gusash

Hey guys,

I'm going through another one of those doubt times again, going better this time because I'm on the come back, but something blocking me from returning to the Faith is how I feel about the administrative system.

Could someone please post quotes from the Baha'i Writings about the infallibility of the Universal House of Justice?

I also feel like some of the magazines and phases are a bit too much. Most Faith's don't have magazines made by them for them. That feels a tad commercial to me. And we are constantly doing expansion phases. Is this right? Shouldn't we perhaps spend more time making the existing Baha'i community stronger? If you could please post more things from the Writings to help set my mind at ease.

Also, is there anywhere I can find more about the life of Baha'u'llah? I am also trying to grow my Faith in him

Thanks

BruceDLimber

Quote:

Originally Posted by gusash I also feel like some of the magazines and phases are a bit too much. Most Faith's don't have magazines made by them for them.

On the contrary, this is quite common whether you realize it or not!!

MOST (if not all) religious groups have their own magazines, some on paper, some online.

So we're hardly different in this respect.

And our phrasing reflects our scriptures and the vocabulary particular to this Faith--hardly a surprise!

Found on the Baha'i Library site at http://www.bahai-library.org by searching "infallibility":

The guarantee of divine guidance for the Universal House of Justice has been repeatedly confirmed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. In His Will and Testament, 'Abdu'l-Bahá referred to the Universal House of Justice as the institution “which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error.”4 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament further provided: “That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself.”5 The Guardian and the Universal House of Justice are protected and unerringly guided by Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb: “The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice . . ., are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One . . . . Whatsoever they decide is of God.”6 'Abdu'l-Bahá likewise made evident that the House of Justice “is under the protecting power of Bahá'u'lláh Himself.”7 “A universal, or international, House of Justice shall . . . be organized. Its rulings shall be in accordance with the commands and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh . . . .”

Peace,

Bruce

Fadl

Hi!

I disagree with you about the Administrative order being a bit much, it's far too much, and an impossible burden to bear, without Baha'u'llah. Oh, if those heroes of the golden age of the faith, who so selfelessly sacrificed their lives, could only know what it is to sit on an LSA!!!

The feelings you have are normal. The solution to them is to ground yourself firmly in the spiritual life, so that the practical things, such as planning committees, etc., will not be such a distraction and hinderance to your faith.

I used to tell my wife, my religion is a very private and personal one. In it, is me and my Lord, and no one else. The adminstrative stuff, the meetings, all of that other stuff are the things I tolerate and serve out of love for my Lord.

Since the time when a believer sacrificed himself by enduring torture and chains or with one's very life's blood has passed, we sacrifice under the burden of planning committees and shed blood only from paper cuts. But when done for the love of Baha'u'llah, the time passed in such weary service becomes a joy. When we strive to serve in what ever capacity were are called, if we think only of our love for Baha'u'llah, the we with serve with all our heart, and feel only love, patience, and tolerance for all those others who are also only doing it for love of Baha'u'llah as well. Whenever I lose sight of Baha'u'llah, I become convinced that all these things are a burden to my soul which no man should have to bear.

Remember, that no matter how many bulletins or task forces that come your way as a Baha'i, that your religion is really a religion of one. In this religion, you have your communion with God, your love for him, your worship of him, and your efforts to please only him. When you leave your chapel of one to go sit on a committee meeting, think only of your love of the lord, and accept the painful humiliation of mundanity with a song and smile on your lips, just as those heroic lovers in a different age once did while being led in the streets to their deaths with lit candles in their flesh. That was their glorious sacrifice, but this ours.

Always try to remember, these task forces, etc., the purpose of them is not to edify your faith or feed your soul. This is what prayer is for, this is what reading the writings is for, this is what charity and service to humanity is for, and work done in the spirit of service. So, if the committees, magazines, all that other stuff, is how you are trying to feed your soul, you are in danger of starvation and spiritual death. Don't do that! Pray! Read the writings every morning and night! Meditate on how to become a better person! Try to serve your community and fellow man! Teach the cause! These are the only things that will feed your soul, and the only things that can strengthen you enough to put up with all the rest.

