A number of people are leaving the Baha'i faith because of the bad policies of the UHJ.


I have been a Baha'i for nearly 25 years. I've been actively involved during this time with various committees at local and national levels. I am still a Baha'i but it's becoming progressively harder for me to continue to believe. I am not wanting to have an argument with anyone, create doubts or disunity. I just want to share some of the problems that I feel in the hope of hearing others' advice and whether they feel the same.

As time has gone on I've felt an increasing disconnect with the vision of the Faith which has been spelled out in the plans from the House of Justice. Since the 2000s when Ruhi started, the Faith seems primarily focussed on expansion. The most recent 9 Year Plan seems to be taking this to a whole new level. I have been involved in the plans over the years and can't help but feel that we're spending a lot of energy offering the Faith where it isn't wanted - at least in the developed Western Country where I live. In the time I've been involved with the plans, I've only seen an handful of people declare. During this time I've seen many more go inactive or leave the Faith. I have been left wondering why we have been so outwardly focussed when we can't even retain people who are already in the Faith.

In an effort to understand things better, I looked through messages of the House going back to the 1960s. I saw that there had been times we had been promised that mass enrolment was just around the corner. There were other times when the House was clearly alluding to the outbreak of World Peace by the end of last Century. Yet here we are with war in Europe and the numbers of Baha'is in many Western countries in decline (according to census data anyway). If the House missed the mark previously, how can we be sure we are being divinely guided? As I get older and see more things in the world, the basic notion of an infallible group of men is becoming harder to accept.

It's also hard for me to visualise how the Faith will become the majority religion of the planet when it can't maintain its own membership and engage them in the activities of the Plan. The vast majority of Baha'is I know don't get involved with the institute process and cluster meetings. From the conversations that I've had, this is because many people feel it is too institutionalised and feels like proselytising - and these are the people who believe in Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha and the Guardian.

"I agree entirely as regards the uselessness of Ruhi." Sen McGlinn


I agree entirely as regards the uselessness of Ruhi. It has been a colossal disaster for the Bahai community.

As regards the year 2000 "prophecy," it was a misunderstanding, widely shared in western Bahai communities (ie those that use the Gregorian calendar), and by the House of Justice, which reflects the understanding and misunderstanding of the community that elects it. Abdu'l-Baha was not a Gregorian, he used the Persian calendar, the Hijri calendar and the Syrian calendar. And in any case, for him "this century" meant the dispensation of Baha'u'llah, not a period of 100 years. He wrote, for example:

The Spiritual Assemblies to be established in this Age of God, this holy century, have… had neither peer nor likeness in the cycles gone before.

(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, page 82)

The teachings of Baha’u’llah are the light of this age and the spirit of this century.

(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, page 107)

In every century a particular and central theme is, … confirmed by God. In this illumined age that which is confirmed is the oneness of the world of humanity.

(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, page 114)

Gradually whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this Holy Cycle shall appear and be made manifest, … Ere the close of this Century and of this Age, it shall be made clear and manifest how wondrous was that Springtide …

(quoted in Shoghi Effendi, Baha’i Administration, p. 16)

… in any of the past cycles and dispensations, no assemblies for women have ever been established … This is one of the characteristics of this glorious Dispensation and this great century.

(Compilation on Women,)

I’ve selected these examples because century is used in parallel with other terms, so those who know no Persian can see what is meant. The words used for "century" in each case do not mean "100 years", and in any case would not mean a Gregorian century. So the "prophecy" was a mistake, and had serious effects. Believing that the Lesser peace, or the unity of nations, was due in the Gregorian 20th century, the House of Justice made plans accordingly. Ruhi arose from the UHJ's lack of faith in the ability of the local and national assemblies to mature in time for the y2k deadline, and the big building projects on Mt Carmel were rushed to meet the same deadline. The UHJ supposed that the Bahai community was about to become a big player in world affairs and needed to be in touch with "prominent people," and needed and expected mass enrollments. That timeline was all wrong, but we are still stuck with the domination of the Ruhi institutes and sinking into obscurity, except in Iran.

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

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/