Hands of the Bahá'í Faith

...the standard set forth by Shoghi Effendi

On page 564 of the heterodox Bahá'í publication, The Bahá'í World 1979-1983, the title of the page reads:  "BY-LAWS OF A LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY"  On the next page, page 565, is found ARTICLE V of those BY-LAWS, from which the following words are quoted:

"The Bahá'ís of...for whose benefit this Corporation has been established shall consist of all persons of the age of 15 years or over resident in...who are accepted by the National spiritual assembly as possessing the qualifications of Bahá'í faith and practice required under the following standard set forth by the Guardian of the Faith:

"...loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of `Abdu'l-Bahá's sacred Will;..."

Let the reader conclude why that "standard set forth by" Shoghi Effendi, the first Bahá'í Guardian has been rejected/abrogated by the Heterodox/sans-Guardian Bahá'í administration of Mt.Carmel/Wilmette.

That Shoghi Effendi's standard for "the qualifications of Bahá'í faith and practice required" for any and every individual woman and man in order for that woman or man to be accepted as a member of a Local Spiritual Assembly has been abolished by the heterodox Bahá'í administration currently in Haifa is glaringly evident when we examine the following clauses of the sacred Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá' to which clauses that administration DOES NOT ADHERE:

"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." (The Master's immutable Instruction concerning a legitimate Universal House of Justice)

 "O friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha'! ...This fixed money offering..is to be offered through the guardian of the Cause of God,..." (The Master's immuitable Instruction concerning the Huqúq'u'lláh)

From paragraph 17, Will and Testament:  "My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God must ever be watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the guardian of the Cause of God cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha' and in no wise accept any excuse from him."

From paragraph 25, Will and Testament:  "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." (Will and Testament, Paragraph 25

From paragraph 19:  "The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the guardian of the Cause of God."

From paragraph 20:  "O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the guardian of the Cause of God."

The heterodox/sans-Guardian UHJ violates/ignores/rejects these and many, many other clauses enshrined in the Master's sacred and immutable Will and Testament, all which clauses were included in the intent of Shoghi Effendi when he established the "standard" of requirements for membership in Local Spiritual Assemblies of  the Bahá'í Faith, which standard requires of each member:  "...loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of
`Abdu'l-Bahá's sacred Will:"

His Holiness the Christ warned that if a blind man leads a blind man, both will tumble into a pit.

And concerning spiritual blindness:

What can we say about the Heterodox Bahá'í leadership of Haifa/Wilmette who are unable to see these clauses shining forth brilliantly from the Master's sacred and immutable Will and Testament?

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

By Hand of the Cause Ross Cambell

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

During the days following the death of the First Guardian, Mason Remey’s lone voice called out for the preservation of the Institution of the Living Guardianship. His fellow Hands were inclined to avail themselves of the opportunity caused by the death of Shoghi Effendi to allow themselves to fashion their faith to their own liking, in their own likeness, the likeness of humans. When in the course of human history had there ever been such a grand opportunity as this? How many of us ever get the chance to fashion the very intentions of God into an entity allowing themselves to be the focal point and the arena to which, according to their plan, had the potential that humans would for centuries in the future, bow to their every inclination? They were caught up within the
vortex of the power they imagined they had, and were all of one mind with one notable
exception. The roadblock they had to overcome became the persona of Mason Remey, who was pelting them daily with such thoughts as the following:

“Let each one of us face and see his own problem, a problem that rests between himself and God, whether or not he or she wants a Guardian or not, for if the Hands of the Faith unitedly want a Guardian, they will have no difficulty, but if they, in their hearts don’t want the Guardianship, God help the Cause and God help them too. We know that in the end, the Cause will prevail. The Administration of the Cause cannot live without its heart that is the Guardianship, therefore those who in their hearts oppose the Guardianship will in the end fall short of that to which they were called to perform.”  Charles Mason Remey--First Conclave of the Hands of the Faith Following the Passing of Shoghi Effendi [November, 1957]

Mason Remey made it quite clear that if they wanted a guardian, and were united in the quest for that goal, their thought process would be collectively cleared to the degree that they would understand that Shoghi Effendi had indeed named his successor, and they would have quickly found him among their midst. Sadly, they ignored his wise counsel and chose to take the path of self-fulfillment, providing the avenue for the greatest  cataclysmic Event in the history of the world, the abandonment of the Institution of the Guardianship. Jeffrey recently found a poignant passage in Bahá'í Scriptures that appears to have a spiritual applicability to the posture of the Hands in those fateful days of 1957. For were they not on a spiritual quest? Apparently that part of reality had escaped them. What a different world we would live in today had they remembered and followed these two paragraphs of scripture:

“Were it not for the favors of the Blessed Perfection, no one would have given us any
importance. There are some who become proud and haughty and forget this fact. In their utter blindness they consider themselves to be important. Then they fall from their high pedestal, and great is the noise thereof. Meekness and humility are the hallmarks of faith. As soon as a believer feels himself the least degree superior to others, the beginning of his spiritual decline has set in, all unaware to himself. There are no offices in this Cause. I do not and have not "appointed" any one to perform any special service, but I encourage every one to engage in the service of the Kingdom. The foundation of this Cause is pure spiritual democracy, and not theocracy. The difference between me and others is this: I confess and acknowledge my own inability, weakness and humility, and
know that all these outward confirmations are the favors of the Blessed Perfection. There are some who imagine, and little by little come to believe, that their spiritual successes are by and through themselves.”  Baha'i Scriptures, pp. 449-450

The heart of the matter became a matter of ego in 1957. Clearly and simply, ego prevailed, and humans were robbed of the Divine bounties for a period of time. We are still paying for the robbery by having to live in a world dominated by the avarice and greed of humans, and will continue to reap the results of that activity until at long last, the counterfeiters sitting among the gardens on Mount Carmel will be recognized for who they are, and God’s Goodness will once again prevail through the agencies of the Divine Institutions prescribed by `Abdu'l-Bahá in His all-encompassing Will and Testament.

