# Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'u'lláh, Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Cultural Diversity in the Age of Maturity
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh
> 
> Abdu'l-Bahá
> 
> Shoghi Effendi
> 
> Universal House of Justice
> 
> Universal House of Justice, Research Department
> 
> , compiler
> 
> published in
> 
> Compilation of Compilations
> 
> Volume 3,  pp. 93-138
> 
> 2000
> 
> Contents:
> 
> I. THE VISION UNFOLDING
> 
> An "ever-advancing civilization"
> 
> The Coming of Age of the Entire Human Race
> 
> II. RELIGION AND CULTURAL CHANGE
> 
> Religion–"the very basis and root-principle of culture and civilization"
> 
> A "new way of life for humanity"
> 
> Inevitability of Change
> 
> Nature and Processes of Cultural Evolution
> 
> III. APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY
> 
> "Consider the flowers of a garden"–The Principle of Unity in Diversity
> 
> An "equal standard of human rights"
> 
> Enrichment of Community Life
> 
> V. CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY
> 
> Associating with People of Divers Beliefs and Customs
> 
> Responsibilities of Bahá'í Administrative Institutions
> 
> Preserving Flexibility
> 
> Fostering Diversity
> 
> Guiding and Encouraging Social Evolution
> 
> I. THE VISION UNFOLDING
> 
> • An "ever-advancing civilization"
> 
> 142    All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing
> civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the
> beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit
> his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness
> towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth.
> 
> (Gleanings from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1983), section
> CIX
> , p.
> 215
> )
> 
> 143    The progress of the world, the development of nations, the
> tranquillity of peoples, and the peace of all who dwell on earth
> are among the principles and ordinances of God. Religion
> bestoweth upon man the most precious of all gifts, offereth the
> cup of prosperity, imparteth eternal life, and showereth
> imperishable benefits upon mankind.
> 
> (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
> (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1995), pp.
> 129
> -
> 30
> )
> 
> 144 ... the religions of God are the true source of the spiritual and
> material perfections of man, and the fountainhead for all
> mankind of enlightenment and beneficial knowledge.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1994), p.
> 94
> )
> 
> • The Coming of Age of the Entire Human Race
> 
> 145 For every era hath a spirit; the spirit of this illumined era lieth
> in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. For these lay the foundation of
> the oneness of the world of humanity and promulgate
> universal brotherhood. They are founded upon the unity of
> science and religion and upon investigation of truth. They
> uphold the principle that religion must be the cause of amity,
> union and harmony among men. They establish the equality of
> both sexes and propound economic principles which are for
> the happiness of individuals. They diffuse universal education,
> that every soul may as much as possible have a share of
> knowledge. They abrogate and nullify religious, racial,
> political, patriotic and economic prejudices and the like. Those
> teachings that are scattered throughout the Epistles and Tablets
> are the cause of the illumination and the life of the world of
> humanity.
> 
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
> Trust, 1997), section
> 71
> , p.
> 115
> )
> 
> 146 In this day ... means of communication have multiplied, and
> the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one.
> And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land, to
> associate and exchange views with its peoples, and to become
> familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the
> religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all
> the members of the human family, whether peoples or
> governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly
> interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer
> possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and
> nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and
> education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity
> of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none
> other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this
> glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this
> century–the century of light–hath been endowed with unique
> and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the
> miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually
> it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the
> assemblage of man.
> 
> Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's
> darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political
> realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned.
> The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings,
> the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed. The
> third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to
> pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the
> cornerstone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power
> of God, will be revealed in all its splendour. The fifth candle is
> the unity of nations–a unity which in this century will be
> securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to
> regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The
> sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth
> peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity
> of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all
> peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of
> these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of
> the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.
> 
> 1
> 
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. section
> 15
> , pp.
> 35
> -
> 36
> )
> 
> 147 "The Tabernacle of Unity," Bahá'u'lláh proclaims in His
> message to all mankind, "has been raised; regard ye not one
> another as strangers ... Of one tree are all ye the fruit and of
> one bough the leaves... The world is but one country and
> mankind its citizens ... Let not a man glory in that he loves his
> country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind."
> 
> Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of
> Mankind–the pivot round which all the teachings of
> Bahá'u'lláh revolve–is no mere outburst of ignorant
> emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its
> appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the
> spirit of brotherhood and goodwill among men, nor does it aim
> solely at the fostering of harmonious co-operation among
> individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its
> claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were
> allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the
> individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of
> those essential relationships that must bind all the states and
> nations as members of one human family. It does not
> constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands
> inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody
> its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence.
> It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day
> society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It
> constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn
> shibboleths of national creeds–creeds that have had their day
> and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped
> and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel,
> fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what
> the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the
> reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized
> world–a world organically unified in all the essential aspects
> of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its
> trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in
> the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated
> units.
> 
> It represents the consummation of human evolution–an
> evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of
> family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of
> 
> tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the
> city-state, and expanding later into the institution of
> independent and sovereign nations.
> 
> The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by
> Bahá'u'lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn
> assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous
> evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its
> realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a
> power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.
> 
> (28 November 1931, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh:
> Selected Letters (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1991), pp.
> 41
> -
> 43
> )
> 
> 148 The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose supreme mission is
> none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual
> unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to
> its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent
> the COMING OF AGE OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. It
> should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in
> the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further
> stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the
> culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles,
> but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the
> stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet.
> The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of
> world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and
> culture–all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in
> the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá'í Era–should,
> by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is
> concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of
> human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must
> indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue
> indefinitely to progress and develop.
> 
> That mystic, all-pervasive, yet undefinable change, which we
> associate with the stage of maturity inevitable in the life of the
> individual and the development of the fruit, must, if we would
> correctly apprehend the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh, have its
> counterpart in the evolution of the organization of human
> society. A similar stage must sooner or later be attained in the
> collective life of mankind, producing an even more striking
> phenomenon in world relations, and endowing the whole
> human race with such potentialities of well-being as shall
> 
> provide, throughout the succeeding ages, the chief incentive
> required tor the eventual fulfilment of its high destiny. Such a
> stage of maturity in the process of human government must,
> for all time, if we would faithfully recognize the tremendous
> claim advanced by Bahá'u'lláh, remain identified with the
> Revelation of which He was the Bearer.
> 
> (11 March 1936, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
> 163
> -
> 164
> )
> 
> 149 ... the World Civilization which will follow upon the Most
> Great Peace will unfold and evolve and gradually perfect itself
> during following Dispensations; in other words, a World
> Civilization and a World Culture, which will reach its
> ascendancy in the distant future and is something that will
> require many thousands of years to mature.
> 
> (23 April 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi ta an individual believer)
> 
> II. RELIGION AND CULTURAL CHANGE
> 
> • Religion–"the very basis and root-principle of
> culture and civilization"
> 
> 2
> 
> 150 Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is
> endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every
> human frame, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth. All
> the wondrous works ye behold in this world have been
> manifested through the operation of His supreme and most
> exalted Will, His wondrous and inflexible Purpose. Through
> the mere revelation of the word "Fashioner," issuing forth from
> His lips and proclaiming His attribute to mankind, such power
> is released as can generate, through successive ages, all the
> manifold arts which the hands of man can produce. This,
> verily, is a certain truth. No sooner is this resplendent word
> uttered, than its animating energies, stirring within all created
> things, give birth to the means and instruments whereby such
> arts can be produced and perfected. All the wondrous
> achievements ye now witness are the direct consequences of
> the Revelation of this Name. In the days to come, ye will,
> verily, behold things of which ye have never heard before.
> 
> (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, section
> LXXIV
> , pp.
> 141
> -
> 142
> )
> 
> 151 Religion is the light of the world, and the progress,
> achievement, and happiness of man result from obedience to
> the laws set down in the holy Books. Briefly, it is
> demonstrable that in this life, both outwardly and inwardly the
> mightiest of structures, the most solidly established, the most
> enduring, standing guard over the world, assuring both the
> spiritual and the material perfections of mankind, and
> protecting the happiness and the civilization of society–is
> religion...
> 
> By the Lord God, and there is no God but He, even the
> minutest details of civilized life derive from the grace of the
> Prophets of God. What thing of value to mankind has ever
> come into being which was not first set forth either directly or
> by implication in the Holy Scriptures? ...
> 
> ... the Divine religions enjoin upon and encourage all the
> faithful to adopt such principles as will conduce to continuous
> improvements, and to acquire from other peoples sciences and
> arts.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilisation, p.
> 71
> ; p.
> 96
> ; and p.
> 99
> )
> 
> 152 ... as every Faith has given rise to a culture which flowered in
> different forms, so too our beloved Faith may be expected to
> do the same thing. It is premature to try and grasp what they
> will be at present.
> 
> (23 December 1942, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
> an individual believer)
> 
> 153 When the masses of mankind are awakened and enter the Faith
> of God, a new process is set in motion and the growth of a new
> civilization begins. Witness the emergence of Christianity and
> of Islam. These masses are the rank and file, steeped in
> traditions of their own, but receptive to the new Word of God,
> by which, when they truly respond to it, they become so
> influenced as to transform those who come in contact with
> them.
> 
> (13 July 1964, the Universal House of Justice to all
> National Spiritual Assemblies, published in Messages from the
> Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986 (Wilmette: Bahá'í
> Publishing Trust, 1996), p.
> 38
> )
> 
> 154 The House of Justice is deeply concerned at the plight of so
> many of the indigenous and aboriginal peoples in various parts
> of the world who have been denied their rights as a
> consequence of actions by oppressive majorities. Such
> inequities and injustices are to be found in many countries.
> The purpose of the coming of Bahá'u'lláh is to lift the yoke of
> oppression from His loved ones, to liberate all the people of
> the world, and to provide the means for their abiding
> happiness.
