‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Architect of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh REPLAY
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Shoghi Effendi is sometimes alluded to as the architect of the Bahá’í administrative order, and most certainly he is worthy of this appellation. Yet, from another perspective he was carrying out the necessary steps to implement the Bahá’í administration as it had been shaped and refined by his beloved grandfather, In this presentation I will briefly explain why, among his other roles and responsibilities, and accomplishments, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is designated as the Center of the Covenant.
Contributors
John S. Hatcher
John S. Hatcher received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Vanderbilt University and his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. He is Professor Emeritus in English literature at the University of South Florida in Tampa where he served as Director of Graduate Studies in English and where he specialized in teaching medieval literature and creative writing. Professor Hatcher taught English literature at the university level for 43 years, 39 of which were at the University of South Florida. He has published some thirty books, plus numerous articles, chapters, and poems. He is currently the editor of the Journal of Bahá’í Studies.
A marvelous presentation! With deep appreciation and thanks!
Thanks for a wonderful review and presentation 🌹
Thank you!! Extremly interesting!!
Did you know that a CROSS using mathematics gives 1233 AH the year of Baha'u'llah's birth year, November (11th month) and day 12th...as well as sun rise where Baha'u'llah 6:32 am was born! Which =632AD was the year Muhammad died. Draw a CROSS number each point. Top, middle, bottom, the left, middle, right. 1,2,3 vertical. 1,2,3, horizonally. Circle the top 1 as GOD then outline all the remaining numbers below it with a 7. Inside the seven is 1233 the year of Baha'u'llah's birth. The sums in each direction is 6 and 6. The numerical value of Baha'u'llah is 66. The Bible also has 66 Books and took 7 years to complete. 1844 A D is 233 years after the Holy Bible was finished a Fibinacci number.
What?
But John Hatcher described only the religious part of the World Order of Baha'u'llah, and even doing that he left out the spirituality that sustains it, for example that despotism and autocracy have been thrown into fire and consultation and democracy is the only acceptable way of governance. He also left out the institution of the House of Worship which is fundamental to social action to all citizens, not just Baha'is. He also left out the divine economy which pattern is in construction by the Baha'i communities around the world.
Also Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi gave instructions until the very beginning of the world civilization, which is after the Golden Age, and until that far future, Shoghi Effendi visualize three arms of the future world super-state, which is a secular state: the World Legislative, the World Tribunal, and the World Executive (backed by an International Force).
Baha'u'llah wrote in the Lawh-i-Dunya (written after the Aqdas) that church and state should exist and work together, each in its own sphere:
"According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice".
There are dozens and dozens of anti-theocratic quotes. Happily the theocratic thinking will vanish after the publication of the official translation of the Treatise on Governance of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, expected next year (2022).
It is crazy to defend theocracy when all the Heads of the Faith criticized the horrendous theocracy of Iran when church and state joined forces to massacre the Bábís and Baha'is in the Apostolic Age and even today in Iran; and in despite to that thinking: are we going to do the same? If you read the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, the whole book is about the imperative necessity of separation between church and state. Both the Wolf and his Son were part of the clergy and also have some civil authority, Baha'u'llah quoting Jesus's "Caesar's to Caesar's" and Apostle Paul should be enough to realize. Also Baha'u'llah saying to the Pope and no other ruler: "abandon thy kingdom unto the kings" should also be enough to realize.
The Baha'i state is simply a secular state in which the majority of the country's population is Baha'i and the majority of the political posts are occupied also by Baha'is, but these officials (from the king or ruler, to the members of Parliament, to the least weighty post) act in a secular democratic fashion in their capacity as officials. The Houses of Justice don't tell them what to do, that will be horrendous and against all Baha'i fundamental principles, and actually directly against what every Head of the Faith has stated.
Also, the Universal House of Justice is highly respected but it does not define doctrine or interpret the writings, it also does not make rulings about acts of worship. Baha'u'llah wrote (translation of Shoghi Effendi and published):
"It is incumbent upon all (Hezbollah or people of God, meaning Baha'is) to be obedient unto them. Administrative affairs should be referred to the House of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according as they are revealed by God in His Book". The principle of separation and yet harmony and organic unity between church and state was explained by the Central Figures and Shoghi Effendi. Similar to that principle and pair of power in society are these themes in pairs or twins:
Church and State
Religion and Science
Divine civilization and Material Civilization
House of Justice and House of Worship
Guardianship and Universal House of Justice
The learned and the rulers of Bahá
The public and the private spheres
Material economy and Divine economy
The appointed and the elected
Etc.
The talk does seem to go a bit pear shaped at 45 minutes Hassan, but he says he was rushed.
Up to 45 minutes he's talking about Abdu'l-Baha's contributions to the Administrative Order and the Bahai community life, and my thought was that the video title had been added by an editor and was a mistake. "Abdu'l-Baha, Architect of the Bahai Administrative Order" would cover the topics nicely.
Then at 45:36 he throws in " you will have a convergence of the secular and the sacred" , lightening out of a clear sky, followed by a quote that does not say anything of the kind.
A list of Abdu'l-Baha's contributions to the secular (temporal) order would be another video: his Tablet to the Hague for example explaining the electoral method for a supreme tribunal of the nations is just as interesting as his Will and Testament setting out the electoral method for the Universal House of Justice. But that would all be far too much to put into one hour.
@@senmcglinn It is a short presentation, but I would mention all the aspects of the World Order of Baha'u'llah at least mention it in a graphic. Then proceed to explain only one aspect. Otherwise people think the World Order of Baha'u'llah is just the Baha'i Administrative Order.