By Hand of the Cause David Maxwell

Plague of darkness

I have often thought about the plague of darkness brought against the oppressive Egyptians while Moses was leading the Israelites. I have heard the comment that the plagues were spiritual and not physical. Nevertheless, a demarcation was made between the area where Egyptians lived and the land of Goshen in the Nile Delta, where the Israelites lived.  The Egyptians did not arise from their places for three days as the darkness was so intense that evidently they could not even keep their balance. Even candles or lamps could not provide light. (Totally unlike the ridiculous Hollywood version in The Ten Commandments which was not faithful to any single verse of Holy Scripture about the plagues and was a mockery of Scripture from start to finish) Simultaneously, the Israelites had light in their dwellings.( Exodus 10:23)

What we are experiencing and observing daily as Orthodox Bahá'ís is no less historically important than those events during the Dispensation of His Holiness, Moses, and fulfillment of Holy prophecy is occurring before our very eyes.  We are observing a spiritual plague of darkness against the enemies of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and it is very real, and very literal, although not physical but spiritual.  We are eye-witnesses of that plague just as the Israelites were witnesses of the happenings during their Holy Dispensation.  There is no evidence in Holy Scripture that the Israelites were given any advance word about nine of the plagues.  They were told to prepare for the tenth with specific instructions. Thus, they did not know what the Egyptians were experiencing concerning the three days of darkness when they all stayed exactly where they were when the darkness fell upon them.

We do know and we can observe the spiritual darkness which the enemies of our Lord's Covenant are experiencing because when we invite them to look at the brilliant light shining forth from the Master's sacred Will and Testament just like the sun in its brightness, those enemies of the Lord's Covenant provide no evidence whatsoever that they can see that resplendent light.

Orthodox Bahá'ís quote for them the shining Instruction from the Master's Will and Testament which exhorts them that they must continually obey the living Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.

They remain motionless in their places as if that glaring Instruction from the Master were nothing but darkness.

Orthodox Bahá'ís quote for them the Master's Instructions which beam forth from the sacred pages of His Will and Testament concerning the "sacred head" of a legitimate Universal House of Justice who MUST appoint someone to represent him at any deliberation of the House of Justice which he cannot personally attend."

They fail to stand up in support of those sacred shining Instructions.  They all remain fixed and unmoving in their same dark spiritual places.

Orthodox Bahá'ís quote for those enemies of our Lord's Covenant the immutable Instructions from `Abdu'l-Bahá infallible pen written in His Will for Hands of the Cause of God, such as His Instruction that the Hands must elect nine Hands from their ranks to serve the Guardian in the Holy Land and that the nine must give their assent the Guardians' choices of successors.  Those brilliant, Holy Words of the Master have never taken their fulfillment.  They have never been obeyed, never put into practice.

The enemies of the Lord's Covenant fail to see the significance of the fact that His words have not taken their effect and fail to perceive that, yes, in fact His Instructions are an unfailing brilliant light which must and will be fulfilled, just as He wrote them. those enemies remain unmoved, spiritually petrified in their places of intense spiritual darkness, helpless and unable to arise in support of the sacred Instructions of the Center of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, which Center is `Abdu'l-Bahá.

What we are privileged to be observing in the spiritual realm today in relation to obedience to our Lord Bahá'u'lláh's Holy Covenant is fulfillment of Holy prophecy, and just like the plague of darkness which fell upon God's ancient enemies, the Egyptians, a darkness which could be "felt", the spiritual darkness of those who reject and deny the sacred and immutable Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá is also a darkness so very intense that it can be felt.  Orthodox Bahá'ís do literally feel that darkness in the form of the inane responses arriving from Heterodox/sans-Guardian Bahá'ís whose torpid comments rejecting/ denying the eternal value and vital importance of "every clause" of the Master's sacred Will and Testament betray the frightful and deep spiritual darkness within the hearts of those sans-Guardian Bahá'ís.

Hand of the Cause Ross Campbell

MEANING OF THE COVENANT

Anybody who reads the writings of the illegitimate and headless body, which undeservedly and wrongly calls itself the Universal House of Justice, will notice that, without having the authority to do so, has created a different meaning to the Covenant which contradicts the following meaning, as explained by the authorized Interpreter of the Word, Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith:

43 COVENANT (Meaning of Bahá'í)

"As regards the meaning of the Bahá'í Covenant: The Guardian considers the existence of two forms of Covenant both of which are explicitly mentioned in the literature of the Cause. First is the Covenant that every Prophet makes with humanity or, more definitely, with His people that they will accept and follow the coming Manifestation who will be the reappearance of His reality. The second form of Covenant is such as the one Bahá'u'lláh made with His people that they should accept the Master. This is merely to establish and strengthen the succession of the series of Lights that appear after every Manifestation. Under the same category falls the Covenant the Master made with the Bahá'ís that they should accept His administration after Him."  (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 15)

THE COVENANT THE MASTER MADE WITH THE BAHÁ'ÍS THAT THEY SHOULD ACCEPT HIS ADMINISTRATION AFTER HIM

In the light of the above explanation, it will be an outright lie, a shameful deviation and a wicked sin for anybody to claim that the phrase: “His administration” refers to the administration of Rúhíyyih Khánum and the former Hands who abandoned `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Divinely-conceived administration and replaced it with their own man-made administration without the Guardian of the Cause of God—the “sign of God,” “the chosen branch,” “the expounder of the words of God,” “the sacred head,” “the distinguished member” of the Universal House of Justice, the one whom “Should he not attend in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him,” the one whom, “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,” the one whom “The Lord, as a sign of His infinite bounties, hath graciously favored His servants by providing for a fixed money offering (Huqúq), to be dutifully presented unto Him.”

