This is a photo of the scroll shown at the National Rainbow Gathering (along with a presentation) in New Mexico, July 2009, at Chai Baha’i Café.

We are All as Waves on the Same Sea of Existence

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2

Underlying all physical phenomenon is a universal sea in which the force of love, manifest as the power of attraction, gives rise to the plane of physical reality. We can observe this force in all things. Those having a “New-Age” background might identify this force, or Spirit, as Gaia.[1] Baha’is refer to this Divine Feminine as the “Maid of Heaven”, the “Primal Will”. A spiritually aware person comes to recognize that this Spirit pervades all Creation, such as the rock, the plant, the animal, the human and beyond. Indigenous cultures have never lost this knowledge.

Baha’u'llah, in His Tablet of Wisdom, wrote, “Nature is God’s Will and is Its expression in and through the contingent world. It is a dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of being, no one should question this assertion. It is endowed with a power whose reality men of learning fail to grasp.” Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 142

In a passage from the Old Testament referring to this Spirit as “Wisdom” – translated as “Sophia” in the Greek – these verses were written,

“The Lord created Me at the beginning of His work, the first of His acts of old. He established Me before Time was, in the beginning, before He made the earth: even before He made the depths … When He established the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep … when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him, arranging all things; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always …” Proverbs 8:22-30 (RSV amended by the Septuagint Bible)

The verses reveal this Spirit as the Instrument of God’s creative process. This is the Spirit of God that “moved upon the face of the waters”. It was the first Being to be created, even before time yet existed.

`Abdu’l-Baha explained that, “The first thing which emanated from God is that universal reality, which the ancient philosophers termed the ‘First Mind,’ and which the people of Baha call the ‘First Will.’ This emanation, in that which concerns its action in the world of God, is not limited by time or place; it is without beginning or end – beginning and end in relation to God are one. The preexistence of God is the preexistence of essence, and also preexistence of time, and the phenomenality of contingency is essential and not temporal, as we have already explained one day at table. Though the ‘First Mind’ is without beginning, it does not become a sharer in the preexistence of God, for the existence of the universal reality in relation to the existence of God is nothingness, and it has not the power to become an associate of God and like unto Him in preexistence.” Some Answered Questions, p. 203

In the New Testament this Will is called the Word in the verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2

Again, from His Tablet of Wisdom, Baha’u’llah explains that, “The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force[2] and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different. Thus the Great Announcement informs thee about this glorious structure.[3] Such as communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof.” Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 140

Put simply, when the Primal Will “touched” the plasma sea this created “heat” which was translated into a wave of motion. These swirling waves upon the sea consolidate into the matter which builds the universe. The “touch” itself is the origin of motion, i.e. all the known forces of the universe including gravity, electro-magnetism and the two nuclear forces.[4]

Thus God, through the instrument of the Primal Will (also designated as “the Word”) created both the electro-magnetic force to communicate the “generating influence” and the sea of embryonic matter to receive it. The Primal Will interacted upon the plasma sea through the electro-magnetic force. This generated heat which was absorbed by the sea of embryonic matter (i.e. a sea of plasma constituted of undifferentiated particles). The heat was translated into movement and the particles, under the influence of the electro-magnetic force, started to spin taking on swirling spiral relationships and from this the world of existence gradually came to be in the form we experience today.

The First Wave

Substance and Form arise from the 1^st Wave

In the background plasma sea of energy (i.e. the water) a ripple or wave occurs due to the Primal Will and this is the arising influence of the force of attraction at the atomic level. That is to say, the Primal Will’s electro-magnetic “touch” influences the water to put forth a wave – a swirl or ripple that weaves the fabric of space-time.

The verses from Genesis reveal that the Primal Will is not the water itself but is the Spirit of God moving upon the water. The “water” of plasma was influenced by the Primal Will. It stirred the one water, causing a differentiation into yin and yang and subsequently forming the atomic structure of electrons surrounding and circling a central point wherein protons and neutrons collected and “solid matter” appeared. From this structure distinct elements of hydrogen, helium etc. were produced.

