Conditions under which a person becomes a Covenant-breaker - 23 March 1975

Every Bahá'í is at liberty, nay is urged, to freely express his opinion and his understanding of the Teachings, but all this is in a totally different category from that of a Bahá'í who opposes the clear Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh or who asserts his own opinion as an authoritative and correct interpretation of the teachings, and attacks or opposes the very Institutions which Bahá'u'lláh has created to protect His Covenant. When a person declares his acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God he becomes a party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation. If he then turns round and attacks Bahá'u'lláh or the Central Institution of the Faith he violates the Covenant. If this happens every effort is made to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his actions, but if he persists he must, in accordance with the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated March 23, 1975 to an individual believer; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Treatment of human body for medical research - 18 March 1975

To your fourth questions, a Bahá'í when dissecting a human body for the purposes of medical study, should keep in mind that since the body was once the temple of the spirit it must be treated with respect even though there is no further connection between the two. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated March 18, 1975 to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’) 

The “symbol of the Greatest Name should not be used on gravestones” - 15 March 1975

Although there exists an instruction that the symbol of the Greatest Name should not be used on gravestones, no instruction has been found prohibiting the use of the symbol of the Greatest Name on any other particular item, such as jewelry, books or pamphlets. However, the Greatest Name should not be used in an undignified manner. Nothing has been found which would prohibit a believer from manufacturing and selling items using the Greatest Name provided that the manner in which the Greatest Name is used is dignified.  

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated March 25, 1975; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Age at which formal education should begin for children - 10 March 1975

There is nothing in the teachings specifically to state that a child must not be separated from its parents and its home for the first five years of its life. In a Tablet, however, 'Abdu'l-Bahá points out that formal education at school begins when the child is five years old. Shoghi Effendi has indicated in one of his letters that the formulation of system of education based on the teachings can only be gradually undertaken, and has to be accomplished by Bahá'í scholars and educationalists of the future... 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, March 10, 1975; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

The Greater and Lesser Covenant - 3 March 1975

There is, for example, the Greater Covenant which every Manifestation of God makes with His followers, promising that in the fullness of time a new Manifestation will be sent, and taking from them the undertaking to accept Him when this occurs. There is also the Lesser Covenant that a Manifestation of God makes with His followers that they will accept His appointed successor after Him. If they do so, the Faith can remain united and pure. If not, the Faith becomes divided and its force spent… It is a Covenant of this kind that Bahá'u'lláh made with His followers regarding 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and that 'Abdu'l-Bahá perpetuated through the Administrative Order that Bahá'u'lláh had already created. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Letter from the Universal House of Justice, dated March 3, 1975, to an individual believer; Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

The “three different aspects of teaching” - 27 February 1975

The House of Justice . . . has instructed us to point out that proclamation, expansion, and consolidation are really three different aspects of teaching which to some degree merge into one another and therefore it is largely for each National Spiritual Assembly to decide how it will allocate these different aspects to committees in light of the volume of the work and the condition in each country. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, dated February 27, 1975, to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Concerning certain instructions in the Long Obligatory Prayer - 13 February 1975

The Universal House of Justice received your letter of 7 January 1975, enquiring about the correct way of following certain instructions in the Long Obligatory Prayer, and has asked us to give you this reply.

In following the direction stating: 'Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication, and say': ... the believer does not have to read twice the paragraph which follows. Whether the believer raises his hands twice before the reciting of the paragraph, or commences the reciting after having raised his hands once, and raises them a second time soon thereafter, is left to his choice.

As to the direction which states: 'Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say: ... . ', an individual believer asked the beloved Guardian the following question: "... the direction to raise the hands thrice and say 'greater is God than every great one.' Does this mean after every raising of the hands, or only to be said once, after the three raisings?'