“His administration” is `Abdu'l-Bahá’s administration which is delineated in His sacred Will and Testament.   “His administration” revolves around the Guardian who is the “Center of the Cause” about whom Rúhíyyih Khánum wrote the following, when she was faithful:

“The principle of successorship, endowed with the right of Divine interpretation, is the very hub of the Cause into which its Doctrines and Laws fit like the spokes of a wheel -- tear out the hub and you have to throw away the whole thing.”
 (Rúhíyyih Khánum, Twenty Five Years of the Guardianship, p. 23)

In “His administration” the Guardian of the Cause of God is “the supreme spiritual head,”  The Universal House of Justice is “The legislative body.”

In “His administration”: “The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command…This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction of the Guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the universe to be illumined. TO DISREGARD, THOUGH IT BE FOR A MOMENT, THIS ABSOLUTE COMMAND WHICH IS BINDING UPON EVERYONE, IS IN NO WISE PERMITTED, that the existent world may become even as the Abhá Paradise, that the surface of the earth may becomeheavenly, that contention and conflict amidst peoples, kindreds, nations and governments may disappear, that all the dwellers on earth may become one people and one race, that the world may become even as one home.” (`Abdu'l-Bahá, The Will and Testament, p. 13)

It is foolish to think that despite the clear provisions of the sacred Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá and the comprehensive explanations and interpretations of the first Guardian concerning the continuance of the Guardianship to the end of the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, that the Guardianship ended with Shoghi Effendi and after 1957 there
would be no more “LIGHTS” and that “DIVINE GUIDANCE” no longer “FLOWS ON TO US IN THIS WORLD.”

In the Bahá'í Faith, the “SERIES OF LIGHTS THAT APPEAR AFTER EVERY MANIFESTATION” refer to `ABDU'L-BAHÁ and the GUARDIANS of the Cause of God; I do not think that anybody can claim otherwise, for Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, has made it very clear in stating:

“IN THIS DISPENSATION, DIVINE GUIDANCE FLOWS ON TO US IN THIS WORLD AFTER THE PROPHET'S ASCENSION, THROUGH FIRST THE MASTER, AND THEN THE GUARDIANS. IF A PERSON CAN ACCEPT BAHÁ'U'LLÁH’S FUNCTION, IT SHOULD NOT PRESENT ANY DIFFICULTY TO THEM TO ALSO ACCEPT WHAT HE HAS ORDAINED IN A DIVINELY GUIDED INDIVIDUAL IN MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE FAITH."

“"He feels that if ... ponders more deeply about the fundamentals of Divine Revelation, she will also come to understand the Guardianship. Once the mind and heart have grasped the fact that God guides men through a Mouthpiece, a human being, a Prophet, infallible and unerring, it is only a logical projection of this acceptance to also accept the station of `Abdu'l-Bahá and the Guardians. The Guardians are the evidence of the maturity of mankind in the sense that at long last men have progressed to the point of having one world, and of needing one world management for human affairs. In the spiritual realm
they have also reached the point where God could leave, in human hands (i.e. the Guardians) guided directly by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, as the Master states in His Will, the affairs of His Faith for this Dispensation. This is what is meant by 'this is the day which will not be followed by night.' in this Dispensation, divine guidance flows on to us in this world after the Prophet's ascension, through first the Master, and then the Guardians. If a person can accept Bahá'u'lláh’s function, it should not present any difficulty to them to also accept what he has ordained in a Divinely guided individual in matters pertaining to the faith."  (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 34

Hand of the Cause Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand

Critique (Part Six) of ITC study of Guardianship & UHJ

Part Six of a Critique by Hand of Cause of God David Maxwell of A Study for Auxiliary Board Members of the Guardianship & The Universal House of Justice Prepared by the International Teaching Centre (of the heterodox Bahá'ís). Click here for Part One. Click Here for Part Two. Click Here for Part Three. Click Here for Part Four. Click Here for Part Five.

WHO ARE THE REAL STIRRERS OF SEDITION?

---ITC Position:

Beware, beware lest anyone create a rift or stir up sedition. Should there be differences of opinion, the Supreme House of Justice would immediately resolve the problems. (45)

5. Making elucidations

. . . regarding the nature and scope of the Universal Court of Arbitration, this and other similar matters will have to be explained and elucidated by the Universal House of Justice, to which, according to the Master’s explicit instructions, all important and fundamental questions must be referred. (46)

6. Safeguarding the well-being of peoples

We exhort the men of the House of Justice and command them to ensure the protection and safeguarding of men, women and children. It is incumbent upon them to have the utmost regard for the interests of the people at all times and under all conditions. (47)

Among the powers and duties with which the Universal House of Justice has been invested are . . . to safeguard the personal rights, freedom and initiative of individuals; and to give attention to the preservation of human honour, to the development of countries and the stability of states. . . (48)