Thus, at the Atomic level of existence we find this active, attractive force expressed as a type of fundamental electro-magnetism. It is a simple physicality which gives rise to substance and structure in the form of minerals that are in turn a foundation for the higher life-forms. Despite serving this function, the mineral itself is not organically alive. In terms of spirit this first level is “one-dimensional” that is, relative to living beings it is static – a pile of dirt is inert. The chemical interactions between the elements are vastly different from biological evolution. Even though the elements progress into more complex patterns they don’t automatically or accidentally become living beings.

However, even without being alive the mineral encloses a tremendous amount of energy. In order to even begin to comprehend how much energy is bound up into the atomic form by this first wave reflect upon the force let loose when the bonds of only a few atoms were broken as occurred with the use of atomic bombs in the 20^th century. The power of a single atom is truly awe-inspiring.

But we observe that Western science is overly focused on the material yang side of the equation, thus creating imbalance leading to destruction. The current instrumentation of Western science has discovered that every particle has “spin” (that is, it is moving in a circular fashion) but it hasn’t developed to the point that it can perceive the deeper reality of the wave, it only sees its effect of causing “spin”. The instruments of western science can only measure effects not causes, it takes the human mind to theorize as to the cause of the effect and then test the theory by further examination of effects. This method is only useful to a certain point because of its inherent limitation of only being able to examine effects. Therefore, Western science has yet to comprehend even this first wave and is still struggling to examine the function of atomic structure.

Spiritual science is more balanced with regard to the yin causes underlying the yang effects and thus we observe, accordingly, that the Spirit, the Primal Will, expresses itself upon the physical plane through electro-magnetic waves focused upon the sea of embryonic matter. These are like swirling waves of movement traced on the face of the deep. Even while giving rise to individual realities these waves do not lose their inherent connection to the spiritual depths which underlie them.

Three Levels Constituting the Spiral of Physical Life

The Second Wave

Capacity for Evolutional Information arises from the 2^nd Wave

At the Botanical level of existence a second wave of attraction is joined to the first wave. This 2^nd wave creates a living[5] dimension. The electro-magnetic force has advanced to a level that can be observed as a magnetism by which a plant has the power to draw sustenance, such as minerals, into itself. The beings most commonly thought of as “plants” are those which convert sunlight into living energy by a process known as “photosynthesis”. Their movement in response to the sensation of heat from sunlight exhibits a certain level of awareness. Thus we can see that the sign of life is awareness. This awareness is like the birth of spirit into a physical form and therefore all life is the offspring of Spirit.

The plant grows and reproduces itself by means of seeds which contain the life force. Even while dormant in the stage of seed the life force is intrinsic to the plant. These seeds contain plant genes made from a substance called DNA. Genetic structure is uniquely different from atomic structure. Atoms do not have genes as do plants. The combination of two waves of reality is expressed in the form of a double helix, having two strands intertwining.[6] In terms of spirit, this is a two-dimensional existence. Whereas the existence of the mineral is static and one-dimensional, plants, because of their genetic material, can evolve as life-forms, that is, even though individual plants die, the instructions for life, the code of life contained in the genetic information, is passed on through its seed. Thus the genetic substance provides a platform for the process of evolution.

The new reality brought about by the two combined waves eventually gives rise to a receptive ground for yet another dimension but first this capacity must evolve in myriad forms with the botanical evolution continuing from the earliest stages of bacteria and algae to the point wherein at its extreme limit certain plants (possibly fungi) are ready to “cross over” and evolve into amoebas. This metamorphosis is not an accident nor does it occur as a voluntary action on the part of the plant, rather this is a quantum leap brought about by the influence of a third wave traced by Spirit.

Having the potential for another electro-magnetic dimension to come into play, the genetic capacity receives the 3^rd wave. Without the evolved genetic material there would be nothing for this dimension to hook onto and thus no platform for its interaction upon the physical plane.

