Orphans

Duties and attitudes toward

"He that Bringeth Up His Son or the Son of Another..."

"...He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is as though he hath brought up a son of Mine; upon him rest My Glory, My loving-kindness, My Mercy, that have compassed the world."

(Bahá'u'lláh: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, K. 48, p. 37, in Lights of Guidance, no. 467)

Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá Laud Those Who Adopt Children

"It was a pleasure to Shoghi Effendi to receive your letter of May 26th and to hear about your adopted children. This is a truly Bahá'í act especially as it was often lauded both by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, and the Guardian trusts that they will grow to become Bahá'í workers, and thus repay your kind generosity."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 20, 1931, in Lights of Guidance, no. 468)

A Bahá'í Cannot Take Vow to Educate Adopted Child in Another Religion

"A Bahá'í may not undertake a vow which commits him to any action contrary to the principles of the Faith. In other words, Mrs. ... cannot agree to rear a child in the Catholic Faith.

"Furthermore, if it is necessary to go through the Catholic marriage ceremony for the sake of the adoption, Mrs. ... must make it clear to the church authorities that she is a Bahá'í, intends to remain a Bahá'í, and that she cannot undertake any vow which is contrary to the laws and principles of her Faith."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, November 26, 1964, in Lights of Guidance, no. 470)

A Bahá'í Who Swears to Rear His Children in Another Faith is Subject to Administrative Sanction

"...no Bahá'í can conscientiously swear to bring up his children in another religion; and of course he has no right to lie; therefore it becomes impossible for him to make such a promise on his marriage to a non-Bahá'í. Any Bahá'í doing this should be deprived of his voting rights; and, as he has already made plain before, Bahá'ís who go to the church and are married as Christians must also of necessity be deprived of their voting rights."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the European Teaching Committee, May 13, 1956, in Lights of Guidance, no. 471)

Duty Towards Orphans

"In this holy Cause the question of orphans hath the utmost importance. The greatest consideration must be shown towards orphans; they must be taught, trained and educated. The Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, especially, must by all means be given to them as far as possible.

"I supplicate God that thou mayest become a kind parent to orphaned children, quickening them with the fragrances of the Holy Spirit, so that they will attain the age of maturity as true servants of the world of humanity and as bright candles in the assemblage of mankind."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: Bahá'í Education, p. 46, in Lights of Guidance, no. 472)

In relation to natural parents: cases for permissibility of severing ties and circumstances of any reuniting

Adopted Child and Its Natural Parents [(See also: VIII. J. 1. Laws of Marriage, Parental Consent, 1231-1254)]

"It is clear that the separation of a child from its natural parents is a tragedy that society must do its best to prevent or mitigate. It is also clear that in certain cases the actual separation may be better for the child than to continue living with a parent whose conduct and character make him unworthy of this sacred function, for the Guardian has explicitly stated that the severing of family ties and renunciation of responsibilities between parents and the children is, in certain cases, permissible under the law of God, but that the Universal House of Justice has to make the law governing such matters.

"Whenever the law of the land or the agreement of adoption prohibits future contact between an adopted child and its natural parents, the Bahá'í law does not require the child to seek the consent of those parents to its marriage.

"In the situation, however, where contact with the natural parent is permitted, it should be a matter of wise discretion at what stage contact, in cases where it has been broken, should be re-established. Just as love for one person need not reduce the love one bears to another, so unity with the adoptive parents need not destroy or reduce the unity a child has with its natural parents, or vice versa. The characters and attitudes of the individuals concerned will have an effect upon this...."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, February 17, 1971, in Lights of Guidance, no. 469)

See also

• Children in marriage