Shoghi Effendi's secretary answered on his behalf as follows:

"The hands should be raised three times and each time the sentence be repeated in conjunction with the act." 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice dated February 13, 1975; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Civil divorce does not complete the requirements for Baha’i divorce - February 1975

Even though a Bahá'í has obtained a civil divorce, under Bahá'í law he cannot be regarded as divorced unless he has also obtained a Bahá'í divorce, therefore he is not free to marry. Should he attempt to marry and in the process violate the Bahá'í law governing marriage, he is, of course, subject to sanction. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter Letter dated February 13, 1975, quoted in the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada's Assembly Resource Compilation, p. DIV-21; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition) 

Use of admonitions and stern warnings to NSA members re abstinence from intoxicating drinks - 10 February 1975

Flagrant violation by members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í requirement to abstain from intoxicating drinks will certainly have a debilitating effect on the national community, and these violations should be forcefully resisted through frank consultation of the matter by the Counsellors with the National Spiritual Assembly, so that in addition to admonishments, stern warnings be given to the member or members concerned, and sanctions imposed, if disregard of Bahá'í laws is continued. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a memorandum dated 10 February 1975 to the International Teaching Centre; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Prohibition on Drinking Alcohol)

Purchasing property for local Haziratu'l-Quds - 6 February 1975

We have been asked to say that there is no objection to the Local Assembly looking for a property to purchase for their Haziratu'l-Quds, but they should be reminded that in addition to the initial cost of acquisition they must be prepared to assume the continuing costs of upkeep, maintenance, and services. They should also decide whether they can manage the financial outlay required without interfering with the discharge of their other responsibilities toward the success of the Five Year Plan [1974-1979]. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, dated February 6, 1975, to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition) 

To chant a prayer collectively - 6 February 1975

You have asked whether it is permissible for the friends to chant a prayer collectively. There is a difference between chanting a prayer collectively and congregational prayer. The latter is a formal prayer usually led by an individual using a prescribed ritual. Congregational prayer in this form is forbidden in the Faith except in the case of the Prayer for the Dead. While reciting prayers in unison and spontaneously joining in the recitation of the Words of God is not forbidden, the friends should bear in mind the advice of the beloved Guardian on this subject when he stated that:

“although the friends are thus left free to follow their own inclination, ... they should take the utmost care that any manner they practice should not acquire too rigid a character, and thus develop into an institution. This is a point which the friends should always bear in mind, lest they deviate from the clear path indicated in the Teachings."[ Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas] 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, dated 6 February 1975; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Extracts on Baha’i Burial)

Abortion - 5 February 1975

Basically the deliberate taking of human life is forbidden in the Cause, but the Sacred Text envisages certain possible exceptions to this rule and allows for the Universal House of Justice to legislate upon them. One such possible exception is the matter of abortion. It is clear that it is absolutely forbidden for a woman to have an abortion merely because she wants to have one, but there may be circumstances in which an abortion might be justified. However, at the present time we do not wish to legislate on whether or in what circumstances abortion may be permitted, and therefore the whole matter is left to the consciences of those concerned who must carefully weigh the medical advice on the case in the light of the general guidance given in the Teachings. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated February 5, 1975 to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

When an LSA member may wish to absent himself from a meeting - 22 January 22, 1975

It should also be understood that a member may wish to absent himself from a meeting at which subjects in which he is personally involved are to be discussed. In such cases he may do so unless the Assembly requires him to be present.  

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated January 22, 1975 to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Attending church with Christian parents - 19 January 1975

If the parents of a Bahá'í couple are, for example, Christians, there is no objection to their attending church with their parents and their parents' friends and relations, if their parents so wish, in order to pray for the future of the marriage, but such attendance should not involve any form of marriage ceremony or simulated marriage ceremony. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated January 19, 1975 to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

