Hands of the Bahá'í Faith

Examination of a Declaration of Trust prepared under the Guidance of Shoghi Effendi

Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, officially taught that "the establishment" of the "Divine Civilization" "is the primary mission of the Bahá'í Faith" (WOB, page 4).  That "Divine Civilization" is the prophesied Kingdom of God on Earth. In 1930 Shoghi Effendi was the infallible protector and guide of the Bahá'í Faith, and on the title page of The Bahá'í World 1928-1930 are written these very significant words:

"Prepared under the supervision of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada with the approval of SHOGHI EFFENDI"  (The upper case letters used for the first Guardian's name are the publisher's)

Starting on page 96 of The Bahá'í World 1928-1930, the publishers of that book present the "DECLARATION OF TRUST By the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada"

Why is it vital/critical for sincere Bahá'ís, today, to carefully examine the ARTICLES  of that DECLARATION OF TRUST?  The reason is this:  That  DECLARATION OF TRUST  was prepared with the "approval of SHOGHI EFFENDI", the infallible protector of the Cause of God, and if, during our examination of that Document, we discover that it contains
vital features which are conspicuously missing from current administrative applications imposed upon heterodox Bahá'ís around the Earth by the current sans-Guardian Bahá'í administration operating on Mt. Carmel, we can sound the alarm to warn all sincere Bahá'ís and all true seekers that flagrant betrayal of Shoghi Effendi and flagrant betrayal of the DECLARATION OF TRUST which he personally approved is being perpetrated by the illegitimate administration currently imposing itself upon millions of sans-Guardian Bahá'ís.

And, yes, in fact we do discover such vital features approved by Shoghi Effendi to be missing from today's heterodox Bahá'í administration of Haifa/Wilmette.

In ARTICLE I of the DECLARATION OF TRUST, on page 97 these words are written:

"--we declare the purposes and objects of this Trust to be to administer the affairs of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh for the benefit of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada according to the principles of Bahá'í affiliation and administration created and established by Bahá'u'lláh, defined and explained by `Abdu'l-Bahá, and amplified and applied by Shoghi Effendi and his duly constituted successor and successors under the provision of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá."

Clearly, in view of the fact that any "principles of Bahá'í affiliation" which may need to be "amplified" by the "duly constituted successor and successors" of Shoghi Effendi MUST be
"amplified" "under the provision of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá" which sacred and immutable Document is Holy Bahá'í Text, as taught by Shoghi Effendi (WOB page 4), only a "successor" authorized and empowered to interpret Holy Bahá'í Text, can legally, in the true Bahá'í Faith make such amplification of "principles of Bahá'í affiliation".

The current heterodox Bahá'í administration of Haifa/Wilmette DOES NOT HAVE such an authorized interpreter of Holy Bahá'í Text, because only a living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith is legally authorized to interpret Bahá'í Holy Text.

The current heterodox Bahá'í administration's betrayal of the DECLARATION OF TRUST officially approved by Shoghi Effendi is clear and evident.

In ARTICLE II of the DECLARATION OF TRUST, on page 99 these words are written:

"The Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, for whose benefit this Trust has been established, shall consist of all persons resident in the United States and Canada who are recognized by the National Spiritual Assembly as having fulfilled the requirements of voting membership in a local Bahá'í community.  To become a voting member of a Bahá'í community a person shall--c.  Have established to the satisfaction of the local Spiritual Assembly, subject to the approval of the National Assembly, that he possesses the qualifications of Bahá'í faith and practice, required under the following standard:  ... loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of `Abdu'l-Bahá's sacred Will;"

Why has that requirement, "loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of `Abdu'l-Bahá's sacred Will;" approved by the infallible first Guardian, been illegally omitted/ abrogated/ rejected by the current sans-Guardian Bahá'í  administration of Haifa/Wilmette?

Such betrayal of Shoghi Effendi, such dishonor and betrayal of `Abdu'l-Bahá by desecrating His Holy Will and Testament, diminishing the importance of that Holy Document in the eyes of millions of Bahá'í women and men is now exposed and made evident by demonstrating the contrast between the Declaration of Trust approved by Shoghi Effendi
for National Spiritual Assemblies and the defective, negligent and renegade administrative applications imposed by the current sans-Guardian Bahá'í administration of Haifa/Wilmette.

