June 2. On this date in 1929, Roger White, writer, editor and "poet laureate" of the Bahá'í community, was born in Toronto, Canada.

June 2. On this date in 1929, Roger White, writer, editor and "poet laureate" of the Bahá'í community, was born in Toronto, Canada.

Roger White was born June 2, 1929 in Toronto, Canada, to Kathleen Rogers and John White, an Irish Roman Catholic family in Canada. He was the oldest of four children.

White's parents were not particularly devout Roman Catholics but White attended church regularly; often taking a younger sister with him. The family moved frequently during his childhood but lived longest in Belleville, Ontario. When he left home he moved to Toronto. In his early twenties, he began to doubt the existence of God. It was also during his twenties that White had self published his first volume of poems, "Summer Windows".

In Toronto he encountered the Bahá’í Faith and converted to the Bahá’í Faith in 1951. Shortly after this, White returned to Belleville where he met Helen Owens, who would also convert to the Bahá’í Faith. They were married in 1952 and the next year helped form the first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Belleville.

At this time White was employed as Clerk of the local county court. He progressed to be assistant editor of Hansard, the record of the proceedings of the Canadian House of Commons. The Whites were very active in the Bahá’í community of Ottawa, but the marriage ended in 1962. After that he took a position with the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The years 1966 to 1969 he spent in Kenya as secretary and assistant to the Hands of the Cause of God of Africa. Next he spent two years in Palm Desert, California as the personal secretary and research assistant for Hand of the Cause of God William Sears. In 1971 he went to Haifa, Israel to work at the World Centre. He remained there until his retirement in 1991.
Among other duties in Haifa, he was responsible for production of volumes XIV and XIX of The Bahá’í World, a reference series that chronicles the growth and development of the international Bahá’í community.

In Haifa, he was encouraged to develop his own writing. Several volumes of poetry as well as some prose resulted. This work established him as the premier poet of the Bahá’í community. In his correspondence he connected poets around the world with each other.

He wrote of real and archetypal Bahá’ís, bringing them alive to new generations, explored the nature of commitment, relations between genders and the contrast between physical appearance and spiritual realities. Individual poems appeared in a variety of literary journals around the world. Other artists have found inspiration in his work for creating work of their own: paintings, drama, dance and discussion of the Bahá’í religion. This brought joy and satisfaction to his heart.

After his retirement he moved to Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, and died there on April 10, 1993.

Works
Summer Windows (1947) poetry
Another Song, Another Season (1979) poetry
The Witness of Pebbles (1981) poetry
A Sudden Music (1983) fiction
One Bird, One Cage, One Flight (1983) poetry
The Shell and the Pearl (1984) history
Occasions of Grace (1992) poetry
Notes Postmarked the Mountain of God (1992) poetry
The Language of There (1992) poetry
Forever in Bloom (1992) prose

June 2. On this date in 1982, the Universal House of Justice wrote that "Europe is blessed as never before in its history, for the Manifestation of God, the Lord of Hosts, spent five years of His exiles within its borders...There is no authenticated record of a Manifestation of God ever before setting foot in Europe."

June 2. On this date in 1982, the Universal House of Justice wrote that "Europe is blessed as never before in its history, for the Manifestation of God, the Lord of Hosts, spent five years of His exiles within its borders...There is no authenticated record of a Manifestation of God ever before setting foot in Europe."