Inactive believers - 18 December 1974

Concerning your question about inactive believers, the Universal House of Justice feels that it would be somewhat abrupt to drop them from the roster simply because they have been absent from meetings or otherwise inactive. They should be approached and the reasons for their absence or inactivity ascertained, and only when such investigation leads you to the conclusion that the believer concerned no longer believes in Bahá'u'lláh should this definitely be recognized. Every case of inactivity should be investigated and the believers lovingly encouraged to become active. A distinction is to be made between those who are interested in the Faith but remain inactive and those whose inactively indicated complete lack of interest in the Faith to the extent that they have in fact ceased to be Bahá'ís. In this latter instant removal from the list is simply recognition of this fact. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the North West Pacific Ocean, December 18, 1974; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Use of radio in “proclamation, expansion and deepening” - 12 December 1974

The religious and cultural content of your programs is important alike for achieving the goals of the Faith and bringing education and service to the non-Bahá'ís' community....

Your perception of Bahá'í needs and their satisfaction through radio broadcasts has prepared you for what may well, in time, be hailed as an historic forward step in proclamation, expansion and deepening through the medium of radio, a medium which the beloved Guardian hoped would be exploited on behalf of the Cause of God. We congratulate you and look forward to news of your progress in this significant initial program. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (Letter from the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual assembly of Ecuador, December 12, 1974; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)

Ways in which a Baha’i can help improving the conditions of humanity - 19 November 1974

It is understandable that Bahá'ís who witness the miserable conditions under which so many human beings have to live, or who hear of a sudden disaster that has struck a certain area of the world, are moved to do something practical to ameliorate those conditions and to help their suffering fellow-mortals.

There are many ways in which help can be rendered. Every Bahá'í has the duty to acquire a trade or profession through which he will earn that wherewith he can support himself and his family; in the choice of such work he can seek those activities which are of benefit to his fellow-men and not merely those which promote his personal interests, still less those whose effects are actually harmful.

There are also the situations in which an individual Bahá'í or a Spiritual Assembly is confronted with an urgent need which neither justice nor compassion could allow to go unheeded and unhelped. How many are the stories told of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in such situations, when He would even take off a garment He was wearing and give it to a shivering man in rags.

“It is not merely material well-being that people need” - 19 November 1974

In our concern for such immediate obvious calls upon our succor we must not allow ourselves to forget the continuing, appalling burden of suffering under which millions of human beings are always groaning -- a burden which they have borne for century upon century and which it is the mission of Bahá'u'lláh to lift at last. The principal cause of this suffering, which one can witness wherever one turns, is the corruption of human morals and the prevalence of prejudice, suspicion, hatred, untrustworthiness, selfishness and tyranny among men. It is not merely material well-being that people need. What they desperately need is to know how to live their lives -- they need to know who they are, to what purpose they exist, and how they should act towards one another; and, once they know the answers to these questions they need to be helped to gradually apply these answers to everyday behavior. It is to the solution of this basic problem of mankind that the greater part of all our energy and resources should be directed. There are mighty agencies in this world, governments, foundations, institutions of many kinds with tremendous financial resources which are working to improve the material lot of human beings. Anything we Bahá'ís could add to such resources in the way of special funds or contributions would be a negligible drop in the ocean. However, alone among men we have the divinely-given remedy for the real ills of mankind; no one else is doing or can do this most important work. . . . 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated November 19, 1974; compilation: Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)

“attending weddings of Bahá'ís who are marrying contrary to Bahá'í law” - 11 November 1974

Further to your letter of 5 September 1974, the Universal House of Justice has now had an opportunity to consider your question about believers attending weddings of Bahá'ís who are marrying contrary to Bahá'í law, and we have been asked to convey to you the following.

If it is known beforehand that a believer is violating such laws, it would be inappropriate for the friends to attend the ceremony. This is out of respect for Bahá'í law. However, if without realizing the situation believers find themselves in attendance at a ceremony in the course of which it is apparent that such a violation is occurring, they should not make an issue of it. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated November 11, 1974 to a National Spiritual Assembly; compilation: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies [Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities], NSA of USA, 1998 edition)