The website of the living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith:
http://www.Bahai-Guardian.com

By Hand of the Cause Ross Campbell

Justification through Materialism?

The most distinguishing feature of the Bahá'í Faith is that for the first time, humans were given a Covenant with a clearly defined path to follow in order that the hereditary lineage to the All Knowing would be ensured. It is logical that that specific pathway must be faithfully obeyed in order to remain attuned to the intent of the All-Knowing. `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament provides that pathway. If every Sacred Clause of the Will is not satisfied, there is most certainly error involved in whatever results are generated.

In a March 2006 paper, the International Teaching Centre of the sans-guardian Bahá'ís discusses that the Universal House of Justice and the Guardianship are the twin successors of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. Their position is outlined under the topic Was it anticipated that there would be no future guardians? Excerpts follow:

Writing on the question of future Guardians, the Universal House of Justice has explained that there was no guarantee of the continuation of the line of Guardians:

Future Guardians are clearly envisaged and referred to in the Writings, but there is nowhere any promise or guarantee that the line of Guardians would endure forever; on the contrary there are clear indications that the line could be broken. Yet, in spite of this, there is a repeated insistence in the Writings on the indestructibility of the Covenant and the immutability of God’s Purpose for this Day. Indeed in the Most Holy Book, Bahá'u'lláh reveals the following passage which anticipated precisely what actually occurred regarding the successorship of the authority of the Cause of God:

“Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs. None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation. After Him, this authority shall pass to the Aghsán, and after them to the House of Justice—should it be established in the world by then—that they may use these endowments for the benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the God of might and power. Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people of Bahá who speak not except by His leave and judge not save in accordance with what God hath decreed in this Tablet—lo, they are the champions of victory betwixt heaven and earth—that they may use them in the manner that hath been laid down in the Book by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful.” Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 2005 printing, p. 36

In the explanatory notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, it is pointed out that this passage “has particular implications . . . For the succession of authority following the passing of Bahá'u'lláh. . . and of `Abdu'l-Bahá.” In connection with this section of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas the House of Justice has also written: The passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 precipitated the very situation provided for in this passage, in that the line of Aghsán ended before the House of Justice had been elected.

International Teaching Centre, March 2006 

I have never understood the logic of the bogus Universal House of Justice that justifies their position of not having a living guardian, yet claiming to be the central authority of the Bahá'í Faith. They use a segment of the Most Holy Book, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, to give credence to their position. The line of the Aghsán (Bahá'u'lláh’s sons; page 239 “God Passes By“) had ended, and were thus not available for succession. But that possibility had been addressed by ‘Abdu'l-Bahá (with Bahá'u'lláh’s co-authorship) in His Will and Testament in His discussion of guardianship succession. He provided that another branch, with specific spiritual attributes, would be appropriate should an Aghsán not be available. The Will mentions nothing about endowments dedicated to charity among the requirements for succession. Nor does it address that a Universal House of Justice may be formed without a living guardian, and then assume the guardianship responsibilities.

The Will stipulates the manner in which a proper Universal House of Justice must be organized in order for it to comply with the Mind of Bahá'u'lláh. It additionally tells of the essentiality of the guardian of the Cause of God to provide its proper leadership in the conduct of its responsibilities. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas discusses the mechanics of neither of them. The Will does that quite adequately. Nowhere in any of the Holy Writings does it discuss that a Universal House of Justice may exist absent a living guardian, nor that the Bahá'í Faith may exist without his presence as the Center of the Covenant.
  
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas does indeed refer to endowments dedicated to charity as well as the Huqúq'u'lláh, the fixed money offering (the Right of God.) However, it discusses them separately, only with reference to their handling. The Huqúq'u'lláh, is to be managed within the offices of the guardian of the Cause, while endowments dedicated to charity resides with the UHJ. The two were to be managed separately, yet the bogus UHJ handles both. Neither was intended to be a vehicle for guardianship succession.

In recognition of our materialistic tendencies, a presidential candidate once used the slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid!” Unfortunately, I find parallels of that within the approach the bogus UHJ uses in their justification. Any aspect of monetary handling smacks of materialism; money is the fuel of materialism. Materialism is the antithesis of Spirituality. Spirituality is the foundation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It is no accident that monetary issues, the Huqúq'u'lláh and the endowments dedicated to charity, are discussed within the context of spirituality of that book in order to safeguard against the tendency of humans to corrupt themselves through their golden calf; materialism.

