Does Anyone Else have the Right to Expel Believers?

The Guardian, like the Master before him, has not considered it advisable to as yet permit any person or Assembly to put another person out of the Cause of God. There is a sharp distinction between depriving a believer of his voting rights, which is a severe disciplinary measure and not a spiritual sanction, and pronouncing a former believer to be a truly spiritually diseased soul, a soul in the condition the Master referred to when, in His last cable to America before His ascension, He said: 'he who sitteth with a leper catcheth leprosy'. The Guardian has, within the last few years, considered the National Assemblies strong enough to wield the instrument of sanction in the sense of depriving a Bahá’í of his voting rights. But no one but himself can pronounce a person to be in that diseased condition we call "Covenant-breaking", and no one but he can reinstate a Covenant-breaker. No National Assembly has been given this right and cannot, therefore, review the question or reinstate any one. All any National Assembly can do is to report to the Guardian if they are approached by a Covenant-breaker, and then the Guardian will take action. Read Full Article

5 Reasons to Accept the Continuity of Guardianship

Ross Campbell, on why he accepted Joel Bray Marangella as the 3rd Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, appointed by the 2nd Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, Charles Mason Remey.

Dear friends, It was mutually agreed between myself and a group of Heterodox Bahá'í believers which met together for discussion this afternoon and evening, that I should send out the attached statement openly declaring my submission to the 3rd Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, Joel Bray Marangella. It is correct that I here briefly include my reasons for that submission to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith and they are these:

1. I have come to understand and believe that the Bahá'í Faith MUST have a Guardian living on Earth amongst us, because the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, which was identified by the first Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, as "the Charter of the New World Order", provides for a Guardian.

2. I have believed and understand what Shoghi Effendi wrote on page 4 of The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, that the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá and Bahá'u'lláh's Most Holy Book, the Kitab-i-Aqdas, "are inseparable parts of one complete unit", and thus the Will and Testament is Bahá'í Holy Text, which only the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith is Divinely Authorized to interpret, no other person or group.

3. Concerning the Universal House of Justice, the Will and Testament says: "the guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body." The Will and Testament contains no thought or expression authorizing a headless Universal House of Justice.

4. The first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, on page 56 of The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh wrote about "...instruments...which must for all time preserve the unity of the organized followers of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh". I believe that the Guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith, as defined and provided for in the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, is one of those "instruments", even an essential one.

5. I fully believe that the provision in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá for not only a living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, but also for the institution the Hands of the Cause, appointed exclusively by the Guardian, as defined in the Will and Testament, is a provision, the neglect or rejection of which, seriously violates the Sacred Plan of Bahá'u'lláh for the Administration of the New World Order, as outlined and defined by that "Charter of the New World Order", the immortal "Child of the Covenant", the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

(For more detail <<Click>> )

Where is the missing Bahá'í House of Worship at Mount Carmel

"Regarding the Bahai Temple to be built on Mount Carmel Abdu'l Baha wrote to Mr. Charles Mason Remey of Washington D.C., in a tablet dated October 7, 1921: 'Some time ago I wrote thee a letter the content of which was that, praise be to God, thou hast become confirmed in drawing a plan for the pilgrim house in Haifa. It is my hope that this pilgrim house may be built under your supervision. Also in the future a Mashreq'ul Azkar [current transliteration is "Mashriqu'l-Adhkár"] will be established on Mount Carmel. THOU WILT BE ITS ARCHITECT AND FOUNDER. I give thee this glad tidings.'" (Caps added) Click for full article.

Day of the Covenant

My dear friends, brothers and sisters in the faith, I want to wish you a Happy Day of the Covenant. I want you to know that it is our good thoughts, pure actions, love and hope and faithfulness that help to keep the Covenant alive and well. It is easy if our hearts are soft and trusting and regardless of what others might think or say or do we just keep on doing and thinking and saying the things that are in accordance with our faith. Love your enemies and be a Bahai. When we are tested that is our opportunity to shine.
In that same letter from Abdu'l-Baha, he mentions that "the friends are stars in the high heavens of guidance, celestial bodies in the skies of divine grace, who with all their powers put the dark to flight.
They break down the foundations of malevolence and hate. They cherish but one desire for the world and all its peoples: well-being and peace."

