The Baha’i Faith as an organization does the complete opposite of what they teach ‘seekers’. They tell interested souls that it is a universal religion that accepts the validity of all religions, then goes around telling its own membership that the world is suffering because all of humanity hasn’t become Baha’is. It tells interested minds that the Baha’i Faith doesn’t demand or accept blind faith, unlike those ‘old religions’, but then tells skeptical believers that ‘there are some things you’re just going to have to accept, even if you can’t understand the wisdom of it at the moment’.
It tells open hearts that there is no clergy in the Baha’i Faith, that the consciences of human beings are sacred and should be protected, that every one has the right and obligation to independently investigate the truth, that every one has the right to express their concerns and opinions without fear; yet its top leadership dis-enrolls, excommunicates, and shuns those who ‘cross the line’.
If the Universal House of Justice would just once answer these legitimate objections that thousands have about the current administration of the Baha’i Faith, including many members (some of whom are quiet and some not so quiet), that would be a good start. But it appears that the people in the ‘higher up’ positions are just interested in short term goals and securing their status for as long as they can milk it. It’s sad, really, because the Baha’i Faith could have been a tremendous spiritual force in this world. But its vitality has been sapped by extreme over organization, meetings about nothing, meetings about having meetings, misplaced loyalties, politics when it suits their cause, abstention from politics when it is non-Baha’is who are suffering, etc.
It still makes me angry that this institution dares to say that it is because of Baha’u’llah’s ‘blessings’ that all of this ‘great’ stuff is being done by the rank and file Baha’i membership obeying their instructions. It offends me that they drag his name through the mud to promote their agenda, and I’m not even a Baha’i anymore. But I still have respect and appreciation for Baha’u’llah, enough to get mad when an institution will exploit his name and life’s work to further meaningless ‘plans’ that never do anything but entrap a few new members every year.
Since the Baha’i Faith is not going to take over the world, people know that how many people in the world call themselves “Baha’i” is pretty much meaningless. What matters is what values, principles and causes people are working for, giving their time and energy and money to make a constructive difference in the world. If Baha’is would take at least 50% of the time, energy, and money they’re currently devoting to the “global Plan” for “intensive programmes of growth” promoted by their beloved, supposedly infallible UHJ, and transfer those human and financial resources into doing actual work to promote ideals Baha’is have always believed in — things such as overcoming racism and gender discrimination, reducing the gap between rich and poor, and striving for peace between nations and religions — they might find that more people would want to get involved in their religious community!
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