In spiritual matters we need not obey the Government

In administrative matters we must obey the Government, in spiritual matters we need not obey. If the Government says dont meet such a person, we must obey. It does not mean we have antagonism towards him, but if the Government requires us to denounce him, speak evil of him, this is violating a spiritual principle. The law may say we discourage you from doing such and such a thing - we need not obey - we must obey what is prohibited. We are weighing the two; discouragement by Government and a spiritual principle. But as soon as you prohibit it, we obey, (if it does not dishonor the Faith in any way.) We will never obey in violating a spiritual principle, even if the law commands it. If the Government lays down a law that the Bahais must denounce a Jew, we will never do it, but if the Government says we must avoid him, we obey.

https://bahai-library.com/maxwell_haifa_notes&chapter=2

Mary Maxwell Pilgrim Notes of Shoghi Effendi's words

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Example of Baha'u'llah's innate knowledge - "As some had questioned Us concerning him, We felt it necessary to refer to his books, in order that We might answer Our questioners"

For instance, a certain man,[1] reputed for his learning and attainments, and accounting himself as one of the pre-eminent leaders of his people, hath in his book denounced and vilified all the exponents of true learning. This is made abundantly clear by his explicit statements as well as by his allusions throughout his book. As We had frequently heard about him, We purposed to read some of his works. Although We never felt disposed to peruse other peoples' writings, yet as some had questioned Us concerning him, We felt it necessary to refer to his books, in order that We might answer Our questioners with knowledge and understanding. His works, in the Arabic tongue, were, however, not available, until one day a certain man informed Us that one of his compositions, entitled Irshadu'l-'Avam,[2] could be found in this city. From this title We perceived the odour of conceit and vainglory, inasmuch as he hath imagined himself a learned man and regarded the rest of the people ignorant. His worth was in fact made known by the very title he had chosen for his book. It became evident that its author was following the path of self and desire, and was lost in the wilderness of ignorance and folly. Methinks, he had forgotten the well-known tradition which sayeth: "Knowledge is all that is knowable; and might and power, all creation." Notwithstanding, We sent for the book, and kept it with Us a few days. It was probably referred to twice. The second time, We accidentally came upon the story of the "Mi'raj"[3] of Muhammad, of Whom was spoken: "But for Thee, I would not have created the spheres." We noticed that he had enumerated some twenty or more sciences, the knowledge of which he considered to be essential for the comprehension of the mystery of the "Mi'raj". We gathered from his statements that unless a man be deeply versed in them all, he can never attain to a proper understanding of this transcendent and exalted theme. Among the specified sciences were the science of metaphysical abstractions, of alchemy, and natural magic. Such vain and discarded learnings, this man hath regarded as the pre-requisites of the understanding of the sacred and abiding mysteries of divine Knowledge.

---------------------
[1 Haji Mirza Karim Khan.]
[2 "Guidance unto the ignorant."]
[3 Ascent]

Baha'u'llah, Kitab i Iqan

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Most of the laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas are designed for the future when the Baha'i Faith becomes the religion of the land

"The study of the Writings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha makes it clear that most of the laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, apart from those which are of a spiritual nature, or in conformity with the conditions prevailing at the time, are designed for the future when the Baha'i Faith becomes the religion of the land It is then that these laws will be fully implemented within the framework of a new civilization which is to emerge later from amidst the chaos and confusion of present-day society."

(Adib Taherzadeh, Revelation of Baha'u'llah, Volume 3)

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Names of some prominent former-Baha'is from western countries

Names of some former-Baha'is from western countries (most of whom were scholars)

1) Denis MacEoin

2) Juan Cole

3) Frederick Glaysher

4) William Garlington

5) Karen Bacquet

6) Jenifer Tidwell

7) Eric Stetson

8) Dr. Phyllis Bernard

9) Steven Scholl

10) John Ford Coley

11) Francesco Ficicchia

12) Phoebe Hearst

13) Hermann Roemer

14) Dann May

15) K. Paul Johnson

16) Dermod Ryder

17) Dale Husband

18) Inge Barthel

19) Kai Borrman

20) Darrick Evenson

21) August J. Stenstrand

22) Harrison Gray Dyar

24) Alden Penner

25) Brendan Cook (Raised a Baha'i, Brendan was refused formal membership in the Canadian Baha'i community when he applied as an adult.) https://bahaisonline.net/entries-by-category?start=600