The bogus Universal House of Justice uses the spiritually charged Kitáb-i-Aqdas to give credence to their justification. The instruction they cling to was intended for the handling of monetary matters, materialism, and not for the spiritually-mandated guardianship succession. I daresay that protection from an avenue that can lead to the peril and decay that materialism has brought our present society definitely has a place in the Aqdas. It needs its spiritual overtones. The pinnacle of irony is that the bogus UHJ has to resort to a matter with materialistic overtones for the primary justification of their position as regards the structure of their Universal House of Justice.

The result of that is that a primary element is missing; spirituality; connectivity with the Holy Spirit; the Divine Linkage with God. His Covenant with humans has always been in the forefront when authenticity of religious basis is questioned. The Ark of the Covenant is often emphasized in the hereditary lineage of religion. In any case, it is a given that a proper lineage is necessary in order that an effective adherence to God’s Law may be realized. History tells us that this is the one element of any revelation that has become almost immediately flawed with the passing of the Prophet, and thus has led to murky or corrupted lines of succession.

The most distinguishing feature of the Bahá'í Faith is that for the first time, humans were left with a clearly defined path to follow in order that the hereditary lineage to the All Knowing would be ensured. It logically follows that the avenue for that lineage must follow certain tests in order to be valid. `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament provides the touchstone for that to happen. If every Sacred Clause of the Will is not satisfied, there is most certainly error involved in whatever results are generated.

By Hand of the Cause David Maxwell

The wrong image that they are projecting

Rúhíyyih Khánum and the former Hands who followed her in violation of the Covenant, as well as the headless and spiritually dead body that they created, all followed a common pattern in which they projected a picture of Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Cause of God, as a weak, irresponsible and careless person who was unfaithful to the
Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and without being vouchsafed divine guidance, inspiration, and the protection of God.

They hung on to any flimsy straw that they could to say that he did not fulfill his divine obligation of appointing his successor during his own lifetime. This is in contradiction to many of the writings of Ruhiyyih Khanum and the former Hands and those who now run the bogus UHJ, who, on the one hand, attest to his spirituality, preeminence, precision, hard working and undoubted faithfulness to the provisions of the Will and Testament, while, on the other, they ignore the fact that Shoghi Effendi had, in strict and faithful accordance with that sacred Document appointed "in his own lifetime him that shall become his successor."

And they further claim that:

"Shoghi Effendi had appointed no successor in his own lifetime because he himself had no natural heir and because no member of the Holy Family qualified." (See "The Ministry of the Custodians." p. 101)

And when they are showed many references from the writings of the first Guardian and pilgrim notes that confirm the fact that he had, to the end of his life, repeatedly emphasized the continuity of the Guardianship until the very end of the Bahá'í Dispensation, they still argue that he did not know that he was going to die and he had hoped that he would have a child.  Of course, this was nothing more than weird imagination in the heads of the pawns of the bogus UHJ.

Even Rúhíyyih Khánum did not say such a peculiar thing that after so many years of marriage without having a child, that they were looking forward to having a child, or by chance a son.  Even if that had been a son, there would not have been any guaranty that the Guardian would still be alive when he would have grown to an age when he could have
been appointed his successor.  Moreover, even if Shoghi Effendi had survived with a son; according to the provisions of the Will and Testament of Master, this son could not have become the second Guardian without appointment.  Also there would have been the
possibility that his son would not have been eligible for appointment if he did "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," as required under the terms of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá. If any one, for any reason, believes that the first Guardian during his 36-year ministry irresponsibly did not appoint his successor, he has definitely betrayed him.

Any ordinary person, even a careless one, when he becomes sick and the doctor tells him that two hundred people have died from this same sickness during one week, and if he is not sure that he has appointed his heir, he would certainly attempt to do so as soon as possible.

"He also told the Guardian that he had heard over the radio that well over two hundred people had died of influenza during the week, and they discussed this a little together."
(Rúhíyyih Khánum, The Passing of Shoghi Effendi, p. 8)

How is it possible that the first Guardian, who said the following, had not appointed his successor?