I do hope you will eventually return to the Faith, but return to it for what it is, a place where you are tested and are asked to sacrifice as a sign of love for your lord: Good luck to you on your path, and may God your steps.

cire perdue

What loving responses! Doubts are part of faith. People need organization to accomplish purposes. If there were no organization we would all be growing our own food and be back in the iron age. Due to the decay of the usual leadership all over the world, even the elected leadership, it is common to mistrust authority. There is plenty of evidence for that. However it is important not to be overcome by that mistrust, to let anxiety about the world affect one's daily life and peace of mind.

We are literally powerless over this decay. No matter how smart or capable, Baha'is cannot go in there and fix what is falling apart. We should not want to do so. What we do have as Baha'is is the understanding that failure to turn to Baha'u'llah has brought this about. That is hard for me to accept in a way at the moment. However by knowing the histories of the advancement of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that occurred over 100's of years I believe that this Faith will triumph. The fact that it isn't doing it as fast as I would like for my personal satisfaction and confirmation is my spiritual battle to fight.

So, commercialism has negative connotations along with consumerism, and materialism. However if you go on Pilgrimage for instance there is nothing for sale at the World Centre, you cannot even buy a prayer book. You are provided transportation to all the holy sites at least once, usually twice, a couple of meals are provided, and there is a kitchen for Pilgrims use, a dining room, and even refrigerators for one to store food. Tea, juice, and fruit were always available. It was one of the most non-commercial experiences of my life. At no time was money ever mentioned or even a fund. It was mind blowing. We were treated as guests in the home of Baha'u'llah.

This cannot be done without organization. It cannot be wrong to organize. Division of labor cannot be done without organization. It is naive and foolish to be against a religion, b/c it is organized. I believe it represents people's fear of authority and projection of their own failings onto the organization. One has to have some confidence in their own abilities to accept instructions, guidance, or directions. It is common to deny doubts about ourselves and place it on others. Doubting ourselves can cause us to doubt the Faith.

Even so, you may not be able to solve any big issues like the infallibility of The Universal House of Justice to your satisfaction, but is that really important right this minute? Even if you do, does your anxiety go away? Aren't you still restless? Focus on you and your needs. Find out what you really want and need right now. Try not to displace your own discomfort onto such difficult issues. It sometimes takes years to understand some of the workings of the Faith, it is more important to just be okay with you for you right now. Let the other go, because you are really powerless over it. Let God manage it. If you are still tense or arguing in your head, you haven't given it to God. It is hard to do. I have to tell myself "Stop thinking that" all the time, sounds silly, but works. (Sorry this is so long) Sometime I have to think of a Baha'is I respect and say, this is not a problem for them, then I need to let it go. Inner turmoil is not useful! It takes practice to stop it.

Essence of GOD

i agree completely.
i go to feast and see everyone say a quick prayer without even understanding what they just read, then we talk for an hour about money and advertising, after that we eat and go home.

it makes me sad to see we are not meditating more on understanding the faith and strengthening our knowledge of it. since iam young, i feel like i shouldn't speak out and tell my elders in the feast how i feel.

but i realized no force can ever deter this fast moving faith, so i leave it in God's hands.

armin

Really great responses. I got two little points. In case of the Universal House of Justice and its infallibility one can see it as a chain in a logic proof of their infallibility. If one has no problems with Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-baha and the guardian then it just follows logically that according to them the Universal House of Justice is infallible. If there's a problem along the chain then it should be addressed at that level.

