An open letter to Augusto Lopez-Claros by a concerned Baha'i

Dr Augusto Lopez-Claros is currently Chair of Global Governance Forum. He is an economist with over 30 years of experience in international organisation and has worked in a number of senior roles at the World Bank, where he was Director of the Global Indicators Group, at the World Economic Forum, where he was Chief Economist and the International Monetary Fund. He has published extensively on a range of economic development topics and issues of international cooperation and has also lectured at some of the world’s leading universities, think tanks and international organisations. His latest books are Equality for Women = Prosperity for All (2018, St. Martin's Press) and Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century (2020, Cambridge University Press). By Faith he is a follower of the Baha'i Faith.

This is an open letter to Dr Augusto Lopez-Claros who shares with the Baha'is commitment to the ideals and principles of the Baha'i Faith. One of the principles of the Baha'i Faith is not to involve in the politics but Dr. Augusto, a Baha'i of international repute is openly going against this very clear principle of the Baha'i Faith, set alive by our Master Abdul Baha, and defaming our institutions, specially, the Universal House of Justice, thus labeling them with a tag of hypocrisy.

1. A Vision of Democracy for the Next 100 Years

You were one of the speakers at the 100th Anniversary of Swedish Democracy, it was arranged by the Baha'i community of Sweden. Obviously you were invited to speak but you used the figure of 'Abdu’l-Bahá, one of the central figure of the Baha'i faith during the period 1892-1921, who coincidentally passed away 100 years earlier, you tried to impress the gathering about the Baha'i Faith, by presenting its ideas and principles which would assist in protecting and enhancing the practice of democracy over the next century. Starting with your speech you tried to impress the lady prime-minister that it was the blessing of Abdul Baha that Sweden has a women prime-minister. You could have concluded your speech without the mention of the Baha'i Faith, let me tell you the audience did felt at ease and thought  that you were trying to push Baha'i ideas into their minds. This is politics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_0tGxvSrX4

2. Equality of opportunity as a Driver of Prosperity: The Case of Iran 

You are openly criticizing the Govt. of Iran on their treatment of the minorities. You have accused them for unequal treatment of the Baha'i minorities, the law, and violation of people’s human rights. You say this has adversely affected various metrics of human welfare and development but you failed to criticize the inhuman and unjustified sanctions by the United States. This is nothing but involvement of oneself in politics which as a Baha'i you should haven’t done.

You are fully aware that these statements will become a cause for pushing the Govt. of Iran for more persecution. It brings a bad name to the Faith that at one hand we are called for non-involvement in politics and on the other hand Baha'i intellectuals are openly indulging in politics.

3. Russia Must Pay for Ukraine´s Reconstruction

You called the war between Ukraine and Russia terming as unprovoked and labelling Russia as the aggressor, forgetting that as a Baha'i you shouldn’t have gone for analyzing a political issue and that too one sided. At the same time, you failed to criticize the devastating sanctions imposed on Russia and its grave implications, including a freeze on the international reserves of the Central Bank of Russia. The stock market has more or less been wiped out, the ruble has come under huge pressure and there is a long list of major global corporations which have announced their departure from the Russian markets. 

You said, The war in the Ukraine is a golden opportunity that must not be wasted. It should be used to rewrite the rule book on the consequences of armed aggression. You wanted that Russia should know that it will have to pay the final bill. In the most literal sense of the word. In the meantime, you did warn and threatened the Russian people of its consequences.

Dear Aquino have you ever in the past gave this type of warning to the US aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq or the daily aggression of the State of Israel against the people of Palestine?

You may be a successful intellectual but you failed to comply yourself with the Baha'i principles and put to shame the Baha'is and the Baha'i Administration.

At the end I would quote the writings of our beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi that shows that your behavior is against the Baha'i principles and you failed to live with high Baha'i standards. I would request you, in the best interest of the Faith to please resign from your post and request the Universal House of Justice to impose administrative sanctions on you.

As the beloved Guardian has stated: “Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that worldwide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster.” For Baha’is to be drawn into such conflicts would be futile and would only perpetuate the culture of contest deranging human affairs; it would also divide the community and prevent it from making any significant contribution to the betterment of the world.

(Letter by Universal House of Justice to The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the Russian Federation dated: 20 August 2014)

Sender's name withheld for security reasons.

Story of a Baha'i who converted to Islam

Copy-pasting a comment I found under this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9oRVywTTsM&lc=Ugz02nDwq0ffZ6XqGrh4AaABAg

I used to be a Baha’i from aged 13-28 and learned more about it after I reverted to Islam than when I was IN the Faith! I would never treat a Baha’i or any other religious person/ordinary person in any bad way but the Baha’i faith is what Protestants are to the Catholic Church I guess in a way. Meaning, they got rid of all of the Islamic teachings and doctrines, dogmas, educations, traditions etc, and replaced them with very minimalistic versions of prayers or zikr etc- sometimes getting rid of it altogether, to se-a rate themselves from the Muslims. People used to ask if I were Muslim while I was Baha’i and I couldn't figure out why. But once I learned about where the Baha’i faith came from, (and they’re part of the twelver group/waiting for the 12th Imam to appear) and who began it and propagated it and it’s early history until now, I realized that it’s basically a watered down version of Islam and even in this video, this isn’t the standard "noon time Short obligatory prayer" I learned to do. He is adding other things to it and even sujood! That’s new! Normally only the Medium and Long Baha’i prayers has any prostrations in it, not the short obligatory prayer. And I recall wondering why we faced the East like Muslims do- but Baha'is are facing the 2 shrines in Akka Israel where Baha'u'lllah and Abdul-Baha are buried.