"At one time, while Rúhíyyih Khánum was checking over with him the various lists and totals, he said to her, as he had said many many times during the last year: "This work is killing me! How can I go on with this? I shall have to stop it." (Rúhíyyih Khánum, The Passing of Shoghi Effendi, p. 6)

"Who is going to go back and do all these things? I have no strength left. I am like a broken reed. I can't do anything more. I have no spirit left to do anything more. Now we will be going back who is going to go up that mountain and make all those plans and stand for hours and supervise the work? I can't do it." ... "He was very, very sad and depressed, and spoke words such as these for a long time. It was not the first time that Rúhíyyih Khánum had heard him speak in this vein, but it was with far greater intensity and in more specific detail than she had ever heard before, and it distressed her very
deeply."(Rúhíyyih Khánum, The Passing of Shoghi Effendi, p. 8)

Of course the history of this goes back several years prior to the above and to an incident recorded in the pilgrim notes of the third Guardian when one evening at the dinner table Shoghi Effendi mentioned "the tremendous burden under which the Master had labored, as His ascension neared, in keeping up with His voluminous correspondence," and he had then said: "Now my correspondence is becoming more than I can handle." When Shoghi Effendi, in this way, clearly alluded to the imminence of his passing, Rúhíyyih Khánum jumped up from the table and in tears rushed out of the room, only to return later when she had composed herself. Yet, later wrote:

"I do remember a very few things that might have been significant, but certainly they meant nothing to me at the time. I could never have survived the slightest foreknowledge of the Guardian's death," (Rúhíyyih Khánum, The Guardian, p. 237)

Hand of the Cause Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand

the most brilliant and wondrous tale

"God Passes By, the most brilliant and wondrous tale of a century that has ever been told,..."--Rúhíyyih Khánum

Those words of Rúhíyyih Khánum  are recorded on page125 of The Bahá'í World 1954-1963.  She wrote:

"God Passes By, the most brilliant and wondrous tale of a century that has ever been told, is truly a "Mother" of future histories, a book wherein every word counts....Packed with salient facts it has the range and precision of snow flake crystals, each design perfect in
itself....It was one of the most concentrated and stupendous achievements of Shoghi Effendi's life."

"...every word counts"

"...each design perfect in itself"

Let's keep those words of Rúhíyyih Khánum in mind as we examine what Shoghi Effendi wrote in God Passes by concerning the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá:

"The Administrative Order which this historic Document has established, it should be noted, is, by virtue of its origin and character, unique in the annals of the world’s religious systems. No Prophet before Bahá’u’lláh, it can be confidently asserted, not even
Mu?ammad Whose Book clearly lays down the laws and ordinances of the Islamic Dispensation, has established, authoritatively and in writing, anything comparable to the Administrative Order which the authorized Interpreter of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings has instituted, an Order which, by virtue of the administrative principles which its Author has
formulated, the institutions He has established, and the right of interpretation with which He has invested its Guardian, must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which it has sprung. Nor is the principle
governing its operation similar to that which underlies any system, whether theocratic or otherwise, which the minds of men have devised for the government of human institutions. Neither in theory nor in practice can the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh be said to conform to any type of democratic government, to any system of
autocracy, to any purely aristocratic order, or to any of the various theocracies, whether Jewish, Christian or Islamic which mankind has witnessed in the past. It incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in each of the three recognized forms of secular government, is devoid of the defects which each of them
inherently possesses, and blends the salutary truths which each undoubtedly contains without vitiating in any way the integrity of the Divine verities on which it is essentially founded. The hereditary authority which the Guardian of the Administrative Order is called upon to exercise, and the right of the interpretation of the Holy Writ solely conferred upon him; the powers and prerogatives of the Universal House of Justice, possessing the exclusive right to legislate on matters not explicitly revealed in the Most Holy Book; the ordinance exempting its members from any responsibility to those whom they represent, and from the obligation to conform to their views, convictions or sentiments; the specific provisions requiring the free and democratic election by the mass of the faithful of the Body that constitutes the sole legislative organ in the world-wide
Bahá’í community—these are among the features which combine to set apart the Order identified with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh from any of the existing systems of human government."