Regarding the expansion phases in contrast to working on the spirituality of the members of the faith, I think the latter is more of a personal goal that one should strive to achieve. Not that we should be left alone and with the great organization that we have and all the gatherings I think this is perfectly taken care of. In my personal struggle to find the true meaning of life and what really matters I think I've come to the conclusion that, aside from my own spiritual growth, spreading the word is possibly the greatest thing any baha'i can do. It's our duty to let every soul on earth know about Baha'u'llah and the new manifestation. To give an example, I love math and theoretical physics. But sometimes I'm like how will I, spiritually, be affected even if I come up with the next breakthrough in science like Einstein! It'd be amazing but still it'd be like finding a tiny piece of a never ending puzzle, leading me back to what matters most; the faith and spreading the word.

In most cases, regarding meditation, I find other peoples input redundant, unnecessarily repetitive or rudimentary. (one of the biggest struggles I have in my life!) This is mainly because we're all on different plateaus on the ladder of spiritual growth. In most cases what is important to me has been overcome by others and vice versa. It's also interesting how something that I consider extremely important after years of meditation and working on it makes little sense to others. It's like what parents tell their children all the time that when you grow older you'll understand. Somethings can't be taught; one has to come to the realization him/herself.

Just my two cents.

Rani

Hi Gusash!

I'm in Aus too.
Have to say, I agree with Bruce in that I think most religious groups or churches have some kind of newsletter. And that's all 'The Australian Baha'i' is -a longer newsletter.

When I first became baha'i, there were only one or two baha'is in my area. It still took about a year for the administration to catch up, and actually send me the Bulletin (as it was known then), but wow I was grateful for them and excited to get them as they were a source of deepening for me, and made me feel a sense of connectedness with the wider Baha'i community, as mine was small. Even when I moved to a larger community I still valued them, as there weren't many events or meetings to go to to ask my questions at the time, so it seemed.
Newsletters and magazines are especially helpful for isolated believers and for those who cannot get out and mix with their community much due to age or illness or for whatever reason.

I understand to a degree how you feel, and I feel a bit the same way.
We come into the Faith wanting more deepening -I did, and yet the emphasis is on teaching. We need to teach for the Faith to grow, but we also need to consolidate new believers.
I feel quite strongly that the Local Assemblies and the Community in general should, and hopefully will in time be more supportive of one another.

All I told myself was that I had joined a young faith. We haven't developed the supportive networks to the degree we need them yet, but I truly hope we will in time.
Please be patient with yourself and with the Community.
I have to agree that community building, and the love and aid we give each other should be a hallmark of any Faith.

There are a few books such as 'Stories of Baha'u'llah' that should tell you more of His life. -So I've been told! (Haven't read them myself yet).

I've included a couple of quotes below that I found helpful:

'For this reason must all human beings powerfully sustain one another and seek for everlasting life; and for this reason must the lovers of God in this contingent world become the mercies and the blessings sent forth by that clement King of the seen and unseen realms. Let them purify their sight and behold all humankind as leaves and blossoms and fruits of the tree of being. Let them at all times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of their fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful help. Let them 2 see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, but think of all humankind as their friends; regarding the alien as an intimate, the stranger as a companion, staying free of prejudice, drawing no lines.'

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. vii)


'And among the teachings of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh is the oneness of the world of humanity; that all human beings are the sheep of God and He is the kind Shepherd. ..There is no doubt that the Shepherd is kind to all the sheep; and should there be among these sheep ignorant ones, they must be educated; if there be children, they must be trained until they reach maturity; if there be sick ones, they must be healed.'
(Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 29)

arthra

Well Abdul-Baha in His Will has the following and it is very well known but I'll repeat it here:

The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abha Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God; whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in God; whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghsan, the Afnan, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before him.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Will and Testament, p. 11)

When the above was written these Institutions the Guardian and the House of Justice were not yet established. All the interpretations of the Guardian continue to be respected by the House of Justice and the House of Justice has its own sphere of activity today.

As far as magazines go... many groups have their own publications ... there are Hindu, Catholic, Buddhist and many many others and what the Baha'i publication accomplishes is a way to inform the friends about what's going on nationally.