The Universal House of Justice
2 June 1982
To the Friends gathered at the International Conference in Dublin
Dearly loved Friends,
“The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day.… Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly.” The shattering blows dealt to the old, divisive system of the planet and the constantly accelerating decline in civilized life since that dire warning was uttered by Bahá’u’lláh a hundred years ago, have brought mankind to its present appalling condition. Consideration of how the Bahá’ís of Europe, confronted by this situation, can meet their responsibilities, spiritually and actively, is the main purpose of this Conference.
The holding of this Conference in Dublin calls to mind the historic and heroic services of Ireland in spreading the divine religion throughout pagan Europe. Europe’s response was to develop, through many vicissitudes, the most widespread and effective civilization known. That civilization, together with all other systems in the world, is now being rolled up, and Europe’s plight in proportion to her former preeminence, is desperate indeed. By the same token her opportunity is correspondingly great. The challenges to her resilience, to her deep-seated spiritual vitality, nourished over the centuries by the Teachings of Christ—now, alas, neglected and even contemned—can and must call forth a more magnificent response than was ever made by the divided and contending peoples of olden times. Yours is the task to arouse that response. The power of Bahá’u’lláh is with you and this Day, as attested by the Báb, is “immensely exalted … above the days of the Apostles of old.”
In this great Day Europe is blessed as never before in its history, for the Manifestation of God, the Lord of Hosts, spent five years of His exiles within its borders, sending forth from His “remote prison” the first of those challenging, world-shaking addresses to the kings and rulers, six of whom were European potentates. There is no authenticated record of a Manifestation of God ever before setting foot in Europe.
You are engaged on a Seven Year Plan and have made devoted and sacrificial efforts to attain its objectives. But its ultimate purpose, as that of all other plans, namely the attracting of the masses of mankind to the all-embracing shelter of the Cause of God, still evades us. Particularly in Europe. We have not, as yet, found the secret of setting aglow the hearts of great numbers of Europeans with the divine fire. This must now be your constant preoccupation, the subject of your deliberations at this Conference, the purpose of your lives, to which you will attain “only if you arise to trample beneath your feet every earthly desire.” We call upon every Bahá’í in Europe to ponder this vital matter in his inmost soul, to consider what each may do to attract greater power to his efforts, to radiate more brilliantly and irresistibly the joyous, regenerating power of the Cause, so that the Bahá’í community in every country of Europe may stand out as a beacon light repelling the dark shadows of godlessness and moral degradation now threatening to obliterate the last remnants of a dying order. We call upon the Continental Board of Counselors to consult following this Conference with every National Spiritual Assembly in Europe, and together, launch such a campaign of spiritualization of the Bahá’í community, allied with intensified personal teaching, as has never been witnessed in your continent. The goals of the Seven Year Plan can all be accomplished as the result of such a program and the European Bahá’í community may achieve through it the spiritual force and character to demonstrate to a stricken and declining civilization the peace and joy and order of the long-awaited, Christ-promised Kingdom of God on earth.
May the loving spirit and saintly life of the Greatest Holy Leaf, the fiftieth anniversary of whose ascension is commemorated in this Conference, imbue your thoughts and aspirations and resolves with that dedicated, self-sacrificing, utter devotion to Bahá’u’lláh and His Cause which she so greatly exemplified.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
[signed: The Universal House of Justice]

June 2. On this date in 1948, Shoghi Effendi wrote "In spite of the gloom which man's disobedience to the Divine Laws is creating throughout the world, the Bahá'ís must be courageous, joyous and ever-active in spreading the Message of Bahá'u'lláh, for in the end it will triumph and dispel the evil and sadness engulfing mankind."

June 2. On this date in 1948, Shoghi Effendi wrote "In spite of the gloom which man's disobedience to the Divine Laws is creating throughout the world, the Bahá'ís must be courageous, joyous and ever-active in spreading the Message of Bahá'u'lláh, for in the end it will triumph and dispel the evil and sadness engulfing mankind."

2 June 1948
To the Bahá'ís of Esslingen who were present at the Naw-Rúz Feast, 105 B.E. Dear Bahá'í Friends:
Your loving Naw-Rúz greeting only reached our beloved Guardian on May 31st, but he was very pleased to receive it, and to see that so many of the dear believers had gathered together to celebrate that happy Feast day.
In spite of the gloom which man's disobedience to the Divine Laws is creating throughout the world, the Bahá'ís must be courageous, joyous and ever-active in spreading the Message of Bahá'u'lláh, for in the end it will triumph and dispel the evil and sadness engulfing mankind.
He assures you all he will pray for the success of your Bahá'í labours in the Holy Shrines...
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
May the Spirit of Bahá'u'lláh sustain, guide and protect you under all circumstances, cheer your hearts, enable you to extend continually the range of your activities, and aid you to win memorable victories for His Faith and its institutions,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi

June 2. On this date in 1986, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter to a National Spiritual Assembly, emphasizing the importance of obtaining explicit permission from biological parents for marriage, noting "It seems clear that Miss ... has a slender connection with her genetic father. Nevertheless, despite his long absence and his lack of any relationship with either mother or daughter, Miss ... is obligated to make every effort, however discreetly carried out, to ascertain his whereabouts, including such steps as contacting persons, firms or agencies, and even advertising in newspapers if necessary. The Local or National Assembly accepts that Miss ...'s father-in-law elect cannot be traced and the National Assembly may offer its assistance to the couple, if needed. When the Assembly is satisfied that every reasonable avenue of search has been exhausted without discovering the missing parent, the Assembly may permit the marriage to take place."

June 2. On this date in 1986, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter to a National Spiritual Assembly, emphasizing the importance of obtaining explicit permission from biological parents for marriage, noting "It seems clear that Miss ... has a slender connection with her genetic father. Nevertheless, despite his long absence and his lack of any relationship with either mother or daughter, Miss ... is obligated to make every effort, however discreetly carried out, to ascertain his whereabouts, including such steps as contacting persons, firms or agencies, and even advertising in newspapers if necessary. The Local or National Assembly accepts that Miss ...'s father-in-law elect cannot be traced and the National Assembly may offer its assistance to the couple, if needed. When the Assembly is satisfied that every reasonable avenue of search has been exhausted without discovering the missing parent, the Assembly may permit the marriage to take place."

1247. Every Reasonable Avenue of Search Must Be Exhausted to Find Parent-- The Responsible Assembly Must Be Satisfied This Has Been Done
"The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 8 May 1986 presenting Miss ..., problem of consent to her marriage by her putative father. We are asked to convey its response.
"It seems clear that Miss ... has a slender connection with her genetic father. Nevertheless, despite his long absence and his lack of any relationship with either mother or daughter, Miss ... is obligated to make every effort, however discreetly carried out, to ascertain his whereabouts, including such steps as contacting persons, firms or agencies, and even advertising in newspapers if necessary. The Local or National Assembly accepts that Miss ...'s father-in-law elect cannot be traced and the National Assembly may offer its assistance to the couple, if needed. When the Assembly is satisfied that every reasonable avenue of search has been exhausted without discovering the missing parent, the Assembly may permit the marriage to take place."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, June 2, 1986)

June 1. On this date in 1955, Shoghi Effendi wrote, "The all-important thing of course is that every activity ... is for the purpose of teaching the Faith and confirming people. Therefore you and the other Bahá'ís should watch the situation very closely. You should study those who attend the meetings, and when you find one who you feel would become a strong and active Bahá'í, then you should concentrate on teaching him. Thus, if you are able to confirm some souls, you will have rendered distinguished and outstanding service. Actually this is the goal of all such activities in all of the universities."

June 1. On this date in 1955, Shoghi Effendi wrote, "The all-important thing of course is that every activity ... is for the purpose of teaching the Faith and confirming people. Therefore you and the other Bahá'ís should watch the situation very closely. You should study those who attend the meetings, and when you find one who you feel would become a strong and active Bahá'í, then you should concentrate on teaching him. Thus, if you are able to confirm some souls, you will have rendered distinguished and outstanding service. Actually this is the goal of all such activities in all of the universities."

1992. The all-important thing of course is that every activity ... is for the purpose of teaching the Faith and confirming people. Therefore you and the other Bahá'ís should watch the situation very closely. You should study those who attend the meetings, and when you find one who you feel would become a strong and active Bahá'í, then you should concentrate on teaching him. Thus, if you are able to confirm some souls, you will have rendered distinguished and outstanding service. Actually this is the goal of all such activities in all of the universities.
(From a letter dated 1 June 1955 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

June 1. On this date in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had his first of three sittings for his portrait painted by Juliet Thompson in her New York studio. While pictures, sketches, and photographs of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are ubiquitous in Bahá'í homes, those of Bahá'u'lláh are less so although the prohibition is equally applicable to both.