> 
> The Bahá'í approach to resolution of the manifold problems
> affecting human society rests upon the assertion by
> Bahá'u'lláh that these ills are but various symptoms and side
> effects of the basic disease, which the Divine Physician has
> diagnosed to be disunity. Bahá'u'lláh has made it abundantly
> clear that the first step essential for the health and harmony of
> the whole of mankind is its unification. He says, "The well-being
> of mankind, its peace and security are unattainable
> unless and until its unity is firmly established" (The World
> Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p.
> 203
> ). By contrast, the approach of
> most people is the exact opposite: their concentration is on
> attempts to remedy the multitude of ills besetting mankind,
> with the expectation that the resolution of these problems will
> lead ultimately to unity.
> 
> (15 June 1987, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a Bahá'í couple)
> 
> 155 It is, of course, true that new movements of thought, especially
> in the field of religion, tend to obliterate old ones, or to
> transform their nature in the eyes of the people. One has only
> to consider how the religions of Greece and Rome, and those
> of the Keltic and Germanic peoples, although still remembered
> by the European peoples in the form of legend and literary
> tradition, have been replaced by Christianity.
> 
> The House of Justice feels that in discussion with ... you
> should not challenge this point, nor should you enter into
> criticisms of the often ruthless manner in which the followers
> of new religions have suppressed the old ways. It is suggested
> that, instead, you present the Bahá'í concepts, as expressed by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, namely that the fountainhead of all religions is
> to be found in God through the Teachings of His Prophets, and
> 
> that all peoples have drunk at this ocean of divine Revelation;
> that sterile traditions and blind imitations accumulating over
> the centuries, exacerbated by the barriers of geography, have
> caused hatred and conflict where there should have been love
> and collaboration. These distortions have also given rise to the
> cruel and debased customs which are to be found in some
> religions. It is the Bahá'í belief that each human soul has the
> duty to God and the inborn capacity to seek out truth for
> himself. Those who do this sincerely will ultimately find
> themselves united, for there is only one God and Source of
> Truth. The Bahá'í attitude to earlier religions, therefore, is not
> that they are false or "heathen", but that, at root, they are all
> true and that these fundamental truths still persist within them.
> Bahá'ís encourage Indians in South America, for example, to
> see and reverence the profound spiritual truths which are to be
> found in both their pre-Christian religions and in the
> Catholicism which, in later centuries, has to varying degrees
> supplanted or overlaid their archaic faiths. Through the Bahá'í
> teachings, the inner conflict which many still feel between
> their ancient religions and Christianity is resolved and, at the
> same time, they are enabled to understand their spiritual unity
> with the peoples of other continents, such as Buddhists,
> Hindus and Muslims with whom they will undoubtedly come
> into contact with increasing frequency.
> 
> An example of the Bahá'í attitude is to be found in the
> operation of such radio stations as Radio Bahá'í Ecuador,
> which has a policy of encouraging Indian arts and music and
> fostering in the Indians pride in their heritage.
> 
> (22 March 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
> National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> • A "new way of life for humanity"
> 
> 3
> 
> 156    The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh has assimilated, by virtue of its
> creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied
> races, nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its
> shadow, and have pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It
> has changed the hearts of its adherents, burned away their
> prejudices, stilled their passions, exalted their conceptions,
> 
> ennobled their motives, co-ordinated their efforts, and
> transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism
> and safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers
> of mankind, and the determined upholders of its best and
> truest interests. While maintaining intact their belief in the
> Divine origin of their respective religions, it has enabled them
> to visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to
> discover their merits, to recognize their sequence, their
> interdependence, their wholeness and unity, and to
> acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to itself. This
> universal, this transcending love which the followers of the
> Bahá'í Faith feel for their fellow-men, of whatever race, creed,
> class or nation, is neither mysterious nor can it be said to have
> been artificially stimulated. It is both spontaneous and
> genuine. They whose hearts are warmed by the energizing
> influence of God's creative love cherish His creatures for His
> sake, and recognize in every human face a sign of His
> reflected glory.
> 
> (11 March 1936, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of
> Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
> 197
> -
> 198
> )
> 
> 157 To believe in the Mouthpiece of God in His Day confers very
> great blessings, not only on individuals, but on races, and he
> hopes that you who are now numbered amongst the followers
> of Bahá'u'lláh will give His Message to many more of your
> tribe, and in this way hasten for your people a bright and
> happy future.
> 
> (21 December 1947, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a Native
> American Local Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 158 ...when a person becomes a Bahá'í, he gives up the past only in
> the sense that he is a part of this new and living Faith of God,
> and must seek to pattern himself, in act and thought, along the
> lines laid down by Bahá'u'lláh. The fact that he is by origin a
> Jew or a Christian, a black man or a white man, is not
> important any more, but, as you say, lends colour and charm to
> the Bahá'í Community in that it demonstrates unity in
> diversity.
> 
> (12 March 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 159 The teachings of Bahá'u'lláh will establish a new way of life
> for humanity. Those who are Bahá'ís must endeavour to
> 
> establish this way of life just as rapidly as possible. Now that
> the hour has arrived when the Bahá'í Faith is gaining
> prominence, and is being reviewed by so many peoples, it is
> necessary that the adherents of the Faith should live up to the
> high ideals of the Faith in every way. In this way they can
> demonstrate that the Bahá'í Faith does create a new way of
> life, which brings to the individual a complete association with
> the Will of God, and thus the establishment of a peaceful and
> universal society. Divisional attachments are of men, while
> universal service is of God.
> 
> (20 November 1955, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
> an individual believer)
> 
> 160 It is not enough to proclaim the Bahá'í message, essential as
> that is. It is not enough to expand the rolls of Bahá'í
> membership, vital as that is. Souls must be transformed,
> communities thereby consolidated, new models of life thus
> attained. Transformation is the essential purpose of the Cause
> of Bahá'u'lláh, but it lies in the will and effort of the
> individual to achieve it in obedience to the Covenant.
> Necessary to the progress of this life-fulfilling transformation
> is knowledge of the will and purpose of God through regular
> reading and study of the Holy Word.
> 
> (
> Ridván 1989
> , the Universal House of Justice to
> the Bahá'ís of the World)
> 
> • Inevitability of Change
> 
> 161 ... change is a necessary quality and an essential attribute of
> this world, and of time and place.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Messages from the Universal House of
> Justice, 1963-1986, p.
> 85
> )
> 
> 162 Know that nothing which exists remains in a state of repose–
> that is to say, all things are in motion. Everything is either
> growing or declining; all things are either coming from
> nonexistence into being, or going from existence into
> nonexistence.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
> Trust, 1984), p.
> 233
> )
> 
> 163 God has given us eyes, that we may look about us at the world,
> and lay hold of whatsoever will further civilization and the arts
> of living. He has given us ears, that we may hear and profit by
> 
> the wisdom of scholars and philosophers and arise to promote
> and practice it. Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon
> us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we,
> distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness
> and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines,
> whether the occasion be great or small, ordinary or
> extraordinary, until all mankind are safely gathered into the
> impregnable stronghold of knowledge. We should continually
> be establishing new bases for human happiness and creating
> and promoting new instrumentalities toward this end ...
> 
> The superiority of the present in relation to the past consists in
> this, that the present can take over and adopt as a model many
> things which have been tried and tested and the great benefits
> of which have been demonstrated in the past, and that it can
> make its own new discoveries and by these augment its
> valuable inheritance.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, P.
> 3
> ; p.
> 114
> )
> 
> 164 O ye respected souls! From the continual imitation of ancient
> and worn-out ways, the world had grown dark as darksome
> night. The fundamentals of the divine Teachings had passed
> from memory; their pith and heart had been totally forgotten,
> and the people were holding on to husks. The nations had, like
> tattered garments long outworn, fallen into a pitiful condition.
> 
> Out of this pitch blackness there dawned the morning
> splendour of the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. He hath dressed the
> world with a garment new and fair, and that new garment is
> the principles which have come down from God.
> 
> Now the new age is here and creation is reborn. Humanity hath
> taken on new life. The autumn hath gone by, and the reviving
> spring is here. All things are now made new. Arts and
> industries have been reborn, there are new discoveries in
> science, and there are new inventions; even the details of
> human affairs, such as dress and personal effects–even
> weapons–all these have likewise been renewed. The laws and
> procedures of every government have be revised. Renewal is
> the order of the day.
> 
> And all this newness hath its source in the fresh outpourings of
> 
> wondrous grace and favor from the Lord of the Kingdom,
> which have renewed the world. The people, therefore, must be
> set completely free from their old patterns of thought, that all
> their attention may be focused upon these new principles, for
> these are the light of this time and the very spirit of this age.
> 
> Unless these Teachings are effectively spread among the
> people, until the old ways, the old concepts, are gone and
> forgotten, this world of being will find no peace, nor will it
> reflect the perfections of the Heavenly Kingdom. Strive ye
> with all your hearts to make the heedless conscious, to waken
> those who sleep, to bring knowledge to the ignorant, to make
> the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and restore the dead to life.
> 
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, section
> 205
> , pp.
> 264
> -
> 65
> )
> 
> 165 The Bahá'ís should not always be the last to take up new and
> obviously excellent methods, but rather the first, as this agrees
> with the dynamic net of the Faith which is not only
> progressive, but holds within itself the seed of an entirely new
> culture and civilization.
> 
> (5 May 1946, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
> 
> • Nature and Processes of Cultural Evolution
> 
> 166    Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the
> worldwide Law of Bahá'u'lláh. Far from aiming at the
> subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to
> broaden its basis, to remould its institutions in a manner
> consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can
> conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine
> essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a
> sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish
> the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of
> excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore,
> nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical
> origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of
> thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of
> the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration
> than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the
> subordination of national impulses and interests to the
> imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive
> centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at
> 
> uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity ...
> 
> The call of Bahá'u'lláh is primarily directed against all forms
> of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices. If long-cherished
> ideals and time-honoured institutions, if certain
> social assumptions and religious formulae have ceased to
> promote the welfare of the generality of mankind, if they no
> longer administer to the needs of a continually evolving
> humanity, let them be swept away and relegated to the limbo
> of obsolescent and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, in a
> world subject to the immutable law of change and decay, be
> exempt from the deterioration that must needs overtake every
> human institution? For legal standards, political and economic
> theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of
> humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the
> preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.