I learned a lot growing up Baha’i as we were exposed to all faiths, major ones at least during monthly "Devotions" but we never ever prayed together as Baha'is unless someone died. I kept thinking to myself that something just doesn’t feel right. Baha’i center uses Arabic for the Baha’i calendar month names, the 95 names of God/Allah, they use Arabic in the greeting of "Allah’u’Abha/Glory of God."when you greet each other at the center, to having fasts and feast days. I used to love the monthly feasts as the whole community got together but the one thing missing was Salah/prayer and there was never an appointed leader or someone of knowledge that could lead our group. I was the music "minister" if you will at my Baha’i center. It was random people with a varying range of knowledge and practice of Baha’i faith & knowledge. It’s basically Islam watered down to being very minimal in prayer (choose 1 of the 3 obligatory prayers alone with ablutions), monthly devotions at the center, 19-day fasting during the month of "A’la-March 1-19 or 2-21st" ending with Naw-Ruz" New Day/years"/Start of Spring. It was started by the Bàb but accepted by Baha’u’llah! So the very person who believed he was receiving revelation wasn’t the one to know there should be a fasting season but his Son thought to add it. You have 3 central figures who are all family who established the faith and Baha'u'llah one day in the garden claimed himself to be a prophet! But yet the Qu’ran states there will not be another prophet for humanity. Baha'is believe that every 1000 years, someone new will come but they’re waiting for the Mahdi though…

So many confusion and interesting takes from Islam to create a peaceful, ever caring faith that wants men and women to be equals but all 9 members of the UHJ are men. Even the LSAs/local spiritual assemblies felt odd to me. I was Vice President once of it and I did not have proper knowledge of the faith to take on that role but because I was the only one left to do it, I was chosen! Lol

They talk a lot about humanity being equals but men are the only decision makers when it came to the Baha’i faith. I always got the impression that when Baha’i, I was a new and improved peaceful Muslim-like religion. But really, Baha’i Faith stripped Islam of so many things and renamed it after a human being; "Bah’u’llah"/Baha’i Faith/the Baha’is.

I learned a lot while being a Baha’i but feel like it misleads so many people to think that it’s just going along with all the religions of the world but Baha’i faith goes against so many aspects of most religions that I can think of, the major ones that are Abrahamic at least, and that nothing is wrong in the slightest- but they’ll read previous scripture each devotion but somehow have their own which is the Kitab’i’Aqdas (Book of Laws), Tablets written by any of the 3 co-founders directly to people, kings, queens etc.. So it’s confusing because either they’re infallible or not. They were Muslim at one point and Baha'u'llah's father was a famous Imam and his father sort of disowned him when he realized that his son Mirza Hosein Ali (Baha'u'llah later on) was no longer following Islam. They either want to keep it safe and be close to Islamic faith, but only take what they like out of it and leave the rest, or identify themselves as a whole new religion (New World Order) that is not based in Islam at all. I can remember people asking me if I were Muslim and I used to harshly say "no! I am a Baha’i!- but but but … it’s sort of like Islam but not? And no one could understand much of what the deal was.

There is only One God for all of Creation from the beginning of time. How can it be that we have all these previous faiths that still exists and are practiced but somehow the majority of people didn’t get the message that the Baha’i faith really is what is for "The modern time we are in now."?

The Baha’i temple is even open to any religious person and has 9 doors to it. You can be Muslim and pray there or Christian and pray they’re. But I highly doubt that happens very often. I always wondered about that with the big Baha’i temple in Wilmette IL that resembles an Islamic building or even a Masjid!

I’m sure that most people of other faiths have no idea that Baha'is would except them into the Baha’i faith center or temples around the world. It isn’t widely known at all.

There are no proofs or previous revelations that Baha'u'llah was to come. There isn’t proof that he is who he said or was meant to be. It was like a family owned business that turned into a faith I guess. I felt like God was seeking me (Allah) from age 12, but I thought u had to be born overseas or be of Muslim decent to practice Islam. So anytime I had questions on why Baha’i faith looks and feels identical to Islam, minus the more active parts such as Jumah and many others, no one would ever answer me. Baha'is feel like they’re the best thing out there as they’re all loving but one you’re a "Covenant-Breaker" then you’re no long loved or accepted but yet they want you to think that. This NWO thing became creepy to me as I became older and started to learn more from outside of the Baha’i faith and I felt just like a cult but in a bigger scale. You won’t see negativity or anything or forcing this or that- but you literally have to take a Shahadah of sorts but it does not include Muhammad PBUH - and if you look up the Arabic or English copy of the short daily prayer, it’s basically the Shahadah!

Anyhow, sorry for the rant- but the Baha’i faith led me to Islam Alhamdullilah and I feel like I am on the path that is for me. I still have many Baha’i friends and love their kindness. But the NWO, UHJ and governmental buildings really did it for me once I realized that Baha’is are trained to believe that one day, all the religions will fall away and the Baha’i faith will be the religion of the world or humanity and the UHJ not even in the USA will control things! Your money is supposed to go to them too! So many things I found out once I was no longer a Baha’i. It’s so so interesting how now it’s even changing more so to people inventing new ways to perform prayer even dressing like a Muslim to using a janamaz/prayer rug etc when none of that is required of Baha’is not even in the writings.

As salam alaikum السلام عليكم everyone. Peace be upon everyone and I hope that the Baha’i faith one day won’t become the main super power over the world because it’s definitely not what it seems to be from their websites to books, and publications etc. it’s just so so odd when I reverted to Islam and saw how much the Baha’i faith had taken of Islam and what they left out or changed or claimed this or that. It’s truly amazing to me.

Ma asalama.

Nine or Nineteen Members on the Universal House of Justice? – A debate in the Baha'i Faith

When someone joins a religion, it will always be riddled with uncertainty for him or her rather than filled with faith. Even if one was born into the faith or grew up among the most devoted of friends and relatives, this is true. A religion journey is usually distinguished by great joy, astonishment, and exquisite camaraderie, as well as a great deal of doubt, difficulty, and grief.

Okay, so it's acknowledged that doubts are a natural component of religious beliefs, and when people have concerns, they strive to work through them, investigate them, and emerge stronger and more confident in their views. Perhaps there are good answers to your doubts, and as a result, your faith will be stronger and more solid. On the other hand, if you don't get any positive replies, you'll be forced to choose between sticking with a religion you know isn't logical and abandoning it in favour of ideas that are.

Now, imagine there are contradictions and incompatibilities in what one perceives to be true, only to discover later that it was all untrue and based on selfish gain? There is a laundry list of such items forced down Bahais' throats that are not supported by the Bahai Scriptures and are not founded on Bahaullah and Abdul Baha's teachings. Today, I'd want to look at one of the items on that list and compare it to the teachings of the Bahai faith's founders.

