Defense of Faith

Jul 5th, 2008 by admin

Here is what I have learned so far, after reviewing various Baha’i references, regarding defending the Faith against those who wish it harm through misrepresentating it on the Internet.

Whereas we should “not view with too critical an eye” diverse opinions, we are called upon to defend the Faith against deliberate attacks.
In our defense we should speak to the Baha’i teachings related to the issue around which the misrepresentation has occurred, presenting them “cogently and courteously, but firmly.”
When responding there is no need to draw attention to the person doing the misrepresenting.
Personalization, such as speaking of the attacker’s character, just leads to “acrimonious debate” which is not only unproductive, but is contrary to the spirit of the Faith.
The best response to misrepresentation is simply to provide the authoritative Baha’i views on the topic.
Attacks can come not just from outside the Faith but from within as well.
Whatever defense we provide should be restrained and unprovocative.
We should take even the deliberate attacks on the Faith “as the caprice of children.”
Just what the response should be is up to the individual Baha’i to determine given the general guidelines.
There are certain topics frequently brought up by attackers for which there will be no clarification until some point in the future, so we need not waste our time trying to elucidate on them ourselves.
We should get used to opposition, because it is here to stay.
We should “view as a blessing in disguise every storm of mischief,” because good will inevitably come of it in the long run.

Photo: “Misrepresentation,” uploaded on January 31, 2007 by Anyhoo on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

Tags: apologetics, Baha'i, blessing in disguise, defense, misrepresentation, opposition, personal learnings, the caprice of children

Posted in Baha'i Faith

3 Responses to “On Defending the Baha’i Faith Against Those Who Purposely Misrepresent It: My learnings so far”

on 06 Jul 2008 at 9:21 am1Gerald

George, what a wonderful post. This will be a great resource for me to use to check my behaviour against. Would you be willing to send me a list via email of some of the sources you used, I would like to investigate this myself. Lists like this are amazing and easier for reference, but there is no substitute for the Word.

This is what I love in Bahá’í blogging, posts like this where we share our adventures in the Love of Bahá’u'lláh.

God Bless,
Gerald
on 06 Jul 2008 at 11:48 am2Susan

Hi George,
Nice summation of many of the principles involved in defending the Faith. I would add one more statement to the ones you have cited. In the Advent of Divine Shogh Effendi says the following in regards to the rectitude of conduct which Baha’is should always exhibit:

“It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, in his fair-mindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him.”
(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 26)

warmest, Susan
on 06 Jul 2008 at 5:51 pm3admin

Gerald, I have forwarded by email the sources I’ve drawn on, a few of which I have posted to my sidebar.

Susan, that is an important quote, thank you. I will post that to my sidebar as well.

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Baha'u'llah on defense of the Faith

"It is incumbent upon all men, each according to his ability, to refute the arguments of those that have attacked the Faith of God. ... He that wisheth to promote the Cause of the one true God, let him promote it through his pen and tongue, rather than have recourse to sword or violence. ... By the righteousness of Him Who, in this Day, crieth within the inmost heart of all created things: “God, there is none other God besides Me!” If any man were to arise to defend, in his writings, the Cause of God against its assailants, such a man, however inconsiderable his share, shall be so honored in the world to come that the Concourse on high would envy his glory." -- Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp 329-330.
Shoghi Effendi on attacks

"They will assail not only the spirit which it inculcates, but the administration which is the channel, the instrument, the embodiment of that spirit. For as the authority with which Bahá’u’lláh has invested the future Bahá’í Commonwealth becomes more and more apparent, the fiercer shall be the challenge which from every quarter will be thrown at the verities it enshrines." -- From a letter dated 21 March 1930 to the Baha'is of the West, published in "The World Order of Baha'u'llah: Selected Letters", p. 18
Shoghi Effendi on the obligation to defend

"No opportunity, in view of the necessity of insuring the harmonious development of the Faith, should be ignored, which its potential enemies, whether ecclesiastical or otherwise, may offer, to set forth, in a restrained and unprovocative language, its aims and tenets, to defend its interests, to proclaim its universality, to assert the supernatural, the supra-national and non-political character of its institutions...." -- From a letter dated 5 June 1947 to the Baha'is of the West, published in "Citadel of Faith: Messages to America 1947-1957, p. 23
'Abdu'l-Baha on the spirit of Baha'i responses

"You must withstand them with the utmost love and kindness; consider their oppression and persecution as the caprice of children, and do not give them any importance to whatever they do. For at the end the illumination of the Kingdom will overwhelm the darkenss of the world."
Shoghi Effendi on opposition