> 
> (28 November 1931, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order
> of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
> 41
> -
> 42
> )
> 
> 167 The Revelation, of which Bahá'u'lláh is the source and centre,
> abrogates none of the religions that have preceded it, nor does
> it attempt, in the slightest degree, to distort their features or to
> belittle their value. It disclaims any intention of dwarfing any
> of the Prophets of the past, or of whittling down the eternal
> verity of their teachings. It can, in no wise, conflict with the
> spirit that animates their claims, nor does it seek to undermine
> the basis of any man's allegiance to their cause. Its declared,
> its primary, purpose is to enable every adherent of these Faiths
> to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he
> stands identified, and to acquire a clearer apprehension of its
> purpose. It is neither eclectic in the presentation of its truths,
> nor arrogant in the affirmation of its claims. Its teachings
> revolve around the fundamental principle that religious truth is
> not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is progressive,
> not final. Unequivocally and without the least reservation it
> proclaims all established religions to be divine in origin,
> identical in their aims, complementary in their functions,
> continuous in their purpose, indispensable in their value to
> mankind.
> 
> (21 March 1932, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of
> Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters, pp.
> 57
> -
> 58
> )
> 
> 168 As regards the questions of tribal practice, the Guardian
> wishes you to be extremely forbearing and patient in weaning
> the Bahá'ís away from their old customs. This can only be
> done by taking each case individually as it comes up, using the
> greatest wisdom and kindness, and not trying rigorously to
> impose all Bahá'í laws in every detail at this time.
> 
> (8 August 1957, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a
> National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 169 Bahá'ís should obviously be encouraged to preserve their
> inherited cultural identities, as long as the activities involved
> do not contravene the principles of the Faith. The perpetuation
> of such cultural characteristics is an expression of unity in
> diversity. Although most of these festive celebrations have no
> doubt stemmed from religious rituals in bygone ages, the
> believers should not be deterred from participating in those in
> which, over the course of time, the religious meaning has
> given way to purely culturally oriented practices. For example,
> Naw-Rúz itself was originally a Zoroastrian religious festival,
> but gradually its Zoroastrian connotation has almost been
> forgotten. Iranians, even after their conversion to Islam, have
> been observing it as a national festival. Now Naw-Rúz has
> become a Bahá'í Holy Day and is being observed throughout
> the world, but, in addition to the Bahá'í observance, many
> Iranian Bahá'ís continue to carry out their past cultural
> traditions in connection with this Feast. Similarly, there are a
> number of national customs in every part of the world which
> have cultural rather than religious connotations.
> 
> In deciding whether or not to participate in such traditional
> activities, the Bahá'ís must guard against two extremes. The
> one is to disassociate themselves needlessly from harmless
> cultural observances and thus alienate themselves from their
> non-Bahá'í families and friends; the other is to continue the
> practice of abrogated observances of previous dispensations
> and thus undermine the independence of the Bahá'í Faith and
> create undesirable distinctions between themselves and their
> fellow-Bahá'ís. In this connection there is a difference
> between what Bahá'ís do among themselves and what they do
> in companionship with their non-Bahá'í friends and relations.
> For example, in a letter written on behalf of the Guardian there
> appears the following guidance:
> 
> As regards the celebration of the Christian Holidays by the
> believers: it is surely preferable and even highly advisable
> that the friends should in their relation to each other
> discontinue observing such holidays as Christmas and New
> Year, and to have their festal gatherings of this nature
> instead during the intercalary days and Naw-Ruz.
> 
> Further, there is no objection for Bahá'ís to attend religious
> marriage ceremonies of their friends and relatives or take part
> in festivities usually connected with these events, provided that
> in doing so they do not contravene Bahá'í Law. For example, if
> consuming alcoholic beverages is a part of such activities, the
> Bahá'ís, of course, would be obliged to refrain from partaking
> of such drinks.
> 
> There are some exclusive religious ceremonies in which
> Bahá'ís should not participate, in order to safeguard the
> independence of the Faith. In this regard, the beloved
> Guardian has given the following advice to an individual
> believer: "In these days the friends should, as much as
> possible, demonstrate through their deeds the independence of
> the Holy Faith of God, and its freedom from the customs,
> rituals and practices of a discredited and abrogated past."
> 
> In observing this principle, the House of Justice advises the
> Bahá'ís to maintain a balance between their adherence to the
> Cause and obedience to its laws on the one hand, and their role
> in society on the other. When an individual becomes a Bahá'í
> he acquires, as you are aware, a wider loyalty to the
> Manifestations of God. Having found this new way of life, he
> should be careful not to isolate himself from his family and his
> people, and he should show respect for his former religion.
> The Bahá'ís should, of course, avoid performing any acts
> which could be considered as implying their membership in
> another religion or which are contrary to Bahá'í principles.
> There is a clear distinction between participating in festive and
> cultural events, as opposed to performing religious ceremonies
> and rituals.
> 
> It should also be remembered that the weaning away of the
> Bahá'ís from customs and traditions, which have been
> established among communities for centuries, takes time and
> 
> is a gradual process. Therefore, while the National Assembly
> should avoid rigidity in these matters, it should also not
> compromise when the interests of the Faith and its integrity
> and independence are at stake.
> 
> (26 May 1982, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
> National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 170    The House of Justice supports the view that in every country
> the cultural traditions of the people should be observed within
> the Bahá'í community as long as they are not contrary to the
> Teachings...
> 
> Of course, many cultural elements everywhere inevitably will
> disappear or be merged with related ones from their societies,
> yet the totality will achieve that promised diversity within
> world unity. We can expect much cultural diversity in the long
> period before the emergence of a world commonwealth of
> nations in the Golden Age of Bahá'u'lláh's new world order.
> Much wisdom and tolerance will be required, and much time
> must elapse until the advent of that great day,
> 
> (25 July 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
> National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 171 ...what Bahá'u'lláh has done for us all is to provide a standard
> by which to determine what is pleasing in God's sight, thereby
> freeing us to maintain those elements of diversity which are
> unique to our different cultures. The adoption of this divine
> standard enables each people to be confident in the
> permissibility of what it can retain from its past.
> 
> (23 June 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
> individual believer)
> 
> 172    Since change is inevitable if progress is to be made by any
> African society, a primary challenge to Bahá'ís is to preserve
> and improve those wholesome aspects of tribal and family
> custom that are in accord with the Bahá'í Teachings and to
> dispense with those that are not. Such a challenge must be
> embraced with the understanding that the Book of God is the
> standard by which to weigh all forms of behaviour. While
> unwavering action is necessary, wisdom and tact and patience
> must, of course, be exercised. Let it be understood, too, that
> Africans are not alone in the struggle to change certain age-old
> practices. People everywhere have customs which must be
> 
> abandoned so as to clear the path along which their societies
> must evolve towards that glorious, new civilization which is to
> be the fruit of Bahá'u'lláh's stupendous Revelation. Indeed, in
> no society on earth can there be found practices which
> adequately mirror the standards of His Cause. His own
> truth-bearing Words clarify the matter: "The summons and the
> message which We gave were never intended to reach or to
> benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety
> must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and
> vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true
> liberty. The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent
> glory of God's Revelation."
> 
> (
> Ridván 1996
> , the Universal House of Justice to the Followers
> of Bahá'u'lláh in Africa)
> 
> III. APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY
> 
> • "Consider the flowers of a garden"–The Principle of
> Unity in Diversity
> 
> 4
> 
> 173 All countries, in the estimation of the one true God, are but
> one country, and all cities and villages are on an equal footing.
> Neither holds distinction over another.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan (Wilmette: Bahá'í
> Publishing Trust, 1993), p.
> 61
> )
> 
> 174 A critic may object, saying that peoples, races, tribes and
> communities of the world are of different and varied customs,
> habits, tastes, character, inclinations and ideas, that opinions
> and thoughts are contrary to one another, and how, therefore, is
> it possible for real unity to be revealed and perfect accord
> among human souls to exist?
> 
> In answer we say that differences are of two kinds. One is the
> cause of annihilation and is like the antipathy existing among
> warring nations and conflicting tribes who seek each other's
> destruction, uprooting one another's families, depriving one
> another of rest and comfort and unleashing carnage. The other
> kind which is a token of diversity is the essence of perfection
> and the cause of the appearance of the bestowals of the Most
> Glorious Lord.
> 
> Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind,
> color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by
> the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind,
> invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth
> their charm, and addeth unto their beauty. Thus when that
> unifying force, the penetrating influence of the Word of God,
> taketh effect, the difference of customs, manners, habits, ideas,
> opinions and dispositions embellisheth the world of humanity.
> This diversity, this difference is like the naturally created
> dissimilarity and variety of the limbs and organs of the human
> body, for each one contributeth to the beauty, efficiency and
> perfection of the whole. When these different limbs and organs
> come under the influence of man's sovereign soul, and the
> soul's power pervadeth the limbs and members, veins and
> arteries of the body, then difference reinforceth harmony,
> diversity strengtheneth love, and multiplicity is the greatest
> factor for coordination.
> 
> How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the
> leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of
> that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of
> hues, form and shape, enricheth and adometh the garden, and
> heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers
> shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought
> together under the power and influence of one central agency,
> the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and
> made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word
> of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all
> things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts,
> sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the children of men.
> Verily, it is the penetrating power in all things, the mover of
> souls and the binder and regulator in the world of humanity.
> 
> Praise be to God, today the splendor of the Word of God hath
> illumined every horizon, and from all sects, races, tribes,
> nations, and communities souls have come together in the light
> of the Word, assembled, united and agreed in perfect harmony.
