December 9. On this date in 1985, an attachment to a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Netherlands delineated the "restrictions and limitations" imposed on "one who has lost his voting rights is considered to be a Bahá'í but not one in good standing."
"...One who has lost his voting rights is considered to be a Bahá'í but not one in good standing. The following restrictions and limitations apply to such a believer:
He cannot attend Nineteen Day Feasts or other meetings for Bahá'ís only, including International Conferences, and therefore cannot take part in consultation on the affairs of the community.
He cannot contribute to the Bahá'í Fund.
He cannot receive newsletters and other bulletins whose circulation is restricted to Bahá'ís.
He cannot have a Bahá'í marriage ceremony and therefore is not able to marry a Bahá'í.
He may not have a Bahá'í pilgrimage.
Although he is free to teach the Faith on his own behalf, he should not be used as a teacher or speaker in programs sponsored by Bahá'ís.
He is debarred from participating in administrative matters, including the right to vote in Bahá'í elections.
He cannot hold office or be appointed to a committee.
He should not be given credentials (which imply that he is a Bahá'í in good standing)."
(From an attachment to a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Netherlands, December 9, 1985)
No comments:
Post a Comment