7. Launching and directing the global Plans of the Faith

On the success of this enterprise, unprecedented in its scope, unique in its character and immense in its spiritual potentialities, must depend the initiation, at a later period in the Formative Age of the Faith, of undertakings embracing within their range all National Assemblies functioning throughout the Bahá'í world, undertakings constituting in themselves a prelude to the launching of world-wide enterprises destined to be embarked upon, in future epochs of that same Age, by the Universal House of Justice, that will symbolise the unity and coordinate and unify the activities of these National Assemblies. (49)

8. Safeguarding religion

Religion bestoweth upon man the most precious of all gifts, offereth the cup of prosperity, imparteth eternal life, and showereth imperishable benefits upon mankind. It behoveth the chiefs and rulers of the world, and in particular the Trustees of God’s House of Justice, to endeavour to the utmost of their power to safeguard its position, promote its interests and exalt its station in the eyes of the world. (50)

Can the Universal House of Justice create new institutions?

In a letter dated 1924 from Shoghi Effendi to the believers in the East and the West, Shoghi Effendi foresaw the stage when the Universal House of Justice would be established and assume its full responsibilities: When the Universal House of Justice shall have stepped forth from the realm of hope into that of visible fulfillment and its fame be established in every corner and clime of the world, then that august body—solidly grounded and founded on the firm and unshakable foundation of the entire Bahá'í community of East and West, and the recipient of the bounties of God and His inspiration—will proceed to devise and carry out important undertakings, world-wide activities and the establishment of glorious institutions. (51)

Does the infallibility of the Universal House of Justice depend on the presence of
the Guardian?

Soon after the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, it clarified a number of
issues related to its relationship with the institution of the Guardianship. One such question relates to the infallibility of the Universal House of Justice in the absence of a
Guardian:

The infallibility of the Universal House of Justice, operating within its ordained sphere, has not been made dependent upon the presence in its membership of the Guardian of
the Cause. Although in the realm of interpretation the Guardian’s pronouncements are
always binding, in the area of the Guardian’s participation in legislation it is always the
decision of the House itself which must prevail. This is supported by the words of the
Guardian:

The interpretation of the Guardian, functioning within his own sphere, is as authoritative
and binding as the enactments of the International House of Justice, whose exclusive right and prerogative is to pronounce upon and deliver the final judgment on such laws
and ordinances as Bahá'u'lláh has not expressly revealed. Neither can, nor will ever,
infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail
the specific and undoubted authority with which both have been divinely invested.
Though the Guardian of the Faith has been made the permanent head of so august a
body he can never, even temporarily, assume the right of exclusive legislation. He cannot override the decision of the majority of his fellow members, but is bound to insist upon a reconsideration by them of any enactment he conscientiously believes to conflict with the meaning and to depart from the spirit of Baha’u’llah’s revealed utterances. (52)

---Critique:

How much more clear can it be? The living guardian will always have the last word in any of their deliberations, although neither will infringe upon the other‘s area of responsibility. It should be noted that only the guardian, residing as head of the UHJ,
has the instruction from `Abdu'l-Bahá to ensure that their deliberations comply with the
intent of the Holy Writings. If the guardian feels that they should reconsider their actions,
he will ask them to before finalizing any activity. He has the right to do this “until the cows come home” if he deems it necessary. Thus, through the Guardian’s insistence,
their deliberations will always follow the Will of God.

---ITC Position:

In the absence of the Guardian, is the Universal House of Justice in danger of straying
outside its proper sphere and thus falling into error? Given that no one other than the
Guardian has the authority to state whether a matter is already covered by the Sacred
Texts and therefore whether it is within the authority of the Universal House of Justice to legislate upon it, the above question might arise. The House of Justice has addressed
this question:

. . . we must remember three things: First, Shoghi Effendi, during the thirty-six years of
his Guardianship, has already made innumerable such definitions, supplementing those
made by `Abdu'l-Bahá and by Bahá'u'lláh Himself. As already announced to the friends, a careful study of the Writings and interpretations on any subject on which the House of
Justice proposes to legislate always precedes its act of legislation. Second, the Universal House of Justice, itself assured of Divine guidance, is well aware of the absence of the Guardian and will approach all matters of legislation only when certain of its sphere of jurisdiction, a sphere which the Guardian has confidently described as “clearly defined.” Third, we must not forget the Guardian’s written statement about these two institutions: “Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other.” (53)

---Critique:

Give me a break here! That last sentence is a statement of words composed of letters. It
is no more than that and should not be seen as something magic that has some sort of
supra-natural power to keep bad things from happening simply because it was crafted.
Gosh! Life should be so simple. The only reason that sentence can be relied upon as fact is because certain checks and balances were built into the framework of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. Following all the conditions of that framework will make it so. Alter the
framework one iota, say, such as casually omitting the Institution of the Guardianship
from the checks and balances might, just might, mean that it will not work as Bahá'u'lláh
and `Abdu'l-Bahá intended. Think about it…

The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh is destined to remain in effect for upwards of 1,000 years. How, pray tell, did Shoghi Effendi’s instructions include all the nuts and bolts of handling the problems of future generations? Science and medicine have already introduced such things as stem-cell and Nano technologies. He mentioned neither of them. And I daresay that after the wonders of Bahá'u'lláh’s Revelation is fully manifest, the problems of our Age will appear to be as ancient to humans living in the future as the activities of the cave men appear to us. Every fixed star has its planets, and every planet its creatures. Did Shoghi Effendi‘s writings encompass inter-galaxy activities?