The Third Wave

Conscious Perception of Information arises from the 3^rd Wave

At the Zoological level of existence three waves have interlocked and merged to form a new being – the animal. The third wave of influence from Spirit affects the genetic material causing a new capacity to arise within it. A clear physical expression of the influence of the 3^rd wave is the gradual development of beings having a nervous system. The purpose of the nervous system including the brain,[7] is to register and interpret sense perceptions. The capacity that distinguishes the animal from the plant is that of the five senses. The animal becomes individually conscious of its specific existence because it can touch, taste, smell, hear and see the environment surrounding it.

With the progressive expression of its effect on the genes the 3^rd wave eventually gives rise to animal species which have sufficient brain capacity to be self-aware, that is, they are aware of their own existence. Whereas the botanical beings feel existence without thinking anything about this experience the animal beings have the capacity for distinctly individual awareness. So, while plants experience life without being conscious of it, animals have the capacity to find meaning in their experience. The level of this meaning relates to survival. Thus, for instance, an herbivore will note the appearance of another animal in its vicinity, first it freezes, then if all its senses register that this is a predator, its brain interprets the signals it has received to mean danger and puts this into action: fight or flight. The plant will also react to its environment but rather than making choices based on brain interpretations, its reactions are more spontaneous than intentional.

Thus, we observe that the electro-magnetic waves express as increasingly advanced dimensions of awareness and intentionality. At the level of the 3^rd wave this dimension has had an influence on the genetic material causing it to evolve at an entirely new level beyond that of the plant. The beings arising as a result have rudimentary nervous systems and through further evolvement classes of animal from insect all the way through to mammalian life come into being.

At the earliest level of animal evolution we have single-celled amoeba, beyond that insects, further yet amphibians, reptiles, and so on. The most advanced stages of zoological evolution brings mammals into existence and at the furthest extreme of this stage we find the primates and cetaceans. The nervous system’s evolutionary process is recorded in the creatures themselves thus in the human we find a brain stem, the reptilian brain, the mammalian brain etc.

The 3^rd wave awareness of existence has altered the genes to such an extent that a new capacity arises in the genes and this gives rise to a new being that is different from the animal even as the animal can be distinguished from the plant.

The Fourth Wave

Conscious Interpretation of Information arises from the 4^th Wave

The awareness of one’s existence ultimately provides the capacity for yet another dimension of electro-magnetism to come into play. This is the 4^th dimension, the human spirit. This spirit can only come into contact with animals whose genetic potential has reached a crucial degree.[8] That is to say: once the capacity of animal awareness has evolved to a certain point, the species at the furthermost extremity of this level whose genes have specifically evolved to receive this particular new capacity, are then enabled to advance to this next stage. This is the Anthropo-logical level. As before, this metamorphosis is not an accident nor does it occur as a voluntary action on the part of the animal, rather this is a quantum leap brought about by the influence of the fourth wave traced by Spirit upon the page of existence.

The effect of this development is that another degree of awareness can now interact with evolution. The human species has been evolving over hundreds of millions of years and the effect of the fourth wave can now be perceived most clearly as a new capacity chiefly characterized by abstract thought. This “abstract” is a realm beyond that of the physical. Philosophical thought is an example of this realm. However just as developments under the influence of the previous waves did not occur immediately but over the course of time so it has been with the fourth wave.

Ultimately the capacity for awareness brought about by the fourth wave is that the human doesn’t merely passively experience the spiritual realms but becomes consciously aware of them and thus has the opportunity to become an active participant.

Just as the plant experiences life without being aware of it but the animal is aware of life, similarly the animal experiences spiritual forces but has no capacity to interpret the meaning and make choices, it merely experiences these forces at a very rudimentary passive level and thus isn’t truly aware of them. The human has the capacity brought about by the fourth wave and thus can become aware of the truly abstract realities beyond the physical realms.

Just like there were levels, stages and degrees of advancement in prior evolutionary waves there are also phases of advancement under the influence of the fourth wave. This can get to the point where it moves beyond actual electro-magnetic waves and once it does so it is no longer constrained to physical limitations and thus the advancement can occur much more rapidly.