Peace to you all.
Janice

The True Faith has the Guardian at its head

The reality is that there is not a single sect of the Bahá'í Faith. There are a number of denominations. But there is only one true Faith. As Bahá'ís, our spiritual mission is to "inhale the fragrance" of the truth and choose the true Faith.
The vast majority of Bahá'ís have lost faith in the Guardianship. Then there are the Orthodox Bahá'ís, a small band of believers, whose faith in the Guardianship has never been stronger. The entire difference between the two groups can be attributed to the interpretation of this passage of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament:
"O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: -- 'The child is the secret essence of its sire,' that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him."
There is an apparent ambiguity: does "branch" refer only to the Sons of Bahá'u'lláh, or to any of the members of His family, or does is it refer spiritually to any faithful believer whom the Guardian is divinely guided to appoint as his successor (the one in which is found "the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning")?
The Orthodox Bahá'ís assert that the passage is not ambiguous or open to interpretation but the Will clearly allows the Guardian to appoint a successor of his choosing in any manner of his choosing as long as it occurs during his lifetime.
Bahá'u'lláh says: "Know thou that the passages that We have called "ambiguous" appear as such only in the eyes of them that have failed to soar above the horizon of guidance and to reach the heights of knowledge in the retreats of grace. For otherwise, unto them that have recognized the Repositories of divine Revelation and beheld through His inspiration the mysteries of divine authority, all the verses of God are perspicuous and all His allusions are clear. Such men discern the inner mysteries that have been clothed in the garment of words as clearly as ye perceive the heat of the sun or the wetness of water, nay even more distinctly. Immeasurably exalted is God above our praise of His loved ones, and beyond their praise of Him!" Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 25
The true Faith has the Guardian at its head.
The third Guardian's web site:http://www.bahai-guardian.com/
By Hand of Cause Jeffrey Goldberg

GREETINGS TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE WORLD

Celebrating the Birth Anniversary of Baha'u'llah let us think upon collectively on the continuty o f the guardianship, walking on the path of the Covenant.

As our living guardian says:

"The distinguishing characterstic of the Revelation of Baha'u'llah is a Covenant which Baha'u'llah made with His followers to preserve and safe-guard the Faith, following His Ascension, from the divisive and baleful effect of varying interpretations which, have plagued the religions of the past and destroyed the unity of their followers. This Covenant embodied in a specific written Testament designated by Him as the Book of His Covenant (Kitab-i-'Ahd) has no parallel in the Scriptures of any previous Dispensation. In this unique Document, Baha'u'llah conferred the mantle of authority upon His Ascension on the shoulders of His son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Whome He designated as the Center of His Covenant and "The Most Great Branch" Further in the Most Holy Book of His Revelation (Kitab-i-Aqdas) He proclaimed:
"When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your Faces towards Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root."
Lest there be any misunderstanding as to the intent of the above quoted passage, Baha'u'llah clarified it in the Book of His Covenant (Kitab-i-'Ahd) in these Words:
"The object of this sacred verse is none other except the most Mighty Branch ('Abdu'l-Baha)."

All Baha'is are Brothers and Sisters in the Faith

Series of Questions continued from the posting of September 23, 2008
Q.6. Do you believe then that these Baha’is who have been led astray and are now under the leadership of the Haifa organization will forever consider the provisions of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha pertaining to the institution of the Guardianship no longer applicable?
Ans. No. If those Baha’is who were formerly ardent and faithful believers during the Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi and have now been led to believe that the Guardianship ended with his passing as well as those Baha’is who have accepted the Faith following his passing would investigation fairly, sincerely and without bias the overwhelming evidence attesting to the continuation of the Guardianship found on our several web sites, they would inevitably perceive that the provisions of the divinely-conceived and sacred provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l- Baha pertaining to the Guardianship have remained valid and unalterable and that the first Guardian faithfully fulfilled his obligation to appoint his successor according to its sacred Mandate. Accordingly, I invite and implore all the Baha’i friends to investigate independently and sincerely the truth and accept the “Will and Testament of Abdul Baha” as immutable documentary evidence that has undeniably insured the continuity of the Guardianship.
Q.7. Do I understand that the Baha’is under the Guardianship (i.e. Orthodox Baha’is) consider Baha’is who have rejected the continuation of the Guardianship as violators of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah?
Ans: No, the Guardian of the Faith has asked Orthodox Baha’is, in sharp contrast to the leaders of the sans-Guardian or Heterodox Baha’is who have labeled those of us who support the continuing Guardianship as Covenant-breakers, to consider all Baha’is as brothers and sisters in the Faith who unfortunately have been sadly and ironically lead far astray themselves from the Covenant but who hopefully will eventually, if not at this time, ultimately investigate the truth, embrace completely the provisions of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha as sacrosanct and turn their faces towards and fully support the living Guardian of the Faith, as enjoined by Him in that sacred and immortal Document.
Q. 8. Do I understand correctly that there is no clergy in the Baha’i Faith?
Ans: Yes. We have only the Administrative Order. All Baha’is study the Teachings of Baha’u’llah for themselves and endeavor to teach the Faith to others to the best of their ability.