> Oh! What a great number of meetings are held adorned with
> souls from various races and diverse sects! Anyone attending
> these will be struck with amazement, and might suppose that
> these souls are all of one land, one nationality, one community,
> 
> one thought, one belief and one opinion: whereas, in fact, one
> is an American, the other an African, one cometh from Asia
> and another from Europe, one is a native of India, another is
> from Turkestan, one is an Arab, another a Tajik, another a
> Persian and yet another a Greek. Notwithstanding such
> diversity they associate in perfect harmony and unity, love and
> freedom; they have one voice, one thought and one purpose.
> Verily, this is from the penetrative power of the Word of God!
> 
> (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, section
> 225
> , pp.
> 305
> -
> 306
> )
> 
> 175 The Cause does not wish to suppress national characteristics.
> It abhors too much uniformity, and stands for the principle of
> unity in diversity, which principle we believe can alone
> provide a solution for the unification of mankind.
> 
> (25 June 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
> 
> 176 Such a Faith knows no division of class or of party. It
> subordinates, without hesitation or equivocation, every
> particularistic interest, be it personal, regional, or national, to
> the paramount interests of humanity, firmly convinced that in a
> world of interdependent peoples and nations the advantage of
> the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole,
> and that no abiding benefit can be conferred upon the
> component parts if the general interests of the entity itself are
> ignored or neglected...
> 
> The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá'u'lláh,
> implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which
> all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and
> permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state
> members and the personal freedom and initiative of the
> individuals that compose them are definitely and completely
> safeguarded: This commonwealth must, as far as we can
> visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members
> will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately
> control the entire resources of all the component nations, and
> will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life,
> satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and
> peoples...
> 
> National rivalries, hatred, and intrigues will cease, and racial
> animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity,
> 
> understanding and co-operation. The causes of religious strife
> will be permanently removed, economic barriers and
> restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate
> distinction between classes will be obliterated.
> 
> (11 March 1936, Shoghi Effendi, in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected
> Letters, p.
> 198
> ; and pp.
> 203
> -
> 4
> .
> )
> 
> 177 With the coming of Bahá'u'lláh and the emphasis that His
> Revelation gives to the oneness of mankind, it is inevitable
> that peoples in all parts of the world who once seemed
> dormant or who have suffered discrimination would rise to
> assert their place in society. As with so many fundamental
> social issues, those concerning "indigenous rights" and
> "self-determination" find, for Bahá'ís, their proper expression
> and resolution within the context of the principle of the
> oneness of mankind. However, as is often the case, such issues
> are expressed in political forms which are unacceptable to
> Bahá'ís, who conscientiously avoid partisanship, subversion,
> and the corrupt attitudes and involvements associated with
> politics. At the present time, it is recognized that important
> issues of society fall within the province of government and
> perforce engage political processes currently in practice.
> Increasingly, as the Faith emerges from obscurity the Bahá'í
> community will find itself compelled to assist in finding
> solutions to the social problems afflicting humanity; it will
> have to be wise in its actions to avoid the pitfalls of politics.
> 
> Generally, the wisest course for individual Bahá'ís and the
> Bahá'í community in controversial situations is to remain
> uninvolved, although not uninterested. It is the responsibility
> of the Bahá'í, in their contact with the native people, to
> explain that the Bahá'í approach, with its emphasis upon the
> achievement of unity as a basis for an enduring resolution to
> the problems of mankind, far from being indifferent to the real
> needs of disadvantaged peoples, represents a fundamental
> solution derived from the diagnosis by the All-Knowing
> Physician of the manifold ills of human society.
> 
> (27 June 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
> individual believer)
> 
> 178    The fundamental principle of the oneness of mankind, and the
> aim of the Faith to promote unity in diversity, underlie the
> Bahá'í approach to indigenous peoples. Their rights are
> 
> inseparable from human rights for all, and the Bahá'í Faith
> upholds the right of indigenous peoples to develop and take
> pride in their own identity, culture and language. Great
> importance is attached to teaching the Faith to the indigenous
> populations in a country, more especially since they have so
> often been neglected or downtrodden by other segments of
> society; in many instances their suffering has made them
> particularly receptive to the Message of Bahá'u'lláh ...
> 
> A unique feature of the Bahá'í Administrative Order is the
> manner in which it enables all the diverse elements of the
> Bahá'í community, drawn from a variety of ethnic, racial,
> cultural and educational backgrounds, to work together in a
> mutually supportive and spiritually beneficial manner. This is
> in direct contrast to the declining social order external to the
> Bahá'í community, in which each segment seeks to pursue a
> separate path in its social and political organization and
> activities.
> 
> (25 July 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 179 ... the oneness of mankind will not be based on forced
> assimilation, but upon protection of cultural diversity. At the
> same time, however, we should beware of inadvertently
> settling upon a limited model, such as the one sometimes
> associated in contemporary discourse on multiculturalism. A
> distinctively Bahá'í culture will welcome an infinite diversity
> in regard to secondary characteristics, but also firmly uphold
> unity in regard to fundamental principles; thereby achieving a
> vigorous complementarity. For example, in Selections from
> the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre,
> 1982), page
> 260
> -
> 1
> , we find the following intriguing statement:
> 
> What a blessing that will be–when all shall come together,
> even as once separate torrents, rivers and streams, running
> brooks and single drops, when collected together in one
> place will form a mighty sea. And to such a degree will the
> inherent unity of all prevail, that the traditions, rules,
> customs and distinctions in the fanciful life of these
> populations will be effaced and vanish away like isolated
> drops, once the great sea of oneness doth leap and surge
> and roll.
> 
> The point is not to minimize differences, nor to make of unity
> and diversity a false dichotomy, but ever to keep in mind that
> the Bahá'í standard is very high and grounded in divine love.
> 
> (13 February 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> • An "equal standard of human rights"
> 
> 5
> 
> 180   ... Bahá'u'lláh taught that an equal standard of human rights
> must be recognized and adopted. In the estimation of God all
> men are equal; there is no distinction or preferment for any
> soul in the dominion of His justice and equity.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912,
> rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), p.
> 182
> )
> 
> 181 As to your question concerning the rights of the minority of
> non-Bahá'í citizens in a Bahá'í state, it is clear from the
> writings of our Faith that under a Bahá'í system the rights of
> minorities of any type must always be respected and upheld.
> Just as Bahá'ís today show obedience and loyalty to the
> government but refuse to bow to the majority if they are asked
> to deny their faith, so in the future, when the majority is
> represented by the Faith the Bahá'ís will not force the minority
> to become followers of Bahá'u'lláh but they will expect the
> minority to be similarly obedient and loyal. As you indicate
> the ways of the world are basically and usually at variance
> with this standard ...
> 
> The ultimate safeguard in the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh to ensure
> that this principle and all its other fundamental tenets are not
> violated is the Universal House of Justice, which, as its
> Constitution clearly stipulates, is charged with the
> responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the teachings and
> of safeguarding their inviolability.
> 
> (9 March 1977, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 182 We appreciate the careful thought you have given to the
> subject of indigenous populations. The Bahá'í International
> 
> Community should maintain its involvement with this issue,
> continuing the emphasis on the need for unity in diversity–a
> unity which implies mutual tolerance among the various
> populations, a recognition by dominant populations of the
> freedom of indigenous peoples to exercise their rights in all
> legitimate varieties of ways, and the corollary recognition of
> indigenous peoples themselves that such freedom carries with
> it the responsibility of recognizing the rights of all others to
> the same expressions. The implications for indigenous peoples
> also include: realization of the virtues of cross-cultural
> influences; appreciation of the values of other cultures as
> accruing to the wealth of human experience and the freedom
> of all to share in such values without necessarily giving up
> their respective identities; avoidance of parochial attitudes
> which degenerate into ethnic and cultural prejudices; and,
> above all, appreciation of the necessity to maintain a global
> perspective within which the particulars of indigenous
> expression can find an enduring context.
> 
> (19 July 1985, the Universal House of Justice to a Bahá'í
> International Community UN Office)
> 
> 183 Concerning indigenous rights, it stands to reason that
> indigenous people are entitled to all the human rights accorded
> other peoples. For example, they should be guaranteed the full
> rights of citizenship, and all acts of discrimination against
> them, which may have developed over the years, should be
> eliminated. At the same time, it would be unseemly for the
> demands for their rights to make, on the basis of their
> indigenousness, a special claim to exclusive rights and
> privileges which exceed the necessity to redress injustices. The
> Bahá'í attitude on such questions should be guided by
> Bahá'u'lláh's teaching that "The earth is but one country, and
> mankind its citizens." Thus it should be borne in mind that
> while upholding indigenous rights may well deserve the
> support of the Bahá'ís, often the viewpoints of those claiming
> such rights are so circumscribed and narrow that Bahá'ís find
> it difficult to wholeheartedly subscribe to them.
> 
> (14 January 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
> National Spiritual Assembly).
> 
> 184 Indigenous people have a highly significant role to play in the
> development of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, as is indicated
> in the oft-quoted words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá concerning the
> 
> American continent to the effect that "should these Indians be
> educated and properly guided, there can be no doubt that
> through the Divine teachings they will become so enlightened
> that the whole earth will be illumined". In this period of social
> evolution, however, minorities, including indigenous peoples,
> continue to suffer from oppressive and disheartening treatment
> in many parts of the world. On the subject of amelioration of
> the condition of oppressed and unjustly treated minorities, in a
> letter written on its behalf, the House of Justice has stated the
> following.
> 
> The Universal House of Justice is deeply concerned at the
> plight of so many of the aboriginal peoples in various parts
> of the world who have been denied fundamental human
> rights by uninterested and selfish majorities. Humanity is
> plagued with many inequities and injustices in every part
> of the world. Bahá'u'lláh speaks of these and points out
> time and again that the solution to these problems lies in
> the recognition of God and His Manifestation for this Day.
> While there is no objection to any member of a minority
> group asserting his legal claim to property or rights
> through the courts or administrative agencies which may
> be open to him, it is contrary to Bahá'í principles to take
> political action in asserting those rights.
> 
> The principles stated in the Writings are clear, but usually it is
> when these principles are applied that questions arise, and in
> cases in which there is any doubt about the correct course of
> action, the believers should consult their National Assembly.