Rúhíyyih Khánum:

"...every word counts"

"...each design perfect in itself"

When Shoghi Effendi wrote:  "these are among the features which combine to set apart the Order identified with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh from any of the existing systems of human government.", he had just listed some of those features, and the first feature which he specifically mentioned is the Guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith:

 "the institutions He has established, and the right of interpretation with which He has invested its Guardian, must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which it has sprung."

Rúhíyyih Khánum:

"...every word counts"

"...each design perfect in itself"

One might expect some Christian clergyperson to read these words of the first Guardian which he wrote concerning the Administration of God's Kingdom on Earth:   "the Institutions He has established, and the right of interpretation with which He has invested its Guardian, must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which it has sprung.", and after reading those words to say:  "It won't happen that way.  There won't be any such "Guardian" in God's Kingdom on Earth."

Yes, as Bahá'ís, we might expect Christians to make such a statement or other religionists or their leaders.  However, could any true Bahá'í expect her/his fellow Bahá'ís to make or to endorse/support such a statement or attitude of negation and contradiction towards the official written words of the first of our Guardians, Shoghi Effendi?

Concerning those quoted words of Shoghi Effendi recorded in God Passes By,  "  the most brilliant and wondrous tale of a century that has ever been told", of which history  Rúhíyyih Khánum wrote :

"...every word counts"

"...each design perfect in itself",

Orthodox Bahá'ís certainly believe his words.

Evidently  Rúhíyyih Khánum believed neither Shoghi Effendi's words, nor even her own words which she wrote concerning his words  recorded in God Passes By.   He wrote very specificaly about the hereditary Guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith and its accompanying power and authority to interpret "the words of God",  which " must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which it has sprung."

Othodox Bahá'ís believe that those words of the first Guardian all count.

Heterodox  Bahá'ís demonstrate by their words and actions that they believe that his words do not count.

The website of the living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith:
http://www.Bahai-Guardian.com

Hand of Cause Ross Campbell

At Peace, Apace With the Universe

`Abdu'l-Bahá is our primary mentor as we live our daily lives in this existence. All the guidance that He left us in His writings should be considered a template in how best to live our lives, not only in service to the Faith, but logically in our attempts to be viable citizens of the earth. A general theme of His is to be radiant and happy in all that we do, even in times of adversity.

It is so easy for us to rationalize our own personal situation, particularly amidst all the chaos and horrors of today’s life. But think about it; how much chaos did `Abdu'l-Bahá have to deal with in His daily life? I daresay that the traumas of our lives are a walk in the park when compared with His. We may remind ourselves that He led His life surrounded by a peaceful radiance, in spite of imprisonment and constant harassment from authorities.

I have often pondered how He managed to exude a happy radiance under those circumstances, and thought that His Station provided Him the extraordinary vigor and capacity to do that. Notwithstanding that, further contemplation leads one to conclude that he expected each of us to follow His example and to strive to attain a similar radiance in our composure.

He showed us the way; it is up to us to attempt to attain His example. He challenged each of us with the following simple prayer: “O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.”

`Abdu'l-Bahá summarized His expectations for us with His “…if you are not happy in this Day, when will you be happy…” I believe that we can approach `Abdu'l-Bahá’s expectations through contemplating the rhythm of the Universe; by being at peace, apace with the natural cadence of nature. Logic should tell us that there is a natural rhythm in nature, and that it is a part of the rhythm of the Universe. A natural rhythm has to exist in all things in order for there to be order in all things. The Universe and our
Planet always conform to certain reliable cycles that we are accustomed to. The Planets all exist within their assigned orbits. Should only one small part of the Universe depart from that conformity, its fiery destruction follows. There are countless additional examples of a conforming rhythm that has to be in effect for the universe to continue at all.

I daresay that there is a regulated pace, or rhythm, that is in existence for each and every organism in God’s existence. Now, if one concludes that, he should also contemplate that there must be an optimal cadence that humans were designed to follow in order to function optimally. What might that be? Meditation At Peace, Apace With the Universe comes to mind as a viable doorway to a peaceful and rhythmic cadence with the
Universe. Meditation has been with humans for countless centuries but has the stigma among the West of being an “Eastern” philosophy, and thus not really applicable to us in this day. Not so, I would say. However, it does have requirements that most would rather not bother with in the frantic pace of today’s world.

