiritual powers with which His life-giving Revelation is infused. You can draw on these powers by your prayers as well as your participation in the work of the Faith and the life of the Bahá'í community; through this effort, and through your consultation with competent professionals having expertise in your area of need, you can promote your healing from the damaging effects of your past experiences, and can find happiness and tranquillity. You are assured of the prayers of the Universal House of Justice in the Holy Shrines on your behalf.

Turning now to the questions you have posed, you are encouraged to study carefully the passages in the Holy Writings, and especially the Tablets and talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pertaining to the nature of man. Every human being has a spiritual nature and also a material nature; his purpose is to subdue the material nature, which inclines him to evil, and, with the aid of Divine Teachings, to develop his spiritual nature so that he can manifest praiseworthy attributes. An individual who chooses to surrender to the promptings of his material nature can sink to levels of depravity and bestiality which are abhorrent to the discerning eye, and which are totally unworthy of the human station. The Bahá'í Teachings inform us that there is no independent force of evil in creation, but terms such as "devil" or Satan" are used in sacred books as symbols of the promptings of the lower nature of man.

Recitation of the Tablets of Visitation at Baha’i Holy Days

19 August 1992

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 15 June 1992 regarding the conduct of Bahá'í Holy Day observances. We have been asked to provide the following response.

The commemoration of Holy Days, including the development of programs for these observances, is a matter left to the discretion of the appropriate National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, which are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that such observances are conducted in a manner in keeping with the spirit of the divine teachings and ordinances. While it is customary for the Tablets of Visitation to be recited at the conclusion of the Holy Day programs held at the Bahá'í World Centre, as well as in countries of the Middle East, this practice is not binding upon Bahá'í communities elsewhere, nor has a specific time been fixed for the recitations to occur.

Nothing has been found in the Bahá'í Writings requiring the friends to stand and face the Qiblih whenever the Tablets of Visitation are recited. No issue should be made of this matter when a Holy Day observance is being held. However, when one is actually in, or within the precincts of one of the Holy Shrines, it is an act of simple reverence to stand and face that Shrine when the Tablet of Visitation is recited.

For the Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Sixteen Questions about Huququ'llah

5 May 1992

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

As foreseen in your fax of 18 February 1992 to the Office of Huququ'llah, your letter of 6 November 1991 to the Board of Trustees in the United States has been referred to the Bahá'í World Centre. The House of Justice has asked us to express its appreciation for your comments designed to simplify the task of answering the questions you raise and to avoid duplication of effort.

Your letter has been referred to an Ad Hoc Committee, and the House of Justice has asked us to send you the enclosed copy of the Committee's reply.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Responding to Homosexuality

1 March 1992

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your letter of 22 January 1992 has been received by the Universal House of Justice, and we are to provide the following response.

The House of Justice was sorry to learn from your letter that your son has recently informed you that he is a homosexual. It commends your attitude of compassion and your efforts to both maintain harmony in your marriage and to keep open the lines of communication to your son. In answer to your specific question, there is little in the Bahá’í writings that specifically points to the causes of homosexuality itself, but as the House of Justice has emphasized in past letters to individuals who sought its advice on this question, there is much that concerns the nature of man, his inner life and growth, and the way to a true Bahá’í life. In a letter to an individual believer, the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, gave the following advice:

“No matter how devoted and fine the love may be between people of the same sex, to let it find expression in sexual acts is wrong. To say that it is ideal is no excuse. Immorality of every sort is really forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh, and homosexual relationships He looks upon as such, besides being against nature.

“To be afflicted this way is a great burden to a conscientious soul. But through the advice and help of doctors, through a strong and deter- mined effort, and through prayer, a soul can overcome this handicap.

“God judges each soul on its own merits. The Guardian cannot tell you what the attitude of God would be towards a person who lives a good life in most ways, but not in this way. All he can tell you is that it is forbidden by Bahá’u’lláh, and that one so afflicted should struggle and struggle again to overcome it. We must be hopeful of God’s mercy but not impose upon it.