About 66 individuals were identified as ex-Bahá'ís and Momen has written about some of them in his article, here - https://bahai-library.com/momen_marginality_apostasy

Prominent Marginalized Baha'is

1) Sen McGlinn

2) Jonah Winters

3) Alison Marshall

4) Steve Marshall

5) Fadil-i Mazandarani

https://public.websites.umich.edu/~jrcole/talisman/t95dec5b.htm

Scholars of the Baha'i faith who never accepted the Baha'i faith

1) Edward G. Browne

2) Margit Warburg

3) Vernon Elvin Johnson

4) Moshe Sharon

Some not so prominent former Baha'is (The list will be updated gradually)

1) Michael Zargarov

2) Jeff Bixby (Converted to Christianity)

https://www.dewittobserver.com/news/local/new-pastor-plants-roots/article_e2ceb6aa-3c18-11ec-985e-3ba1bcc71f59.html

3) Hilmar Zonneveld

https://www.quora.com/profile/Hilmar-Zonneveld

4) Lisa Armstrong

https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2011/jan/06/bahais-plan-interfaith-powwow-20110106/

https://www.quora.com/profile/Lisa-Armstrong-18

5) Dennis James Rogers

6) Heather Carr-Rowe (Larry) Rowe

https://www.interfaith.org/community/threads/3693/

7) Emily Armstrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkxaFpZoAfY

8) Dan Jensen

9) Timothy Mulligan

10) Andrew Turvey

https://www.quora.com/What-caused-you-to-leave-the-The-Bahai-Faith/answer/Andrew-Turvey-4

11) Elliott Hulse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXz5JJzHXD8

12) Anisa George

https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/chasing-cicadas/

13) Zohreh Davoudi (American - Persian)

https://alisonelizabethmarshall.com/book-review-mother-of-all-evil-by-zohreh-davoudi/

14) Michael McKenny

https://public.websites.umich.edu/~jrcole/bahai/1999/mckenny.htm

15) Anjali Sivan

https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/orthodoxyandheterodoxy/2013/07/19/believing-thomas-how-i-left-the-bahai-faith/

16) Michael Tabor

https://web.archive.org/web/20151210012216/http://www.bahai-faith.com/ex-Bahai-3.html

17) Priscilla Gilman

http://bahaitheway.blogspot.com/2007/07/quite-few-friends-and-acquaintances.html

18) Timothy Casey

https://web.archive.org/web/20150813043133/http://timothycasey.info/why-i-am-no-longer-a-bahai/index.shtml

19) George Fleming

https://web.archive.org/web/20151124080136/http://www.bahai-faith.com/ex-Bahai-7.html

20) 

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Sen McGlinn about the unwisdom of the Baha'is

Very often it is the unwisdom of the friends that puts up barriers, holding back people who might otherwise investigate Baha'u'llah and his teachings for themselves. There are multiple causes, but reliance on bad texts and bad translations, and the misattribution of texts, is one of them - causing dissagreements in the community and statements about the Bahai teachings that turn people off. Correcting these will get pushback - it's predictable, and I do not take it personally. The trouble caused by bad texts, and by picking on one text and ignoring the rest, goes back a long way. Shoghi Effendi wrote :

I am at a loss to explain that strange mentality that inclines to uphold as the sole criterion of the truth of the Bahá'í Teachings what is admittedly only an obscure and unauthenticated translation of an oral statement made by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in defiance and total disregard of the available text of all of His universally recognized writings. I truly deplore the unfortunate distortions that have resulted in days past from the incapacity of the interpreter to grasp the meaning of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and from his incompetence to render adequately such truths as have been revealed to him by the Master's statements. Much of the confusion that has obscured the understanding of the believers should be attributed to this double error involved in the inexact rendering of an only partially understood statement. Not infrequently has the interpreter even failed to convey the exact purport of the inquirer's specific questions, and, by his deficiency of understanding and expression in conveying the answer of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, has been responsible for reports wholly at variance with the true spirit and purpose of the Cause. It was chiefly in view of the misleading nature of the reports of the informal conversations of 'Abdu'l-Bahá with visiting pilgrims, that I have insistently urged the believers of the West to regard such statements as merely personal impressions of the sayings of their Master, and to quote and consider as authentic only such translations as are based upon the authenticated text of His recorded utterances in the original tongue.