Assuming that there most likely is an optimal pace for humans in order to conform to the pace of the Universe, how shall we reach that? `Abdu'l-Bahá, in His Wisdom, most assuredly understood that, otherwise how else could He have bridged the chasm between this life and the spiritual world so effectively? Why would He have asked us to be happy regardless of when we lived, nor what the circumstances were in the age in which we lived? How many countless souls have lived, and will live before the Peace of the Kingdom will manifest completely on earth? Yet, He determined that each human had the potential to be happy, even during the chaos required to achieve that eventual Peace.

Let us then assume that there is a cadence, a rhythm available to the human condition that may optimally connect with the natural rhythm of the Universe to the best degree possible. A degree that humans may achieve the utmost in spiritual power leading to spiritual accomplishment for themselves and for other humans as well. Could it be that by living in the moment, really living in the moment, as they say, pushes all the destructive thoughts of lament and sadness of what happened in the past, and all the unrealistic thoughts we employ as we imagine a pie-in-the-sky future, out of our consciousness and allows the energy of the Universe to occupy the space that those two destructive patterns vacated through our conscious efforts? Could it be that by being in the moment we provide an avenue that welcomes the power of the Universe into our lives at a pace that is in a conformance with it?

We know that there must be a conduit for the Holy spirit to reach us, but that we must be receptive to that power in order to complete the connection. Could it be that the quality we call the power of the Universe is actually a highway that the power of the Holy Spirit uses to travel more easily to humans who pray for its guidance in their lives? It almost seems to be too simple for that to be the case; however, we do know that Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá provided all the essential tools that humans need for achieving the goals of the Bahá'í Faith during whatever era of its existence is occurring at any particular time.

Since the power of meditation is known to be an effective device for reaching spirituality, perhaps the quality of being in the present moment is merely a practical means of reaching the same result, by its inherent ability to push the twin negative thought patterns of the past and the future from our working minds as we go about our daily activities. When that happens, then the Holy Spirit gains a more natural access to our being.

At Peace, Apace With the Universe
Should that be the case, then perhaps we have found a means to be at any given moment, “At Peace, Apace with the Universe.”

By Hand of the Cause David Maxwell

A message today with parallels to Jeremiah's message to ancient Israel

Jeffrey's posting reminded me about the Biblical story ofJeremiah.  I am going to draw attention to some of those parallels here.

There are many such parallels between the time of Jeremiah and the disobedience of ancient Israelites to their Covenant with Almighty God and the current disobedience towards `Abdu'l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, by the renegade UHJ currently on Mt. Carmel and their Heterodox Bahá'í adherents around the Earth. During a similar time span of years as Jeremiah's prophesying against the waywardness and unfaithfulness of the ancient Israelites (647-617 B.C.E.), Joel B. Marangella, the third Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith has been constantly exposing the false visions heralded by the
headless heterodox Bahá'í UHJ on Mt. Carmel, and its other many violations of the Covenant of our Lord Bahá'u'lláh.  The third Guardian's message has also included warnings
with similarities to the warnings contained in Jeremiah's message to disobedient Israelites.

The false prophets in ancient Israel during Jeremiah's time were heralding false visions amongst the wayward Israelites and prophesying in falsehood in the same manner that the bogus UHJ on Mt. Carmel is heralding false visions of the Administration of the New world Order of Bahá'u'lláh and also scoffing at the warning provided by the third Guardian's  interpretation of the Tablet of the Holy Mariner.

Notice the parallels:

Jeremiah was prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of its remaining inhabitants, while the false prophets were saying the opposite.

Jeremiah wrote, as recorded at Jeremiah 14: 13,14:

"At this I said:  "alas, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah!  Here the prophets are saying to them, 'You will see no sword, and there will be no famine to happen to you, but true peace is what I shall give you in this place." And Jehovah went on to say to me:  "Falsehood is what the prophets are prophesying in My Name.  I have not sent them, nor have I commanded
them or spoken to them. A false vision  and divination and a valueless thing and the trickiness of their heart they are speaking prophetically to you people."

The true vision of the Administration of the New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh is unmistakeably and clearly presented by the Perfect Architect of that Administration, the One Who is the Center of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá.  He delineated that true vision in His sacred and immutable Will and Testament and that true vision pictures a New World Order with an infallible highest legislative Body, namely a legitimate Universal House of Justice complete with a "sacred head" which "sacred head", a living Guardian, is capable and authorized to interpret Bahá'í Holy Writ and Holy text and the writings of earlier Guardians of the Bahá'í Faith so that the promise"

"This is the day which will not be followed by night" will become fulfilled throughout this Holy Bahá'í Dispensation.