---ITC Position:

Are the twin institutions of the Universal House of Justice and the Guardianship
still inseparable?

The Guardian states that the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh cannot be “divorced”, either
from the institution of the Guardianship, or from the institution of the Universal House of
Justice. He describes these twin institutions as “inseparable” (54) and states that they
are “permanently and fundamentally united in their aims”. (55)

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. (56)

This paragraph is frequently used by Covenant-breakers, false claimants to the Guardianship. They mistake the Guardian’s intention to have been a warning of the
World Order functioning without a living Guardian. However, it can be seen from the
very next paragraph which Shoghi Effendi wrote—at a time when the Universal House of
Justice would not be brought into being for more than 30 years—that he was simply
stating that these twin institutions are inter-related, and are both part of Bahá'u'lláh’s
design:

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. (57)

---Critique:

Weak. A pitifully weak summation for a group who professes to have God’s authority to
handle the problems of today’s world, and on and on into the future. Where is the fire of
ownership in their stance? Where is the spirit and confidence? Where is the resolve necessary for the effective operation of their organization? Where is the cloak of
Spirituality surrounding their discussions? There is none, and they have done nothing to
disprove that in this paper, nor will they be able to do so in the future. We have fifty years of examples of the *future* that was to come after the short period since the death of the First Guardian. One only has to look at the events of the world since 1957 to see wonders of materialism as never before imagined. Yet, during the same period, there has been no parallel growth of spirituality. We have seen the horrors of borderless wars, the insatiable greed of politicians, the out-of-control murder of countless embryos performed by *good people* who simply did not want to be bothered by the inconvenience of parental obligations. In the past fifty years we have seen the basest of base qualities overtake the goodness of the individual. For fifty years now, the bogus Universal House of Justice has had its go of things without the major Institutions of the Faith in play, and conditions will merely become worse, not better so long as human egos rule the day. The only answer for the problems pending in the future is to have in place a system envisioned by Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. That system must not be altered one whit. Their instructions must be followed explicitly.

There is an elephant in the room with the ITC and the bogus UHJ each and every time
they try to justify their existence or their actions. The Institution of the Guardianship
casts a pall over them every time someone asks about the Will and Testament of
`Abdu'l-Bahá. If the organization of the bogus Universal House of Justice and any of its
committees, such as the International Teaching Centre, resided within the full umbrella of the Writings and the Will and Testament, they could hold their heads high, and not have to find qualifiers for arguing away every instance of the mention of the guardianship within the total scope of the Writings of the Three Central Figures of the Faith and the first guardian, Shoghi Effendi.

After all the discussion and the twisting and turning is done, there remains the postulate that there is no Bahá'í Faith without all of its Institutions in place; the Institution of the Guardianship, the Institution of the Universal House of Justice (with a living guardian at its head) and the Institution of the Hands of the Cause.

And those Institutions must follow the lineage of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament through successively appointed guardians precisely as determined in the Will. There is no allowance for deviations of any sort. The so-called Universal House of Justice now residing in Haifa lacks any genuine connection with `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament. Any organization calling itself Bahá'í must have a spiritual hereditary lineage with the Covenant of God. That Spiritual Covenant governing humans began with the beginning that has no beginning, through the Manifestations of old, through His Holiness the Báb, through Bahá'u'lláh, through the Center of the Covenant `Abdu'l-Bahá, and finally through the Institution of the Guardianship as defined in the Will and Testament. That very same Covenant will provide its efficacy through a continuing line of living guardians, as deemed by `Abdu'l-Bahá, and will endure long past any memory of this Age or the next. It is a link, a spiritual lineage that connects humans with the worlds of God, whether the bogus Universal House of Justice likes it or not.

Every Clause of the Will and Testament is Sacred, and thus infused with the potency
necessary to finally bring the ultimate glorious essence of God’s Kingdom to this earth.
Any attempts by anyone, either now or later in this Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, to
circumvent that document or bypass one whit or iota of any of its Sacred Clauses will
ultimately be met with a destructive failure.

Hand of the Cause of God, David Maxwell, March 2009


References used by the International teaching Committee in their document:
1 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters (Wilmette: Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1991; 2004 printing), pp. 19–20
2 ibid., p. 147
3 Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, c1944; 2002
printing), p. 11
4 ibid.
5 Letter dated 9 March 1987 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer
6 Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1974; 2004
printing), page 328
7 Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 11
8 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 147
9 ibid., p. 153
10 Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 12
11 Shoghi Effendi, cited in Lights of Guidance: a Bahá'í Reference File (New Delhi:
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 4th rev. ed., 1996; 2001 printing), page 472, #1548
12 Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, 1st rev. ed., 1976), pp. 81–82
13 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá p. 12
14 `Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in Wellspring of Guidance, p. 47
15 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 12
16 Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance, p. 82
17 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 12
18 ibid.
19 ibid.
20 Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963 to
1986: the Third Epoch of the Formative Age (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, c1996),
pp. 50–51
21 ibid., p. 14
22 Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968 to
1973 (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, c1976), pp. 40–41
23 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kit.b-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, 1st pocket-size ed.,5th printing, 1993; 2005 printing), p. 36, _42
24 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kit.b-i-Aqdas, p. 197 n. 66
25 Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968 to
1973, p. 41
26 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette: Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1st pocket-size ed., 6th printing, 1988; 2005 printing), p. 68
27 ibid., p. 128
28 ibid., p. 129
29 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 14
30 ibid., p. 20
31 ibid.
32 ibid., p. 26
33 `Abdu'l-Bahá, The World Order of Baha’u’llah, p. 145
34 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , p. 68
35 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 11
36 ibid., pp. 19-20
37 `Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Wellspring of Guidance, pp. 84–85
38 ibid., pp. 47-48
39 Universal House of Justice, The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice
(Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1972), pp. 3–4
40 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 20
41 `Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Wellspring of Guidance, p. 84
42 ibid., pp. 85-86
43 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 20
44 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá (Wilmette: Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1st pocketsize ed., 1996), p. 225
45 `Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Wellspring of Guidance, p. 47
46 Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í Administration: Selected Messages 1922–1932 (Wilmette:
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1974; 1998 printing), p. 47
47 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , pp. 69–70
48 Universal House of Justice, The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice, p. 5
49 Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahá'í Community: the
Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith to the Bah.’Ìs of the British Isles
(London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1981), p. 261
50 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , p. 130
51 Shoghi Effendi, cited in The Establishment of the Universal House of Justice
(England: The Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1984 ([1986] printing), compiled by the Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice of the Bahá'í World Centre, p. 17
52 Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance, pp. 82–83
53 ibid., p.83–84
54 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. p. 148; Citadel of Faith: Citadel of
Faith, Messages to America 1947–1957 (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 6th printing,
c1965; 1999 printing), page 76
55 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. p. 148
56 ibid.
57 ibid.