(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 4)

https://web.archive.org/web/20210520092158/https://old.reddit.com/r/bahai/comments/ncr181/bahai_apologetics/

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Sen McGlinn about the US Baha'i community

Baha'i scholar Sen McGlinn states that he and Moojan Momen agrees that "there has been a marked ‘change of culture’ in the Baha’i community over the past 10–15 years, associated with the introduction of ‘Ruhi method’ catechism classes. Over the same period, there has been a marked fall in enrollments and an increase in formally notified withdrawals and expulsions in the US Baha’i community, as well as the development of a ‘penumbra’ of unenrolled Baha’is around the enrolled community. A report written by the National Spiritual Assembly of the USA in 2007 observes that there has been a 50 percent drop in enrollments since 1997, and that ‘this year’ (2006) ‘withdrawals (369) from Baha’i membership have risen 30 percent.’ This is a phenomenon worth study. It appears analogous to the general growth in unchurched religion, but it is more rapid by far. A proper study, using questionnaires and interviews, would be required to reveal how many of these people are exiting the religion and how many are only ending their administrative enrollment, and their reasons for doing so. My experience in the Baha’i community leads me to think that one significant factor is the policy-driven ‘change in culture’ for which Momen has been a leading theorist and apologist. Other contributing factors that show up in the exit narratives are feeling burdened by excessive administrative and missionary work, long-unfulfilled expectations of ‘entry by troops’ and the achievement of the unity of nations by the year 2000, and the usual range of interpersonal conflicts and personal motivations for disaffiliation from any religious community. I doubt that the few vocal opponents operating primarily through the Internet are a significant part of this story."

("Challenging apostasy: Responses to Moojan Momen's 'Marginality and Apostasy in the Baha'i Community'". Religion. 38 (4): 384–393)

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700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes after the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Following the establishment of the State of Israel, the 1948 Arab-Israeli war broke out.

Nakba, or “catastrophe”, is observed to remember the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from their homes after the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Many Palestinians recall locking their houses for the last time in May of that year, convinced they would return in a week or two, when Israeli militias showed up to force them out.

Palestinians legally hold the ‘right of return’ to their own lands, which are now considered Israeli territory, according to the UN General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948.

Some of them still hold onto their house keys as a symbol of belonging, with full faith in the day of their return.

(TRT)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7fWeaHhqgM4Ry-RMpM2YYw/community

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"Fatimih will appear unveiled as the sign of his return"

One of the major Shi'ite beliefs concerning Fátimih is that with the reappearance of the Twelfth or Hidden Imám, the Imám Mihdí, Fátimih will appear unveiled as the sign of his return and the day of resurrection. Her unveiling will be as the removing of the seal, identified with Muhammad as the seal of the prophets. With this unveiling, Fátimih will become as the bride at the marriage feast, described by Bahá’u’lláh in one of his Tablets as the unsealing of the wine of reunion.

-Marion Woodman, Published in the Journal of Bahá’í Studies Vol. 2, number 1 (1989) © Association for Bahá’í Studies 1989

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/w/woodman_role_feminine_era.pdf

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Baha'i temples are "silent teachers"

Bahá'í temple is a “silent teacher” of the Bahá'í faith.

Warburg, Margit (2006). Citizens of the World: A History and Sociology of the Bahaʹis from a Globalisation Perspective. Brill. p. 493. ISBN 978-90-04-14373-9.

The Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Baha'i Temple) is called the "silent teacher" because it transmits an influence on its own which both leads outsiders into the Faith and inspires and reinvigorates the faith of believers.

https://bahai-library.com/taylor_novelty_badi_calendar

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Shoghi Effendi excommunicated his cousin Munib Shahid just for marrying against his wish.

“Not content with this, Ruhangiz, Shoghi Effendi's eldest sister, did not rest until she arranged another marriage between her cousin, Hasan Shahid and the granddaughter of the notorious Siyyid Ali. But in order not to degrade the family of the Master in public by announcing them all as Covenant-breakers, Shoghi Effendi acted with great patience and concealed their acts of infamy and unfaithfulness as long as he could. We see therefore long gaps between his announcements expelling certain members of the family from the Faith. For example, although the family of Mirza Jalal Shahid (the son-in-law of the Master), including his wife, had been in close association with the Covenant-breakers, and had shown defiance to Shoghi Effendi, he did not disclose their defection until years later. Only when Munib, the son of Mirza Jalal, with the approval of his parents, married the daughter of one of the enemies of the Faith, did Shoghi Effendi send the following cable to the Baha'i world in November 1944. It must be noted that Mirza Jalal was the son of the most illustrious of Baha'u'llah's apostles, the King of Martyrs.”