Aspects of the Bahá'í Teachings, Conditions for Membership, Voting Rights, and Seven various questions

30 December 1991

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 20 October 1991 in which you raised several questions about different aspects of the Bahá'í Teachings. We are now able to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum dated 30 December 1991, and its three attachments, prepared in response.

It is hoped that a study of this material will provide the enlightenment you have sought.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure, with three attachments

(Baha’i Library Online)

Huququ’llah transactions and inclusion in one’s testament

November 1991

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice received your letter of 12 November 1991 and has asked us to send you the following response.

The House of Justice was very pleased to see the degree to which you are helping those believers and Bahá'í institutions which are eager to adopt legal measures to follow the principles and laws of the Faith in relation to their estates and also to augment the income of the Bahá'í funds. Undoubtedly, once the law of Huququ'llah becomes universally applicable next Ridvan, you will receive many more questions on this subject. The House of Justice is glad to help you in these matters.

Your first two questions [1] which relate to the matters to be covered in a will as prescribed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas will be elucidated when the translation of the Most Holy Book is published. In general, the conclusions you have drawn are not incorrect, but it would be preferable not to go into them at the present time, and to confine your advice to the financial aspects of wills.

Question #3: It would seem from your description of the procedure, that a Revocable Living Trust constitutes a legal document which supplements the will. If this is so, there is no objection to its use as you outline it. The Bahá'í law leaves a believer free as to the distribution of his possessions at his death. If his will points to a document which makes clear what is to be done, that is entirely acceptable. Provisions as to the payment of debts and the balance of Huququ'llah due could also be in the Trust document.

Question #4: We do not know of any guidance on the subject of "living wills" beyond that published in Lights of Guidance.

Question #5: Since the answer to this question requires some detailed examples, the question was referred to an Ad Hoc Committee. Its memorandum on the subject is enclosed, and the House of Justice hopes that these comments will be helpful to you.

The need for prepublication review

28 October 1991

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

. . . The House of Justice was deeply touched by the spirit of your letter, warmly congratulates you on the status you have attained as an academic, and appreciates your efforts to make use of your scholarly training in lending expression to the Faith in academic circles.

The requirement that materials about the Faith authored by Baha’is must be reviewed by Bahá’í institutions before publication is imbedded in a Bahá’í administrative policy which originated with the explicit instruction of Abdu’l-Bahá. Shoghi Effendi included this instruction in his outline of the duties of National Spiritual Assemblies, and the duty of reviewing Bahá’í material is included in the constitution of these institutions with his approval. The requirement is temporary and is meant to protect the interests of the Faith at the early stages of its development.

You are, of course, entirely correct that only the Guardian had the prerogative of interpretation; it is not a prerogative that he could have devolved on other institutions. Yet in a number of letters written on his behalf, the importance of reviewing manuscripts about the Faith was repeatedly emphasized, such as in a letter dated 15 November 1956 written to an individual, in which the following is stated:

“Any Bahá’í book presenting the Faith should be reviewed by a competent body. This only means that they should ascertain whether there is any misrepresentation of the Teachings in it. Sometimes the friends think they have to go into literary reviews and interfere with the author’s style etc., which of course is wholly unnecessary. ...”

Translation and Review

8 September 1991

Your memorandum to the Universal House of Justice dated 4 April 1991.

The Universal House of Justice has asked that we reply to your memorandum as follows.

The first question from Dr. ... concerns the use of provisional (and therefore unreviewed) translations of the Bahá'í Writings that appeared in an article by .... We have been asked to say that the policy of the House of Justice in this matter has not changed and that translations into English, and revisions of earlier translations in that language, must be checked at the World Centre and officially approved before publication. There have been, however, occasions when the House of Justice has permitted the publication of provisional translations made by individuals whose work is known to it. In these cases the translations usually appear in scholarly or other publications of limited distribution and are not likely to be used as a basis for translations into other languages. Such usage does not alter the general policy as stated above.

