Laws - degree of detail
Not every question answered or every small detail of belief/practice arrived at; essential governing principles outlined and the rest to the conscience of hte individual[edit]
"Moreover, the attitude to legislation is different in the Baha'i Faith. The human tendency in past Dispensations has been to want every question answered and to arrive at a binding decision affecting every small detail of belief or practice. The tendency in the Baha'i Dispensation, from the time of Baha'u'llah Himself, has been to clarify the governing principles, to make binding pronouncements on details which are considered essential, but to leave a wide area to the conscience of the individual. The same tendency appears also in administrative matters. The Guardian used to state that the working of National Spiritual Assemblies should be uniform in essentials but that diversity in secondary matters was not only permissible but desirable. For this reason a number of points are not expressed in the, National Baha'i Constitution (the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of National Assemblies); these are left to each National Spiritual Assembly to decide for itself."
Not possible nor desirable for the House of Justice to lay down a set of rules covering every situation[edit]
"A believer cannot fulfill his true mission in life as a follower of the Blessed Perfection merely by living according to a set of rigid regulations, as you will recognize. It is neither possible nor desirable for the House of Justice to lay down a set of rules covering every situation. Rather is it the task of the individual believer to determine, according to his own prayerful understanding of the Writings, precisely what his course of conduct should be in relation to situations which he encounters in his daily life. He must continually study the sacred Writings and the instructions of the beloved Guardian, striving always to attain a new and better understanding of their import to him, and orient his life towards service to Baha'u'llah, praying fervently for divine guidance, wisdom and strength to do what is pleasing to God."
- (On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-86, section 224.6)
The spiritual law is the essential thing (and is why it was not as essential that Christ outline many social laws during His short ministry)[edit]
"I have been asked this question: In the Gospels one finds only spiritual directions, not particular directions for conduct as in the old testament. How is this?
"The teachings of Christ covered a period of three years; the dispensation of Moses lasted forty years. After Moses led the people of Israel from the land of bondage, he found it necessary to inaugurate certain physical rules to show them how to live. In the lifetime of Christ only a small group gathered around him. After his declaration, his mission lasted but three years; there was neither time nor occasion for a complete code of laws. The essential thing is the spiritual law — the outer material law is of small moment, because material life has natural laws to protect it, but humanity lacks spiritual education and needs instruction on the divine qualities. Christ gave this great foundation, as did Mohammed, the Bab and BAHA'O'LLAH. They are all one. There is no difference in their teachings. When we come to kind actions and to striving for the highest ideals of humanity, these things remain the same in all ages, in all countries and in all tongues.
"The sun is always the sun. According to the position of the earth we receive its radiation differently."
- (Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy, pp. 67-68)
To-dos for this page[edit]
- Include quotations from the Aqdas on the other hand on how the House of Justice has yet to outline many laws; also link to importance of both inner and outer law
- quotes on Assemblies not formulating too many regulations