This is the Sixth and concluding part of the Critique.

Critique (Part Five) of ITC study of Guardianship & UHJ

Part Five of a Critique by Hand of Cause of God David Maxwell of A Study for Auxiliary Board Members of the Guardianship & The Universal House of Justice Prepared by the International Teaching Centre (of the heterodox Bahá'ís). Click here for Part One. Click Here for Part Two. Click Here for Part Three. Click Here for Part Four.

IS THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE AUTHORIZED OR NOT?

---ITC Position:

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
What is the source of authority for the institution of the Universal House of Justice? It was Bahá'u'lláh Himself who ordained the Universal House of Justice to ensure that the
Cause of God will continue to be divinely guided and that those things which have not been revealed in the Writings can be provided for. He entrusted the affairs of mankind
into the hands of the members of the Universal House of Justice and made them the
Trustees of God and the symbols of His authority:

It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to take counsel together and
to enforce that which is agreeable to them. (26)

The men of God’s House of Justice have been charged with the affairs of the people.
They, in truth, are the Trustees of God among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries. (27)

In another instance Bahá'u'lláh explains that as the world develops, its requirements will
also change and therefore the needs of the day will be provided for by the House of Justice: Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the House of Justice that the members thereof may act according to the needs and requirements of the time. (28)

Likewise, in several places in His Will and Testament, `Abdu'l-Bahá clearly affirmed the
authority of the Universal House of Justice, and set out its functions and responsibilities:
And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all
good and freed from all error . . . Unto this body all things must be referred. It enacteth
all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. 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. (29)

---Critique:

The very audacity of the ITC is emphasized here in that they quote that the guardian of
the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body!
“…is its sacred head…” How may any entity prevail without its head, let alone its sacred
head? The idea that guidance is symbolically spiritual, and may be continued from the
next world, is equally audacious. In His infinite wisdom, `Abdu'l-Bahá prevented that
likelihood by defining certain requirements that the guardian would administer in his
conduct of the activities of the UHJ by (1) requiring that he appoint another to represent
him in his absence, and (2) that he may call for a reconsideration of them if he felt that
they had not followed the scope and intent of the Holy Writings.

Those requirements, among many others, preclude any thought of there being other
than a living guardian as head of the UHJ. For a period of years the sans-guardian
believers promoted the belief that Shoghi Effendi continued his role of guardian from the
next world. As audacious as that seems, it worked. We now find in more recent edicts
from the bogus Universal House of Justice that the emphasis on Shoghi Effendi being
the guardian has diminished, along with a diminished role for ‘Abdu'l-Bahá‘s Writings.

---ITC Position:

Whatsoever they [members of the Universal House of Justice] decide has the same effect as the Text itself. (30)

. . . this House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the
Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the same. (31)

Later on in His Will and Testament `Abdu'l-Bahá called on the believers in strong language to obey His twin Successors: All must seek guidance and turn unto the Centre of the Cause [the Guardian] and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error. (32)

---Critique:

There. They said it. But do they really believe it? The guardian is the Center of the Cause. Are they relying on Shoghi Effendi from the next world to satisfy this primarily-ofthis-
world-station? They relate that `Abdu'l-Bahá called upon the believers in strong language to obey His twin Successors. If `Abdu'l-Bahá, in their estimation, used strong language in admonishing them to obey the Institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice, have they not set up an impossible task for their followers?

The bogus UHJ expects the believers to follow their guidance, guidance they percolate
from their *interpretations* of policy established by a person who expected that another
would fulfill his earthly station upon his becoming deceased. Imagine his surprise when
they countermanded his own instructions and was re-instated as their guardian. Could it
be any more confusing? Have they not forgotten that the deceased stressed to them
that his station was whence he spoke, and not he himself as a human. It’s the station of
the Institution of the Guardianship that we need to be concerned with, not the deceased
person Shoghi Effendi. I would remind you that Bahá'u'lláh is the primary force behind
the Institutions. Hmm. What’s Bahá'u'lláh’s take on this unexpected development?
Can a newly-defined and vital force in the lives of humans for countless years to come operate under the banner of a deceased person from the next world?