Birthday of the Bab

On 20th October, the Baha'is observe a holy day as it is the Birth anniversary of the Bab, the Promised One foretold in the great religions. This date marks the anniversary of His birth, He was known as Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad and was born in 1819 in Shiraz, Iran.

On this grand moment we offer our heartiest greetings to our beloved living guardian and to all the Baha'is of the world.

The First Guardian Shoghi Effendi wrote in the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:

"Dearly beloved friends! That the Bab, the inaugurator of the Babi Dispensation, is fully entitled to rank as one of the self-sufficient Manifestations of God, that He has been invested with sovereign power and authority, and exercises all the rights all the rights and prerogatives of independent Prophethood, is yet another fundamental verity which the Message of Baha u llah insistently proclaims and which its flowers must uncompromisingly uphold. That He is not to be regarded merely as an inspired Precursor of the Baha’i Revelation………
There can be no doubt that the claim to the twofold station ordained for the Bab by the Almighty, a claim which He Himself has so boldly advanced, which Baha u llah has repeatedly affirmed, and to which the Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha has finally given the sanction of its testimony, constitute the most distinctive feature of the Baha’i Dispensation."

The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah, page No.31.

SHOGHI EFFENDI on the Institution of the GUARDIANSHIP

Baha’i Faith would be imperiled without the Guardian

The First Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi warned to the Baha’is in his Spiritual Testament “The Administrative Order of The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah” that the Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of entire fabric would be gravely endangered without the guardian. Therefore Baha’is should obey his commandments and search the Living Guardian of Baha’i Faith.
He wrote:
“An attempt, I feel, should at the present juncture be made to explain the character and functions of the twin pillars that support this mighty Administrative Structure—the institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. To describe in their entirety the diverse elements that function in conjunction with these institutions is beyond the scope and purpose of this general exposition of the fundamental verities of the Faith. To define with accuracy and minuteness the features, and to analyze exhaustively the nature of the relationships which, on the one hand, bind together these two fundamental organs of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and connect, on the other, each of them to the Author of the Faith and the Center of His Covenant is a task which future generations will no doubt adequately fulfill. My present intention is to elaborate certain salient features of this scheme which, however close we may stand to its colossal structure, are already so clearly defined that we find it inexcusable to either misconceive or ignore”.

Twin Pillars of Bahai Faith “The Guardianship and UHJ” should be regarded as divine.
He wrote:
“It should be stated, at the very outset, in clear and unambiguous language, that these twin institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh should be regarded as divine in origin, essential in their functions and complementary in their aim and purpose. Their common, their fundamental object is to insure the continuity of that divinely appointed authority, which flows from the Source of our Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings. Acting in conjunction with each other these two inseparable institutions administer its affairs, coordinate its activities, promote its interests, execute its laws and defend its subsidiary institutions. Severally, each operates within a clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction; each is equipped with its own attendant institutions—instruments designed for the effective discharge of its particular responsibilities and duties. Each exercises, within the limitations imposed upon it, its powers, its authority, iits rights and prerogatives. These are neither contradictory, nor detract in the slightest degree from the position which each of these institutions occupies. Far from being incompatible or mutually destructive, they supplement each other’s authority and functions, and are permanently and fundamentally united in their aims”.
Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated
He wrote:
“Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, has been invariably upheld by the Law of God. “In all the Divine Dispensations,” He states, in a Tablet addressed to a follower of the Faith in Persia, “the eldest son hath been given extraordinary distinctions. Even the station of prophethood hath been his birthright.” Without such an institution the integrity of the Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of generations would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would be totally withdrawn”.

The Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha is according to the Author of Kitab-i-Aqdas
He wrote:
“Severed from the no less essential institution of the Universal House of Justice this same System of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be paralyzed in its action and would be powerless to fill in those gaps which the Author of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas has deliberately left in the body of His legislative and administrative ordinances”.
The Administrative Order of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah. Page No.4 & 5 (Printed by Mother Bahai Council of the United States, 1993.

Compiled by the Secretary of the National Baha’i Council of India.

Why do they Deny the Continuance of the Guardianship?

Series of Questions continued from the posting of September 7, 2008

Q.5. What is the reason then why the present group of Baha’is under the leadership of the Haifa organization do not recognize the continuance of the Guardianship?
Ans. Upon the passing of Shoghi Effendi in November 1957, a majority of the Baha’is were tragically led astray from their former faithful adherence to the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha by the highly revered Hands of the Cause (distinguished and highly esteemed assistants appointed by the Guardian who serve under his direction) who, upon the passing of Shoghi Effendi, failed to recognize the import and significance of Shoghi Effendi’s appointment of Mason Remey as President of the first International Baha’i Council (the embryonic Universal House of Justice) over which according to the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha only the Guardian of the Faith presides as its “sacred head” and for this reason had been carefully retained by Shoghi Effendi as an inactive body, pending his passing. These Hands, losing sight of the fact that the Guardian must appoint his successor “in his own life-time” and therefore not by a conventional will and testament, upon not finding such a will, erroneously concluded that the Guardianship had come to a premature end. They then appointed a body of nine Hands from their own number, a body outside the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, which assumed the role and functions of the Guardianship and took control of the world administrative seat of the Faith in Haifa. Some six years later, in 1963,this body transferred the authority and functions it had illegitimately assumed to the UHJ in Haifa, a now headless and incomplete body in the absence of a presiding Guardian, whose successor elected bodies have been similarly named Universal Houses of Justice. It should be clearly understood that the Universal House of Justice established by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in His Will and Testament was designed as the supreme legislative body of the Faith, in contrast to the Guardianship who is endowed with supreme executive authority in the Faith, and for this reason these two institutions of the Baha’i Administrative Order are complementary and inseparable and have been referred to by Shoghi Effendi as the “twin institutions” of the Faith. As the so-called UHJ in Haifa is currently inappropriately exercising both executive and legislative functions, this body is therefore rightfully considered by Orthodox Baha’is to be a patently illegitimate body. Furthermore, under the terms of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha the Guardian of the Faith, is not only designated the “Center of the Cause” and the sole interpreter of Baha’i Holy Writ but he is endowed, as well, with the essential function of presiding, for life, as “the sacred head” of the Universal House of Justice, and as the sole interpreter of the Words of Baha’u’llah, thereby insures that the UHJ does not consider, much less pass, any legislation that would be contrary to the spirit or meaning of the laws revealed by Baha’u’llah or would run counter to His utterances.

No Excuse in the Next World

WHAT WILL BE YOUR EXCUSE WHEN YOU MEET SHOGHI EFFENDI IN THE NEXT WORLD? (A POSSIBLE CREDIBLE SCENARIO)
SHOGHI EFFENDI’S UNDOUBTED INITIAL COMMENTS:
He would certainly say to you how greatly shocked, dismayed and saddened he had been, upon his passing, to note that so many of the believers, like yourself, who during his ministry had ostensibly evinced such faithful and steadfast faith in the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and firm belief in the sacredness and immutability of the divinely-conceived Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in which the Guardian of the Cause of God is named as “The Center of the Cause,” and “the sacred head and distinguished member for life” of the Universal House of Justice had then readily accepted, without question, the incredulous conclusion that had been hastily reached and proclaimed to the Bahá’í World by the Hands of the Cause, gathered in conclave at Akká but a few weeks following his passing, that the Guardianship had come to a premature end based on the transparently fallacious argument that because all of the Aghsán had either died or had been declared violators of the Covenant he had left no will and testament appointing a successor.
YOUR PROBABLE EXCUSE:
As you considered the Hands who had been appointed by Shoghi Effendi to this exalted rank were more conversant on the Teachings and the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá than you were, they must have been right in their conclusion that the Guardianship had come to an end......... >>>DETAIL<<<

An article by the Third Living Guardian of the Baha'i Faith Joel Bray Marangella.

“The Center of the Cause”

Series of Questions continued from the posting of August 5, 2008
Q.3. How, or on what basis, did he become Guardian of the Faith?