> 
> (27 June 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)
> 
> • Enrichment of Community Life
> 
> 185 ... the Guardian was very pleased to learn of the progress made
> by the Indian National Spiritual Assembly in its efforts to
> consolidate, widen and maintain the scope of its national
> activities. The difficulties in your way are tremendous. The
> differences of language and of social and intellectual
> background do, undoubtedly, render the work somewhat
> difficult to carry out and may temporarily check the efficient
> and smooth working of the national administrative machinery
> of the Faith. They, nevertheless, impart to the deliberations of
> the National Assembly a universality which they would be
> 
> otherwise lacking, and give to its members a breadth of view
> which it is their duty to cultivate and foster. It is not uniformity
> which we should seek in the formation of any national or local
> Assembly. For the bedrock of the Bahá'í administrative order
> is the principle of unity in diversity, which has been so
> strongly and so repeatedly emphasized in the writings of the
> Cause. Differences which are not fundamental and contrary to
> the basic teachings of the Cause should be maintained, while
> the underlying unity of the administrative order should be at
> any cost preserved and ensured. Unity, both of purpose and of
> means, is, indeed, indispensable to the safe and speedy
> working of every Assembly, whether local or national.
> 
> (2 January 1934, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
> a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 186 Now that more of the Latin believers are active and beginning
> to assume responsibilities, the work will go forward on a more
> permanent foundation, as pioneers from a foreign land can
> never take the place of native believers who must always
> constitute the bedrock of any future development of the Faith
> in their country.
> 
> (30 January ]948, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 187 Every effort should be made to teach the native Swedish
> people, so they may ultimately take their part in the
> community of races and people, who make the world order of
> Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
> (4 January 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to two Local Spiritual Assemblies)
> 
> 188 He was likewise very happy to know that there are now new
> Assemblies formed in the Malayan Federation, and he hopes
> that the Cause will make rapid progress in that part of the
> world. There are so many races and so many nationalities, and
> the future is infinitely bright when we think of what these
> souls are going to contribute to the international Bahá'í life as
> they become strong supporters of our glorious Faith.
> 
> (7 May 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 189 In connection with the teaching work throughout the Pacific
> area,... [the] Bahá'ís... must bear in mind that the primary
> object of their living there is to teach the native population the
> Faith...
> 
> He attaches great importance to teaching the aboriginal
> Australians, and also in converting more Maoris to the Faith,
> and hopes that the Bahá'ís will devote some attention to
> contacting both of these minority groups.
> 
> (16 June 1954, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 190 At the same time there is a challenge of great urgency facing
> the world-wide Bahá'í community. When launching the Ten
> Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi urged the believers to "carry the
> torch of the Faith to regions so remote, so backward, so
> inhospitable that neither the light of Christianity or Islam has,
> after the revolution of centuries, as yet penetrated." A number
> of such regions still exist in places like New Guinea, the heart
> of Africa and the Amazon Basin in South America. As the
> influence of civilization spreads, the age-old ways of life of
> the inhabitants of these regions will inevitably perish, and they
> will rapidly be infected with the materialistic ideas of a
> decadent civilization. It is our pressing duty to carry the
> Message of Bahá'u'lláh to such people while they are still
> pure-hearted and receptive, and through it to prepare them for
> the changed world which will come upon them ...
> 
> In addition to the tribes in these remote regions of the world,
> there are tribes and minorities who still live in their traditional
> ways in the midst of other cultures. All too often such peoples
> are despised and ignored by the nations among whom they
> dwell, but we should seek them out, teach them the Cause of
> God, and enrich through their membership the Bahá'í
> communities of the lands in which they live. So important is
> this goal that each National Spiritual Assembly should study
> the requirements for teaching each of the different tribes and
> groups within its area, appoint a committee for this purpose–
> even a special committee for each tribe or minority where this
> is feasible and desirable–and launch a series of well-conceived,
> far-reaching campaigns to bring about the
> enrollment of these peoples within the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh,
> and the establishment among them of the Bahá'í
> Administrative Order.
> 
> (25 May 1975, from the Universal House of Justice to all
> National Spiritual Assemblies)
> 
> V. CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE BAHÁ'Í
> COMMUNITY
> 
> •Associating with People of Divers Beliefs and Customs
> 
> 191 The most important teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is to leave behind
> racial, religious, national and patriotic prejudices. Until these
> prejudices are entirely removed mankind will not find rest.
> Nay, rather, discord and bloodshed will increase day by day,
> and the foundation of the prosperity of the world of man will
> be destroyed.
> 
> ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablet translated from the Persian)
> 
> 192 To discriminate against any race, on the ground of its being
> socially backward, politically immature, and numerically in a
> minority, is a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the
> Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. The consciousness of any division or
> cleavage in its ranks is alien to its very purpose, principles,
> and ideals. Once its members have fully recognized the claim
> of its Author, and, by identifying themselves with its
> Administrative Order, accepted unreservedly the principles
> and laws embodied in its teachings, every differentiation of
> class, creed, or color must automatically be obliterated, and
> never be allowed, under any pretext, and however great the
> pressure of events or of public opinion, to reassert itself. If any
> discrimination is at all to be tolerated, it should be a
> discrimination not against, but rather in favor of the minority,
> be it racial or otherwise. Unlike the nations and peoples of the
> earth, be they of the East or of the West, democratic or
> authoritarian, communist or capitalist, whether belonging to
> the Old World or the New, who either ignore, trample upon, or
> extirpate, the racial, religious, or political minorities within the
> sphere of their jurisdiction, every organized community
> enlisted under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh should feel it to be its
> first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and
> safeguard every minority belonging to any faith, race, class, or
> nation within it. So great and vital is this principle that in such
> circumstances, as when an equal number of ballots have been
> cast in an election, or where the qualifications for any office
> are balanced as between the various races, faiths or
> nationalities within the community, priority should
> unhesitatingly be accorded the party representing the minority,
> 
> and this for no other reason except to stimulate and encourage
> it, and afford it an opportunity to further the interests of the
> community. In the light of this principle, and bearing in mind
> the extreme desirability of having the minority elements
> participate and share responsibility in the conduct of Bahá'í
> activity, it should be the duty of every Bahá'í community so to
> arrange its affairs that in cases where individuals belonging to
> the divers minority elements within it are already qualified and
> fulfil the necessary requirements, Bahá'í representative
> institutions, be they Assemblies, conventions, conferences, or
> committees, may have represented on them as many of these
> divers elements, racial or otherwise, as possible. The adoption
> of such a course, and faithful adherence to it, would not only
> be a source of inspiration and encouragement to those
> elements that are numerically small and inadequately
> represented, but would demonstrate to the world at large the
> universality, and representative character of the Faith of
> Bahá'u'lláh, and the freedom of His followers from the taint of
> those prejudices which have already wrought such havoc in the
> domestic affairs, as well as the foreign relationships, of the
> nations.
> 
> (Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1990). pp.
> 35
> -
> 36
> )
> 
> 193    Association with all people of divers beliefs, customs, and
> outlook is enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh, but we must guard against
> interference in political affairs, nor must we give the
> impression that we are a sect of any existing religion. We must
> be tolerant, kind, broad-minded, and unprejudiced in our
> dealings with all sorts and conditions of men, but it is our duty
> also to assert and prove the independence of our precious and
> sacred Faith, and to explain its liberal, universal principles.
> 
> (12 December 1932, Shoghi Effendi, in a footnote appended
> to a letter written on his behalf to an individual believer)
> 
> 194 The friends should first start by applying the principle of the
> oneness of races within their own community, and thus set
> before the world outside a noble and inspiring example. Every
> trace of racial prejudice should be banished by the friends in
> their community life, and also in their private life, so much so
> that they should come to gradually forget the very existence of
> the racial problem as such. Such an attitude is bound to
> strongly impress every outsider and draw his attention to the
> 
> Cause, and convince him of the sublimity and practicability of
> its Teachings.
> 
> (11 November 1936, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 195 It is a great mistake to believe that because people are illiterate
> or live primitive lives, they are lacking in either intelligence or
> sensibility. On the contrary, they may well look on us, with the
> evils of our civilization, with its moral corruption, its ruinous
> wars, its hypocrisy and conceit, as people who merit watching
> with both suspicion and contempt. We should meet them as
> equals, well-wishers, people who admire and respect their
> ancient descent, and who feel that they will be interested, as
> we are, in a living religion and not in the dead forms of
> present-day churches.
> 
> (21 September 1951, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Teaching Committee)
> 
> 196 If the Japanese friends will realize that the American believers
> have failures and weaknesses which often reflect those of their
> nation, they will feel encouraged to not only be patient and
> understanding in regard to them, but also to contribute more of
> the fine points of their own national characteristics to the
> community work as a whole. If they think that, because the
> Cause is perfect the American Bahá'ís are perfect, they are
> bound to be disappointed. In our great Bahá'í family we see
> both the strong points and the weak points in national
> character come out in the believers of different countries. The
> strong points of the American friends are their devotion and
> their initiative, their courage and determination and zeal, but
> there are many characteristics they need, just like every
> people!
> 
> The whole aim of teaching work is to create a body of native
> believers who will carry on the work in their own land.
> Therefore, the sooner the meetings can be conducted in
> Japanese, the better; certainly on the Spiritual Assembly there
> should be adequate translation into Japanese, in fact it would
> be better if it could be the other way round, but perhaps this is
> not feasible at present, and would cause confusion and
> inharmony.
> 
> (19 August 1952, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 197 I need not tell you that the work in Africa, and more
> particularly in Uganda, is very dear to his heart ... He feels that
> this country and its peoples, in the very heart of Africa, are a
> most precious trust. Their receptivity to the Teachings, their
> great desire to serve their new Faith, the number of them who
> have arisen to go out as pioneers, mark them as a people apart
> in the Bahá'í world, at least for the time being. May many
> others in neighbouring countries prove as worthy, and follow
> their example.
> 
> In dealing with people who are still backward in relation to
> our civilized standards, and in many cases guided by a tribal
> system which has strong orders of its own, he feels that you
> should be both tactful and forbearing.