In sharp contrast, the Heterodox Bahá'í false prophets, currently and illegally residing on Mt. Carmel behind the marble columns, are heralding to the Bahá'í world a false vision of a future administration over all of the Earth which cannot fulfill the promise "This is the day which will not be followed by night", because the false vision heralded by those false Heterodox prophets currently on Mt. Carmel is a vision without an interpreter of the Holy Bahá'í Writings, it is a vision of a headless UHJ, impotent to discern whether or not any of its legislation conflicts "with the meaning" or departs "from the spirit" of Bahá'u'lláh's revealed utterances", because only a living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith is able to perform that
duty, a duty which the first Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, infallibly, specifically and officially in his spiritual testament, The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, identified to be a necessary obligation of each Guardian in the true Administration of the New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.

In sharp contrast also to the true vision of the true Bahá'í Administration, the false heterodox Bahá'í prophets currently residing behind the giant marble pillars on Mt. Carmel are heralding forth a false vision of a New World Order devoid of another sacred Institution delineated by the Master in His Will and Testament, the "Charter of the New World Order", namely the sacred Institution of the Hands of the Bahá'í Faith. In place of that sacred Institution infallibly delineated by the Master and infallibly discussed officially by the first of our Bahá'í Guardians, Shoghi Effendi, the false heterodox Bahá'í visionaries falsely paint a picture of a substitute institution, the members of which body a living Guardian will never "urge", whose members will never serve a living Guardian nor be "under his shadow" nor "obey his command", nor "be nominated and appointed" by a living Guardian of the Cause of God, all characteristics infallibly delineated for the sacred Bahá'í Institution, The Hands of the Bahá'í Faith, by the Master Himself in His sacred Will and Testament.

The false visionaries on Mt. Carmel call the unguided and impotent institution which they falsely herald, The Board of Continental Counsellors, which sans-Guardian institution they claim to be the legitimate successor of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, an Institution inseparable from the Guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith and constantly guided by a living Guardian in the true and infallibly delineated vision of the New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.

Jeremiah records these Words of Jehovah:

"The prophets themselves actually prophesy in falsehood, and as for the priests, they go subduing according to their own powers.  And My own people have loved [it] that way,..."

The parallel of that circumstance in Jeremiah's day with the spiritual circumstance in the Heterodox Bahá'í organization today is striking.

Jeremiah's prophesying exposed the "unjust gain" rampant in ancient Israel, just as the third Guardian has exposed the unjust gain by the bogus UHJ's usurping of the Huqúq'u'lláh, which has been infallibly assigned exclusively to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.

Orthodox Bahá'ís are saying that as Bahá'ís we must walk in the spiritual roadways of the decades since the early 1920's when the Bahá'í Faith was guided by the first of our Guardians as the Bahá'í Faith must always be guided by a living Guardian. But heterodox
believers refuse to walk in that roadway. They refuse to acknowledge the Instructions of the Master enshrined in His sacred Will and Testament as Bahá'í Law, which those Instructions truly are. On page 4 of WOB Shoghi Effendi identified the Master's Will and Testament to be, together with the Most Holy Book, "inseparable parts of one complete unit."

The ancient Israelites were warned by these Words:

Jeremiah 6:16-19:

This is what Jehovah has said:  "Stand still in the ways, you people, and see, and ask for the roadways of long ago, where, now, the good way is; and walk in it, and find ease for your souls.  But they kept saying:  "We are not going to walk"  And I raised up over you people watchmen, 'Pay attention to the sound of the horn!'" But they kept saying:  "We are not going to pay attention."  "Therefore hear, O you nations! And know, O you assembly, what will be among them.  Listen O earth!  Here I am bringing in calamity upon this people as the fruitage of their thoughts, for they paid no attention to My very own
words; and My Law--they also kept rejecting it."

The parallel is, again, striking.

Jeremiah 6: 22,23:

This is what Jehovah has said: "Look!  A people is coming from the land of the north and there is a great nation that will be awakened from the remotest parts of the earth.  The bow and the javelin they will grab hold of.  It is a cruel one, and they will have no pity.
Their voice will resound just like the sea, and upon horses they will ride.  It is drawn up in battle order like a man of war against you, O daughter of Zion."