A letter dated 31 August 1989 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, states that "this policy is not intended to prohibit Bahá'ís from making scholarly study of these Writings [of the Faith], including analysis of existing translations, use of more technical terms in parentheses or in footnotes, and commentary on the approach to translation used by the Guardian."

In the specific matter raised by Dr. ... concerning translations made by Mr. ..., the [publisher] was informed by the Department of the Secretariat in a message dated 21 November 1990, that although the extracts Mr. ... had translated could not be reviewed here at the Bahá'í World Centre for the present, "...there is no objection in principle, given the competence of the author, to their use if clearly identified as provisional in character."

Station of Baha'u'llah

1991

The Universal House of Justice has received you letter … and has instructed us to convey to you the following reply:

The House of Justice is very sorry to learn in some parts of Europe the friends have been arguing about the station of Bahá'u'lláh. In the time of Bahá'u'lláh Himself such difference of opinion arose among the friends and there is a Tablet in which He referred to this. He explains that there are differences in the levels of understanding of individuals. Some see the reflection of the Essence of God Himself in the temple of His Manifestation; others see the Manifestation as the Revealer of God and regard His commands and prohibitions to be identical with the ordinances of God. Both views, Bahá'u'lláh says, are acceptable, but if believers in expounding their points of view engage in contention and disputation, they would be rejected by God, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the aim of His Teaching are to attract souls, create fellowship among men and promulgate the Cause of God. Argument and conflict about such matters can lead to nothing but the ruin of the Cause and thus those who engage in it would fall into perdition even though they may claim to be expounding the highest level of true understanding.

As to drawing distinctions between the Manifestations of God, the believers can study the Kitáb-i-Íqán where Bahá'u'lláh explains the varying intensities of the Revelations sent by God and elucidates the apparently contradictory statements about the nature of the Manifestations contained in the Scriptures of past Dispensations. They are surely also familiar with the statement of Bahá'u'lláh that appears as section XXIV of "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh":

"Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers."

Secret of Divine Civilization; Capitalization of Pronouns; Capital Punishment; The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God; Designer of the House of Worship in 'Ishqabad ; and Other Questions

20 June 1991 

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 17 April 1991 in which you asked for guidance in the matter of capitalization of pronouns referring to Abdu’l-Baha, and other questions that came to your attention while you were working on the translation into Portuguese of "The Secret of Divine Civilization".

We are now able to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum dated 23 May 1991, and its two attachments, prepared in response.

The House of Justice commends you on the valuable contribution you have made to the range of Bahá'í literature in Portuguese and wishes you well in your continuing efforts in this important field of service to the Faith.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure (with two attachments)

(Baha’i Library Online)

Regarding “statement in… Ridván 1990 message referring to Bahá'u'lláh as "the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet"

20 June 1991

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Further to our letter of 25 November 1990, we have been directed by the Universal House of Justice to convey the following response to your inquiry of 24 June 1990. The delay is sincerely regretted.

The House of Justice appreciates your frankness concerning your puzzlement over the statement in its Ridván 1990 message referring to Bahá'u'lláh as "the most precious Being ever to have drawn breath on this planet". You are entirely correct in drawing upon Bahá'u'lláh's statement, cited on pages 78-79 of "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", to point out the oneness and sameness of the "essence of all the Prophets of God". The statement of the House of Justice should not be taken to imply anything to the contrary, but rather should be seen in the historical context of His Revelation and in its nature and character relative to the Revelations that preceded it. As Bahá'u'lláh has said in the same passage in the "Gleanings" from which you quoted:

“The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through specific acts….”

Concerning His own Revelation, Bahá'u'lláh has testified to "the inconceivable greatness of this Revelation" and said:

Features of Baha’i elections and Administration

2 January 1991

Dear Baha’i Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has studied your letter ... which contains proposals for a number of changes to Baha’i electoral, judicial and reviewing procedures. .. .