Ans: A very pertinent question to which there is a clear and unambiguous answer. His accession to the Guardianship was on the basis of his appointment in 1951 by his predecessor in Office, the second Guardian of the Faith, who had been appointed himself by the first Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, the Grandson of Abdu’l-Baha, the Son of the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, Who had been named by Him the Center of His Covenant with the believers. Abdu’l-Baha delineated the Institutions of the Baha’i Administrative Order in His Will and Testament in which the Guardianship is designated as “The Center of the Cause” and an Institution that is occupied without interruption by a succession of Guardians, each appointed by his predecessor in that Office throughout the duration of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah, promised by Him to endure at least a full thousand years.

Q.4. You maintain therefore that Joel Marangella became the third Guardian of the Faith strictly on the basis of the provisions of the “Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha?

Ans: Yes. But, although none of the Baha’is deny the authenticity of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha and recognize it as Baha’i Holy Writ and a Document, in accordance with whose terms, Shoghi Effendi became the first Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, those Baha’is, under the leadership of the Haifa organization, have not recognized the fact that Shoghi Effendi, faithfully provided for the continuation of the Guardianship, in accordance with these same terms, in appointing as his successor, Mason Remey, a highly distinguished Hand of the Cause, who then, in turn, dutifully appointed as his successor, the present third Guardian of the Faith, Joel Marangella, also in accordance with these terms.

Is the bogus UHJ a legitimate Bahá'í entity?

By Hand of the Cause of God Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand

“THE PRINCIPAL FACTORS THAT MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER A PERSON MAY BE REGARDED A TRUE BELIEVER OR NOT: FULL RECOGNITION OF THE STATION OF THE FORERUNNER, THE AUTHOR, AND THE TRUE EXEMPLAR OF THE BAHÁ'Í CAUSE, AS SET FORTH IN`ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S TESTAMENT; UNRESERVED ACCEPTANCE OF, AND SUBMISSION TO, WHATSOEVER HAS BEEN REVEALED BY THEIR PEN; LOYAL AND STEADFAST ADHERENCE TO EVERY CLAUSE OF OUR BELOVED'S SACRED WILL; AND CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE SPIRIT AS WELL AS THE FORM OF THE PRESENT DAY BAHÁ'Í ADMINISTRATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD “
(Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í Administration, p. 90)

Is the bogus UHJ a legitimate Bahá'í entity?

This is a question that Heterodox Bahá'ís should ask themselves. The only way to find the right answer is to check and test the establishment and structure of that body and its claims, practices and writings in the light of the sacred writings of the Bahá'í Faith. Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, stated that:

“the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá-- "The Charter of the New World Order”-- "together with the Kitab-i-Aqdas,“ . . . "are inseparable parts of one complete unit”

The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá explains how the Universal House of Justice must be elected and how its structure should be, clarifies the nature of its function and duties and stipulates that the Guardian “is the sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body,” thus emphasizing the necessity of the participation of the Guardian of the Cause of God or his representative in its meetings and He further sheds light on the preservation of its integrity by conferring upon the Guardian of the Cause of God the sole right to expel any member of that body who may “commit a sin, injurious to the common weal”

Following is the passage in which Master discusses the Universal House of Justice:

“And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers… By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the Guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body. Should he not attend in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him. Should any of the members commit a sin, injurious to the common weal, the Guardian of the Cause of God hath at his own discretion the right to expel him, whereupon the people must elect another one in his stead…

(`Abdu'l-Bahá, The Will and Testament, p. 14)

To read the full article<<>>

SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS

Our Travel Teachers faced a series of questions from the Baha’is (Sans Guardian believers) during the discussions and debate regarding the Continuity of Guardianship in Baha’i Faith. Following are the answers of two questions and the remaining will be published in series.
You are welcome to write to us any doubt you have regarding to the "continuity of guardianship" in Baha’i Faith.
In the services of third guardian of Baha’i Faith.
Rajendra Upadhyaye.

Question: Why do you call yourself an Orthodox Baha’i?
Answer: When you come to know the history of the Baha'i Faith, you will learn that the Baha'is are now divided into two major groups, one group organized since 1963 under the leadership of a body calling itself the Universal House of Justice (UHJ) based in Haifa, Israel, and the other group under the guidance of the third Guardian of the Faith.