This is the first stage in a shift to an entirely new paradigm of existence even as the plant was the first stage in an entirely new level beyond that of the atomic. Whereas the atomic level had existence it did not have an organically alive existence, but at the level of the plant we find organic life. At the extreme of the development brought about by the fourth wave we come to an entirely new order of life beyond that of organic life, it is spiritual life.

Three Levels Constituting a Spiral of Spiritual Life

Just as there were three stages of existence in the initial category of “life” there are three stages of spiritual life that can be attained by humans while still existing in the physical plane. These three circles or waves are beyond the power of the uninitiated human mind. These spiritual realities are not subject to imagination rather there is a system of spiritual law by which their effects come into play. Nevertheless there is a certain degree of choice[9] — personal conscious choice as opposed to mere accident or instinct — which affects these outcomes. The difference then between a realized human and those who have yet to advance to this level is that a truly human being has transcended the animal condition and can choose to evolve spiritually. Furthermore, rather than this happening slowly over eons these quantum leaps can happen rapidly in the course of an individual human lifetime.

We cannot attain these levels by a mere whim but only thru preparation and reception. We cannot make a decision to force the 5^th dimension to interact with us, we can only choose to evolve. This occurs in degrees until we reach a stage where the capacity to receive that next dimension has been developed. Spiritual evolution requires belief in Spirit. Baha’is refer to the power of the next dimension as the Spirit of Faith. This is the Breath of Life whose reception Jesus referred to as being “born again of the spirit”. The combination of the human spirit and the spirit of faith is as revolutionary as the coming into existence of the gene, the double helix spiral of life, this signifies a new spiral of life.

 

The quotes from the Tablet of Wisdom are all from the following passage of it.

“… As regards thine assertions about the beginning of creation, this is a matter on which conceptions vary by reason of the divergences in men’s thoughts and opinions. Wert thou to assert that it hath ever existed and shall continue to exist, it would be true; or wert thou to affirm the same concept as is mentioned in the sacred Scriptures, no doubt would there be about it, for it hath been revealed by God, the Lord of the worlds. Indeed He was a hidden treasure. This is a station that can never be described nor even alluded to. And in the station of `I did wish to make Myself known’, God was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter from the beginning that hath no beginning, apart from its being preceded by a Firstness which cannot be regarded as firstness and originated by a Cause inscrutable even unto all men of learning.

That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different. Thus doth the Great Announcement inform thee about this glorious structure. Such as communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Wise.

Know thou, moreover, that the Word of God – exalted be His glory – is higher and far superior to that which the senses can perceive, for it is sanctified from any property or substance. It transcendeth the limitations of known elements and is exalted above all the essential and recognized substances. It became manifest without any syllable or sound and is none but the Command of God which pervadeth all created things. It hath never been withheld from the world of being. It is God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity far removed above all that hath been and shall be.

We are loath to enlarge on this subject, inasmuch as the unbelievers have inclined their ears towards Us in order to hear that which might enable them to cavil against God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. And since they are unable to attain to mysteries of knowledge and wisdom from what hath been unravelled by the Source of divine splendour, they rise in protest and burst into clamour. But it is true to say that they object to that which they comprehend, not to the expositions given by the Expounder, nor the truths imparted by the One true God, the Knower of things unseen. Their objections, one and all, turn upon themselves, and I swear by thy life that they are devoid of understanding.

Every thing must needs have an origin and every building a builder. Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world – a world which is adorned with the splendours of the Ancient of Days, yet is being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is the God of Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure.

Look at the world and ponder a while upon it. It unveileth the book of its own self before thine eyes and revealeth that which the Pen of thy Lord, the Fashioner, the All-Informed, hath inscribed therein. It will acquaint thee with that which is within it and upon it and will give thee such clear explanations as to make thee independent of every eloquent expounder.