The questions you have raised are worthy of the most serious consideration. Although they are specifically concerned with certain administrative procedures, they touch upon fundamental principles of far-reaching implications. To a significant extent the answers to them relate to the basic attitude we as Baha’is have both toward the nature of man at the advent of the coming of age of the entire human race, and toward the developmental processes of a world community in the initial stages of its formative age during the most critical time of transition from the old dispensation to the new.

The sense of our newness as an evolving community is underscored by the fact that at this very moment we are engaged for the first time in preparing for the publication of the full text of our Book of Laws, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, with annotations. This anticipated event indicates how much more we have to understand our fundamental laws before our institutions can proceed to lay down rules and regulations beyond those which are already in effect. The House of Justice feels that enough has been stated by the Guardian to enable the friends to cope for the time being with the problems you have cited. However, we are to convey the following comments on the various points of your letter.

For all its size—some five million members worldwide, the majority of whom have joined the Faith in the past 15 years—the Baha’i community is still far from attaining the administrative maturity that would allow for the imposition, even if it were permissible, of certain rules. However acute your observations, they are based on a history limited in time and in experience. It bears noting that even though the systematic efforts of establishing the Baha’i administration began some seven decades ago, a large majority of the current National Spiritual Assemblies (95 out of 151) came into existence only during the last 26 years and have emerged in communities the vast majority of whose members are not yet deeply grounded in the administrative principles of the Faith. Ordinarily, a substantial proportion of the voting members of the communities do not regularly participate in Baha’i elections. Moreover, because of the relatively small number of nationally active believers, the range of choice in many communities may seem to the conscientious voter to be limited in terms of the stated qualifications for membership on the National Spiritual Assembly. Given these facts, it is remarkable that at this stage in the development of the world community, National Spiritual Assemblies are successfully elected annually in accordance with basic Baha’i principles.

Spiritual health of American community

24 December 1990

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The House of Justice notes your concerns for the spiritual health of the American Bahá’í community, as conveyed in your letter of November 17, 1990, and we are to share the following advice on its behalf.

Our hope as Bahá’ís is that our communities will indeed foster increasing levels of candor, trust and intimacy wherein those practical steps and concerted measures which you allude to may be identified and agreed to in a consultative spirit.

It is understandable if the believers feel a sense of impatience with the apparently slow progress in the expansion of the Cause in certain regions, but they should take heart at the victories being won elsewhere, and even study these for insights into the process of effective teaching and community development. We may take comfort in the following words of the beloved Guardian:

"...every bearer of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh should consider it not only an obligation but a privilege to scatter far and wide the seeds of His Faith, and to rest content in the abiding knowledge that whatever be the immediate response to that Message, and however inadequate the vehicle that conveyed it, the power of its Author will, as He sees fit, enable those seeds to germinate, and in circumstances which no one can foresee enrich the harvest which the labor of His followers will gather ..." (The Advent of Divine Justice [Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1984, p. 53)

As for acknowledging problems, should an institution of the Faith become aware of a problem within the community, it would seem that the most prudent course of action is usually to draw attention to underlying spiritual principles, or to encourage the believers along pathways of growth and development; an example would be the December 29, 1988, letter of the House of Justice on individual rights and freedoms in the Bahá’í community.

The Unity of Religions in This Century; Jews and the Crucifixion; the Sacrifice of Ishmael

6 November 1990

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 18 May 1990 with its questions regarding the unity of religions in this century, the Jews and the crucifixion of Christ, and the sacrifice of Ishmael. Your follow-up letter of 26 September 1990 has also been received. The delay in dealing with your letter is regretted, but was occasioned by the amount of research involved and pressure of work at the World Centre.

We are now able to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum prepared in response and hope that a study of this material will provide the enlightenment you have sought.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure

Memorandum

 To: The Universal House of Justice        

Date: 24 October 1990

From: The Research Department

The Unity of Religions in This Century, Jews and the Crucifixion, and the Sacrifice of Ishmael

In his letter dated 18 May 1990 (and follow-up letter dated 26 September 1990) to the Universal House of Justice, Mr. _ asks a number of questions, to which we respond as follows.

