(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Madaniyyih (The Secret of Divine Civilization), 1875, to The People of Iran -- AB00004)
Religion and government: responsibilities and horizons
church and state in the future
Editorial introduction
God looks upon the hearts of His servants, Bahá’u’lláh writes, and everything else, land and sea, ornament and colour, He has left to kings and rulers. That division of attention sets the terms for thinking about religion and government. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá calls religion the spirit of life and government the power of salvation, a sun and a vernal cloud that need each other, and in the same breath insists that religion belongs to the realm of spirit while politics belongs to the body, so that religious leaders should train souls and stay out of affairs of state. Bahá’ís are to obey the constitutions and laws of their countries, to stand apart from partisan politics, and never to seek the powers of government; whatever a future society might choose by constitutional means is left to that future. The sources differ in kind, a provisional translation, a pilgrim’s note, a composite of citations, and none of them is a blueprint. Jesus, shown a coin and asked about tribute, distinguished what is owed to Caesar from what is owed to God [1], a question that still has no complete constitutional answer. The subject leads on to the two kinds of civilisation, material and spiritual, to religion understood as reality, and to the means by which a future civilisation is to be built.
Selected passages
God, exalted be His glory, hath ever gazed and continueth to gaze upon the hearts of His servants. All else - whether of land or sea, ornaments or colors - He hath relinquished to kings, sovereigns and rulers, for the banner of "He doeth what He willeth" hath ever shone resplendent before His Manifestation. That which is necessary today is obedience to government and adherence to wisdom. In truth, the reins of preservation, tranquility and assurance outwardly lie within the grasp of governmental authority.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307-04-05 [1889-Nov-29], to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl Gulpaygani -- BH01333)
To return to our theme: Religion is as the spirit of life, and government as the power of salvation. Religion is as the shining sun, and government as the vernal cloud. These two brilliant stars, like the twin stars of heaven, cast their radiance upon the peoples of the world. One illumines the realm of the soul, while the other transforms the expanse of earth into a garden.
… The meaning is that these two mighty signs are like milk and honey, two celestial figures, each the helper and supporter of the other. Thus, to demean one is to betray the other, and to be negligent in obeying one is to rebel against the other.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Siyasiyyih (The Art of Divine Polity - Treatise on Politics), 1892 ca. -- AB00011)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Address to the Baha'is at 780 West End (Kinney home) in New York, 1912-Dec-02 -- ABU0130)
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
Let them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws, and apply the principles, enunciated by Baha'u'llah, they will, unhesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments. Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country's constitution, much less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries.
WOB.065-66
As for the statement made by Shoghi Effendi in his letter of 21 Mar. 1932, the well-established principles of the Faith concerning the relationship of the Baha'i institutions to those of the country in which the Baha'is reside make it unthinkable that they would ever purpose to violate a country's constitution or so to meddle in its political machinery as to attempt to take over the powers of government. This is an integral element of the Baha'i principle of abstention from involvement in politics. However, this does not by any means imply that the country itself may not, by constitutional means, decide to adopt Baha'i laws and practices and modify its constitution or method of government accordingly.
M86-01 201.7 (27 Apr. 1995 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice)
"I would warn them [the Bahais] to be on their guard lest the impression be given to the outside world that the Baha'is are political in their aims and pursuits or interfere in matters that pertain to the political activities of their respective governments. ..."
(13 Nov. 1931 to an individual believer, cited in The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 420)
Religion has no jurisdiction or involvement in political matters, for religion is related to spirits and to ecstasy, while politics relates to the body. Therefore the leaders of religions should not be involved in political matters, but should busy themselves with rectifying the morals of the community. ... They teach the [religious] sciences, but they have no involvement with political matters, for all time. Baha'u'llah has commanded this. In the Gospels it is said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." … (Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveler's Narrative, 86-88) "The ninth [teaching of Baha'u'llah]: religion is separated from politics: religion does not enter into political matters, in fact, it is linked with the hearts, not with the world of bodies. The leaders of religion should devote themselves to teaching and training the souls and propagating good morals, and they should not enter into political matters."
(Shoghi Effendi, Summary Statement - 1947, to the Special UN Committee on Palestine)
Regarding the question raised in your letter, Shoghi Effendi believes that for the present the Movement, whether in the East or the West, should be dissociated entirely from politics. This was the explicit injunction of 'Abdu'l-Baha... Eventually, however, as you have rightly conceived it, the Movement will, as soon as it is fully developed and recognized, embrace both religious and political issues. In fact Baha'u'llah clearly states that affairs of state as well as religious questions are to be referred to the House of Justice into which the Assemblies of the Baha'is will eventually evolve.
(30 Nov. 1930 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted here)
The Baha'is will be called upon to assume the reins of government when they will come to constitute the majority of the population in a given country, and even then their participation in political affairs is bound to be limited in scope unless they obtain a similar majority in some other countries as well.
(19 Nov. 1939 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated 27 Apr. 1995 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, quoted here)
The Baha'is must remain non-partisan in all political affairs. In the distant future, however, when the majority of a country have become Baha'is then it will lead to the establishment of a Baha'i State.
(19 Apr. 1941 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated 27 Apr. 1995 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, quoted here)
Question: The Baha'i system is a political institution? Answer: Yes but we do not stress this at present.
(Pilgrim notes of Emeric Sala, Dec. 1937)
Such a stage of maturity in the process of human government must, for all time, if we would faithfully recognize the tremendous claim advanced by Baha'u'llah, remain identified with the Revelation of which He was the Bearer.
WOB.164
Continue exploring
For thought and discussion
Questions to carry forward
- What distinctions do these readings make between spiritual influence, religious administration, and civil government?
- How do constitutional obedience and non-partisanship shape the way statements about future government should be read?
- What questions remain open when passages from different dates and forms of testimony are placed together?
- How might a community contribute to public life while attending carefully to the limits of its authority?