Say: Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world. It is a dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of being, no one should question this assertion. It is endowed with a power whose reality men of learning fail to grasp. Indeed a man of insight can perceive naught therein save the effulgent splendour of Our Name, the Creator. Say: This is an existence which knoweth no decay, and Nature itself is lost in bewilderment before its revelations, its compelling evidences and its effulgent glory which have encompassed the universe. …”

Tablets of Baha’u'llah, pp. 140-142

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[1] Many think of this Spirit as The Goddess or “Source”. However, since this Source Itself has a Source, It is not the Supreme Being. Therefore – as there is only one God (Who is not physcial and thus neither male nor female) – we don’t refer to the Gaia Spirit as god or goddess.

 

[2] “Will is that active force which controls these relationships and these incidents.” (Selections from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Baha, p. 198)

 

[3] Another translation reads: “The worlds were formed through the force emanating from the re-action of the active and passive principles; although the worlds are always the same, nevertheless they change constantly. Thus doth this Instructor, Who is greater than this great structure, inform thee.”

 

[4] All of which is included herein under the term “electro-magnetism”. By this term is intended a force more comprehensive than that commonly understood by 20^th century physics.

 

[5] The most basic degree of life is that of prokaryote bacteria (and archaea). The botanical level continues from prokaryote (no nucleus for the genetic material) to eukaryote (having a nucleus).

 

[6] This is because the form of things is intrinsically influenced by the reality underlying them.

 

[7] At the most rudimentary level animals do not have much use for their brain, for instance, the (tunicate) sea squirt’s cerebral ganglion “brain” is only used to control movement and once it affixes itself to a rock, having no further need for its “brain” it digests it!

 

[8] At present we know of only one species that has definitely reached this stage but there may be capacity among other primates or among cetaceans.

 

[9] Which can evolve in spiritual capacity.

I have some concerns regarding Dr. Moojan Momen’s recent article Marginality and Apostasy in the Baha’i Community which was published in the journal Religion.

 

Much of it has already been answered in various Baha’i chat groups and blogs, some of which are authored by those whom Dr. Momen listed by name as Apostate.

To me the most obvious concern has to do with simple academic accuracy.

 

According to his own standards Dr. Momen’s list of apostates is clearly inaccurate. On his own website Momen defines apostates as those who maliciously attack the Baha’i Faith and yet many of those whom he lists as apostate have never attacked the Baha’i Faith but have merely expressed disagreement with how the Baha’i Faith is managed by its administrators.

 

That said, there is no need to repeat what others have undoubtedly addressed more adequately than I can. However, I have two further concerns with Dr. Momen’s public listing of apostates which I feel are worthy of mention, and to which others may not have responded.

 

The first has to do with this issue of claiming that persons have attacked the Faith when they merely criticized the administration, for this in itself reveals a long-standing confusion in regard to the Baha’i Administration and the Baha’i Faith, in which the two are no longer consciously differentiated from one another. Concerning this confusion, Shoghi Effendi warned:

 

I need not dwell upon what I have already reiterated and emphasized that the administration of the Cause is to be conceived as an instrument and not a substitute for the Faith of Baha’u’llah, that it should be regarded as a channel through which His promised blessings may flow, that it should guard against such rigidity as would clog and fetter the liberating forces released by His Revelation. (World Order of Baha’u’llah, p. 9)

 

It seems to me that many of those whom Dr. Momen labels apostate have, apparently out of sincere concern for the Baha’i Faith, protested the rigidity of the administration which Shoghi Effendi himself warned of in this quotation.

Over the course of the last 50 years, under the influence of an administration which has indeed become a substitute for the Faith of Baha’u’llah, this rigidity has only increased, and thus that administration has moved farther and farther away from the Baha’i Spirit.

 

The lack of Spirit, alone, should make it easy for the average Baha’i to comprehend that something is gravely wrong, however, the confusion has also increased, and to such an extent that many Baha’is, having been indoctrinated into this confusion, find it hard to consider themselves as being Baha’i at all once they have quit the administration. This is an indication that the oppression has become internalized.

 

Under such conditions in which the administration has clearly subjected its membership to false indoctrination and in which the administration is not in accord with the Baha’i Spirit described by Shoghi Effendi, how then can these apostates be considered any more apostate than the administration in Haifa itself?