1. In his first question, Mr. _ cites two texts. The first text is from a recorded talk in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá refers to the twentieth century:

“Praise be to God! the mediaeval ages of darkness have passed away and this century of radiance has dawned, -- this century wherein the reality of things is becoming evident, -- wherein science is penetrating the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established and service to mankind is the paramount motive of all existence…

Tablets to the Kings

20 November 1989

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 12 September 1989 in which you asked two questions related to the Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh to the kings. We are now directed to send you the enclosed copy of the memorandum prepared in response.

It is hoped that a study of this material will provide the enlightenment you seek on this historical aspect of the Faith.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosure

(Baha’i Library Online)

The Function of review in the Baha’i Community

25 September 1989

Dear Baha’i Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter . . . concerning a writing project which you had been contemplating in collaboration with a professional filmmaker and writer who is not a Baha’i, and we have been asked to send you the following reply. . . .

Given the long history and overwhelming current examples of repression in the world, it is not surprising that in a country like the United States, which upholds freedom of speech as a cardinal principle, the non-Bahá'í collaborator in a filmmaking project, such as you have described, would be concerned about any perceived, or misperceived, notion of censorship. As you know, review of manuscripts before publication is a discipline which the Baha’i community applies to its own members as a temporary necessity, for it is anticipated that in due time this practice will cease. The reason is simple: At this early stage in the development of the Bahá’í Faith, which is striving against great odds to establish itself in a world that is highly critical, often antagonistic towards new ideas, and whose communications media tend to emphasize negative information, it is important that Baha’i authors, scriptwriters and filmmakers endeavor to present the Faith with accuracy and dignity. It is one thing for a non-Bahá’í to make erroneous statements about the Faith; this can be excused on the basis of ignorance. But for a Bahá’í to make such errors is quite a different thing, because he is considered to be knowledgeable about that which he espouses.

Therefore, a Baha’i author is expected to ensure to the extent possible a correct representation of the Faith in his work; as an aid he draws upon the reviewing facilities provided by Bahá’í institutions. A great many authors spontaneously and informally submit their manuscripts to a type of review, although they would not necessarily call it that, when they request the comments and criticisms of persons whose expertise and judgment they respect. Submission to Bahá’í review is no greater a requirement, and may well be less demanding in most cases, than the rigorous review of scientific papers before their publication. In the same way that scientists have acceded to the discipline of review in the interest of ensuring the precision and integrity of their dissertations, Baha’i authors respect the function of review in the Bahá’í community.

Tablet to a Physician (Lawh-i-Tibb)

8 June 1989 

In response to your letter of 9 May 1989 in which you convey the request of one of the believers for information concerning the Tablet to a Physician revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, the following is an excerpt from a letter written on behalf of the beloved Guardian on this subject.

“The Tablet to a Physician was addressed to a man who was a student of the old type of healing prevalent in the East and familiar with the terminology used in those days, and He addresses him in terms used by the medical men of those days. These terms are quite different from those used by modern medicine, and one would have to have a deep knowledge of this former school of medicine to understand the questions Bahá'u'lláh was elucidating.

The translator of this Tablet therefore, if he is not to make serious errors, would "have to have a deep knowledge of this former school of medicine". Those portions of the Tablet that contain general guidelines for good health have already been translated into English and were published in "Star of the West", vol. XIII, no. 9 (December 1922) p.252, a copy of which was enclosed with your letter. Another and slightly different, English translation has been published in "Herald of the South", vol. 2, no. 4 (October-November 1927), p.1.

Although a copy of the original Tablet is on file at the World Centre, an approved translation is not yet available.

(Baha’i Library Online)

Application of the law of Huqúqu’lláh: individuals only or can Bahá’í institutions or corporate bodies also contribute?

29 March 1989

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 5 February 1989 in which you ask whether the Law of Huqúqu'lláh is a purely personal law or whether it applies to elected institutions and corporate bodies as well.