-Taherzadeh (The Covenant of Baha’u’llah Vol 3 p.360)

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Fundamentalism in the Teachings of Baha'u'llah

The Faith claims that its teachings constitute "the sole panacea for the innumerable ills afflicting our present-day world" (Directives from the Guardian, p. 74). In other words, it is not just the answer to all of our problems, but the only answer to all of our problems. Such a belief is, in fact, extremely fanatical and reminiscent of current fanatical religious groups in the world.

We are accustomed to religious fundamentalists saying, incessantly and even stridently, that the only solution to the problems that the individual person will encounter, or, for that matter, that the family, the neighborhood and municipality, the province, the nation, the world will face, can only be solved by God, and by a particular faith tradition – God's religion. Most Bahá’ís are accustomed to thinking of themselves as progressives, liberals, and not fundamentalists of any kind. How astonishing it may be then, for Bahá’ís and their friends to discover that this doctrine is found in the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.

(Peter Terry, The Sovereign Remedy: A Study of Bahá'í Sources)

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Divorce rate in the U.S. Baha'i community

An internal Baha'i household survey done in 1987 found that the divorce rate in the U.S. Baha'i community was higher than that in American society as a whole. The report was never released to the public.

My own suspicion is that the high divorce rate has several causes. First of all, Baha'is are encouraged to utopian ways of thinking. Two young people with little in common save that they are recent converts to the faith will be encouraged to marry. I have seen this sort of thing over and over again with my own eyes. This utopianism is widespread in the faith and is the same reason for which so many other Baha'i enterprises end up doing damage to people. That both are "Baha'is" is not a basis for a marriage. One may be a liberal and the other a fundamentalist; current norms against such labeling make it difficult for people to identify one another on that basis, but you'd better believe the difference would show up in a marriage!

Young married Baha'is are also encouraged to pioneer, whether abroad to places like Haiti and Nicaragua, or homefront. Being uprooted from their social networks and families and isolated in a strange environment is not good for them as young marrieds.

In smaller communities the Baha'i committee work is a killer, and may isolate the two spouses, who spend less time together just cocooning and watching t.v.

And it is my estimate that from a third to a half of U.S. Baha'is are what the sociologists would call marginal people--persons with poor social skills who are emotionally needy and who join the faith because they are love-bombed and find a high proportion of other marginals in it. A high rate of marginality is fostered by the cultists who have infiltrated the administration, since only such individuals would put up with being ordered around summarily or would eat up conspiracy theories about bands of dissidents seeking to undermine the administration. Marginals would have higher than normal divorce rates, obviously.

Finally, the Baha'i faith encourages a great deal of ego inflation in the individual. Each Baha'i thinks he or she is saving the world and is a linchpin in the plan of God. This inspires in them great (and often quite misplaced) confidence in their own judgment--I've seen them pronounce authoritatively on astronomy, biology, Qajar history, and many other subjects on which they are woefully ignorant. Such ego inflation and over-confidence in personal judgment would not be good for a marriage.

cheers Juan

[P.S. I should have also included that the exclusiveness of the Baha'i community, non-attendance of non-Baha'is at Feast, pressure to convert spouses, etc., was also probably a contributing factor to Baha'i divorces where only one spouse was Baha'i.]

https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/Cole81.html

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What Muslims (Shi'is) need to know about the Baha'is?

1) Baha'is hate Muslims.

2) They believe that all Muslims (Shi'ites) must be punished for their crime of persecuting the Bab, Baha'u'llah and their followers.

3) Baha'is work (directly / indirectly) for the change of Iranian regime.

4) Baha'is favor and promote US sanctions on Iranian people.

5) Baha'i collect and share a lot of data (many times sensitive) with their administrative institutions in Haifa, Israel.

6) Baha'is don't teach their "faith" in Israel due to a self-imposed Ban BUT they do teach their "faith" to Iranians, although all teaching activities are officially banned in Iran.

7) Baha'is formed illegal Administrative bodies and illegal "underground university" in Iran.

8) Baha'is defame Iran by exaggerating the so-called "Human Rights Violations". Currently there are around 70 Baha'is in Iranian prisons for taking part in illegal activities.