 

The second concern gets to the root of these types of controversies:

 

On Dr. Momen’s website we find that he has previously written an article on the Covenant. Of particular interest in regards to the current controversy is section G – Covenant-breaker, Covenant-breaking subdivision 4 – A classification of types of Covenant-Breaking for therein he lists Apostates as one of the categories of Covenant-breakers.

 

Thus, according to Dr. Momen, apostates are Covenant-breakers. This alone should be sufficient cause for concern, for after labeling them publicly as apostates it is a further injustice to have formerly associated this term with the more lethal accusation of Covenant-breaker.

 

However, all of this takes place in the context of a still deeper injustice that has been perpetrated for the past fifty years, which has been that of both an unfairly indiscriminate indulgence in the use of this label and its combination with an over-zealous enforcement.

 

I am not a professional academic and do not have the inclination to make a formal study. However, I realize that at least some preliminary substantiation must be offered and for this I need only cite Momen’s own description of how the problem was treated by both Baha’u’llah and `Abdu’l-Baha as contrasted with the more recent state of affairs.

 

Many of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings contain passages instructing the Bahá’ís to avoid contacts with the Covenant-breakers (see passages quoted by `Abdu’l-Bahá in SoW 13:19-25). Despite this, Bahá’u’lláh seems to have made little effort to enforce such a teaching. During the whole of Bahá’u’lláh’s ministry, there appear to have been extensive contacts between Bahá’ís and Azalís. In the first few years after Bahá’u’lláh put forward his claims, there was a series of open discussions between the two groups in various towns, each attempting to win the other over. Such meetings are known to have occurred in Baghdad, Tabriz, Qazvin, Shiraz, and Isfahan at least. There is some evidence that meetings were held and letters passed backwards and forwards between the two groups until a comparatively late date. It was `Abdu’l-Bahá who moved the question of the Covenant to the forefront of the attention of the Bahá’ís and introduced the concept of Covenant-breaking. He expressed very strongly his wish that the Bahá’ís should break all contacts with the Covenant-breakers and sent envoys to try to encourage the Bahá’ís to do this. He rarely, however, imposed any sanctions upon those who maintained links. Dr. Moojan Momen (from an article on the Baha’i Covenant)

 

In contrast to this the situation for the last fifty years has been that once an individual or group has been labeled with the term Covenant-Breaker the other Baha’is are forbidden to associate with them or to even consider the ideas which have also been so labeled for fear of also being categorized as such.

 

This contrast is even greater once one realizes that whereas in the past those considered as Covenant-breakers were persons who had viciously opposed Baha’u’llah and `Abdu’l-Baha to the point of attempts at physical harm.

 

Dissimilarly, most of the modern so-called Covenant-breaking groups, were not labeled as such for opposing the Head of the Faith, but rather were barred from association  merely for dissent with the administrational adjuncts known as the Hands of the Cause. (Because this occurred after Shoghi Effendi’s passing but before 1963, it is a bit of a stretch to accuse them of opposing either Shoghi Effendi or the elected body known by Haifan Baha’is as the UHJ.)

 

Dr. Momen goes on to state in his summary that:

 

Since the eventual aim of the Bahá’í Faith is to unite the world, it is clear that this could not be achieved if the Bahá’í Faith itself were divided. One of the most striking of the claims made by the Bahá’í Faith is that the religion is divinely protected from schism (PUP 455-6, WOB 145).

 

It is a well established fact that the Baha’is have become divided, but what Dr. Momen, and indeed the entire administration, neglects to emphasize here is that the Baha’is were promised to be protected from schism only if they adhered to the Covenant, yet all the various Baha’i groups accuse each other of Covenant-Breaking.

 

Whether or not any of them have adhered to the Covenant has now legitimately come into question not only because of the current situation but because of its intrinsic root in the circumstances which arose as a result of Shoghi Effendi’s passing. (At that time even the Hands seemed to be at a loss to find any direct guidance in the provisions of the Covenant regarding their circumstance and so, apparently – they thought it best to improvise a solution.)

