Part 1 in a series of a case for Vitriol by Mark Passio in the Bahai Writings
There was a lot of extreme emphasis on refraining from backbiting or talking shit behind people's back as the worst sin in bahai writings or as some idiots in religions might think "if you can't say anything nice about someone don't say anything at all"
bahai writings vicious criticism
Note the Gemstone Reference similarities
CXXII:
Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a
proper education hath, however, deprived him of that
which he doth inherently possess. Through a word
260
proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called
into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize
the Source of his education; by yet another
word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The
Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in
gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone,
cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind
to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate
on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the
heaven of God’s holy Will, have revealed, he would
readily recognize that their purpose is that all men
shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing
the words “The Kingdom shall be God’s” may be
stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine
bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind.
The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath
wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind
profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity
harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance
voiceth continually this call: “All things have I willed
for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake.” If the
learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to
allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship
and love, every understanding heart would apprehend
the meaning of true liberty, and discover the
secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure.
Were the earth to attain this station and be illumined
with its light it could then be truly said of it: “Thou
shall see in it no hollows or rising hills.”
Bitter Vitriolic Speech by Shoghi Effendi
4
He Who communicated the original impulse to so incalculable a Movement was none other than the promised Qá'im (He who ariseth), the Sáhibu'z-Zamán (the Lord of the Age), Who assumed the exclusive right of annulling the whole Qur'ánic Dispensation, Who styled Himself "the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things ... the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade." The people among whom He appeared were the most decadent race in the civilized world, grossly ignorant, savage, cruel, steeped in prejudice, servile in their submission to an almost deified hierarchy, recalling in their abjectness the Israelites of Egypt in the days of Moses, in their fanaticism the Jews in the days of Jesus, and in their perversity the idolators of Arabia in the days of Muhammad. The arch-enemy who repudiated His claim, challenged His authority, persecuted His Cause, succeeded in almost quenching His light, and who eventually became disintegrated under the impact of His Revelation was the Shí'ah priesthood. Fiercely fanatic, unspeakably corrupt, enjoying unlimited ascendancy over the masses, jealous of their position, and irreconcilably opposed to all liberal ideas, the members of this caste had for one thousand years invoked the name of the Hidden Imám, their breasts had glowed with the expectation of His advent, their pulpits had rung with the praises of His world-embracing dominion, their lips were still devoutly and perpetually murmuring prayers for the hastening of His coming. The willing tools who prostituted their high office for the accomplishment of the enemy's designs were no less than the sovereigns of the Qájár dynasty, first, the bigoted, the sickly, the vacillating Muhammad Sháh, who at the last moment cancelled the Báb's imminent visit to the capital, and, second, the youthful and inexperienced Násiri'd-Dín Sháh, who gave his ready assent to the sentence of his Captive's death. The arch villains who joined hands with the prime movers of so wicked a conspiracy were the two grand vizirs, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, the idolized tutor of Muhammad Sháh, a vulgar, false-hearted and fickle-minded schemer, and the arbitrary, bloodthirsty, reckless Amír-Nizám, Mírzá Taqí Khán, the first of whom exiled the Báb to the mountain fastnesses of Ádhirbayján, and the latter decreed His death in Tabríz. Their accomplice in these and other heinous crimes was a government bolstered up by a flock of idle, parasitical princelings and governors, corrupt, incompetent, tenaciously holding to their ill-gotten privileges, and utterly subservient to a notoriously degraded clerical order. The heroes whose deeds shine upon the record of this fierce spiritual
4
5
contest, involving at once people, clergy, monarch and government, were the Báb's chosen disciples, the Letters of the Living, and their companions, the trail-breakers of the New Day, who to so much intrigue, ignorance, depravity, cruelty, superstition and cowardice opposed a spirit exalted, unquenchable and awe-inspiring, a knowledge surprisingly profound, an eloquence sweeping in its force, a piety unexcelled in fervor, a courage leonine in its fierceness, a self-abnegation saintly in its purity, a resolve granite-like in its firmness, a vision stupendous in its range, a veneration for the Prophet and His Imáms disconcerting to their adversaries, a power of persuasion alarming to their antagonists, a standard of faith and a code of conduct that challenged and revolutionized the lives of their countrymen.