> 
> (17 June 1954, written cm behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 198 In spite of the fact that Mr.... has been expelled from the
> Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the remarkable progress of the Faith
> there has been a source of great satisfaction. It shows that a
> spiritual receptivity, a purity of heart and uprightness of
> character exist potentially amongst many of the peoples of the
> Pacific Isles to an extent equal to that of the tribesmen of
> Africa. It is indeed an encouraging and awe-inspiring sight to
> witness the spread of our beloved Faith amongst those whom
> civilized nations misguidedly term "savages", "primitive
> peoples" and "uncivilized nations".
> 
> (11 July 1956, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 199 The second issue which causes difficulties for the African
> friends in these days is the matter of tribalism ...
> 
> The Bahá'í attitude in such a situation is clearly set forth in the
> Writings. As Bahá'ís we are attached to our tribes and clans,
> just as we are to our families and, on a larger scale, to our
> nations, but we do not allow this attachment to conflict with
> our wider loyalty to humanity ...
> 
> In these days when tribal tensions are increasing in Africa the
> friends should be vigilant lest any trace of prejudice or hatred,
> God forbid, may enter their midst. On the contrary, they
> should endeavour to bring into the Faith an ever larger
> representation of the various tribes in each country, and
> 
> through complete lack of prejudice as well as through the love
> that Bahá'ís have for each other and for their non-Bahá'í
> neighbours, demonstrate to their countrymen what the Word of
> God can do. They will thus provide, for the scrutiny of the
> leaders and rulers of their countries, a shining example of a
> unified community, working together in full concord and
> harmony, demonstrating a hope that is attainable, and a pattern
> worthy to be emulated.
> 
> To discriminate against any tribes because they are in a
> minority is a violation of the spirit that animates the Faith of
> Bahá'u'lláh. As followers of God's Holy Faith it is our
> obligation to protect the just interests of any minority element
> within the Bahá'í community. In fact in the administration of
> our Bahá'í affairs, representatives of minority groups are not
> only enabled to enjoy equal rights and privileges, but they are
> even favoured and accorded priority. Bahá'ís should be careful
> never to deviate from this noble standard, even if the course of
> events or public opinion should bring pressure to bear upon
> them.
> 
> (8 February 1970, from the Universal House of Justice to the
> National Spiritual Assemblies in Africa, in Messages from
> the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986, pp.
> 165
> -
> 166
> )
> 
> 200 The entry into the Spanish Bahá'í community of Gypsies, with
> their distinctive traditions and attitudes, is a welcome evidence
> of the power of the Faith to unite human beings of diverse
> backgrounds and cultures. It also provides the Spanish Bahá'í
> community with the challenge of working out ways of
> gradually and patiently deepening the new believers'
> understanding of and obedience to the teachings and laws of
> the Faith.
> 
> In this process the older believers must be careful to
> distinguish between those matters which are principles of the
> Faith, and those which may merely be traditional Spanish or
> Persian attitudes. As you are undoubtedly aware, pioneers have
> sometimes caused unnecessary complications by insisting that
> the new believers in a country adopt practices which turn out
> to have nothing to do with the Faith but are merely norms of
> behaviour from the pioneers' own homeland. In uniting the
> peoples of the world in the Bahá'í community, we must
> 
> establish uniformity in essentials, but must permit diversity in
> secondary matters.
> 
> (1 November 1979, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 201 We should have no class prejudice in the Faith, but we should
> not be blind to the differences and sensitivities of people who
> come from different classes of society. There are social
> differences in Europe, and the Bahá'ís should be aware of
> them and make every effort to bridge them. The Bahá'í
> community should aim at becoming a cross-section of the
> national community.
> 
> (12 October 1983, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 202 ... many Bahá'í communities around the world today function
> in the context of societies which are struggling with problems
> arising from ethnic differences. Conflicts often involve cultural
> and linguistic issues and may be further complicated by the
> presence of religious differences, and by opportunistic
> political movements which use them for their own benefit. It is
> not uncommon for the relevant issues to find expression
> through violence. The essential challenge facing Bahá'ís in
> such situations is to avoid becoming embroiled in pointless
> debates. Inspired by the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's Teachings, we
> are called on to make the Bahá'í community a haven of
> harmony and love, in contrast to the distress, contention and
> strife of the surrounding society.
> 
> Like their fellow-believers in many lands, the Bahá'í
> community in ... is challenged by such a situation. In seeking
> to respond, the Bahá'í administration and the more
> experienced friends must exercise great patience and wisdom
> in guiding believers, some of whose passions may be raised by
> the various issues. Essentially, the problems produced by
> cultural and linguistic differences are impulses which can
> serve to facilitate the growth of individuals and the maturation
> of the institutions if we learn to take advantage of them.
> 
> (13 April 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to. a Local Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 203 The difficulties which you describe are undoubtedly among
> those facing many members of inter-racial families ... The
> 
> House of Justice feels that these are matters which need to be
> worked out through the study and implementation of Bahá'í
> principles, through personal wisdom and initiative, and by
> taking advantage of the benefits of consultation among those
> concerned. Of very great importance is development of the
> consciousness that one is, above all, a human being and a
> Bahá'í, and that differences of race are of far less significance.
> It is hoped that the efforts of the believers, in conjunction with
> those of the Bahá'í institutions, to resolve such difficulties will
> attract divine confirmations and yield lasting results.
> 
> (13 October 1996, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> • Responsibilities of Bahá'í Administrative Institutions
> 
> Preserving Flexibility
> 
> 204 Shoghi Effendi believes that, although the friends may have
> different methods of teaching the Cause, yet they should not
> let such diversity lead to a consciousness of division among
> them. To safeguard the unity of the Faith is the sacred
> obligation of every loyal Bahá'í. We should, therefore, avoid
> creating any misunderstandings which might develop into
> actual division. We stand for unity through diversity and we
> hold in contempt every attempt at uniformity or at complete
> separateness.
> 
> (3 June 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 205 The Guardian's emphasis on the question of uniformity
> between national constitutions is prompted by his desire to
> maintain in all national Bahá'í affairs a degree of uniformity
> which he feels is essential to the effective functioning of
> national administrative bodies throughout the Bahá'í world. In
> matters which are not specified in the text of national
> constitutions, and as such are secondary in character, every
> National Spiritual Assembly is free to act according to its wish
> and with due consideration to local exigencies and demands.
> In this way, the principle of unity in diversity will be strictly
> preserved and effectively applied.
> 
> (5 January 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 206 The believers are free to paint, write and compose as their
> talents guide them. If music is written, incorporating the
> sacred writings, the friends are free to make use of it, but it
> should never be considered a requirement at Bahá'í meetings
> to have such music. The further away the friends keep from
> any set forms, the better, for they must realize that the Cause is
> absolutely universal, and what might seem a beautiful addition
> to their mode of celebrating a Feast, etc., would perhaps fall
> on the ears of people of another country as unpleasant sounds–
> and vice versa.
> 
> (20 July 1946, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 207 He does not feel, however, that the regular meetings should all
> open and close with songs. You see our Faith is for the whole
> world, for all people, not just for Christians, and this is a
> Christian custom to sing religious songs at a spiritual
> gathering. The friends should, however, do all they can to
> make the meetings interesting and hold the attention of people.
> 
> (31 May 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 208    ... he feels that the friends should be very careful not to place
> hindrances in the way of those who wish to accept the Faith. If
> we make the requirements too rigorous, we will cool off the
> initial enthusiasm, rebuff the hearts and cease to expand
> rapidly. The essential thing is that the candidate for enrolment
> should believe in his heart in the truth of Bahá'u'lláh. Whether
> he is literate or illiterate, informed of all the Teachings or not,
> is beside the point entirely. When the spark of faith exists the
> essential Message is there, and gradually everything else can
> be added unto it. The process of educating people of different
> customs and backgrounds must be done with the greatest
> patience and understanding, and rules and regulations not
> imposed upon them, except where a rock-bottom essential is in
> question. He feels sure that your Assembly is capable of
> carrying on its work in this spirit, and of fanning the hearts to
> flame through the fire of the love of God, rather than putting
> out the first sparks with bucketsful of administrative
> information and regulations.
> 
> (9 July 1957, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 209 We have reviewed your letter ... about the application of Bahá'í
> marriage laws to persons who had married according to the
> native custom, which we assume was prior to their enrollment
> in the Faith.
> 
> Persons who are married according to native custom prior to
> their enrollment as Bahá'ís are fully married in the eyes of the
> Faith, and there is no point in their going through a Bahá'í
> ceremony.
> 
> (6 April 1971, the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 210 You have asked for suggestions regarding the preparation of
> the handbook on Bahá'í Holy Days which you are planning to
> publish. It is important that notwithstanding whatever details
> you set forth therein, it be made clear that the contents do not
> constitute procedures that must be rigidly adhered to,
> 
> Dignity and reverence befitting the occasion should obviously
> characterize observances of Bahá'í Holy Days by the friends,
> but this does not mean that cultural traditions which do not
> contravene Bahá'í principles may not, and cannot, find
> expression in the local observances and meetings of the
> friends.
> 
> (1 August 1983, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 211 With reference to the question concerning the clapping of
> hands in songs where the Greatest Name is used, the House of
> Justice does not want to draw hard and fast rules. Clearly such
> matters are secondary and subject to cultural considerations,
> customs, and the social conventions prevailing in a given
> society. In some cultures, for example, clapping, as part of
> religious expression, is considered offensive; in other cultures,
> clapping is a means of keeping the rhythm of a hymn,
> especially in the absence of a musical instrument and is
> integral to religious experience; among other peoples, clapping
> may constitute a demonstration of religious fervour. Further,
> within any given country there may well be regional cultural
> differences.
> 
> Therefore, it is left to the National Spiritual Assembly to
> weigh each case with care and sensitivity in light of the
> 
> prevailing cultural milieu and, if necessary, provide guidance
> to the friends.