That is not to say that Shoghi Effendi the man should not be regarded as an exalted
human being, for it was he who was the First Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, a Faith that
will endure far beyond any comprehension we can now imagine. One of the reasons it
will so endure is that Shoghi Effendi labored diligently for 36 years as the First Guardian.
His energies were channeled in a manner befitting his role as the conduit providing an
education for humans to lead them from the expectations they had come to understand
during the various Holy Manifestations of the Adamic Cycle. The Adamic Cycle is history. It is gone. Shoghi Effendi was the first human called upon to be the leader educator
of humans in their grasping for the ABC’s of the newly-minted Bahá'í Cycle, a Cycle destined to last for some 5,000 centuries; 500,000 years.

While its true that the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh provided the Manifested Crescendo of the Blast announcing the path to the Kingdom, and it was `Abdu'l-Bahá in His special role as The Master who showed us how we could align ourselves within the bounds of that glorious path, it was Shoghi Effendi who was the first (non-Central Figure) mortal charged with the responsibility of guiding the day-to-day activities of his contemporaries within this unique and wondrous system, the like of which mortal eyes had never witnessed. And he performed splendidly. He elucidated the Institutions and named his successor. That was all that was expected of him, and that’s what he did. Splendidly.

The thing he did not do was take the mantle of guardianship to the next world with him.
The believers who have that expectation should be ashamed of themselves. He should be left in peace in the next world, as is his due, and be allowed to continue onward in the worlds of God. There is no doubt a continued opportunity of service and lofty expectations available for those who have manned the Institution of the Guardianship while here. Any human who loves and admires the work performed by the First Guardian should pray for his progress in the next world, and allow, with thanksgiving in their hearts, that he accomplish the lofty goals available there.

Lets get back to that 500,000 year thing for a moment. Can we even begin to fathom
that? I can’t; it’s too vast to grasp. But that’s how big this is. That is precisely why the
issue of the Institutions is so vital. The battle began by others in 1957, ongoing some 52 years later, is about the survival of the Institutions of the Faith, and the Faith itself. The Holy Institutions must endure precisely as they were formulated by Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. Should humans deviate one iota from the commands of `Abdu'l-Bahá’s
strong language, the Plan will continue in abeyance, and humans will suffer more and
more until their pain is so intense that this very world will shudder and groan as it reels
in search of a new path in the heavens while it adjusts its earthly physical composure.

---ITC Position:

Shoghi Effendi described the Universal House of Justice as “the body designed to supplement and apply His legislative ordinances.” (33) Thus the House of Justice is empowered not only to enact laws where the Text is silent—that is, to “supplement” -but
it is also empowered to “apply” the laws already expressly revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. The
scope of authority of the Universal House of Justice is therefore comprehensive.

---Critique:

Shoghi Effendi described the UHJ as “the body designed to supplement and apply His
legislative ordinancesI” Lets go to the book they cite, “The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh”
to read the actual quote: “It should be noted in this connection that this Administrative
Order is fundamentally different from anything that any Prophet has previously
established, inasmuch as Bahá'u'lláh has Himself revealed its principles, established its
institutions, appointed the person to interpret His Word and conferred the necessary
authority on the body designed to supplement and apply His legislative ordinances.”
-- Shoghi Effendi, “The World Order of Baha’u’llah” page 145

This sentence doesn’t actually say “Universal House of Justice” but implies and is
actually discussing a legitimate UHJ. The manner in which the bogus UHJ paragraph is
written implies that Shoghi Effendi is speaking of himself when he says that the body will
supplement and apply His legislative ordinances, when it actually says something quite
different. Shoghi Effendi is referring to both Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, and not
himself. You will note that the word *His* is capitalized and therefore does not infer
Shoghi Effendi the man at all.

It should be remembered that `Abdu'l-Bahá‘s Will and Testament announced the Institution of the Guardianship, and that each time Shoghi Effendi refers to his authority he is referring to his station as the embodiment of the Institution of the Guardianship, and not as his role as Shoghi Effendi the man. The Institution of the Guardianship is destined to continue for at least this 1,000 year Dispensation. It will be embodied by many humans during that time. Each will bring the Spirit of God to the UHJ in its deliberations and actions, thusly providing it the capability to follow God’s Will.

Lacking the living guardian as its head, the UHJ is a hollow and corrupted institution.
It must be emphasized again that the guardian is the Center of the Cause, and provides
the only avenue in `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament to have any direct connection with
the Manifestation Bahá'u'lláh, and thus with God Himself. The Will leads to a Universal
House of Justice composed of eight elected and one appointed member, its president.
Thus, only the Guardian has direct Holy-linkage with God, and is, as it president, the
Center of the Cause, the only member of any UHJ to have infallible composure.

Since the bogus Universal House of Justice is composed of nine elected members, is
that not yet another anomaly with reality? Particularly so when considering that Shoghi
Effendi from the next world provides guidance for them. Is that not ten rather than nine?

---ITC Position:

What are the promises of divine guidance given to the Universal House of
Justice?