Among the many incompatibilities and inconsistencies in the Bahai Faith's beliefs, practices, and governance, such as the continuation of Guardianship, the authenticity of Abdul Baha's Will and Testament, the validity of the current Universal House of Justice, and the non-election of women to the UHJ, to which the current Administration has provided no satisfactory answer, a new controversy is arising that will strike the foundations of the UHJ, and it is the number of members. For these integers that are diagonally opposite each other, we discover various references. Some sources claim 19, while others say between 9 and 19, and some state things that aren't specifically referenced in the Holy Scriptures.

The Bahai faith is unable to make decisions on a number of contentious problems, one of which being where nine should be used and where nineteen should be applied. There is a clear reference from Abdul Baha stating that the UHJ will have 19 members.

1- We can see that Abdul Baha clearly said that the UHJ will have 19 members.

The King and Rulers of the world will find their true authority under the ruling of House of Justice. The Laws of God will be vested in nineteen men who will compose the House of Justice and render decisions…. The House of Justice will decide between kings and kings. All judgment will be from the standpoint of God’s law

(Ten days in the light of Acca by Julite M. Grundy, Printed in Chicago December 1907. Published by Bahai Publishing Society Chicago, ILLIONIS, U.S.A. WORDS OF ABDUL BAHA)

2-The Present universal House of justice is advocating for membership between 9 and 19.

The number of members of the Universal House of Justice is not explicitly fixed at nine, (a) and in a Tablet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated that the Universal House of Justice may function with up to nineteen members at its discretion. (b)

According to Ali Nakhjawani, Abdul Baha claimed that the number "might be 19," and that he justifies this by stating, "We had a meeting of UHJ with members of ITC, and the members were 18 and manageable."

A member of the Universal House of Justice incorrectly attributes this to Abdul Baha. 'Ninteen' is plainly referenced in the previous passage.

(a) 1998 letter by / on behalf of Universal House of Justice

(b) 'Ali Nakhjavani, Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of his Pen, Casa Editrice Baha'i, 2006, p 251

3- The number of members is not specifically specified in Holy Text, according to Shoghi Effendi's secretary. This is also incorrect.

"The membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined to men. Fixing the number of the members, the procedures for election and the term of membership will be known later, as these are not explicitly revealed in the Holy Text." (27 May 1940)

(Women on the Universal House of Justice: by / on behalf of Universal House of Justice, 1988-05-31, date of original: 1998)

4- Another study argues that the UHJ should be made up of 19 people. The Local Spiritual Assembly was most likely formerly known as the Local House of Justice, and the House of Justice had 19 members in 1905.

“There are three meetings held in Bombay, on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings at six o clock. The Tuesday meeting is reserved for house of justice composed on 19 members”

(A year with the Bahais of India and Burma by Sydney Sprague second edition pa 15 The Priory Press High Street, Hampstead, London, N.W.)

Whatever the cause, the change from nineteen to nine was not a divine decree; rather, it was the kind of deception for which the Bahai faith is notorious. The Bahai Administration is now attempting to justify its nine members. This, along with several other flaws in the Bahai Faith, will cause Bahais to doubt the faith's authenticity. Without a doubt, the Bahai Faith is a man-made religion that evolves through time. Downsizing became necessary because the Bahai Administration believed that supervising and controlling 9 members would be simpler.

What is the importance of the UHJ in the Baha’i faith?

As per the teachings Bahaullah and Abdul Baha, the UHJ plays a very important role especially because it enacts laws “that are not expressly recorded in the Book,” according to the Baha’i writings, legislating on issues not covered in the original writings of Baha’u’llah and Abdul Baha:

Those matters of major importance which constitute the foundation of the Law of God are explicitly recorded in the Text, but subsidiary laws are left to the House of Justice. The wisdom of this is that the times never remain the same, for change is a necessary quality and an essential attribute of this world, and of time and place. – Abdul Baha, cited in Wellsprings of Guidance, pp. 84-86.

Abdul Baha also promised that the Universal House of Justice is “the source of all good and freed from all error.” Will and Testament of Abdul Baha, p. 19.

To summarize, the UHJ is a group of people who are responsible for looking after the whole Bahai community and for putting the teachings into practice as well as developing laws from Bahaullah's teachings. They are, in a sense, acting as a Guardian who has assumed control of the faith today. Imagine a team that has a big role to play in the Bahai world, but its basis is built on lies?! Also, if a 19-member team can become infallible when they work together, can we be confident that reducing the number to 9 will have the same outcome? Is it really possible to consider them infallible? Is it possible to trust their acts and statements at face value? Perhaps this is why, from the inception of this complete system of existing form of UHJ, the team has strayed so far from the faith. All of their choices have been discovered to have faults and weaknesses.

The big question!

Now comes the big question that every Bahai should consider: Do we still believe in a system despite its numerous flaws? If one is unable to discover solutions to his or her problems and questions, it may be time to change one's path. It doesn't have to be atheism or a different theological perspective; it only has to be one that is based on truth and is rational and clear. You should not be ashamed of seeking to discover your own path in a way that makes sense to you; you are not required to follow the same faith as your family just because you have done so previously.

Source : The Caravan, Volume 6, Edition 3
https://freebahais.org/the-caravan-magazine/

Every activity of the Baha’is is just for teaching the Baha’i faith

Baha'is always claim that the aim of their Social and economic development activities are for the betterment of the society, for the empowerment of women, to lift the levels of Jr. youth through moral education. But the reality is exactly opposite. When one reads the writings and the actual practices, we find that every activity of the Baha'is is directed towards one and only one goal and that is “Teaching the Baha'i Faith.”

One should not simply say that there is a lot of hypocrisy in the Baha'i Faith; rather, the Baha'i Faith is Hypocrisy personified. This hypocrisy is embedded in the foundations of the Baha'i Faith.

1- "Every activity... is for the purpose of teaching the Faith and confirming people."

The all-important thing of course is that every activity... is for the purpose of teaching the Faith and confirming people. Therefore you and the other Bahá'ís should watch the situation very closely. You should study those who attend the meetings, and when you find one who you feel would become a strong and active Bahá'í, then you should concentrate on teaching him. Thus, if you are able to confirm some souls, you will have rendered distinguished and outstanding service. Actually this is the goal of all such activities in all of the universities.