Question: As you have said, the UHJ is based in Haifa, then where is the Headquarters of the Baha’i group under the Guardian?
Answer : The Third Living Guardian of Baha’i Faith is Mr. Joel Bray Marangella who has been exiled from his rightful place in Haifa and resides at this time in Australia. He guides the Orthodox Baha’is of the world. He has appointed Hands of Cause of God, an International Baha’i Council with its seat in the United States, and on a provisional basis both National Baha’i Councils and Local Baha’i Councils in different cities which in due course will become elected bodies.

Guardian in the eyes of Bahiyyih Khanum

Bahiyyih Khanum wrote:
Shoghi Effendi, the chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, has been received together with the scrolls of doubt you had enclosed. Indeed, men whose nostrils have been perfumed by the fragrance of the Abhá Paradise, whose ears have been exhilarated by the sweet melodies of the nightingale warbling in the rose-garden of immortality, and whose souls have been refreshed and quickened by the reviving breaths of holiness, would surely be saddened to hear the screech of the raven and the croaking of the crow, and from them they would certainly endeavour to flee. For the disgusting odour of violation is like poisonous air, whose baneful effects upon the body and soul are injurious and harmful, nay rather it will eventually lead to terrible loss and perdition. Thus the way you have dealt with this matter is approved and acceptable.....>>>Click for full article<<<

There is no one with authority to judge a Guardian:

It is questionable who has the authority to judge a Guardian in regards to matters related to the Cause; to say in this case or that case he made a mistake? We have seen in T.R.B. some comments that Shoghi Effendi made a mistake because he did not announce his successor more clearly than he did or that Mason Remey made a mistake because he delayed making his proclamation or similarly why did Joel B. Marangella wait so long to issue his proclamation? My answer is: those things or similar things had to happen. They were guided to do it the way they did. If Shoghi Effendi trusted Rúhíyyih Khánum, he did not make a mistake as she was a Hand of the Cause and also his secretary. Moreover, she was his wife, and all of the records of her writings prior to the passing of the first Guardian reveal to the reader her profound knowledge of the Faith and the Covenant and emphasize her clear testimony to the necessity of the continuation of the Guardianship until the end of the Bahá'í Dispensation. If Rúhíyyih Khánum after the passing of Shoghi Effendi followed the satanic promptings of her human soul, that was her great error which made her the "Arch Covenant-breaker." The Guardians are not prophets. Some people claim that the Manifestations of God have made a lot of mistakes (which is not true), the fact is that we cannot judge those things that have been done or have happened in the past according to today's knowledge and understandings and conditions. We cannot blame Jesus for what He did with the businesses in front of the Temple, which by today's laws would be considered a crime. He did what He had to do then according to the Will of God. Some people have raised questions as to why Shoghi Effendi put so many of his relatives out of the Faith. The fact is that the condition of the Faith in its infancy required a non-tolerant discipline and on the other hand those relatives' exploitation and misuse of the privileges that they possessed was not acceptable and they left no other choice for the Guardian. He did what he had to do according to the Will of ............. Click for detail

By Hand of the Cuase of God Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand

MARTYRDOM OF THE BAB

MARTYRDOM OF BAB (9th JULY)

Bab the Forerunner of Baha u llah one of the two Promised Ones of all the past religions, left the world handing over His mission to Baha u llah to provide peace and salvation to the humanity. Baha u llah handed over this mission to His son Abdu’l Baha and He appointed to His grandson Shoghi Effendi the First Guardian of Baha’i Faith with an emphatic instruction in His Will and Testament that:

“O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him (Guardian) that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing.”

Thus for the Continuity of Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi appointed his successor to Mason Remey as the Second Guardian of Baha’i Faith.

Mason Remey appointed his successor to Joel Bray Marngella as the Third Guardian, the Head of the Universal House of Justice delineated by Abdu’l Baha in His Will and Testament.

A Memorial meeting with the Devotional and Deepening program on the Continuity of Guardianship in Baha’i Faith will be held at Vasai(Thane), New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Surat and Lucknow between 4.00 to 7.00 pm.

Only Orthodox Bahais are requested to attend the function.

Secretary,
Provisional National Baha'i Council of India

PROCLAMATION CHART

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RAMIFICATIONS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI’S MOMENTOUS PROCLAMATION OF 9 JANUARY, 1951

Blind & Irrational Opposition

Above is the answer to the comment made by an anonymous reader in Persian language on our posting dated April 16, 2008 and titled Festival of Ridvan.