> 
> (1 October 1986, the Universal House of Justice
> to the International Teaching Centre)
> 
> Fostering Diversity
> 
> 212 No more laudable and meritorious service can be rendered the
> Cause of God, at the present hour, than a successful effort to
> enhance the diversity of the members of the American Bahá'í
> community by swelling the ranks of the Faith through the
> enrollment of the members of these races.
> 
> 6
> 
> A blending of these
> highly differentiated elements of the human race,
> harmoniously interwoven into the fabric of an all-embracing
> Bahá'í fraternity, and assimilated through the dynamic
> processes of a divinely appointed Administrative Order, and
> contributing each its share to the enrichment and glory of
> Bahá'í community life, is surely an achievement the
> contemplation of which must warm and thrill every Bahá'í
> heart.
> 
> (Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p.
> 54
> )
> 
> 213 It has been a great source of joy to the Guardian to see the
> marked increase of native Bahá'ís throughout that area ...
> However devoted the pioneers may be to these distant
> countries of their adoption, their relation to them cannot but be
> a transient one, especially in view of the disturbed state of the
> world and gloomy clouds that hang over its political horizons.
> They may suddenly be forced to go home; therefore, the native
> Bahá'ís, in particular, must seize this opportunity and arise to,
> themselves, in their own countries, pioneer to new cities and
> towns, new islands and as yet unopened territories, so that they
> may, with the help of their Bahá'í brethren from overseas, lay a
> firm and enduring foundation, and commence the great task of
> building up the Administrative Order, which is itself the
> foundation of the future World Order.
> 
> (15 July 1957, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 214 In response to your letter ... requesting guidance about the
> propriety of burning incense at Bahá'í Feasts and meetings,
> 
> the Universal House of Justice has asked us to convey the
> following.
> 
> The reasons which prompted you to ask about the above
> matter undoubtedly stemmed from your desire to safeguard the
> interests of the Faith and to keep it free from the rituals of past
> religions, points which Bahá'í institutions should bear in mind
> when discharging their duties and responsibilities. At the same
> time they should uphold the principle of unity in diversity,
> which often demonstrates itself through the cultural heritage of
> peoples. Your National Assembly may be aware that although
> incense is burned in religious ceremonies and temples, it is
> also a custom in some countries which is carried out at
> non-religious gatherings. For example, in India people of both
> Hindu and Muslim backgrounds burn incense in their homes
> and at social gatherings. In some cases the reason behind their
> using it is to freshen the air. It is therefore not objectionable in
> principle for the friends to burn incense if they wish when
> hosting Bahá'í meetings. However, this should not be done in
> such a way as to give the impression that it is a regular
> practice which is required at all Bahá'í meetings.
> 
> (28 June 1983, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a
> National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 215 At the present time, the challenge to every Bahá'í community
> is to avoid suppression of those culturally-diverse elements
> which are not contrary to the teachings, while establishing and
> maintaining such a high degree of unity that others are
> attracted to the Cause of God.
> 
> (25 July 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a Bahá'í couple)
> 
> 216 The Bahá'í Faith subscribes to the principle of unity in
> diversity; the Bahá'í administrative structure provides a model
> of people of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds who unite
> together under a National Spiritual Assembly to form a
> dynamic social unit in which there is provision for the
> expression of cultural diversity.
> 
> (27 June 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House a/Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 217 You have asked about the appropriateness of ceremonies from
> other cultures being presented at Bahá'í national events and
> local gatherings ...
> 
> You mention that the popularity of the "Pipe Ceremony" is
> part of the revival of native cultural values. While seeking out
> the spiritual roots of their own tradition, it is natural for
> Alaskan natives to view sympathetically symbols of the
> spiritual roots that once sustained the indigenous peoples of
> North America. Such a desire for the rediscovery of one's
> culture is one in which Bahá'ís rejoice. In this context, it
> would be acceptable occasionally to hold such cultural
> ceremonies at Bahá'í national events and local gatherings, so
> long as their features are not contrary to Bahá'í Teachings and
> they do not become customary. Moreover, these ceremonies
> should not be carried out during the formal part of a Bahá'í
> event, such as during the consultation at a National
> Convention, or in connection with the reading of prayers and
> passages from the Writings during a feast or Holy Day
> programme. Rather, such ceremonies may be included as an
> adjunct to the programme, and participation in them should be
> on a voluntary basis.
> 
> Regarding your question as to whether the audience should be
> informed that the cultural ceremonies are not part of the Bahá'í
> Faith, perhaps it would be possible to have this information
> presented in a positive manner, such as by explaining
> Bahá'u'lláh's teaching on unity in diversity, or the respect held
> by Bahá'ís for diversity of cultural expression.
> 
> (16 November 1994, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 218    The House of Justice sympathizes with your great desire to
> find ways of making the Bahá'í Teachings attractive to the
> Chinese people. Concerning the need, as you say, to
> reformulate the Teachings in order to make them more readily
> comprehensible to peoples of different cultural backgrounds,
> Shoghi Effendi himself wrote:
> 
> Nor should any of the pioneers, at this early stage in the
> upbuilding of Bahá'í national communities, overlook the
> fundamental prerequisite for any successful teaching
> enterprise, which is to adapt the presentation of the
> fundamental principles of their Faith to the cultural and
> religious backgrounds, the ideologies, and the
> temperament of the divers races and nations whom they are
> 
> called upon to enlighten and attract. The susceptibilities of
> these races and nations,... differing widely in their customs
> and standards of living, should at all times be carefully
> considered, and under no circumstances neglected.
> 
> (From a letter written by the Guardian to the American believers,
> dated June 5, 1947)
> 
> However, this desire must be balanced against the
> requirements of the Covenant which it is our sacred duty as
> Bahá'ís to uphold...
> 
> While you have a laudable aim in preparing materials on the
> Faith that will serve as a bridge of understanding for Chinese
> people who encounter the Bahá'í Teachings, you undoubtedly
> realize that these Teachings cannot be made to conform to the
> beliefs and understanding of any portion of humanity.
> 
> Indeed, for every people certain beliefs are as veils that
> prevent the penetration of the light of truth brought by a new
> Manifestation. Just as the followers of, say, Christianity and
> Islam must shed the veils imposed by their traditional beliefs,
> so too must the Chinese who are deeply attracted to Confucius
> be led to see that their aspirations are realized in the coming of
> Bahá'u'lláh, Whose life-giving Message is the divine elixir
> necessary for every people to achieve its promised destiny.
> 
> (4 June 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 219 As you may know, in many parts of the world there are certain
> tribal and traditional dances which are performed in
> glorification of God, and it is perfectly acceptable for a prayer
> to be interpreted in the form of movement or dance. However,
> to avoid that such expressions of prayer become gradually
> ritualized, or that certain gestures and movement become
> habitual accompaniments to prayers, it is preferable that they
> not accompany the reciting of words of the prayers. Through
> the revealed prayers, we seek communion with God, hence
> they must be offered with the utmost reverence and dignity.
> Each individual Bahá'í should be free to pray as he wishes, for
> there is no set form for prayer except for those few which have
> special instructions for observance upon their recitation.
> 
> (24 March 1997, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> Guiding and Encouraging Social Evolution
> 
> 220 He fully appreciates the fact that the believers are still
> somewhat attached to the different cults from which they have
> come; this is a problem which always faces the Faith in a new
> region; it existed a long time in America, and seems part of the
> growth of the Cause. He feels your Assembly can afford to be
> patient with the friends, while at the same time educating them
> into a deeper understanding of the Cause. As their awareness
> of the true significance of Bahá'u'lláh grows, they will
> become weaned from the old ideas and give full allegiance to
> His teachings.
> 
> (30 June 1952, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 221 When enrolling new believers, we must be wise and gentle,
> and not place so many obstacles in their way that they feel it
> impossible to accept the Faith. On the other hand, once
> accorded membership in the Community of the followers of
> Bahá'u'lláh, it must be brought home to them that they are
> expected to live up to His Teachings, and to show forth the
> signs of a noble character in conformity with His Laws. This
> can often, be done gradually, after the new believer is enrolled.
> 
> (25 June 1953, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 222 ... we noted your decision to place a notice in your Bahá'í
> newsletter requesting clothing for the new believers, who are
> described as "primitive".
> 
> It is not clear from the information contained in your Minutes
> whether your decision to obtain clothing for the new believers
> is for humanitarian reasons or whether it is your wish to clothe
> the believers whose tribal custom does not require clothing. If
> your reasons are humanitarian, certainly the plight of people in
> great need arouses concern and sympathy in all of us. You
> should bear in mind, however, that to begin such a program
> might well endanger the future of the Cause among those
> people and would affect the motives of other members of the
> tribe when again offered the bounty of becoming followers of
> Bahá'u'lláh. Assemblies, either Local or National, must
> always hold as their first consideration that we, with our
> limited resources, have the obligation to establish the World
> 
> Order of Bahá'u'lláh, and that while millions of people can
> support projects such as this one, only Bahá'ís may contribute
> to the work of the Cause.
> 
> If it is the tribal custom of those believers to remain unclothed,
> you should avoid taking steps to obtain clothing for them or to
> request them to wear clothing at this stage in their deepening.
> The changing of such a custom should be a natural and
> gradual process, and not an imposed one. We should avoid the
> mistakes which have been made in the past by missionaries.
> 
> (8 February 1972, the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 223 Concerning your question whether Bahá'ís can participate in
> the rites of other religions, it is clear from letters written on
> behalf of the Guardian that while Bahá'ís are encouraged to
> associate with the followers of other religions, they should not
> in any way identify themselves with the doctrines and usages
> of other religions. There may be a few cases, however, when
> withdrawal of the new believer from membership in a religious
> organization and his non-observance of its ceremonies and
> customs may take place gradually, with the permission or upon
> the advice of your National Assembly, which must consider
> such situations carefully and render its decision in each case
> separately.