We have been asked to inform you that, although the Trustee is authorized to accept contributions to Huqúqu’lláh from believers who are not under the obligation of paying it, or from companies which are wholly owned by Bahá’ís, the Law of Huqúqu’lláh imposes an obligation only on individual believers, not on Bahá’í institutions or corporate bodies.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(‘Messages from the House of Justice 1986-2001)

Internet and electronic forums used for teaching

8 December 1988

Dear Bahá'í Friends

Your letter and its enclosure on teaching the Faith through participation in electronic conferences were received on 13 November 1988 and were referred by Mr. Hugh Chance to the Universal House of Justice, which has instructed us to convey the following comments.

The House of Justice sees no objection to the utilisation of electronic forums for personal teaching activities. Indeed, it feels that developing communications systems will, in time, present numerous opportunities for dissemination of information about the Faith, including initiatives to be undertaken by Bahá'í institutions.

It feels that your National Assembly has been wise in suggesting the use of quotations to minimise personal interpretations in presenting the tenets of the Faith. Given the relative anonymity of this form of teaching, the House of Justice would further encourage you to remain mindful of the potentially large audience which the forums involve and of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's counsel to "be wary of disputation". In this connection, we are instructed to provide the following quotation from a letter dated 29 November 1937, written on behalf of the beloved Guardian to an individual believer:

" ... refrain, under any circumstances, from involving yourselves, much less the Cause, in lengthy discussions of a controversial character, as these, besides being fruitless actually cause incalculable harm to the Faith. Bahá'u'lláh has repeatedly urged us not to engage in religious controversies, as the adepts of former religions have done. The Bahá'í teacher should be concerned above all in presenting the Message, in explaining and clarifying all its aspects ... He should avoid all situations that, he feels, would lead to strife, to hair-splitting and interminable discussions."

The House of Justice was pleased to learn of this new teaching effort and of the transmission of "The Promise of World Peace" to various forums. You may wish to contact the office of the National Teaching Committee to obtain recommendations concerning other materials which might be posted to the forums, when appropriate, and to inquire about the availability of electronic documents which may be available for this purpose.

Department of the Secretariat

(Baha’i Library Online)

Regarding legislation on certain moral issues

5 June 1988

... The Universal House of Justice does not feel that the time has come for it to provide detailed legislation on subjects such as abortion, homosexuality and other moral issues. The principles pertaining to these issues are available in the book "Lights of Guidance" and elsewhere. In studying these principles, it should be noted that in most areas of human behaviour there are acts which are clearly contrary to the law of God and others which are clearly approved or permissible; between these there is often a grey area where it is not immediately apparent what should be done. It has been a human tendency to wish to eliminate these grey areas so that every aspect of life is clearly prescribed. A result of this tendency has been the tremendous accretion of interpretation and subsidiary legislation which has smothered the spirit of certain of the older religions. In the Bahá'í Faith moderation, which is so strongly upheld by Bahá'u'lláh, is applied here also. Provision is made for supplementary legislation by the Universal House of Justice -- legislation which it can itself abrogate and amend as conditions change. There is also a clear pattern already established in the Sacred Scriptures, in the interpretations made by `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, and in the decisions so far made by the Universal House of Justice, whereby an area of the application of the laws is intentionally left to the conscience of each individual believer. This is the age in which mankind must attain maturity, and one aspect of this is the assumption by individuals of the responsibility for deciding, with the assistance of consultation, their own course of action in areas which are left open by the law of God.

Táhirih

16 March 1988

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

Your letter of 12 February 1988, in which you clarify the points raised in your letter of 1 December 1987, a copy of which is enclosed as you have requested, has been received by the Universal House of Justice and referred to the Research Department. The House of Justice warmly commends your insistence on accuracy in presenting any aspect of the teachings or history of the Faith, and applauds your obvious commitment to the cause of the advancement of women.

