May 24. On this date in 1920, Charles Greenleaf, a Disciple of `Abdu’l-Bahá, died. He had served on the all-male Chicago House of Spirituality, which was complemented by the Women’s Assembly of Teaching. When today's Spiritual Assemblies become Houses of Justice, they will once more be exclusively male.

 

May 24. On this date in 1920, Charles Greenleaf, a Disciple of `Abdu’l-Bahá, died. He had served on the all-male Chicago House of Spirituality, which was complemented by the Women’s Assembly of Teaching. When today's Spiritual Assemblies become Houses of Justice, they will once more be exclusively male.

 

Corinne True, later a Hand of the Cause of God, wrote 'Abdu’l-Bahá a letter on February 25, 1902 about the exclusion of women from the Chicago House of Spirituality, noting that "many" felt it should be a "mixed board" because "women in America stand so conspicuously for all that is highest & best in every department." In his response 'Abdu’l-Bahá stated that while "in the sight of God, the conduct of women is the same as that of men" and there was "no difference" between the sexes, nevertheless the "House of Justice" had to consist only of men and that the "reason will presently appear, even as the sun at midday." True accepted 'Abdu’l-Bahá’s ruling–which also affirmed the equality of the sexes–and poured her energy into the Chicago Bahá’í women’s organization, which 'Abdu’l-Bahá highly praised. For the next eight years Chicago had two parallel Bahá’í organizations, one confined to men, the other to women.

 

Whether women will eventually be allowed to serve on local and national Houses of Justice (which the current Local and National Spiritual Assemblies will one day evolve into) remains a contentious issue which generated a discussion on reddit as well.