The opening scene of the initial act of this great drama was laid in the upper chamber of the modest residence of the son of a mercer of Shíráz, in an obscure corner of that city. The time was the hour before sunset, on the 22nd day of May, 1844. The participants were the Báb, a twenty-five year old siyyid, of pure and holy lineage, and the young Mullá Husayn, the first to believe in Him. Their meeting immediately before that interview seemed to be purely fortuitous. The interview itself was protracted till the hour of dawn. The Host remained closeted alone with His guest, nor was the sleeping city remotely aware of the import of the conversation they held with each other. No record has passed to posterity of that unique night save the fragmentary but highly illuminating account that fell from the lips of Mullá Husayn.
"I sat spellbound by His utterance, oblivious of time and of those who awaited me," he himself has testified, after describing the nature of the questions he had put to his Host and the conclusive replies he had received from Him, replies which had established beyond the shadow of a doubt the validity of His claim to be the promised Qá'im. "Suddenly the call of the Mu'adhdhin, summoning the faithful to their morning prayer, awakened me from the state of ecstasy into which I seemed to have fallen. All the delights, all the ineffable glories, which the Almighty has recounted in His Book as the priceless possessions of the people of Paradise--these I seemed to be experiencing that night. Methinks I was in a place of which it could be truly said: `Therein no toil shall reach us, and therein no weariness shall touch us;' `no vain discourse shall they hear therein, nor any falsehood, but only the cry, "Peace! Peace!"'; `their cry therein shall be, "Glory to Thee, O God!" and their salutation therein, "Peace!", and the close of their cry, "Praise be to God, Lord of all creatures!"'
He Who communicated the original impulse to so incalculable a Movement was none other than the promised Qá'im (He who ariseth), the Sáhibu'z-Zamán (the Lord of the Age), Who assumed the exclusive right of annulling the whole Qur'ánic Dispensation, Who styled Himself "the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things ... the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade." The people among whom He appeared were the most decadent race in the civilized world, grossly ignorant, savage, cruel, steeped in prejudice, servile in their submission to an almost deified hierarchy, recalling in their abjectness the Israelites of Egypt in the days of Moses, in their fanaticism the Jews in the days of Jesus, and in their perversity the idolators of Arabia in the days of Muhammad. The arch-enemy who repudiated His claim, challenged His authority, persecuted His Cause, succeeded in almost quenching His light, and who eventually became disintegrated under the impact of His Revelation was the Shí'ah priesthood. Fiercely fanatic, unspeakably corrupt, enjoying unlimited ascendancy over the masses, jealous of their position, and irreconcilably opposed to all liberal ideas, the members of this caste had for one thousand years invoked the name of the Hidden Imám, their breasts had glowed with the expectation of His advent, their pulpits had rung with the praises of His world-embracing dominion, their lips were still devoutly and perpetually murmuring prayers for the hastening of His coming. The willing tools who prostituted their high office for the accomplishment of the enemy's designs were no less than the sovereigns of the Qájár dynasty, first, the bigoted, the sickly, the vacillating Muhammad Sháh, who at the last moment cancelled the Báb's imminent visit to the capital, and, second, the youthful and inexperienced Násiri'd-Dín Sháh, who gave his ready assent to the sentence of his Captive's death. The arch villains who joined hands with the prime movers of so wicked a conspiracy were the two grand vizirs, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, the idolized tutor of Muhammad Sháh, a vulgar, false-hearted and fickle-minded schemer, and the arbitrary, bloodthirsty, reckless Amír-Nizám, Mírzá Taqí Khán, the first of whom exiled the Báb to the mountain fastnesses of Ádhirbayján, and the latter decreed His death in Tabríz. Their accomplice in these and other heinous crimes was a government bolstered up by a flock of idle, parasitical princelings and governors, corrupt, incompetent, tenaciously holding to their ill-gotten privileges, and utterly subservient to a notoriously degraded clerical order. The heroes whose deeds shine upon the record of this fierce spiritual
4
5
contest, involving at once people, clergy, monarch and government, were the Báb's chosen disciples, the Letters of the Living, and their companions, the trail-breakers of the New Day, who to so much intrigue, ignorance, depravity, cruelty, superstition and cowardice opposed a spirit exalted, unquenchable and awe-inspiring, a knowledge surprisingly profound, an eloquence sweeping in its force, a piety unexcelled in fervor, a courage leonine in its fierceness, a self-abnegation saintly in its purity, a resolve granite-like in its firmness, a vision stupendous in its range, a veneration for the Prophet and His Imáms disconcerting to their adversaries, a power of persuasion alarming to their antagonists, a standard of faith and a code of conduct that challenged and revolutionized the lives of their countrymen.