(From a letter dated 1 June 1955 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

https://bahai-library.com/compilation_guidelines_teaching#1992

2- Gradually and Tactfully convert the people: Baha’i Guardian Shoghi Effendi

…the upper classes … need the right type of people to approach them, and a method that can suit their mentality. Our teaching methods should allow a certain degree of elasticity in establishing contacts with various types of individual seekers. Every inquirer has to be approached from his own angle. Those who are essentially of the mystic type should first be given those teachings of the Cause which emphasize the nature and value of spiritual realities; while those who are practically minded and of a positive type are naturally more ready and inclined to accept the social aspect of the Teachings. But of course, gradually the entire Message, in all its aspects and with the full implications it entails, should be explained to the newcomer. For to be a believer means to accept the Cause in its wholeness, and not to adhere to some of its teachings.

However, as already stated, this ought to be done gradually and tactfully. For conversion is after all a slow process.

(From a letter dated 28 December 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

3- Sacred obligation is to deliver the message to their fellowmen at once, and on as large a scale as possible.

There is so much suffering, such a great and desperate need for a true remedy and the Bahá’ís should realize their sacred obligation is to deliver the message to their fellowmen at once, and on as large a scale as possible. If they fail to do so, they are really partly responsible for prolonging the agony of humanity.

(Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 127)

4- The UHJ in one of its message says:

The cornerstone of the foundation of all Bahá’í activity is teaching the Cause.

(The Universal House of Justice, Baha’i World Centre, March 3, 1977)

5- In a facebook post one active Haifan Baha'i states the following

Just a small reminder of what the House wants each and every single one of us to do NOW:

1. Become friends with all of your neighbours on your street and in your neighborhood. Invite them over to cups of tea and get to know them and go and visit them in their house. Take them a food to enjoy together with your cup of tea.
2. Host a children's class in your house and invite your neighbours children to all attend. You do not have to run it, u just have to host it.
3. Host a REGULAR devotional gathering in your house. Invite your neighbours and their kids. Share prayers together from the Faith and from other sacred traditions to make it even more amazing. Try and get chants, kids prayer songs etc
4. Help enthusiastic attendees setup regular devotional gatherings in their own homes AND accompany them in this. Help your friend to help their friends to run regular devotional meetings in their house. This process will multiply until the whole world is in a devotional gathering.
5. Host a Junior Youth Class in your House. Invite the neighbours JYs. Once you are friends with neighbours you can tell them about the JY programme.
6. Once the children and and JY start coming then offer to train their parents to become Childrens class teachers and JY animators.
7. Train the new teachers and animators and help them start a childrens class and JY in their own home (if they are far away enough in the neighborhood).
8. Accompany the new teachers and animators on their path of service towards spiritualising our new generation. Help them to do everything you just did i.e. to get them to eventually also train children class teachers and JY animators AND to accompany their new teachers and animators to setup JY programme and childrens classes in THEIR own homes. This process is now growing exponentially.
9. Repeat Cycle.

This is all we have to do. This is all the house wants us to do. If we do this the whole world will become involved in a core activity. World peace will finally come. The words of God do the work for us. All we have to do is the logistics.

The time is now. Get up stand up for your right to live in a world which is at peace. We can have world peace in ONE generation. How exciting! Are not proud to be blessed with a concrete plan on how world peace can be achieved!? Nobody else is doing this! Only us! So time to get up and stand up for YOUR RIGHT to live in a world at peace.

Allah'u'abha all and may we fill our cups with the blessings which rain down~

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209644753/permalink/10156990348534754/

According to a prominent Baha'i historical figure, the formation of Israel was "a most remarkable bloodless revolution occurred, when 4,000,000 Moslems fled and 1,000,000 Jews marched in and began tilling their ancestral soil, and a new nation was born."

 

May 18. On this date in 1954, Ruhaniyyih Ruth Moffett arrived in Israel. She described the founding of that country six years previous as "a most remarkable bloodless revolution occurred, when 4,000,000 Moslems fled and 1,000,000 Jews marched in and began tilling their ancestral soil, and a new nation was born. Today the blue and white flag with the star of Bethlehem flutters proudly over the world'' youngest democracy --"" nation as eternally old as yesterday, as eternally young as tomorrow". Phonex-like, from the ashes have risen again to build a new homeland, to develop the most stupendous, life-salvaging operation ever undertaken in the whole history of mankind, and to fulfil the promise of the Ages!"

At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18, the Royal Sabena glided along the runway to the first stop in Brussels, Belgium, after the long transoceanic flight. There the same plane was reconditioned and flew over Europe, and Brindisi, the tip of the heel of Italy, over the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas, and arrived in Athens, where the plane was again reconditioned, and arrived at 10:30 p.m., May 18, 1954 at the airport at Jappa, Tel Aviv, Israel. This is the modern miracle, to travel thousands of miles from Chicago to Tel Aviv in only thirty nine hours!

As the Royal Sabena plane winged its way toward Israel, Ruhaniyyih wondered how it would look in comparison with when she saw it before - a desert land filled with rocks, sand, thorny bushes and confusion, and where everyone seemed to be against his neighbor. As the approaching lights of the Holy Land again came into view, her heart was filled with joyful and reverential expectancy and she thought to the words of the song, "Israel - The Land of Promise Welcomes You".

As she gazed meditatively at the approaching lights of the Holy Land, the panorama of history seemed to unroll before her mind: of how Palestine was peopled by cave dwellers in about 3500 B.C.; of how Abraham was led to this land, and God made a covenant with Him, "that in the seed of Abraham shall all the nations of the earth be blest"; of the Cananites, and later how Moses led the Israelites out of bondage, and for forty years in the wilderness, and Joshua led them to the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey; how the Jewish people built up the land but turned away from God to gods of their own making. Then Saul became the first king and established a civic kingdom, but he died. David became the king unifying the kingdom and calling them to return to God: and David died and was called to his fathers. Solomon, his son became King. He expanded the kingdom, and to this day, the glory and unity of his kingdom is still sung. But Solomon died and the tribes became divided. Then the Assyrians in 1722 B.C., destroyed Damascus and Israel and took the tribes into captivity, and they became scattered. After the Babylonian invasion in 586 B.C. the remaining tribes of Judah were taken into Babylonia and scattered. Alexander the Great captured Palestine in 332 B.C. The coming of Jusus, the Christ, had a profound effect on the history of this land, which became a noted center of pilgrimages.