9) Baha'is believe their Supreme Administrative Body, "the Universal House of Justice" to be "infallible" and divinely guided! Their first loyalty is to this body, this "infallible" body is in very good terms with the Zionist regime.

10) Baha'is take the side of the Zionist regime by "remaining silent" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

11) Baha'is believe in the abrogation of Islam.

12) Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is the spiritual return of Imam Husayn.

13) The predecessors of the Baha'is (the Babis) were responsible for 3 (or 4?) civil wars in Iran. They have tried to kill Nasereddin Shah of Qajar dynasty.

14) They held important positions in the government during Pahlavi regime.

15) They are socially, ethically, morally and politically corrupt people. An internal Baha'i household survey done in 1987 found that the divorce rate in the U.S. Baha'i community was higher than that in American society as a whole.

16) They want to convert entire Iran (and Israel) to their "faith".

17) They are working to establish a Baha'i inspired "New World Order", the Baha'i Super-State!

18) They believe that the "Usuli Shi'ites" are the most corrupt people.

19) They are actually the followers of Jafar al-Kaddhab.

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Guardianship according to the Will and Testament of Abdul Baha

In his Will, 'Abdul-Bahá established the institution of the Guardianship, which is a hereditary leadership position. He appointed Shoghi Effendi as the first Guardian, and said that the Guardian should appoint his successor, either from his first-born son, or if he were found lacking, from among the male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh. The appointment would be ratified by the Hands of the Cause. He writes:

O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: -- "The child is the secret essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him.

The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (i.e., secret ballot).

('Abdul-Bahá, The Will and Testament of 'Abdul-Bahá, p. 12)

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How many Baha'is are there in the world today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baháʼí_Faith_by_country&oldid=989542553#Figures_from_various_countries

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Shoghi Effendi had difficulty in securing suitable secretarial support.

Shoghi Effendi is known to have written some 26,000 letters to the Bahá’í world: those directed to the Antipodes, approximately 700, appear in the present volume. These include 81 that appeared in Letters of the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, as well as 82 published in Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand. A select number of additional letters have been included which, although not directed to correspondents within the region, have some direct relevance to it.

As the letters were penned for Shoghi Effendi by a series of secretaries, across almost four decades, they lack a uniformity in style and presentation. Different uses of “s” and “z”, for example, have been retained, rather than standardised. Every effort has been taken to ensure that the contents of the letters have been reproduced in their entirety. In a few instances, however, names have been omitted out of respect for the privacy of individuals. Minor errors in grammar and style have been corrected with permission of the Department of Archives. The name and address of the addressee, where they were included in a letter, have been reproduced. In other cases, details have been supplied from accompanying envelopes, or other sources, and supplied in brackets thus []. Text written by Shoghi Effendi’s own hand has been rendered in italics.

Shoghi Effendi had difficulty in securing suitable secretarial support. At some times family members assisted, while at others, Western Bahá’ís served as secretaries during extended periods spent in Haifa. They included ‘Azízu’lláh S. Bahádur (in 1924), Soheil Afnán (1924-30), Rúhí Afnán (1926-1933), H. Rabbání (1931-40), Mehrengiz Rabbání (1932), J. E. Esslemont - who had lived in Australia briefly before becoming a Bahá’í – (1925), and Ethel J. Rosenberg (1927). Later, secretarial support was given to the Guardian by Rúhíyyih Khánum, and in the 1950s, Amelia Collins (1951), Leroy Ioas (1952-57), and Jessie Revell (1953).

https://bahai.works/Messages_to_the_Antipodes/Preface

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An intermediary step between Islam and the ultimate abandonment of religious belief

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá emphasized Baháʼís "seek freedom and love liberty, hope for equality, are well-wishers of humanity and ready to sacrifice their lives to unite humanity" but on a more broad approach than the Young Turks. He had favorable relations with Abdullah Cevdet, one of the founders of the Committee of Union and Progress, who would go on trial for defense of Baháʼís in a periodical he founded.

Abdullah Cevdet considered the Baháʼí Faith an intermediary step between Islam and the ultimate abandonment of religious belief.

M. Şükrü Hanioğlu, The Young Turks in Opposition, Oxford University Press, p. 202

https://books.google.com/books?id=fU7azFR3AqcC&pg=PA202

A Conflict on Bahaʼism and Islam in 1922, Abdullah Cevdet and State Religious Agencies

https://web.archive.org/web/20161001173158/http://insanvetoplum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Ays%CC%A7e-Polat.pdf

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