Why They Shunned the Independent Investigation of Truth?

Sans-Guardian Baha’is Say about us;

> They are Covenant Breakers.
> Do not read their literature.
> Do not visit their internet sites.
> Do not entertain them when they come to meet you.
> Do not discuss the contents of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha.
> Do not accept their view about the Continuity of Guardianship in Baha’i Faith.

WHILE ............

In the words of Baha'u'llah,

"Purge your sight, that ye may perceive its glory with your own eyes, and depend not on the sight of any one except your self, for God hath never burdened any soul beyond its power. Thus hath it been sent down unto the Prophets and Messengers of old, and been recorded in all the Scriptures."

ORTHODOX BAHA’I INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

For further detail contact obfcouncilsecty@hotmail.com

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Guardian, the Sacred Head of UHJ

“GOD’S IMMUTABLE PURPOSE” — Shoghi Effendi
To what immutable purpose of God was Shoghi Effendi referring?
In Shoghi Effendi’s seminal work, first published in 1934, titled: “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” and considered by him to be his spiritual testament, he states that “The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this day.”
Yet, notwithstanding the above clear statement, those so-called Bahá’ís who have abandoned the Guardianship of the Cause of God, still count themselves faithful to the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, while blatantly ignoring God’s Purpose and accepting as the supreme authority in the Faith, a headless and an undeniably illegitimate body, calling itself the Universal House of Justice, although patently nothing more than a humanly created caricature of the divinely-conceived body called for under the sacred and immortal provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, over which the Guardian of the Cause of God — the “Center of the Cause” — also presides, not as a figure head, but as its essential “sacred head and the distinguished member for life.”
For further irrefutable evidence that Shoghi Effendi faithfully provided for the continuation of the Guardianship, as mandated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, refer to the following web page: http://www.Bahai-Guardian.com
Joel Bray Marangella
Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith

The anniversary of the declaration of the Bab

May 23, 1844 the anniversary of the declaration of the Bab marks the beginnings of the Baha’i Faith in Shiraz, Persia (Iran). The Bab, which means the “Gate”, proclaimed on that date that he was not only the founder of an independent religion, but the Herald of a New and Greater Prophet or Messenger of God, Who would usher in an age of peace for all mankind.
Bahá'í history is traced through a sequence of leaders, beginning with the Báb's May 23, 1844 Declaration in Shiraz, and ultimately resting on an Administrative Order under the guidance of a LIVING GUARDIAN established by the Central Figures of the religion.
The First Guardian of Baha’i Faith was Shoghi Effendi,
The Second Guardian was Mason Remey and the
THIRD Guardian JOEL BRAY MARANGELLA is now the Living Guardian.
All the Orthodox Baha'is of India extend their heartiest Greetings on this auspicious occasion to the Beloved Guardian Joel Bray Marangella and the Vice President of Third International Baha'i Council Mr. Nosratullah Bahremand and to all the Hands of Cause of God appointed by the Third Guardian.
Further we extend our Greetings to all the Baha’is of the world irrespective of the sects.
PNBC of India.

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

Tel.: 505-753-4136
Email: obfcouncilsecty@hotmail.com
May 5, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Judgment in favor of the Orthodox Baha’i Faith

In a decision handed down by the United States District Court, the Orthodox Baha’i Faith was found not guilty of contempt charges levied against it by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States (Wilmette NSA). The injunction that the Orthodox Baha’i Faith was accused of violating, would have prohibited it from using the name Baha’i, meaning a follower of Baha’u’llah (as the name Christian refers to one who follows Christ.)

The NSA, a national branch of the world organization with over 6 million members, brought the legal action against the Orthodox Baha’i Faith, whose membership, in contrast, numbers less than 50 in the United States, many of whom are life-long believers.

As a result of the judge's finding, the Orthodox Baha'i Faith may continue to use the name Baha'i in identifying itself and may continue to teach its belief in the continuing Guardianship of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, a teaching in direct opposition to that taught by the NSA group. The Orthodox Baha’i Faith recognizes Joel B. Marangella as the rightful Living Guardian of the Baha’i Faith.

The original injunction was issued over forty years ago to a now extinct rival body to the NSA. In her judgment, the Honorable Amy J. St Eve wrote: “[T]he chain of successorship lacks a link” ruling on April 23, 2008 after holding an evidentiary hearing last January 7, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois on the contempt motion brought by the NSA.