Under the Moslem dominion from 636 A.D. for four centuries, and the long period of the Christian Crusades, one lasting 100 years, there was much destruction and a little progress. It was under the control of the Ottoman Turks from 1516 until the first World War, then it cecame a mandate of Great Britain, under the League of Nations. "The White Paper" gave the promise that the doors of Palestine would again open to her people. Many outbreaks of violence have occurred between the Jews and Arabs, which have caused this land to become on of the danger spots of the world. After World War II, the Jews began returning in large numbers, until today there are about 1,465,000 Jews, gathered from 75 countries, 125,000 Moslems, 40,000 Christians, and 16,000 Druzes in Israel.

On May 14, 1948, a most remarkable bloodless revolution occurred, when 4,000,000 Moslems fled and 1,000,000 Jews marched in and began tilling their ancestral soil, and a new nation was born. Today the blue and white flag with the star of Bethlehem flutters proudly over the world'' youngest democracy --"" nation as eternally old as yesterday, as eternally young as tomorrow". Phonex-like, from the ashes have risen again to build a new homeland, to develop the most stupendous, life-salvaging operation ever undertaken in the whole history of mankind, and to fulfil the promise of the Ages!

Ruth J. Moffett was born on January 19, 1880 and met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on a train platform in Chicago in 1912. After attending one of his lectures, she became a Bahá'í and became active in service in 1919. Her teaching efforts took her throughout the Americas, Europe, Egypt and the Near East. The Greatest Holy Leaf (Bahiyyih Khanum) named her Ruhaniyyih, conoting spirituality, joy and beauty. Ruth J. Moffett died on July 5, 1978.

UHJ admits to withholding part of the will of Baha'u'llah

The holograph of the Kitāb-i-‘Ahd is now preserved in the Archives at the Bahā’ī World Centre. No further information as to the circumstances of its revelation, editing or publication is currently available to us that cannot be found in published accounts. As can be seen from a comparison of the English translation authorized by the Universal House of Justice with the published Persian text, a reference to the wife and family of Bahā’u’llāh (‘ḥaram va āl allāh’) has been rendered collectively as ‘members of the Holy Household’. The holograph of the Kitāb-i-‘Ahd contains a passage in the nature of a postscript praising Mīrzā Ākā Jān, directing the friends to show respect to him and expressing the hope that he join ‘Abdu’l-Bahā in upholding the standard of loyalty. The postscript was not included as part of the Will by ‘Abdu’l-Bahā when He circulated it during His lifetime, and this approach was continued by Shoghi Effendi. The House of Justice, likewise, has decided not to circulate it.

-UHJ, source: https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/buck_ioannesyan_russian_will.pdf, pp. 39-40

This seems to correspond with the version by Mirza Muhammad Ali:

After the said followers heard the will and left, Ghusn-i-A‘zam sent for me from where I was sitting in the adjoining room and then for the first time I read the will of our Great Father Baha’u’llah. I observed the last part of the will was covered with a dark paper so that no one could read it. But as I raised the will to read it, which was written on two pages, the dark paper which was not stuck slipped. Ghusn-i-A‘zam said, “It shall not be a secret from you, only I do not wish as yet that the believers should read it and know its contents [i.e. the hidden part].” I read it all, and it (i.e. the part covered) was regarding Khadim and his services, and at the end addressed both Ghusn-i-A‘zam and the Khadim enjoining them to be faithful to Him. (...)

The hiding of the last part of the Book of My Covenant caused me uneasiness and great surprise, as a will is written for being spread and for carrying out its contents, and hiding it is contrary to the intention for which it is written. But under the circumstances I kept silent and did not raise an objection, hoping that later on it (i.e. the entire will) would be produced and the station of Khadim ordained in the will be made known, so that Baha’u’llah’s wish in this respect be known to everyone, and that all may know that none shall be deprived of the recompense of their services, and the forty years service of Khadim be not lost and considered as vain.

This incident is mentioned as well by Mirza Aqa Jan and Mirza Jawad Gazvini. In the 1930s did Mirza Muhammad Ali state the contents of the hidden part referenced the station of Abdul Baha and Mirza Aqa Jan. 80 years later this was confirmed by the UHJ.

How can they decide which part of the will of Baha'u'llah can be published and which be forgotten? The point of a will is that everyone knows the deceased person's final wishes. Why won't they publish it?

One of the things that made me start questioning the infallibility of Abdul Baha

Several years ago I made the mistake of attending a Cluster Reflection Gathering. The meeting was something like 5 hours and consisted boring discussions about the institute process, and they played an extremely boring video about the institute process called "Light to the World". This gathering stands out in my mind as being one of the most boring meetings I have ever sat through in my life. But they promised pizza at the end so I kept telling myself it's not too bad because at least I would be able to enjoy some pizza at the end.

The gathering came to its conclusion and then they started bringing out the pizzas. There were like 10 boxes. "Oh boy," I told myself, "I hope one of these is a meat lover's pizza". I looked through the boxes, and 1 of them was a cheese pizza, and the other 9 we're vegetarian. They made the pizzas all vegetarian so that "everyone could enjoy it". Not me though, I only like the pizzas that have meat on them. I ended up just not eating anything there.

After going home I started thinking "Why is there so much vegetarian crap at Baha'i gatherings? The Baha'i writings don't advocate vegetarianism do they?" But then to my horror I found this quote by Abdul Baha:

"What will be the food of the future?" "Fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food."