In sending for your study the enclosed copy of the further memorandum, and its attachments, on the topic of Táhirih, prepared by the Research Department, the House of Justice trusts that the issues that remained unanswered earlier will be satisfactorily addressed.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

Enclosures

(Baha’i Library Online)

Tahirih and women's suffrage

10 January 1988

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice referred to the Research Department your letter of 1 December 1987 concerning a letter in which you understood that Shoghi Effendi had stated that women's suffrage was not part of Táhirih's concept. We are now directed to send you the enclosed copy of a memorandum, prepared by that Department in response.

The House of Justice hopes that a study of this comprehensive memorandum will enhance your understanding of the exalted station of Táhirih and the extent of her influence on the emancipation of women and the ultimate achievement of peace.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

(Baha'i Library Online)

Activities of Bahá’ís in Relation to Governments

23 June 1987

To an individual Bahá’í

Dear Bahá’í Friend,

The Universal House of Justice received your letter . . . inquiring about permissible activities of the Bahá’ís in relation to governments. .. . We have been asked to convey the following.

Your letter touches upon a subject which, as time passes, will increasingly engage the attention of the House of Justice in accordance with its responsibilities as explicitly assigned in the Holy Texts. For instance, Bahá’u’lláh states:

“According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice. (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 93)

Elsewhere He states:

“It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of Justice to promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the earth may be relieved from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative and absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root of affliction and calamity. (Tablets of Bahá'u'láh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 89)

And yet again He asserts:

“All matters of State should be referred to the House of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according to that which God hath revealed in His Book. (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 27)

Furthermore, ‘Abdul-Bahá is reported to have said in a talk:

“He [Bahá’u’lláh] has ordained and established the House of Justice, which is endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of church and state. This institution is under the protecting power of Bahá’u’lláh Himself.” (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, 1982 ed., p. 455)

Alcoholics Anonymous

9 November 1987

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

In response to your letter of 28 July 1987, we have been asked by the Universal House of Justice to quote below for your benefit from letters written on its behalf concerning Alcoholics Anonymous.

“The malign effects of the widespread use of alcoholic beverages upon almost every society in the world cannot but confirm every Bahá'í in the wisdom of Bahá'u'lláh in banning its use, thereby shielding faithful believers from a legion of difficulties . . .

The Bahá'í community should feel free to call upon such agencies as Alcoholics Anonymous for assistance and upon public agencies who work with the problem, but must realize that the greatest healing of this social and individual disease is God's Cause which in its fulness will eliminate the causes of alcoholism . . .” (From letter to a National Assembly dated 8 August 1979)

“The Universal House of Justice . . . has instructed us to say that there is no objection to Bahá'ís being members of Alcoholics Anonymous, which is an association that does a great deal of good in assisting alcoholics to overcome their lamentable condition. The sharing of experiences which the members undertake does not conflict with the Bahá'í prohibition on the confession of sins; it is more in the nature of the therapeutic relationship between a patient and a psychiatrist.” (From letter to an individual believer dated 26 August 1986)

“Dear Bahá'í Friends: Your memo of 28 May enclosing ...'s letter concerning confession has been received. There does not appear to be any conflict between Step 5 of the Alcoholics Anonymous program and the Bahá'í teachings concerning confession.” (From letter to a Local Spiritual Assembly, 4 June 1987)

Activities of Baha’is in relation to governments

23 June 1987

Dear Baha’i Friend,

The Universal House of Justice received your letter . . . inquiring about permissible activities of the Baha’is in relation to governments. .. . We have been asked to convey the following.

Your letter touches upon a subject which, as time passes, will increasingly engage the attention of the House of Justice in accordance with its responsibilities as explicitly assigned in the Holy Texts. For instance, Bahá'u'lláh states:

“According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice.” (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 93)

Elsewhere He states:

“It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of Justice to promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the earth may be relieved from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative and absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root of affliction and calamity.” (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 89)

And yet again He asserts:

“All matters of State should be referred to the House of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according to that which God hath revealed in His Book.” (Tablets ofBahá u lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 27)