And so it came to pass, exactly as Jeremiah prophesied.

It is time for all sincere Bahá'ís and true seekers to pay heed to the parallels of Jeremiah's ministry and the ministry of the third Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith whose rebukes against error and violations and whose warnings of Divine retribution are similar to those of Jeremiah, and whose ministry exposing the bogus UHJ has now continued during a similar approximately 40-year time frame.

The website of the living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith:
http://www.Bahai-Guardian.com

Hand of the Cause Ross Campbell

My fervent prayer and resolve for 2009

Sometimes I get discouraged over the fact that the Great Violation of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh has continued for about 50 years now, with no apparent end in sight as the faithless sans-Guardian Bahá'ís continue their legal assault against the small faithful band of believers who insist upon believing that Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi meant what they said about the Covenant and the divine Institutions of Bahá'u'lláh's wondrous System.

But when I consider the fact that this faithless covenant-breaking on the part of most of the Baha'is of the world today really should not have come as a surprise, and that rebellion against God and His leadership has been the hallmark of religious history since the beginning of time, then it does not seem so discouraging.  The faithlessness and waywardness of humanity is just part of the great battle between the Army of Light and the forces of darkness that is now upon us.

`Abdu'l-Bahá has said: "O thou who art firm in the Covenant! ...[T]he hearts are afflicted by the murky breaths of the Covenant-breakers and harmony hath decreased among the friends. Gracious God! A hundred times it hath been foretold that the violators are lying in ambush and by every means desire to cause dissension among the friends so that this dissension may end in violation of the Covenant. How is it that, notwithstanding this warning, the friends have neglected this explicit statement?"  (Selections,  p. 211)

Foretold hundreds of times, and the normal course of history for the Faith since its infancy, and yet the believers were unprepared for the onslaught of violation that hit them upon the death of Shoghi Effendi.  But that was in the past, and we now live in the present.  The fact that humanity has repeatedly made the wrong choices since history was recorded, and the fact that the Bahá'ís have been in error for 50 years or more, does not mean this error must persist. We are not doomed to repeat our failures of the past.  The fact is that God has given us this great gift of free will, by which every moment carries with it a creative choice to persist in error, or to turn to God. At any time, all Bahá'ís everywhere are free to abandon their foolish resistance to the Cause of God, and to turn to the living source of divine guidance, the Guardian of the Cause of God.  It does not matter how much nonsense is spewed out by the devilishly evil men of their so-called Universal House of Justice, and it does not matter what legal onslaught the true believers face from the sick and misguided souls of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, and those who support them in their evil efforts to use the federal courts to silence the true Faith in the United States. 

It still remains true that all of you are free to choose correctly and to come under the shadow of the Tree of the Covenant.  My constant and fervent prayer is that all of you will awaken before it is too late.

So my fervent prayer and resolve for 2009, as we face another year of opposition from those who have turned away from God and joined forces with the Evil One. is to join the prayer of the Master, the Center of the Covenant, and our Mighty Exemplar, to sacrifice my all for the victory of the Cause of God in this coming year that error might be changed to Truth, that evil be turned to Good, and that this great Cause of God might emerge victorious:

"O God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine, held fast in the talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of bloodthirsty beasts. Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee, that I may drink deep of the chalice that brimmeth over with faithfulness to Thee and is filled with Thy bountiful Grace; so that, fallen upon the dust, I may sink prostrate and senseless whilst my vesture is dyed crimson with my blood. This is my wish, my heart's desire, my hope, my pride, my glory. Grant, O Lord my God, and my Refuge, that in my last hour, my end may even as musk shed its fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by Thy Glory! I call Thee to witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that have broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice, stirred sedition in the land and dishonored Thee amidst Thy servants. Lord! Shield Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold of Thy Faith and protect Thy secret Sanctuary from the onslaught of the ungodly. Thou art in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious, the Strong."  (`Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, p. 8).

Hand of the Cause Jeffrey Goldberg

For more information on the court case brought by the Wilmette NSA against the Orthodox Bahá'ís:  http://www.truebahai.com/court_case.html

For the third Guardian's web site: http://www.bahai-guardian.com/