"Viewed in the light of past experience, the inevitable result of such futile attempts, however persistent and malicious they may be, is to contribute to a wider and deeper recognition by believers and unbelievers alike of the distinguishing features of the Faith proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. These challenging criticisms, whether or not dictated by malice, cannot but serve to galvanize the souls of its ardent supporters, and to consolidate the ranks of its faithful promoters. They will purge the Faith from those pernicious elements whose continued association with the believers tends to discredit the fair name of the Cause, and to tarnish the purity of its spirit. We should welcome, therefore, not only the open attacks which its avowed enemies persistently launch against it, but should also view as a blessing in disguise every storm of mischief with which they who apostatize their faith or claim to be its faithful exponents assail it from time to time. Instead of undermining the Faith, such assaults, both from within and from without, reinforce its foundations, and excite the intensity of its flame." -- From a letter dated 21 March 1930 to the Baha'is of the West, published in "TheWorld Order of Baha'u'llah: Selected Letters", p. 15.
Shoghi Effendi on fairmindedness

“It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, in his fair-mindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him.” -- Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 26
The Covenant of Baha'u'llah

How the Covenant in the Baha’i Faith creates and maintains a unified religious community. Link: http://covenantstudy.org/ The quotes below are drawn from this website.
On criticism

"…you had asked whether the believers have the right to openly express their criticism of any Assembly action or policy: it is not only the right, but the vital responsibility of every loyal and intelligent member of the Community to offer fully and frankly, but with due respect and consideration to the authority of the Assembly, any suggestion, recommendation or criticism he conscientiously feels he should in order to improve and remedy certain existing conditions or trends in his local Community, and it is the duty of the Assembly also to give careful consideration to any such views submitted to them by any one of the believers. The best occasion chosen for this purpose is the Nineteen Day Feast, which, besides its social and spiritual aspects, fulfils various administrative needs and requirements of the Community, chief among them being the need for open and constructive criticism and deliberation regarding the state of affairs within the local Bahá’í Community. But again it should be stressed that all criticisms and discussions of a negative character which may result in undermining the authority of the Assembly as a body should be strictly avoided. For otherwise the order of the Cause itself will be endangered, and confusion and discord will reign in the Community." From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, December 13, 1939 http://covenantstudy.org/rights-responsibilities/compilation-on-criticism/
On viscious criticism

Vicious criticism is indeed a calamity. But its root is lack of faith in the system of Bahá’u'lláh (i.e. the administrative order) and lack of obedience to Him - for He has forbidden it. If the Bahá’ís would follow the Bahá’í laws in voting, in electing, in serving, and in abiding by assembly decisions, all this waste of strength through criticizing others could be diverted into cooperation and achieving the Plan. -- From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, December 18, 1949
On firmness in the Covenant

"Today the most important principle of faith is firmness in the Covenant, because firmness in the Covenant wards off differences. Therefore, you must be firm as mountains." -- Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 381
On the conclusions of the House of Justice

"...from the conclusions and endorsements of the body of the House of Justice whose members are elected by and known to the worldwide Bahá’í community, no differences will arise; whereas the conclusions of individual divines and scholars would definitely lead to differences, and result in schism, division, and dispersion. The oneness of the Word would be destroyed, the unity of the Faith would disappear, and the edifice of the Faith of God would be shaken." -- Abdu’l-Baha - cited in Messages of The Universal House of Justice, 1963 to 1986, p. 85
On depth of faith

"Man often lacks the understanding to fathom the wisdom of some of the ordinances which are not to his liking. It therefore becomes a matter of demonstration of the depth of his faith when he is faced with a divine command the wisdom and rationale of which he cannot at that time understand." Letter from the Universal House of Justice, dated March 3, 1987, Fire & Gold, p. 195
On different understandings

"It is not surprising that individual Bahá’ís hold and express different and sometimes defective understandings of the Teachings; this is but an evidence of the magnitude of the change that this Revelation is to effect in human consciousness. As believers with various insights into the Teachings converse — with patience, tolerance and open and unbiased minds — a deepening of comprehension should take place. The strident insistence on individual views, however, can lead to contention, which is detrimental not only to the spirit of Bahá’í association and collaboration but to the search for truth itself." The Universal House of Justice, 1998 Feb 08, Materialistic Elements in Academic Scholarship

On Defending the Baha’i Faith Against Those Who Purposely Misrepresent It: My learnings so far

3 Responses to “On Defending the Baha’i Faith Against Those Who Purposely Misrepresent It: My learnings so far”

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Baha'u'llah on defense of the Faith

Shoghi Effendi on attacks

Shoghi Effendi on the obligation to defend

'Abdu'l-Baha on the spirit of Baha'i responses

Shoghi Effendi on opposition

Shoghi Effendi on fairmindedness

The Covenant of Baha'u'llah

On criticism

On viscious criticism

On firmness in the Covenant

On the conclusions of the House of Justice

On depth of faith

On different understandings