>>Brent wrote: "For example on page 6 of the Constitution, quoted from WOB >>153, the Guardian states that the House is divinely guided whether it is >>making legislative, administrative, or judicial decisions. "
Susan Wrote: "What passage from the World Order of Baha'u'llah are you referring to Brent? Can you post it here? Susan." Sure: "In the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Faith, in the enactment of the legislation necessary to supplement the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the members of the Universal House of Justice, it should be borne in mind, are not, as Bahá'u'lláh's utterances clearly imply, responsible to those whom they represent, nor are they allowed to be governed by the feelings, the general opinion, and even the convictions of the mass of the faithful, or of those who directly elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and promptings of their conscience. They may, indeed they must, acquaint themselves with the conditions prevailing among the community, must weigh dispassionately in their minds the merits of any case presented for their consideration, but must reserve for themselves the right of an unfettered decision. 'God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth', is Bahá'u'lláh's incontrovertible assurance. They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them, have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the life-blood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation." The legislative and judicial functions are explicit. The judicial function is expressed in the words "any case presented for their consideration". This quote is particularly important because it specifies that it is the elected membership that receives this guidance; i.e. not dependent on the presence of the Guardian. Finally, Shoghi Effendi describes this guidance that flows to the elected membership as the "ultimate safeguard" of the Revelation. This is in contrast to democracies, where the ultimate safeguard is the informed electorate, with the corollary of the extreme importance of freedom of the press. In the Baha'i system the ultimate safeguard is, to paraphrase from the Master's Will, the whispers of the Bab and Baha'u'llah in the ears of the House members; or, as Shoghi Effendi says in the above passage, "their conscience." When all is said and done ten thousand years from now, it may well be that, after the Master, this guidance will be seen to have been the greatest legacy that Baha'u'llah has left. Brent __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