--Abdul Baha, in response to a question

After reading this I just kind of begrudgingly accepted that the Baha'i Faith advocates vegetarianism. But a few weeks later I found this quote by Baha'u'llah:


"Eat ye of that which God hath made lawful unto you and do not shun meat. God hath, as a token of His grace, granted you leave to partake thereof save during a brief period. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Beneficent. Forsake all that ye possess and hold fast unto that which God hath purposed"

--Baha'u'llah

After finding out Baha'u'llah said this, I became viscerally upset at Abdul Baha for teaching against this. I began to question if he was really infallible.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FreeSpeechBahai/comments/uun5sf/one_of_the_things_that_made_me_start_questioning/

Covenant-breakers live longer

The shrine of Subh-i-Azal in Cyprus

Subh-i-Azal: Died 81

Mizá Muhammad Ali: Died 83

Majd'ud Din: Died 99
Charles Mason Remey: Died 100
Joel Marangella: Died 95

Abdu'l-Bahá: Died 77
Bahá'u'lláh: Died 74
Shoghi Effendi: Died 60

It isn't just about the so-called Guardian dying at a relatively young age. In fact, he.....​ 

•  Died suddenly of Asiatic Flu,
•  Died in London, not the Baha’i World Center,
•  Died in the middle of the Ten Year World Crusade (1953-1963),
•  Left no will and testament,
•  Had appointed no successor, and
•  Had expelled from the Baha’i Community, often for trivial reasons, EVERY ONE OF HIS BROTHERS, SISTERS, AND MALE AND FEMALE COUSINS!

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/tg31na/covenant_breakers_live_longer/

God loves Abdul Baha?

 

Click to enlarge

How the artificial breaking up of the Baha'i communities ensures that incumbents never get unseated from the NSA

Ever since 2005 the Baha'i communities have been broken up into unreasonably small jurisdictions (called "communities"), and it is rare to meet Baha'is outside of these jurisdictions, even though they might only be a short drive away. While these small jurisdictions existed before 2005, they were ignored in some aspects, and it was common for Baha'is to hold Sunday gatherings whose attendees were not restricted to the boundaries of the jurisdiction, so you got to meet with more Baha'is on a regular basis. But today the Baha'i administration antagonizes any kind of regularly occuring intercommunity activities, so you only get to meet with the Baha'is in your jurisdiction.

Personally I hardly know the names of any Baha'is outside my jurisdiction, because I never see them. But the few people I do know outside of my jurisdiction are the "appointees" such as Regional Council Members, Auxiliary Board Members, and the like. These people from the appointed arm have duties in all jurisdictions, so all Baha'is know them.

One time at a Unit Convention (I believe it was in 2018), I witnessed something very rare in the Baha'i Faith: There was a very intelligent man who understood all the problems of the Baha'i administration, and attacked several of the NSA members by name, and attacked the system itself. He was someone with a long history in the Baha'i Faith, who had even served as a delegate decades ago. I never heard a long-standing Baha'i attack the Bahai administration so bluntly and so intelligently. Hearing his attacks of the Baha'i administration was a major turning point for me because at that point I still had faith in the Baha'i administration, and hearing him was what made me start questioning it.

Years later, I wanted to vote for him to be the delegate, but there was a problem: I did not know his name. The only people outside of my community whose names I knew were appointees of the Baha'i administration, and lo and behold they were the ones who were elected to be the delegates.

So if the system is one where electors of the NSA (i.e. the delegates) are very heavily likely to be people the NSA appointed, the electors are likely to be content with the NSA, and not vote to unseat any of its members.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FreeSpeechBahai/comments/u6w9gy/how_the_artificial_breaking_up_of_the_bahai/

Dear friends, how can we accelerate the process of entry by troops? 😂

 

Ridvan Message 2022

Link: https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20220421_001/1#987507525

The highlight:

Since we addressed our 30 December 2021 message to the Counsellors’ Conference, National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá’í Councils have been earnestly assessing the possibilities for intensifying the process of growth in the clusters within their jurisdiction during the Nine Year Plan. We feel it would be helpful, for the purpose of gauging the progress made over time, to view the Plan as unfolding in two phases of four and five years’ duration, and National Assemblies were invited to consider the advances they expect to see in their respective communities by Riḍván 2026 and then by Riḍván 2031. This exercise also involved a re-evaluation of cluster boundaries, and the outcome of these adjustments is that the total number of clusters in the world has risen by a quarter and now stands at over 22,000. Judging by the forecasts received, it is estimated that, by the end of the Plan, a programme of growth at some level of development will exist in around 14,000 of these clusters. From among them, the number where the programme of growth could be considered intensive is projected to climb to 11,000 over the same time period. And of these, it is anticipated that the number of clusters where the third milestone has been passed will rise above 5,000 by 2031. Without question, to make such advances will entail colossal effort over the entire duration of the Plan. Yet we find these to be worthy aspirations towards which to strive, for they represent an ambitious but serious appraisal of what lies within reach.

So the brand new cycle of plans and inauguration of a new epoch of the Divine Plan means.......

Doing core activities to tick the IPG box in X number of clusters by five years time. Just like every plan since the 90's.

Very epic, thank you UHJ.

Also I like the wishy washy wording of "the number where the programme of growth could be considered intensive". So they could also not be considered intensive? What the hell is this nonsense!

As societies experience stresses of various kinds, the followers of the Abhá Beauty must stand out more and more for their qualities of resilience and rationality, for their standard of conduct and their adherence to principle, and for the compassion, detachment, and forbearance they demonstrate in their pursuit of unity.

For all these delusions of the Baha'is "standing out" I can guarantee you much like the past 200 years 99.99% of the world does not know or care about the Baha'i Faith and an even greater percentage could not give two stuffs about the 'Institute Process'.

Time and again, the distinctive characteristics and attitudes shown by the believers in periods of acute difficulty have prompted people to turn to Bahá’ís for explanation, counsel, and support, especially when the life of a society has been upset by peril and unforeseen disruptions.

Can anyone name even ONE time anyone has turned to the Baha'is like this? I know people say stuff like "In the Solomon Islands the President asks the Baha'is to make all his decisions for him" at the Feast where nobody can really be negative without being public enemy No. 1 but is there literally a single independently verified source which suggests a government official has ever even acknowledged the Faith without being lobbied by the external affairs committee? I'm not counting Heads of State visiting the Baha'i gardens in Israel personally as that seems more like a tourist trap type thing.