 

June 1. On this date in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had his first of three sittings for his portrait painted by Juliet Thompson in her New York studio. While pictures, sketches, and photographs of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are ubiquitous in Bahá'í homes, those of Bahá'u'lláh are less so although the prohibition is equally applicable to both.

May 31. On this date in 1988, the Universal House of Justice responded to a paper presented at a Baha'i Studies conference which raised the possibility that women could one day be eligible for membership on the Universal House of Justice.

May 31. On this date in 1988, the Universal House of Justice responded to a paper presented at a Baha'i Studies conference which raised the possibility that women could one day be eligible for membership on the Universal House of Justice.

Women on the Universal House of Justice

by / on behalf of Universal House of Justice

1988-05-31
first written or published 1998

      We have been informed of a paper, presented at a recent New Zealand Bahá'í Studies conference [online here], which raises the possibility that the ineligibility of women for membership on the Universal House of Justice may be a temporary provision subject to change through a process of progressive unfoldment of the divine purpose. We present the following points as a means of increasing the friends' understanding of this established provision of the Order of Bahá'u'lláh that membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined to men.      The system of Bahá'í Administration is "indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith" as set forth in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdul' Baha. A unique feature of this system is the appointment of authorized interpreters, in the persons of Abdu'l Baha and the Guardian, to provide authoritative statements on the intent of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation. Writing in The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, Shogi Effendi stated that "Abdul' Baha and the Guardian " share . . . the right and obligation to interpret the Bahá'í Teachings". In relation to his own function as interpreter, he further stated that "the Guardian has been specifically endowed with such power as he may need to reveal the purport and disclose the implications of the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and of Abdu'l Baha". The significance of this important provision is that the religion of God is safeguarded and protected against schism and its essential unity is preserved.      The function of the divinely appointed interpreters is evident in the progressive disclosure and clarification of the details of the Bahá'í teachings concerning the membership of the Universal House of Justice. Bahá'u'lláh, in his writings, ordained both the Universal House of Justice and Local Houses of Justice. However, in many of his laws he refers simply to "the House of Justice" and its members as "Men of Justice", leaving open for later clarification to which level or levels of the whole institution each law would apply. Abdu'l Baha, the Center of Bahá'u'lláh's covenant and the unerring interpreter of his word, not only provided for the establishment of National Spiritual Assemblies, to be designated at some future time as Secondary Houses of Justice, but He also outlined the means by which the Universal House of Justice was to be elected. In His will and testament, the Master wrote:

"And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers . . . By this House is meant the Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries a secondary House of Justice must be instituted and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal one . . . (p. 14)

      And in one of His Tablets He had already written:

At whatever time the beloved of God in each country appoint their delegates , and these in turn elect their representatives, and these representatives elect a body, that body shall be regarded as the Supreme House of Justice.

      In the following passage, 'Abdu'l Baha refered to membership on the "House of Justice" being restricted to men, without a specific designation of the level or levels of the institution to which this provision applied:

"The House of Justice, however, according to the explicit text of the Law of God, is confined to men; this for a wisdom of the Lord God's which will ere long be made manifest as clearly as the sun at high noon. (Selections from the writings of Abdu'l Baha (rev. ed) Haifa: Bahá'í World Center, 1982), p. 80)

Later the Master clarified that it was only the Universal House of Justice whose membership was confined to men. Abdu'l Baha wrote:

      "According to the ordinances of the Faith of God, women are the equals of men in all rights save only that of membership on the Universal House of Justice, for, as hath been stated in the text of the Book, both the Head and the members of the House of Justice are men. However, in all other bodies, such as the Temple Construction Committee, the Teaching Committee, the Spiritual Assembly, and in charitable and scientific associations, women share equally in all rights with men. (from a newly translated tablet).