There are many examples in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá which promise
divine inspiration, guidance, and protection to the Universal House of Justice. Below are
some of these passages:

God will verily inspire them [the Trustees of the House of Justice] with whatsoever He
willeth, and He, verily, is the Provider, the Omniscient. (34)

The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God as well as the
Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the
care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His
Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they
decide is of God. (35)

Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded
therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body,
whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose
of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath
shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By this House is
meant that Universal House of Justice . . . . (36)

Let it not be imagined that the House of Justice will take any decision according to its
own concepts and opinions. God forbid! The Supreme House of Justice will take
decisions and establish laws through the inspiration and confirmation of the Holy Spirit,
because it is in the safekeeping and under the shelter and protection of the Ancient
Beauty, and obedience to its decisions is a bounden and essential duty and an absolute
obligation, and there is no escape for anyone. Say, O People: Verily the Supreme House of Justice is under the wings of your Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful, that is, under His protection, His care, and His shelter; for He has commanded the firm believers to obey that blessed, sanctified and all-subduing body, whose sovereignty is divinely ordained and of the Kingdom of Heaven and whose laws are inspired and spiritual. (37)

Whatever will be its decision, by majority vote, shall be the real truth, inasmuch as that
House is under the protection, unerring guidance, and care of the one true Lord. He
shall guard it from error and will protect it under the wing of His sanctity and infallibility.
He who opposes it is cast out and will eventually be of the defeated. (38)

What are some of the main powers of the Universal House of Justice?

In the Declaration of Trust of its Constitution, which summarizes the responsibilities of
the Universal House of Justice, it states:

Bahá'u'lláh, the Revealer of God’s Word in this Day, the Source of Authority, the
Fountainhead of Justice, the Creator of a new World Order, the Establisher of the Most
Great Peace, the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization, the Judge, the Lawgiver,
the Unifier and Redeemer of all mankind, has proclaimed the advent of God’s Kingdom
on earth, has formulated its laws and ordinances, enunciated its principles, and ordained
its institutions. To direct and canalize the forces released by His Revelation He instituted
His Covenant, whose power has preserved the integrity of His Faith, maintained its unity
and stimulated its world-wide expansion throughout the successive ministries of `Abdu'l-
Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. It continues to fulfill its life-giving purpose through the agency
of the Universal House of Justice whose fundamental object, as one of the twin
successors of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, is to ensure the continuity of that divinely
appointed authority which flows from the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the unity of
its followers, and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings. (39)

---Critique:

Lets wait a minute here. The above is crafted to indicate that there are twin successors
to Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá and that one of them is the Universal House of
Justice. By naming both Bahá'u'lláh and ‘Abdu'l-Bahá immediately after the phrase twin
successors, one may quickly read this sentence and be inclined to see two names
following *twin successors* and forget that the other of the successors named in the Will
is the Institution of the (living) Guardianship. Yes, there’s that pesky guardian again.

---ITC Position:

Among the powers and duties of the Universal House of Justice as the Head of the Faith
are the following:

1. Creating new laws

. . . this House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the
Book . . .(40)

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.
Therefore the House of Justice will take action accordingly. (41)

2. Making deductions from the Writings

Today this process of deduction is the right of the body of the House of Justice, and the
deductions and conclusions of individual learned men have no authority, unless they are
endorsed by the House of Justice. The difference is precisely this, that from the
conclusions and endorsements of the body of the House of Justice whose members are
elected by and known to the worldwide Bahá'í community, no differences will arise;
whereas the conclusions of individual divines and scholars would definitely lead to
differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion. The oneness of the Word
would be destroyed, the unity of the Faith would disappear, and the edifice of the Faith
of God would be shaken. (42)

3. Resolving problems and questions that are obscure

It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a
certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions
that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever
they decide has the same effect as the Text itself. 43

4. Preventing differences and resolving problems

Praise be to God, all such doors are closed in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh for a special
authoritative Centre hath been appointed—a Centre that solveth all difficulties and
wardeth off all differences. The Universal House of Justice, likewise, wardeth off all
differences and whatever it prescribeth must be accepted and he who transgresseth is
rejected. But this Universal House of Justice which is the Legislature hath not yet been
instituted. (44)

---Critique:

Look closely at the above statement. The ITC, quoting from `Abdu'l-Bahá, states that
there is an authoritative Center that solves problems, and then relates that the UHJ,
likewise, is capable of doing the same things. They use a pocket-sized (1996, page 225)
edition of the book “Selections From the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá” for reference. Why is
not the original book, page 215, more appropriate for a reference?

It is well-known that many of the original Bahá'í books have been modified to some degree by the UHJ. In this case, the quote they use appears to be exactly the same in
both editions, yet the newer edition quote appears on page 226, whereas the original
appeared on page 215. It makes one wonder why there are an additional ten pages in
this edition? Yet, there remains a broader question: Why has it become necessary to
modify *any* of the Bahá'í books containing Shoghi Effendi’s interpretations from the
original text? Should not a guardian’s edition be of more efficacy than a modification by
another entity that is not a guardian? And what did `Abdu'l-Bahá say about the Center of
the Cause from His perspective as the Center of the Covenant? The closing words of
the Will and Testament shed some light on that:

For he is, after `Abdu'l-Bahá, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnán, the Hands
(pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him. He
that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned
away from God and he that denieth him, hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone
falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after
the Day of Ascension (of Bahá'u'lláh) advance a pretext, raise the standard of revolt,
wax stubborn and open wide the door of false interpretation. To none is given the right
to put forth his own opinion or express his particular conviction. All must seek guidance
and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth
unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.
The Glory of Glories rest upon you!
-- Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá pages 25-26

The Institution of the Guardianship is the successor of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and thus, the
intention is that there will always be on earth a living Center of the Cause in order that
“…this is the Day that will not be followed by night…” The above also reiterates that the
Universal House of Justice and the Center of the Cause are two separate entities.

Without a living guardian, there is no Bahá'í Faith!

This concludes Part Five of the Critique.

By Hand of the Cause David Maxwell