The Baha'i Faiths actual record when the "life of society has been upset by peril" is doing jack shit in the USA during the civil rights era, doing jack shit in South Africa during apartheid, doing jack shit in Chile under Pinochet (other than meeting with him), doing jack shit in Nazi Germany other than begging Hitler for attention (and in the case of Adelbert Muhlschlegel literally joining the Nazi Party).

In times of social peril the Baha'is have a proven track record of sitting on their hands and dying on the hill of apolitical non-involvement and holding a bunch of committee consultative meetings to advance the process of learning about advancing the grassroots of expanding the nucleus of entry by institute troops blah blah blah.

Moreover, we are conscious that the greater the friends’ efforts to promote the Word of God, the stronger the countervailing forces they will encounter, sooner or later, from various quarters. They must fortify their minds and spirits against the tests that are sure to come, lest these impair the integrity of their endeavours. But the believers know well that whatever storms lie ahead, the ark of the Cause is equal to them all.

This makes me think of this from an article on tell-tale signs of a cult:

Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion

If Pentecostal Christians can go around handling snakes and speaking in tongues without much more than people laughing at them I'm pretty sure Baha'is in the West are completely fine. Most Baha'is seem to think people not bowing to the authority of their 'Central Figures' and not using hagiographic language is being persecuted and hate speech though so maybe this is what the House is talking about and it isn't apocalyptic doom cult rhetoric. I must say "Drink the Kool-Aid" wouldn't be out of place at the end of that outburst though.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/u8hs4y/ridvan_message_2022/

Baha'is are idol worshipers

Baha'is do not resist the idolatry of the Baha'i administration because they are weak. They are afraid they would be declared "Covenant Breakers" if they were to practice their religion as Baha'u'llah instructed them to. So they play along with the idolatry, speak of the UHJ and its plans with a god-like reverence, and speak of the Institute Process like it some kind of a divine gift (e.g. "the Institute Process that the House of Justice has given us"). There might be some Baha'is that understand that this idol has been the source of so many delusions (e.g. "Entry by Troops", "community-building", which despite being purported to be outcomes of the Institute Process, are nowhere to be found in the Baha'i community in real life), but they do nothing to resist it because they are weak. The time has come for a strong one to appear and shatter this idol.

طوبی لقويّ کسّر اصنام الاوهام باسم ربّه مالک الانام

Blessed is the strong one who shatters the idols of delusions in the name of his Lord, the owner of the worlds

-Baha'u'llah

Good example of interfaith relations in the Baha'i Faith

"In connection with your question regarding the case of Mr. Mrs. ... and their daughter, the Guardian considers that your Assembly did quite right to deprive all three of their voting rights. Their conduct in carrying out a Moslem marriage in the circumstances set forth by you in your letter, and contrary to Baha'i law, are most reprehensible, to say the least, and if such actions are not strongly censured by the Baha'is, other friends may be encouraged in moments of weakness, to err."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan and Burma, March 10, 1951)

Dear muslims, we love you and we recognize your Holy Prophet and your Holy Book as such but as soon as you enter in the Bahá'í Faith, if you try to celebrate a marriage in the Islamic tradition we will cast out your entire family with much bahá'í love.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/u0wz10/good_example_of_interfaith_relations_in_the_baháí/

As you sow, so shall you reap

Abdul Baha's shrine is burning like hell-fire

The Baha'is desecrated the grave of Diya'u'llah, the son of Baha'u'llah who was buried alongside his father, calling it 'purification' and 'cleansing'. Next they build this huge building in the vicinity for his other son. It is just karma that this happened.

Abdul Baha did not even consider Diya'u'llah a covenant breaker. He is not mentioned in his Will and Testament. Only Shoghi Effendi later made him a covenant breaker, so only then did they remove his grave.

I doubt that Abdul Baha, who only saw himself as a servant, would want an enormous shrine like this. I also doubt that he deserves it, considering the way he treated his family.

And on top of all, nobody actually died. The only thing that happened was that the Baha'is lost money and their reputation got damaged.

How a perfect charlatan acts when questioned?

One day, with Mirza Moneer Zaine - son of Jenab'i'Zaine - interpreting our our conversation, I put this question to the Master. Replied the Master (apparently not answering the question directly to the point):

"After the year 1917 there is coming a very great catastrophe in the world".

Pressing the issue, I followed up with the question:

"Will it be anything like an earthquake such as the explosion of Kratatowa (which I remembered having heard something about as a small boy) or the Martinique or the Messina disasters?"

Other disasters were mentioned, to all of which the Master replied:

"Earthquakes such as these are frequent and will continue to be in the future as they have been in the past, but this great catastrophe of which I speak will be of a scale so much greater than these you mention as not to be comparable with them."

Continued He:

"In the past, there have been great catastrophies that have completely wiped out and effaced whole poeples and civilizations from off the earth; leaving no vestige not trace whatsoever of their existence. Of such a nature will be this great catastrophe that is to come."

At this point I asked still another question:

"Would this be soon after 1917, or in the distant future?"

to which the Master replied: "Not soon after nor distant." Here closed the issue; the Master turning the conversation to other matters.

(The Great Global Catastrophe - Amherst magazine , Wisconsin, December 1962)

PEACE & UNITY OF NATIONS!!????

 

I am providing a handful out of many AUTHORITATIVE writings and messages from all levels of leadership of the Bahai religion that promised the establishment of the Lesser Peace and Unity of Nations would take place before the year 2000. Mr. Hooper Dunbar, former member of the UHJ said we do not know why the Lesser Peace did not take place? You can see that answer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-v7hKI29ok Any fair-minded, honest observer must conclude that this prophecy simply failed to come true. It was not a correct prophecy.

The founder of the Bahai faith offered this advice:

“The Great Being, wishing to reveal the prerequisites of the peace and tranquility of the world and the advancement of its peoples, hath written: The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally recognized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquility of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. (Bahaullah, Gleanings from the Writings)

“The fifth candle is the unity of nations – a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common Fatherland.” (Abdul Baha, Tablet of Seven Candles)

Montreal Daily Star newspaper reported:

"Are there any signs that the permanent peace of the world will be established in anything like a reasonable period?" `Abdu'l-Bahá was asked. "It will be established in this century," He answered. "It will be universal in the twentieth century. All nations will be forced into it." (Abdu'l-Bahá in Canada (Ontario: Bahá'í Canada Publications, 1987, p. 35).

