Everybody Wants to Rulethe World
It is well known the Baha'i Faith supports a variety of positions on social issues thatmight very well be seen as political: racial and gender equality, world peace, economic justice, universal education, and human rights. However, at the same time, individualBaha'is are prohibited from participating in any sort of political activism that wouldinduce governments to apply their ideals. Persistent and vocal political activity can cost aBaha'i his administrative rights within the community. Even membership in a humanrights organization such as Amnesty International is prohibited by Baha'i Institutions because, while many aspects are compatible with Baha'i ideals, it opposes the death penalty while Baha'i scripture allows it.The natural question is, if Baha'is can't work politically towards the realization of their social ideals, how do they expect to achieve them? One way, certainly, is the public proclamation of Baha'i principles, which is something that occurs at all levels of theBaha'i community. Another is the offering of the Baha'i community as a model for howthese ideals can be put into practice, as was done in 1986 in the widely-disseminatedstatement The Promise of World Peace.However, at a grassroots popular level, there is an expectation that the world's problemswill be solved simply by bringing together the peoples of the world under a theocracygoverned by Baha'i institutions. While Baha'i scripture prohibits any violent means for promoting the faith, and current practice forbids political involvement, many Baha'is feelthat by spreading their religion and building its institutions they are helping to bringabout this theocratic future.It would be impossible to say, without extensive research, just how prevalent theexpectation of a future theocracy is within the Baha'i community. My own personalexperience was that this belief was intrinsic to the Baha'i Faith. Since becoming active incyberspace, however, I have encountered people who think of it as a "fringe" belief. Allone can say with confidence is that this interpretation is persistent. It also seems thattheocratic beliefs are the hallmark of more conservative elements in the community,while Baha'i liberals almost uniformly reject them.There are indications that theocratic views are dominant at the top levels of Baha'igovernance. For example, the Baha'i Faith's international governing body, the UniversalHouse of Justice, in its April 7, 1999 letter, condemned the view that Baha'u'llahsupported the separation of church and state, characterizing it as part of a "campaign of internal opposition" to Baha'i teachings.As with any internal religious debate, these differing views hinge on the interpretation of Baha'i scripture. The theocratic vision of the Baha'i future reflects the conservativetendency to view the teachings of their faith almost entirely through the interpretations of
Leave a Comment