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> (2) The Assemblies and other institutions can never supplant the
> governments - even if asked very nicely. This is explicit in numerous
> texts:
>
> "Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect
> the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any
> circumstances, the provisions of their country's constitution, much
> less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the
> government of their respective countries."
> (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 65)
And here is the explicit statement from the Universal House of Justice
on this issue:
A careful reading of the letter dated 6 December 1928 in which the
Guardian's comment about the separation of Church and State occurs
would suggest that, rather than enunciating a general principle,
Shoghi Effendi is simply reviewing "the quickening forces of internal
reform" that had "recently transpired throughout the Near and Middle
East", and enumerating a number of factors that impinge on the
development of the Faith in those parts of the world.
As for the statement made by Shoghi Effendi in his letter of 21 March
1932, the well-established principles of the Faith concerning the
relationship of the Baha'i institutions to those of the country in
which the Baha'is reside make it unthinkable that they would ever
purpose to violate a country's constitution or so to meddle in its
political machinery as to attempt to take over the powers of
government. This is an integral element of the Baha'i principle of
abstention from involvement in politics. However, this does not by any
means imply that the country itself may not, by constitutional means,
decide to adopt Baha'i laws and practices and modify its constitution
or method of government accordingly. The relationship between the
principle of abstention from involvement in politics and the emergence
of the Baha'i State is commented on later in this letter. In the
meantime we can quote the following extracts from letters written on
behalf of the Guardian in response to queries from individual
believers, which indicate that the relationship is an evolving one:
Regarding the question raised in your letter, Shoghi Effendi believes
that for the present the Movement, whether in the East or the West,
should be dissociated entirely from politics. This was the explicit
injunction of `Abdu'l-Baha... Eventually, however, as you have rightly
conceived it, the Movement will, as soon as it is fully developed and
recognized, embrace both religious and political issues. In fact
Baha'u'llah clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious
questions are to be referred to the House of Justice into which the
Assemblies of the Baha'is will eventually evolve. (30 November 1930)
The Baha'is will be called upon to assume the reins of government when
they will come to constitute the majority of the population in a given
country, and even then their participation in political affairs is
bound to be limited in scope unless they obtain a similar majority in
some other countries as well. (19 November 1939)
The Baha'is must remain non-partisan in all political affairs. In the
distant future, however, when the majority of a country have become
Baha'is then it will lead to the establishment of a Baha'i State. (19
April 1941)
but
> how individual Bahais will behave as they become increasingly
> involved in politics, and eventually in some cases hold the reins of
> power.
A literal interpretation of the passages you just quoted would preclude that.
Should they place in the arena the crown of the government of the
whole world, and invite each one of us to accept it, undoubtedly we
shall not condescend, and shall refuse to accept it.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 50)
This says something about individuals [each one of us] not
institutions refusing to accept sovereignty.
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