>
> That's fine. But the only thing I'm interested is to find out if there is
> something from the World Centre. That's what I like to share with my
> friends who left the Faith because of this issue.
>
Ahang,
This isn't from the World Center, but here are a couple of comments and
quotes from the writings I compiled a while back to provide for someone else
who raised this question. There might be something here you could share
with your friends. The other thing that comes to mind is the preference in
the education of girls.
Patti
******
The role of women in Baha'i Faith:
Yes, women do not serve on the Universal House of Justice (they do vote for
it's members), but as 'Abdu'l-Baha writes (more of the quote is included
below)--"There is Divine wisdom in this which will presently be made
manifest even as the mid-day sun." [All in all, I'll take that on faith for
now. If I had to guess at the "Divine wisdom"--I think perhaps it might be
to keep the balance from shifting too far in this Day to the feminine
qualities of civilization as a reaction to the endless wars and tribulations
we've seen over the last millennia when males were dominant.]
A couple of other points (the quotes below include additional details and
references):
1. In this Day, the "Most Great Spirit" appeared as a female. [" . . ."Most
Great Spirit," as designated by Himself, and symbolized in the Zoroastrian,
the Mosaic, the Christian, and Muhammadan Dispensations by the Sacred Fire,
the Burning Bush, the Dove and the Angel Gabriel respectively, Shoghi
Effendi, God Passes By, p. 101] i.e. God is a woman in this Day?
2. Tahirih (a woman) proclaimed the Advent of the Baha'u'llah's Revelation
(sounded the trumpet of, as in Matthew 24:31?), when she appeared without a
veil. I think perhaps there is more significance in this than we generally
realize.
'O maidservant of God! Know thou that in the sight of God, the conduct of
women is the same as that of men .... From the spiritual point of view ...
there is no difference between women and men ....' He added, however: 'As to
the House of Justice: according to the explicit text of the Law of God, its
membership is exclusively reserved to men. There is Divine wisdom in this
which will presently be made manifest even as the mid-day sun.'
('Abdu'l-Baha - From letter of the Universal House of Justice to an
individual believer, May 26, 1971)
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance)
" Ere long the days shall come when the men addressing the women, shall say:
'Blessed are ye! Blessed are ye! Verily ye are worthy of every gift. Verily
ye deserve to adorn your heads with the crown of everlasting glory, because
in sciences and arts, in virtues and perfections ye shall become equal to
men, and as regards tenderness of heart and the abundance of mercy and
sympathy ye are superior'."
('Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, 1961 U.K. edition, pp. 182-184)
"In His Suratu'l-Haykal (the Surih of the Temple) He [Baha'u'llah] thus
describes those breathless moments when the Maiden, symbolizing the "Most
Great Spirit" proclaimed His mission to the entire creation: "While engulfed
in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above
My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden -- the embodiment of the
remembrance of the name of My Lord -- suspended in the air before Me. So
rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the
ornament of the good-pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the
brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a
call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both
My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of
God's honored servants. Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed
all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying: 'By God! This is the
Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of
God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but
understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God
and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of
creation, if ye be of them that perceive.'"
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 101 )
"Tahirih, with her face unveiled, stepped from her garden, advancing to the
pavilion of Baha'u'llah; and as she came, she shouted aloud these words:
"The Trumpet is sounding! The great Trump is blown! The universal Advent is
now proclaimed!"[1] "
[1 Cf. Qur'an 74:8 and 6:73. Also Isaiah 27:13 and Zechariah 9:14.]
(Abdu'l-Baha, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 202)
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