> I'm understanding that Baha'is would 
> have to kill themselves if required by government.  Of course, I'm sure such
> a law will never be passed, but if it were, what should Baha'is do?


Response #1.  David, you must realize that your questions like this drive
people nuts. :=)   You have just taken the cake.

Response #2:  Instead of thinking up a scenario and asking a question of
the audience, learn to answer your own questions. Not just with
ratiocination, but with prayer and reflection.  You'll never find peace
unless you learn the process of gaining satisfying answers to your own
deepest questions.

Response #3:  We are to obey the government unless doing so is a violation
of a fundamental tenet of our faith.  So whether the government ordered us
to kill our next door neighbors, or to kill ourselves, it would be either
murder or self-murder, and a violation of a fundamental law of God. 
Likewise if the government ordered us to commit adultery, or any other
hypothetical.

Response #4: In Iran twenty-some years ago the Shah ordered that all adult
Iranians join his political party. The House instructed the NSA of Iran
to, in a dignified way, assure the Shah that the Baha'is are loyal to
government and would continue to be law-abiding citizens, but that joining
political parties is a violation of the Baha'i teachings, so they would
not join.  This was not a matter of a tacit recantation, it was not
tantamount to denying their belief, but it would have been a violation of
a fundamental tenet of the Faith.

Brent

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