“They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking—the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world—should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure.”

(Abdul-Baha, The establishment of a global commonwealth of nations 1875)

Abbass Effendi explained what is the Lesser Peace:

1- Binding treaty for peace

2- Get it approved universally

3- Mobilize all the forces of humanity to ensure the stability and permanence of this peace

4- Clearly fix the limits and frontiers of each and every nation (Good luck with that!)

5- Lay down principles underlying the relations of governments

6- All international agreements and obligations ascertained

7- Strictly limit the size of the armaments of each government (Countries are lining up to agree)

8- If any government violates any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should destroy that Government (NATO alliance is one such effort in this failed recipe for peace)

"... It must, however long and tortuous the way, lead, through a series of victories and reverses, to the political unification of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, to the emergence of a world government and the establishment of the Lesser Peace, as foretold by Bahá’u’lláh and foreshadowed by the Prophet Isaiah." (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, 1947)

Shoghi Effendi is viewed by the Haifa Baha’is as infallible. According to his prophecy we should have witnessed:

1- the political unification of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

2- emergence of a world government

3- the establishment of the Lesser Peace

Obviously none of these has happened.

“The raising of this Edifice will in turn herald the construction, in the course of successive epochs of the Formative Age of the Faith, of several other structures, which will serve as the administrative seats of such divinely appointed institutions as the Guardianship, the Hands of the Cause, and the Universal House of Justice. These Edifices will, in the shape of a far-flung arc, and following a harmonizing style of architecture, surround the resting-places of the Greatest Holy Leaf, ranking as foremost among the members of her sex in the Bahá’í Dispensation, of her Brother, offered up as a ransom by Bahá’u’lláh for the quickening of the world and its unification, and of their Mother, proclaimed by Him to be His chosen “consort in all the worlds of God.” The ultimate completion of this stupendous undertaking will mark the culmination of the development of a world-wide divinely-appointed Administrative Order whose beginnings may be traced as far back as the concluding years of the Heroic Age of the Faith.

This vast and irresistible process, unexampled in the spiritual history of mankind, and which will synchronize with two no less significant developments—the establishment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of Bahá’í national and local institutions—the one outside and the other within the Bahá’í world—will attain its final consummation, in the Golden Age of the Faith, through the raising of the standard of the Most Great Peace, and the emergence, in the plenitude of its power and glory, of the focal Center of the agencies constituting the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. The final establishment of this seat of the future Bahá’í World Commonwealth will signalize at once the proclamation of the sovereignty of the Founder of our Faith and the advent of the Kingdom of the Father repeatedly lauded and promised by Jesus Christ.” (Shoghi Effendi Messages to the Bahá’í World: 1950–1957 dated November 27, 1954)

This long paragraph lays out the following sequence:

1- Completion of the construction of the Arc

2- culmination of the development of a world-wide divinely-appointed Administrative Order

3- Lesser Peace

Only the construction work on some buildings were completed and nothing else came to be!

“It is true that ‘Abdu’l-Baha made statements linking the establishment of the unity of nations to the twentieth century. For example: “The fifth candle is the unity of nations — a unity which, in this century, will be securely established. (Messages of Universal House of Justice (UHJ) 1963-68, Page 281)

“Abdu’l-Baha anticipated that the Lesser Peace could be established before the end of the twentieth century.” (Messages of UHJ April 15, 1976)

These two messages from the also-infallible Universal House of Justice say:

1- Unity of nations will happen in the 20th century

2- Lesser Peace established before end of 20th century

These reassurances failed to materialize.

“It is true that `Abdu'l-Bahá made statements linking the establishment of the unity of nations to the twentieth century. For example: "The fifth candle is the unity of nations--a unity which, in this century, will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland." And, in The Promised Day Is Come, following a similar statement quoted from Some Answered Questions, Shoghi Effendi makes this comment: "This is the stage which the world is now approaching, the stage of world unity, which, as Abdu'l-Bahá assures us, will, in this century, be securely established." (Letter of UHJ 29 July 1974)

Abdul-Baha assured everyone that World unity will be securely established in the 20th century. Some 22 years after the 20th century, we are witnessing horrific wars in various corners and the threat of a full on nuclear war has never been greater.

“We know, however, that peace will come in stages. First, there will come the Lesser Peace, when the unity of nations will be achieved, then gradually the Most Great Peace--the spiritual as well as social and political unity of mankind, when the Bahá'í World Commonwealth, operating in strict accordance with the laws and ordinances of the Most Holy Book of the Bahá'í Revelation, will have been established through the efforts of the Bahá'ís.” (Letter of UHJ 31 January 1985)

This lays out the sequence:

1- Lesser Peace

2- Unity of Nations

3- Most Great Peace

None of these have happened.

Obviously none of these happened. Just one single disagreement is the South China Sea (an area of 3 million square kilometers) is claimed by seven sovereign nations. Wikipedia lists 254 territorial disputes. I just learnt that even the US and Canada have seven ongoing disputes about territory! The Russian war in Ukraine is another rude reminder.

“The holding of this mighty convocation is long overdue. With all the ardour of our hearts, we appeal to the leaders of all nations to seize this opportune moment and take irreversible steps to convoke this world meeting. All the forces of history impel the human race towards this act which will mark for all time the dawn of its long-awaited maturity. Will not the United Nations, with the full support of its membership, rise to the high purposes of such a crowning event?” (UHJ, The Promise of World Peace, October 1985)

The Answer turned out to be: No, world peace is not within reach of the United Nations. .

The twentieth century ended 22 years ago and NONE of these prophecies came true, except the construction of some buildings by the Bahais in Haifa, Israel. There is no world Government. No Lesser Peace. No Unity of Nations. No political unification of the East (think Middle East or China) with the West (think USA). *** Political Unification *** just imagine! Even the holding of a mighty convocation did not take place. These prophecies were nothing but a series of pipedreams for which many people gave their wealth, their time, and in some cases their lives in the service of Bahai faith. Would the leadership have enough integrity to admit that the prophecies were nothing but a fib and disband ?

https://www.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/ty62j4/peace_unity_of_nations/