Fadl

I've always felt that we place the emphasis on the wrong elements of the feast. The feast has its 3 parts: devotional, administrative, and social. In my experience, either the devotional or administrative run long, and the social is tagged on last and rushed through.

However, the essential purpose of holding the feast is that "God hath purposed to bind the hearts together" (Aqdas, verse 57). To me, this means that the mixture of the different elements of the feast should be balanced toward acheiving that end. There is no need for too much consultation and planning, because there are LSA meetings, cluster meetings, task force meetings, etc., and all manner of venues whose sole purpose is to consult and accomplish different tasks. Keeping that in mind, and that the goal of feast is to "bind the hearts together" I suggest this portion of the feast ought to be limited, and joyful.

Additionally, the feast is not a devotional meeting. In fact, once in 19 days is far to infrequent for a devotional meeting:

Before devotional meetings became one of the emphasized core activities, in many communities the feast might be the only time the friends met for devotions. Naturally by the time the feast came, folks were starved to death for communal devotions which meant people would go overboard with the devotional, and just gorge themselves on prayers and readings! With the institute processes in place, and hopefully, frequent and quality devotional meetings occuring, there is no need for the dovotional portion of feast to run long, as all the friends are already attending and supporting such meetings elsewhere. A few prayers and a short reading should be enough, focusing on the goal of being joyful and binding hearts together.

Lastly, the social portion of the feast ought to be a big deal. This should be when we get to chat, share personal news, and just enjoy and love each other, and this requires not being over burdened and fatigued from too much consulting or even too much prayer. Better to tell get together and tell some jokes, play some games, and have some tea together every 19 days than attend "yet another meeting."

tonyfish58

I think it is important you speak out

Baha'is are not exempt from doing it wrong (except for the Universal House of Justice), what we do have is an infallible institution that can put it right

It is easy for Bahai's in doing the work of the cause to forget the spirit behind it and sometimes we need a kickstart... so do say how you feel. The Faith is in out hands, a gift from Baha'u'llah.

I will give you a story from my life as a Baha'i on how this all works

In the 1980's my wife and I attended a Feast of a small community. It was held at the house of a Baha'i Family who had been there many a year. Teaching was a bit slow, so we suggested this and suggested that only to be met with, tried this and tried that and it all felt so negative. We did not say anything and eventually moved on. Always wished I had

Now at that time we also judged those Baha'is as we should not have, us new to the Faith and full of go could not see why there was no action

Years have rolled on from that moment and if a new Baha'i came to my place now, they would see a reflection of what I saw back then

I laugh at myself now at being a reflection of what I saw as being inactive.

Never judge anyone's Faith is some good advice

We need new blood pushing for new ways and not taking no for an answer (Unless the no is for your spiritual assembly )

Cheers Tony

cire perdue

Being bored at Feast is a symptom of being human. However I agree that we may expect too much of it. It is NOT a devotional or a Ruhi Book. It has an administrative portion for a reason. It is going to be an art in a huge community to reduce that 2nd portion to something manageable, but maybe even that will not be appropriate. There may be a time when large communites have long Feasts with nurseries, youth activities etc. 2nd portion may require work for the community, it is a time to contribute, then maybe incredible refreshments!!!!!!

I believe that expectations are resentments waiting to happen. When I have unfair expectations then I won't like something. I have to change how I look at things. What is really going on with me? Am I tired? Am I hungry? H.A.L.T. hungry, angry, lonely, tired. I don't HAVE to sit there, I can probably go outside, or sit quietly somewhere else if possible. I have to meet my needs and watch me, or I blame something else for the problem which is a very base/basic/primary defense. I have found that being upset also comes from not knowing what to do about too many things in my life. It helps me to talk over things so I can figure out options. As a kid all I did was hold it all in. I still don't know how to do things another way! Now I have people I can talk to. It surely has helped.