July 30. On this date in 1946, Shoghi Effendi wrote
German Bahá'ís telling them to withdraw from church membership and to
make use of "the considerable sums accumulated in Tihrán" by spending
"it on the Cause and its institutions in Germany."
30 July 1946
Dear Bahá'í Friends:
Your letter of June 29th, with its translation, was received, and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
He was so very happy to hear from your Assembly after all these years, since that important institution was disbanded, and hopes from time to time you will send him reports of your work.
As regards the question you asked him: he feels that the Bahá'ís in Germany should, by all means, follow the same procedure as regards withdrawing from church membership as that in America. You should point out to the believers that, by belonging to other organized religious bodies, we are not acting openly because we firmly believe Christ has come again--so how can we belong to a church which does not accept Bahá'u'lláh and His message as the fulfilment of Jesus' message and the reappearance of Jesus Himself?
He is very anxious that ways should be found for you to receive the money collected in Tihrán and spend it on the Cause and its institutions in Germany. The eagerness of the people to hear of the Faith imposes a sacred duty on all the German Bahá'ís to see that they are not denied this Divine Revelation in their hour of need.
You may be sure the Guardian will do all he can to assist you, and his ardent prayers are offered on your behalf, for your assistance, your guidance, and the success of your sacred labours to give to Germany the news of this precious Faith's existence, and to administer with wisdom the affairs of the Cause there.
He urges you to hold as frequent meetings as possible, and, in cooperation with the American N.S.A. to get as much literature printed and disseminated as you can....
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
Dear and valued co-workers:
Your letter brought great joy to my heart. I rejoice to hear of the formation of your assembly, the cornerstone of the foundation of the Faith in that land. I urge you to consult and deliberate as frequently as you can on the affairs of the Faith, devise the most effective measures for its spread, extend the range of Bahá'í publications, and the friends to scatter as widely as they can in order to multiply the centres and establish new assemblies, extend any assistance you can to the friends in Vienna and take whatever steps are required to enable you to establish the centre of the Faith in Frankfurt. ** Your task is immense, the obstacles formidable, the need of your fellow countrymen for the healing truths of the Faith urgent and pitiful, the promised help from on high ready and assured, if you persevere in your task and arise to discharge befittingly your responsibilities. The considerable sums accumulated in Tihrán will aid you to extend the scope of your activities and to consolidate your achievements. You should, though these sums have not yet reached you, embark on great projects, and devise, after careful deliberation, effective methods for the propagation of our beloved Faith.** I am following the progress of your highly important activities with intense interest. You are, I assure you, often in my thoughts and prayers, and I will continue to supplicate for you the Master's richest blessings.
Rest assured, persevere, and be happy.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had the following interaction with a Christian...
A student of the modern methods of the higher criticism asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he would do well to continue in the church with which he had been associated all his life, and whose language was full of meaning to him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered: “You must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this; the Kingdom of God is not in any Society; some seekers go through many Societies as a traveller goes through many cities till he reach his destination. If you belong to a Society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them. Do not distress or deny anyone by saying ‘He is not a Bahá’í!’
Numerous
statement by Shoghi Effendi would later contradict these statements,
with Bahá’ís being explicitly prohibited in associating with any other
faiths.
1387. Bahá'ís Belonging to Churches, Synagogues, Freemasonry and the Like
"As regards the question of Bahá'ís belonging to churches, synagogues, Freemasonry, etc., the friends must realize that now that the Faith is over 100 years old, and its own institutions arising, so to speak, rapidly above-ground, the distinctions are becoming ever sharper, and the necessity for them to support whole-heartedly their own institutions and cut themselves off entirely from those of the past, is now clearer than ever before. The eyes of the people of the world are beginning to be focused on us; and, as humanity's plight goes from bad to worse, we will be watched ever more intently by non-Bahá'ís, to see whether we do uphold our own institutions wholeheartedly; whether we are the people of the new creation or not; whether we live up to our beliefs, principles and laws in deed as well as word. We cannot be too careful. We cannot be too exemplary.
"There is another aspect to this question which the friends should seriously ponder, and that is that, whereas organizations such as Freemasonry may have been in the past entirely free from any political taint, in the state of flux the world is in at present, and the extraordinary way in which things become corrupted and tainted by political thought and influences, there is no guarantee that such an association might not gradually or suddenly become a political instrument. The less Bahá'ís have to do, therefore, with such things, the better."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, August 5, 1955)
"The point is not that there is something intrinsically wrong with Masonry, which no doubt has many very high ideals and principles, and has had a very good influence in the past.
"The reasons why the Guardian feels that it is imperative for the Bahá'ís to be dissociated from masonry at this time, and I might add, other secret associations, is that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character.
"Another reason is that unfortunately the tremendous political influences in the world today are seeping deeper and deeper into men's minds; and movements which in the past were absolutely uninfluenced by any political tinge of thought now in many places are becoming infiltrated with political side-taking and political issues; and it becomes all the more important for the Bahá'ís to withdraw from them in order to protect the Faith.
"The Guardian believes that you, as an intelligent man, a Bahá'í, will see the need for this. It is only by all living according to general principles that we can knit the fabric of the Faith all over the world into a closer unity.
"He is fully aware that certain individuals are struck much more forcibly by such requests than others. This has been the case with some of the old Bahá'ís in England, who have been Masons from their boyhood on; but, as it is his duty to protect the Faith, he can only appeal to the Bahá'ís to assist him in doing so; and to consider the general good, rather than their personal feelings, however deep they may be, in such matters."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 12, 1956)
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