Dear Brent,
I'm eagerly looking forward to an interesting and informative discussion on
this important topic.
--- Brent Poirier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I would like to offer some thoughts on this subject raised by Haji Mirza
> Jinab-i-Ahang Texas-i.
And the fun begins ...
> The House of Justice continues, however, that "it cannot logically be deduced
> from this that one is unable to function in the absence of the other. During
> the whole thirty-six years of his Guardianship Shoghi Effendi functioned
> without the Universal House of Justice. Now the Universal House of Justice
> must function without the Guardian..." (Ibid.)
Yes, while the House of Justice has every right to operate without a living
Guardian, the fact that a living Guardian is no longer possible has some
implications. I don't know what those implications may be, but the answer is
not: none!
What we have to do, then is to go back in time and piece together what
Baha'u'llah wrote on the subject and how He envisioned it, especially in regard
to the issue of infallibility and the scope thereof, then how Abdu'l-Baha
expanded the scope and how He envisioned the role of the House with a living
Guardian, etc.
This has to be developed forward in time, meaning from the Writings of
Baha'u'llah to the present, and not the other way around.
> The House of Justice has published a number of quotations from the Master and
> from Shoghi Effendi that state that the divine guidance flowing to the
> Universal House of Justice comes through its elected members and is not
> derived from the Guardian:
>
> "Nowhere is it stated that the infallibility of the Universal House of
> Justice is by virtue of the Guardian's membership or presence on that body.
> Indeed, Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will and Shoghi Effendi in his 'Dispensation of
> Bahá'u'lláh' have both explicitly stated that the elected members of the
> Universal House of Justice in consultation are recipients of unfailing Divine
> Guidance."
> (Messages, p. 157)
Yes, but exact same thing is stated in regard to all Spiritual Assemblies.
That is, in consultation, they are all recipient of Divine Guidance.
> As the House says, though the vision of the Master was that these
> institutions would function together, the view that the infallibility of the
> House was through the Guardian is not supported in the Writings.
I'm not saying that the infallibility of the House is *dependent* upon service
of a living Guardian. I'm saying that the scope of it *might* be impacted.
> "Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly
> recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice.
And how to do square the statement above, which admittedly is very broad, with
Baha'u'llah specific instruction for the House of Justice not to get involved
with issues that had to do with "acts of worship"?
> It is incumbent upon *these members* (of the Universal House of Justice) to
> gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused
> difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly
> recorded in the Book. Whatsoever *they* decide has the same effect as the
> Text itself."
> (Will and Testament p. 20; emphasis added).
Again, in my very fallible view, this is different than what Baha'u'llah
stated. It is an expansion of the scope given in 8th Bisharat. The reason
that Abdu'l-Baha was able to expand this scope was because He added a Guardian
to the House to serve as its permanent member and head.
> and that there is no reference to Shoghi Effendi or to the
> institution of Guardianship in this second part of the Will.
I'm sorry, but I'm not buying that. The second part was meant as a
continuation of the first part, which very heavily focuses on the Guardianship.
Clearly, they were meant as part and parcel of the same document.
I completely agree with the rest of your post which I won't quote.
Best regards,
Ahang.
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