True Bahá'í

Why not religious tolerance?

The heterodox Bahá'ís, those whose UHJ has no Guardian at its head, have taken legal action against the Orthodox Bahá'ís seeking to prevent us from calling ourselves Bahá'í in our name and on our web sites.  This amazing display of religious intolerance by the Bahá'ís runs directly contrary to the statements they make about human rights in the official halls of governments and diplomacy.

A prime example of this is the statement submitted to the 48th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Geneva, Switzerland, dated 10 February 1992, from the Bahá'í International Community, entitled: "Creating a Climate of Religious Tolerance" in which is stated:

"The most powerful remedy for religious superstition and contention is an examination of the original teachings of the founders of the world's great faiths. No student of comparative religion can fail to be struck by the extraordinary degree of harmony to be found in these original scriptures. Certainly, a fair-minded examination of these principal sources for the civilizing of human nature will reveal nothing to support the animosities that pit one religious community against another."

Is that not what the Orthodox Bahá'ís have been doing?  Examination of the original teachings?  Why does this threaten you so?

The Bahá'í International Community went on to state:

"Lamentably, some sectarian leaders discourage investigation of other beliefs and even dissuade their followers from fully investigating the truth of their own religious teachings. Such attitudes foster prejudice, and lead, all too often, to violent attacks on believers of other faiths. Indeed, one of the strangest and saddest features of the current outbreak of religious fanaticism is the extent to which, in each case, it is undermining not only the spiritual values which are conducive to the unity of mankind but also those unique moral victories won by the particular religion it purports to serve."

I agree that it is lamentable that the leaders of the heterodox Bahá'ís discourage investigation of our beliefs and even that they dissuade their followers from fully investigating the truth of their own religious teachings. By their own words do they condemn themselves.

Even after they lost their court battle in the U.S. District Court, the NSA has appealed their loss to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit which is now pending.  Is it not the height of hypocrisy for the NSA to constantly talk about religious liberty and tolerance, but it is incapable itself of affording the Orthodox Bahá'ís that same consideration?

For more information on the court action, go to: http://www.truebahai.com/court_case.html

Jeffrey

Most of those who call themselves Bahá'í are NOT

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States ("NSA") took legal action against the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith ("OBF") in the United States District Court in Chicago, Illinois, seeking to prevent the OBF from using the word "Bahá'í" in its name and on its web sites (with the absurd claim of a trademark on the name). Although the OBF won that action after an evidentiary hearing, the NSA has appealed that decision which appeal is presently pending in the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago.  For details on that legal action, go here: http://www.truebahai.com/court_case.html.

But has anyone stopped to think by what right does the NSA have to call itself Bahá'í?  If you were to look at the statement of the first Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, on what it means to be a Bahá'í, you would find that a person cannot be considered a Bahá'í unless he or she believes the following:

"Full recognition of the station of the Forerunner, the Author, and the True Exemplar of the Bahá'í Cause, as set forth in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Testament; unreserved acceptance of, and submission to, whatsoever has been revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of our Beloved's sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as the form of the present day Bahá'í administration throughout the world..."

That is a direct quote by Shoghi Effendi, and it is published in books over which the NSA claims a copyright including the Declaration of Trust of the NSA that originally established it.  Lets break that down.  "Unreserved acceptance" means without qualification or restriction;  "Submission to" or in other words obedient and willing; and "steadfast adherence" or fixed, resolute and unwavering support or fidelity to "every clause" of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, including but not limited to that clause that provides for a continuing succession of Guardians who are to be the sacred head for life of the Universal House of Justice. Also Shoghi Effendi states that one must have "close association with spirit and form of the present day Bahá'í administration."  That present day was in 1925 when Shoghi Effendi was teaching that the form of Bahá'í administration had a guardian as the head of the Faith and Center of the Cause.

How then can the NSA, and all of the followers of that headless UHJ now sitting upon Mount Carmel, call themselves Bahá'í?  They do not follow "every clause" of the Master's Will nor do they display "unreserved acceptance" or "submission to" or "steadfast adherence" to "every clause" of the Master's Will.  Therefore, by their own definition, set forth in their founding documents and out of the mouth of the first Guardian whom they revere, they themselves are not Bahá'í. 

They should not be worried, however, that we will haul them into a court of the United States.  No, we do not think it is appropriate.  It will be much better, and justice will most assuredly be done, when we file a lawsuit in the Holy Court of Bahá'u'lláh, asking for declaratory relief finding that they are indeed, NOT Bahá'ís at all, but instead they are usurpers and faithless opponents of the one true Faith.

Jeffrey

New definition for the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh

Those who come into contact with Bahá'ís will find that all of them,regardless of the name those believers go by (e.g., Orthodox Bahá'ís), willmake reference to the Bahá'í Covenant, and if they are asked, all of them, without exception, will maintain that they are faithful to the Covenant.

Unfortunately, what has happened following the death of the first Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, in 1957 is that the organization representing most of the believers changed the definition of the Covenant. A clear example of the way in which the changed definition was applied by the heterodox Bahá'í (i.e., sans-Guardian) organization can be seen in the following descriptions by John Ferraby in different editions of his book All Things Made New. The earlier edition was printed in 1957 prior to Shoghi Effendi's death; the later edition was printed in 1975.

The description BEFORE the passing of Shoghi Effendi read:

"The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh has already given to mankind 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Centre of the Covenant, and [through Him] Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Cause of God, and has provided for other Guardians to follow" [for the duration of the Bahá'í Dispensation]. (Page 247 -- 1957 edition)

The revised description AFTER the passing of Shoghi Effendi reads:

"The power of the Covenant has already brought into being the Bahá'í Administrative Order whose yearly growth it sustains; it has enabled the Cause of God to overcome every obstacle..." (p. 148, 1975 edition)

"Although there could have been a series of Guardians, there is nowhere in the writings any promise or guarantee that the line of Guardians would not be broken but would endure forever. When Shoghi Effendi passed on, the conditions laid down by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Testament for further succession could not be fulfilled." (Page 246 of later edition)

From Some Basic Facts Related to the Baha'i Covenant
http://www.rt66.com/~obfusa/facts.htm