Also cited in the case was the Baha’i Publishers Under the Provision of the Covenant, a completely separate organization from either of the other parties. They too were found not guilty.

The complete opinion of the Court can be found on the internet:
http://trueseeker.typepad.com/true_seeker/court_case.html

Contact:
David Maxwell, PNBC Chairman
8924 Crest Ridge Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76179
817-279-3700

Ridvan Message 2008

Ridvan Message 2008
To the faithful and steadfast champions of the Covenant of Bahá’ulláh and the valiant defenders of its sacred and immortal “Child” throughout the Bahá’í World,

Dearly beloved friends,
You will recall that with the appointment of the third International Bahá’í Council I had asked Hand of the Cause, Frank Schlatter, Secretary-General of the Council, to henceforth, on the occasion of Ridván, to assume responsibility for recounting our accomplishments during the past Bahá’í year. Without, in any way, detracting from his report, I do however wish to send loving greetings to all of the faithful and devoted friends on the occasion of this “Most Great Festival” and express, yet again, my undying appreciation of and thankfulness for their steadfast fidelity to the indestructible Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and its sacred and immortal “Child” which they have continued to manifest in many ways.
Also, I must again particularly express my gratitude for, and admiration of, the outstanding labors of those dear and faithful friends who have participated in the defense of the interests of the true Faith in the highly reprehensible lawsuit initiated by the violating NSA of the United States in their diabolical effort to proscribe our rights as Bahá’ís, a despicable effort, which is certainly ultimately doomed to ignominious failure, and for which the faithful friends, as this juncture and, as this is written, are eagerly awaiting the present verdict of the court.
I wish to take this opportunity, as well, to pay tribute to those dear friends, Hands of the Cause Marilyn Meyer and Frank Schlatter together with James Meyer who were obliged to journey to Chicago to testify in the trial before Judge Amy J. St.Eve on 7-8 January 2008, and who, in preparing for the submission of their testimony, had been expertly tutored by Hand of the Cause, Jeffrey Goldberg, our legal counsel, who also testified, all of whom acquitted themselves magnificently during this trial and who shall certainly be forever remembered and praised in the future annals of the Faith for their efforts. I have previously highly commended Jeffrey and wish to pay homage to him, once again, and express my heartfelt and profound gratitude for his tireless and outstanding labors in preparing and presenting a brilliant legal defense against the spurious claims made by the violating National Spiritual Assembly of the United States in their reprehensible lawsuit against us.
I feel that the time has now come on this auspicious occasion to call attention to a significant letter that Shoghi Effendi wrote to Mrs. George R. True on July 22, 1943, that was published in the November 1944 issue of United States Bahá’í News, No. 171. She had apparently asked him about the twenty-four elders mentioned in the Book of Revelation, only nineteen of whom, as you know, have been identified to date, as the Bab and the eighteen Letters of the Living. The following is quoted from his letter to her:
“Regarding the four and twenty elders: The Master in a Tablet, stated that they were the Báb, the eighteen Letters of the Living, and five others who would be known in the future. So far, we do not know who these five others are.”
Who in the future would be qualified to identify the remaining five elders, other than a Guardian of the Faith? It will be obvious in my identification of them below, that neither Shoghi Effendi nor Mason Remey had been in a position to name these five remaining elders during their respective ministries and for this reason, it has now become, at long last, my inestimable privilege to do so.
We find the following wonderful prediction in the Book of Revelation: “There in heaven stood a throne, and on the throne sat One [the Lord of the Covenant] whose appearance was like the gleam of jasper and cornelian; and round the throne was a rainbow, bright as an emerald. In a circle about this throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on them sat twenty-four elders, robed in white and wearing crowns of gold.” (The New English Bible)
The remaining five elders are:
‘Abdu’l-Bahá–Center of the Covenant.
Bahiyyih Khanum-The Greatest Holy Leaf.
Shoghi Effendi–First Guardian of the Cause of God.
Charles Mason Remey–Second Guardian of the Cause of God.
Martha Root–Preeminent teacher.
With loving Ridván greetings,

Faithfully your brother in El Abha,

Post Script: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has obviously been misquoted or misunderstood at the time to have stated, as alleged in a Persian text, that Vakilu’d-Dawlih, a highly distinguished Persian believer, was one of the elders. This believer has actually been named one of the Apostles of Bahá’u’llåh.
JBM