 

Dr. Momen continues,

 

Clearly this statement does not mean that it is impossible to set up a group that rejects the authority of the head of the religion since that has happened on numerous occasions. What it appears to mean is that, although it is possible for some to set up an independent group and to call themselves Bahá’ís, that group is like a branch that has been cut off from a tree, Although it may appear alive and verdant, eventually, because it is cut off from its source of life, it will wither and die.

 

It is interesting to note that it would seem the Haifan branch is the one that has been withering – drolly termed by some as exit by troops. It is likewise a remarkable fact that even after the passage of fifty years, several branches of Baha’i which came into existence after Shoghi Effendi’s day have not withered and died as expected. (This observation should not be taken as support for any of these other Baha’i sects on my part. I am not a member of any of them nor do I endorse them.)

 

One of the most clear evidences for this is the fact that the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has recently taken some of these Baha’i organizations to court in an attempt to legally sever their identity from the word Baha’i. Surely the perceived need for this would not exist unless these groups were considered a serious threat?

 

The fact of the continued existence of these other sects beyond the lifetimes of the original generation could possibly contest whether they were truly cut off branches to begin with. This relates to an argument put forth in recent years by many others who weren’t members of these organizations, but rather, have left the Haifan branch: that the label of Covenant-breaking has been illegitimately used as a method of silencing legitimate dissent.

 

If the Haifan branch is itself apostate and the so-called Covenant-breaking sects not necessarily so very much so – wouldn’t this seriously call into question the primary legitimacy assumed by the former?

 

I do not expect that getting into detailed evidences within this essay would be useful for it is already somewhat beyond its scope, and with a little effort the analysis of others can be found on the internet by those interested.

 

Reflecting back on the first concern raised earlier: It would appear that through the ordinary course of events organization gradually becomes a substitute for Spirit. Conceivably, this occurs as a reaction to entropy. We see it in the rise of bureaucracy in Nation-states. We see it in the history of all the religions. Thus, without some intervening force, the recent decades of decline in Baha’i affairs were probably inevitable. Shoghi Effendi’s warning was not sufficient to restrain this process, the scales tipped at some point and now the substitution of an Administration in place of the Baha’i Faith has continued to such an extent that the liberating forces released by His Revelation have been increasingly fettered and it seems the spirit has fled. (Perhaps this is why Seals and Crofts were inspired to sing so imploringly hummingbird don’t fly away.) According to the testimony of those who’ve left the Baha’i organization it has ceased to be a source of liberation and instead has crossed some line, passing over into spiritual captivity and oppression.

 

I believe these conditions were prophesied by Baha’u’llah Himself:

 

What ‘oppression’ is greater than that which hath been recounted? What ‘oppression’ is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it? For opinions have sorely differed, and the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied. This ‘oppression’ is the essential feature of every Revelation. Unless it cometh to pass, the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest. For the break of the morn of divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error. … By it is meant that when the Day-star of Truth hath set, and the mirrors that reflect His light have departed, mankind will become afflicted with ‘oppression’ and hardship, knowing not whither to turn for guidance. (Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 31-32)

 

If He was describing the recent history of Baha’i wouldn’t this indicate that the last five decades were a necessary phase through which the Baha’i world had to pass? Could it then be that this dark passage was in preparation for a freshly astonishing reality? (Isn’t it written somewhere that the wisdom of every command must be tested.)

 

In closing, I must admit of the observation that all the various Baha’i sects (and indeed all the religions) have engaged in name-calling of one sort or another and I think it constructive to reflect upon `Abdu’l-Baha’s admonition in regard to a similar matter,

 

O ye believers of God! The text of the divine Book is this: If two souls quarrel and contend about a question of the divine questions, differing and disputing, both are wrong. (Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 56)

 

I know that many of us are hoping that, along with the rest of the Baha’is (and those of the other religions as well) we will all find it within ourselves to make a more sincere effort to just get it together and try to love one another in order that eventually these ruinous strifes will pass away.