The Baha’i Faith’s public claim of having “no clergy” is misleading when examined in terms of function rather than terminology. Although it rejects ordained priests, the Baha’i Administrative Order, led by the Universal House of Justice (UHJ), performs all the core roles traditionally associated with a clergy. The UHJ is an infallible authority demanding absolute obedience, controlling doctrine through centralized interpretation and strict literature review, and suppressing dissent via censorship and punishment. Those who challenge the administrative authority risk expulsion (disenrollment) creating a powerful system of social and spiritual control.
The Baha’i leadership directs organized missionary activity, oversees standardized teaching programs, and manages mandatory financial contributions such as Huquq'ullah and national funds, reinforcing its clerical character. Despite its rhetoric of democracy and egalitarianism, Baha'ism is governed by a rigid, hierarchical structure with indirect elections that insulate top leadership from ordinary members. Cronyism, intolerance toward dissent, and ridicule of critics deepen the contradiction between the Baha'i faith’s public image and internal reality.
The Baha’i faith does not have clergy but instead maintains a rebranded, centralized, and authoritarian clerical system operating under a different name.
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