G: But in some ways the larger issue is that if Susan hadn't made her
comment and I hadn't read similar things elsewhere and I had heard
your accusation towards Islam for the first time, then it would have
been misleading. I'm "ok" with the idea that western liberals like the
idea of a secular government and are going to have certain qualms
about Islamic governments, but if you criticize Islam and give the
impression that you would like to see secular governments, when in
reality you are just in favor of a different kind of theocracy, that
certain gives the impression of being evasive (at best).
J: Baha'is really aren't bad people, trust me. The person you are refering to had incorrect information or a difference of opinion about the Baha'i teachings.Read Susan's emails about the Baha'i view on theocracy, it is spelled out pretty clearly and in detail, including quotes for Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice.
Let me summarize this key point from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi for clarification, if you don't have time to read them yourself (btw, my paraphrasing and cutting and pasting may be incorrect, but this is how I understood it, so forgive me if the cut and paste totally messes up the meaning of it):
1) Christianity and Islam
"The Catholic Church and the Caliphate" were not directly sanctioned by Muhammad or by Christ. Therefore they are "not divinely given" and are considered to be "man-made". However, since they are "partly derived from the teachings of Christ and Muhammad", they are "in a sense theocracies."2) Baha'i Faith
"The Baha'i theocracy, on the contrary, is both divinely ordained as a system and, of course, based on the teachings of the Prophet (Baha'u'llah) Himself."What does Shoghi Effendi mean by saying that the Baha'i theocracy is (1) divinely ordained and (2) based on the teachings of Baha'u'llah? He is refering to specific verses from Baha'u'llah's writings (among others). As you already know, neither Christianity nor Islam has writings from the Bible nor the Qur'an that directly point to who has divine authority to guide or govern the people.
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