Shogi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf to an individual believer, provided the following authoritative elaboration on this theme:

"As regards your question concerning the membership of the Universal House of Justice; there is a Tablet from 'Abdu'l Baha in which he definitely states that the membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined to men, and that the wisdom of it will be fully revealed and appreciated in the future. In the local, as well as the National Houses of Justice, however, women have the full right of membership. It is, therefore, only to the International House of Justice that they cannot be elected. . ." (28 July 1936)

      'Abdu'l Baha Himself, it should be noted, had, as attested by the above-cited extracts from His Tablets, affirmed that the ineligibility of women for election to the Universal House of Justice had been set out "in the text of the Book" and "in the explicit text of the Law of God". In other words, this provision was established by none other than Bahá'u'lláh Himself.      Further, in response to a number of questions about eligibility for membership and procedures for election of the Universal House of Justice, the Guardian's secretary writing on his behalf distinguished between those questions which could be answered by reference to the "explicitly revealed" Text and those which could not be. Membership to the Universal House of Justice fits into the former category. The letter stated:

"The membership of the Universal House of Justice is confined to men. Fixing the number of the members, the procedures for election and the term of membership will be known later, as these are not explicitly revealed in the Holy Text." (27 May 1940)

Hence, 'Abdu'l Baha and the Guardian progressively have revealed, in accordance with divine inspiration, the meaning and implications of Bahá'u'lláh's seminal teachings. Their interpretations are fundamental statements of truth which cannot be varied through legislation by the Universal House of Justice.      The progressive clarification of the details of the laws concerning membership of the Houses of Justice has been accompanied by a gradual implementation of their provisions. For example, based on the texts available to the believers at the time, membership of local Houses of Justice was initially confined to men. When the Master began to elaborate on the difference between the levels of this Institution, He clarified that the exclusion of women applied only to the Universal House of Justice. Thereafter, women became eligble for service as members of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. Women in the West, who already enjoyed the benefits of education and opportunities for social involvement, participated in this form of service much sooner than, for instance, their Bahá'í sisters in Iran who were accorded this right only in 1954, "removing thereby the last remaining obstacle to the enjoyment of complete equality of rights in the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Persian Bahá'í Community". It is important to note that the timing of the introduction of the provisions called for by the interpretations of 'Abdu'l Baha and the Guardian in relation to the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, rather than constituting a response to some external condition or pressure, was dictated by the principle of progressive implementation of the laws, as enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh Himself. Concerning the implementation of the laws, Bahá'u'lláh wrote in one of His Tablets:

"Indeed the laws of God are like unto the ocean and the children of men as fish, did they but know it. However, in observing them one must exercise wisdom . . . One must guide mankind to the ocean of true understanding in a spirit of love and tolerance."

As mentioned earlier, the law regarding the membership of the Universal House of Justice is embedded in the Text and has been merely restated by the divinely appointed interpreters. It is therefore neither amenable to change nor subject to speculation about some possible future condition.      With regard to the status of women, the important point for Bahá'ís to remember is that in the face of the categorical pronouncements in Bahá'í Scripture establishing the equality of men and women, the ineligibility of women for membership on the Universal House of Justice does not constitute evidence of the superiority of men over women. It must also be borne in mind that women are not excluded from any other international institution of the Faith. They are found among the ranks of the Hands of the Cause. They serve as members of the International Teaching Center and as Continental Counsellors. And, there is nothing in the text to preclude the participation of women in such future international bodies as the Supreme Tribunal.      Though at the present time, it may be difficult for the believers to appreciate the reason for the circumscription of membership on the Universal House of Justice to men, we call upon the friends to remain assured by the Master's promise that clarity of understanding will be achieved in due course. The friends, both women and men, must accept this with faith that the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh will aid them and the institutions of His World Order to see the realization of every principle ordained by His unerring Pen, including the equality of men and women, as expounded in the Writings of the Cause. The Universal House of Justice