> 
> (10 July 1978, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 224 The cardinal purpose of the Bahá'í Faith is to establish the
> oneness of the human race. As we do this, we bring into the
> Bahá'í community people of many varied backgrounds and
> temperaments, and only gradually can true unity be forged out
> of such divergent elements while preserving the desirable
> diversities which are not inconsistent with the divine
> Teachings. This is most apparent in tribal societies, which
> have very strong traditions. The Spiritual Assemblies in such
> countries have the task, while teaching the Faith, of giving the
> people pride and self-confidence in their native traditions, of
> preserving those which are colourful enrichments of social and
> personal life, while weaning the new believers gradually away
> from those traditions which are harmful and in conflict with
> the teachings and spirit of the Cause of God. A similar process
> is necessary in Europe.
> 
> It is in establishing the unity of mankind that the
> administration of the Faith plays such a vital part ...
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá ... wrote in the strongest terms about the
> fundamental importance of the Administrative Order. In a
> Tablet to an individual believer, for example, the translation of
> which is published as section
> 69
> of Selections from the
> Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, He states:
> 
> Thou hast written concerning organization. The divine
> teachings and the admonitions and exhortations of
> Bahá'u'lláh are manifestly evident. These constitute the
> organization of the Kingdom and their enforcement is
> obligatory. The least deviation from them is absolute error.
> 
> There are also all the statements made by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His
> 
> Will and Testament
> , with which you must be familiar. By
> obeying the Spiritual Assemblies and adhering to their
> guidance, the Bahá'ís maintain the unity of the Faith, promote
> God's Covenant, and ensure that the Cause does not fly into a
> myriad conflicting sects and schools as has happened with the
> earlier religions, no matter how spiritual they have been.
> 
> (12 October 1983, written an behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 225    With regard to the questions you submitted as a result of your
> contacts with the village women, the House of Justice has
> directed us to convey its advice.
> 
> During this period of transition from practices current in the
> present social orders of tribal society to the standards
> advocated and upheld in the Bahá'í community, it is important
> for Bahá'ís to exercise patience, and endeavour to show respect
> to the tribal laws that apply in each case, provided they do not
> contradict basic Bahá'í principles and regulations involving
> such acts as denial of one's faith or contracting polygamous
> marriages. It should also be borne in mind that in cases calling
> for personal guidance, the friends should feel free to turn to
> their Local Spiritual Assemblies which, being on the spot and
> normally familiar with tribal and customary practices as well
> as with the Bahá'í teachings which apply, will be able to
> proffer advice, suggest solutions to personal difficulties and,
> indeed, in some cases, be themselves instrumental in resolving
> the problems.
> 
> (12 January 1986, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 226 When a Spiritual Assembly is faced with questions of possible
> conflict between tribal practices and Bahá'í law, it should
> distinguish between aspects of tribal community life which are
> related to fundamental laws (such as monogamy) and matters
> of lesser importance, from which the friends can and should
> extricate themselves gradually. Furthermore, the House of
> Justice has offered the advice that the institutions of the Faith
> should be careful not to press the friends to arbitrarily discard
> those local traditions which are harmless and often colourful
> characteristics of particular peoples and tribes. Were a new
> Bahá'í suddenly to cease following the customs of his people,
> it is possible that they might misunderstand the true nature of
> the Bahá'í Faith, and the Bahá'ís could be regarded as having
> turned against the traditions of the land. However, Bahá'ís
> should exercise vigilance, with the aid of the institutions of the
> Faith, to avoid inadvertent involvement in events which appear
> at first sight to be purely cultural and traditional in nature, but
> which are, in fact, held as a cover for politically oriented
> gatherings. The weaning away of the Bahá'ís from customs
> and traditions which have been established among
> communities for centuries takes time and is a gradual process.
> While an Assembly should avoid rigidity in these matters, it
> should also not compromise when the interests of the Faith
> and its integrity and independence are at stake ...
> 
> When the Bahá'í community in a village is a significant
> proportion of the population, it has a wide range of
> opportunities to be an example and an encouragement of
> means of improving the quality of life in the village. Among
> the initiatives which it might take are measures to foster child
> education, adult literacy and the training of women to better
> discharge their responsibilities as mothers and to play an
> enlarged role in the administrative and social life of the
> village; encouragement of the people of the village to join
> together in devotions, perhaps in the early morning,
> irrespective of their varieties of religious belief; support of
> efforts to improve the hygiene and the health of the village,
> including attention to the provision of pure water, the
> preservation of cleanliness in the village environment, and
> education in the harmful effects of narcotic and intoxicating
> substances. No doubt other possibilities will present
> 
> themselves to the village Bahá'í community and its Local
> Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> (25 July 1988, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 227    The matters raised in your letter are concerned with the
> differing cultures in ..., and their expression in the Bahá'í
> community. The aim of the Bahá'í Faith is to maintain cultural
> diversity while promoting the unity of all peoples. This
> diversity will enrich human life in a peaceful world society.
> Within the Bahá'í community the cultural traditions of the
> people who comprise it should be observed, as long as those
> traditions are not contrary to the Bahá'í teachings. It should
> also be recognized that many cultural practices will eventually
> disappear or be merged with related ones from other societies
> as the social evolution of mankind continues.
> 
> The application of these principles requires great wisdom and
> the exercise of careful judgement on the part of the Spiritual
> Assemblies. When there is a conflict between a traditional
> cultural practice and the Bahá'í teachings, the Assembly
> concerned must decide whether the issue involved is of
> fundamental importance, in which case the traditional practice
> cannot be continued by the Bahá'ís, or whether it is of lesser
> importance, such that the believers can be left to gradually
> extricate themselves from it over a period of time. An
> Assembly must also carefully seek out and follow a path
> which offers encouragement and support to each culture with
> which it comes in contact, while taking care not to slight the
> rights and preferences of the believers whose cultural group
> constitutes the majority in the community.
> 
> You are urged to consult fully and frankly with the Spiritual
> Assemblies concerning the issues raised in your letter. Also,
> you may well find it useful to seek advice from the
> Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members on these matters.
> Should you find yourself in disagreement with a decision of
> the National Spiritual Assembly on a specific issue which you
> feel to be of fundamental importance, you are free to appeal to
> the National Assembly for reconsideration of the matter or for
> its submission to the Universal House of Justice; in the latter
> case, the Assembly will transmit your appeal together with its
> 
> own comments. By following these approaches, the unity of
> the Bahá'í community is preserved as it devises appropriate
> means of responding to the new challenges associated with the
> expansion of the scope of its endeavours.
> 
> (7 May 1989, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 228 With regard to the ritual use of peyote within the Native
> American Church, it is understood that this practice is
> countenanced by civil law. However, this should not alter the
> clear understanding that, according to Bahá'í law, the use of
> peyote and similar hallucinogenic agents is prohibited to
> Bahá'ís except when prescribed for medical treatment by
> competent physicians. Notwithstanding the prohibition
> observed by Bahá'ís in this respect, the friends are advised to
> adopt attitudes of tolerance and forbearance with regard to the
> beliefs and practices of others and to exercise patience with
> new believers in the Cause. Any Bahá'í who is found to be
> involved in the use of peyote should be told by his Assembly
> that in the Faith spiritual stimulation comes from turning one's
> heart to Bahá'u'lláh and not through any physical means. The
> Assembly should therefore encourage him, patiently but
> persistently, to give up the use of peyote; otherwise it is not
> possible for him to maintain membership in the Bahá'í
> community.
> 
> (7 August 1989, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 229 Regarding the use of traditional curative herbs, any herb
> known to have medicinal effects can surely be used by the
> friends, and those administering such medicaments should be
> left entirely free to carry out their profession. However, it must
> be borne in mind that this is different from traditional fetishist
> practices which involve communication with departed spirits.
> 
> (23 December 1991, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 230 ... the House of Justice does not wish to go beyond its
> statement in 1985 that, "While we feel that under present
> circumstances the drinking of kava should not be summarily
> banned, the believers should be gradually weaned away from
> its use." Any action to be taken on the use of kava is left to the
> decision of National Spiritual Assemblies.
> 
> Since you are a member of the National Assembly of..., you
> are certainly free to raise the matter with it from time to time,
> as you deem wise. However, in dealing with such matters it is
> often well to emphasize the role Bahá'í communities are to
> play in bringing about the changes essential for the
> transformation of society.
> 
> (20 April 1993, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to an individual believer)
> 
> 231 The House of Justice has given careful consideration to the
> question of the genital mutilation of girls, otherwise known as
> "female circumcision". No reference in the Bahá'í Writings to
> this subject has come to light; however, the House of Justice
> regards the practice of female circumcision as contrary to the
> spirit of the Bahá'í Teachings.
> 
> The House of Justice has noted a growing concern on the part
> of medical authorities in Africa and other places over the
> various methods and dire consequences of the operations
> involved in such genital mutilation ...
> 
> Because this damaging custom is entrenched in tradition and is
> reported to be widespread in Africa, the Bahá'í institutions
> have the duty of weaning the friends from it through an
> ongoing programme of education based on spiritual principles
> and sound scientific information.
> 
> (29 March 1995, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> to a National Spiritual Assembly)
> 
> 232 In many of the nations of your area, women have traditionally
> been restricted to a secondary role in the life of society. We
> call upon the Bahá'í women of these countries, assured of the
> support and encouragement of all elements of the Bahá'í
> community, to demonstrate the transforming power of this
> Revelation by their courage and initiative in the teaching work
> and their full participation in the administrative activities of
> the Faith.
> 
> (Ridván 1996, the Universal House of Justice to
> the Followers of Bahá'u'lláh in Australasia)
> 
> Notes:
> 
> 1
> 
> . Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated 19 November 1945, written on his behalf,
> explained that: "The Seven Lights of Unity will not necessarily appear in the
> order given. A product of the second may well be universal culture."
> 
> 2
> 
> . The Secret of Divine Civilization, p.
> 75
> 
> 3
> 
> . 20 November 1955, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual
> believer.
> 
> 4
> 
> . Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p.
> 291
> .
> 
> 5
> 
> . 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912,
> rev. ed. (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982), p.
> 182
> .
> 
> 6
> 
> . "the Negro, the Indian, the Eskimo, and Jewish races".
> 
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