An inner circle promises a deeper belonging, and the promise is the problem. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá warned that even a secret gathering founded by sincere souls would in time become a pretext for personal interests and a breach in the Cause, creating an outward and an inward religion as had happened in Islam. There is no secret doctrine, no select circle of initiates, in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The whole Revelation is open to every believer, who is urged to drink from it freely, and that is where spiritual depth lies. The same openness governs affiliation: the Guardian asked Bahá’ís to withdraw from Masonic and similar societies so as to serve as a united body with undivided allegiance, while acknowledging that such orders have held high ideals. Questioned about His teaching, Jesus pointed to the places where He had spoken openly and to the people who heard Him [1]. Openness still leaves room for legitimate privacy; what it asks is whether access and trust are shared fairly. From here the road leads to pride and vanity, and to the claim of inner knowledge that an inner circle so often conceals.
In the Cause of God there must not be any secret gathering. Even if today some pure and sincere souls establish such a gathering, in the future it will become a means of creating breaches in the Cause of God and will become a pretext for promoting personal interests.
Like in Islam, they will create an outward and inward aspect, and will claim there are outer and inner meanings, and through such pretexts will cause division and discord among the Baha'is.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at Baltimore Hotel in Paris, 1913-May-13 -- ABU2842)
02
Yet after this manner, they have an agenda in Tehran and have formed a meeting to keep secrets, with each member forming their own secret meeting, continuing in succession. This will cause the government to suspect they have established a secret government, leading to great corruption.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Oct-13, to Ghulam Ali Davachi -- AB00731)
03
O friends! I have heard that secret societies are being organized in Tehran and some clandestine meetings are being formed. Beware! Beware! The friends must not join these societies, must not interfere, must not become confidants, and must not associate with them, for such matters are contrary to the divine way and completely opposed to the disposition of this Prisoner.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1907-Jul-11 ca., to Baha'is of Tihran -- AB02279)
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04
The message of Baha'u'llah is for all human beings and none of it is for a select circle of initiates. On the other hand, if one is thinking of spiritual truth, the whole Revelation is replete with it and every believer is encouraged, indeed urged, to drink his fill of that water of life.
(8 Feb. 1988 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice)
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05
In this Cause of God there is no secret doctrine or secret society or club or gathering. I want you to be impressed with the importance of this fact that there is no secret doctrine in this Cause at all.
(Reported utterance of Abdu'l-Baha, ABU2842, Diary of Ahmad Sohrab 1913-05-13)
The point is not that there is something intrinsically wrong with Masonry, which no doubt has many very high ideals and principles, and has had a very good influence in the past. The reasons why the Guardian feels that it is imperative for the Baha'is to be dissociated from masonry at this time, and I might add, other secret associations, is that we are the building blocks of Baha'u'llah's New World Order... the Baha'is should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings.
LG#1389 (12 Feb. 1956 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
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07
...all the Baha'is everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies in order to be entirely free to serve the Faith of Baha'u'llah as a united Body. Such groups as Masonry, however high the local standard may be, are in other countries gradually being influenced by the issues sundering the nations at present.
LG#1388 (17 Feb. 1956 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
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08
The following two principles should help to guide your Assembly in dealing with the problems of Baha'i membership in Masonic, Theosophical, Rosicrucian, and similar societies: (1) Formal affiliation with and acceptance of membership in organizations whose programs or policies are not wholly reconcilable with the Teachings is not permissible to the friends. (2) The friends should not become members of secret societies.
LG#192 (26 Dec. 1963 from the Universal House of Justice)
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09
...Generally speaking the friends should not enter secret societies. It is certainly much better for the believers to dissociate themselves from such organizations...
LG#1391 (2 Mar. 1951 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
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