The opening scene of the initial act of this great drama was laid in the upper chamber of the modest residence of the son of a mercer of Shíráz, in an obscure corner of that city. The time was the hour before sunset, on the 22nd day of May, 1844. The participants were the Báb, a twenty-five year old siyyid, of pure and holy lineage, and the young Mullá Husayn, the first to believe in Him. Their meeting immediately before that interview seemed to be purely fortuitous. The interview itself was protracted till the hour of dawn. The Host remained closeted alone with His guest, nor was the sleeping city remotely aware of the import of the conversation they held with each other. No record has passed to posterity of that unique night save the fragmentary but highly illuminating account that fell from the lips of Mullá Husayn.
"I sat spellbound by His utterance, oblivious of time and of those who awaited me," he himself has testified, after describing the nature of the questions he had put to his Host and the conclusive replies he had received from Him, replies which had established beyond the shadow of a doubt the validity of His claim to be the promised Qá'im. "Suddenly the call of the Mu'adhdhin, summoning the faithful to their morning prayer, awakened me from the state of ecstasy into which I seemed to have fallen. All the delights, all the ineffable glories, which the Almighty has recounted in His Book as the priceless possessions of the people of Paradise--these I seemed to be experiencing that night. Methinks I was in a place of which it could be truly said: `Therein no toil shall reach us, and therein no weariness shall touch us;' `no vain discourse shall they hear therein, nor any falsehood, but only the cry, "Peace! Peace!"'; `their cry therein shall be, "Glory to Thee, O God!" and their salutation therein, "Peace!", and the close of their cry, "Praise be to God, Lord of all creatures!"'
THE RULERS OF AMERICA
61 62 63
HEARKEN ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein, unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity: There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Thus counselleth you He Who is the Dayspring of Names, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Promised One hath appeared in this glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know it. O concourse of rulers! Give ear unto that which hath been raised from the Dayspring of Grandeur: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing. Bind ye the broken with the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of the commandments of your Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
61 62 63
HEARKEN ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein, unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity: There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Thus counselleth you He Who is the Dayspring of Names, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Promised One hath appeared in this glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know it. O concourse of rulers! Give ear unto that which hath been raised from the Dayspring of Grandeur: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing. Bind ye the broken with the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of the commandments of your Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
O ye that stand fast and firm in the Covenant! The Center
of Sedition, the Prime Mover of mischief, Mírzá Muḥammad
‘Alí, hath passed out from under the shadow of the Cause, hath
broken the Covenant, hath falsified the Holy Text, hath inflicted
a grievous loss upon the true Faith of God, hath scattered
His people, hath with bitter rancor endeavored to hurt ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
and hath assailed with the utmost enmity this servant of
the Sacred Threshold. Every dart he seized and hurled to
pierce the breast of this wronged servant, no wound did he
neglect to grievously inflict upon me, no venom did he spare
but he poisoned therewith the life of this hapless one. I swear
by the most holy Abhá Beauty and by the Light shining from
His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my soul be a sacrifice for
Their lowly servants), that because of this iniquity the dwellers
in the Pavilion of the Abhá Kingdom have bewailed, the Celestial
Concourse is lamenting, the Immortal Maids of Heaven in the
All-Highest Paradise have raised their plaintive cries and the
angelic company sighed and uttered their moanings. So grievous
the deeds of this iniquitous person became that he struck with
his axe at the root of the Blessed Tree, dealt a heavy blow at
the Temple of the Cause of God, deluged with tears of blood
the eyes of the loved ones of the Blessed Beauty, cheered and
encouraged the enemies of the One True God, by his repudiation
of the Covenant turned many a seeker after Truth aside from
the Cause of God, revived the blighted hopes of Yaḥyá’s following,
made himself detested, caused the enemies of the Greatest
Name to become audacious and arrogant, put aside the firm and
conclusive verses and sowed the seeds of doubt. Had not the
promised aid of the Ancient Beauty been graciously vouchsafed
6
at every moment to this one, unworthy though he be, he surely
would have destroyed, nay exterminated the Cause of God and
utterly subverted the Divine Edifice. But, praised be the Lord,
the triumphant assistance of the Abhá Kingdom was received,
the hosts of the Realm above hastened to bestow victory. The
Cause of God was promoted far and wide, the call of the True
One was noised abroad, ears in all regions were inclined to the
Word of God, His standard was unfurled, the ensigns of Holiness
gloriously waved aloft and the verses celebrating His Divine
Unity were chanted. Now, that the true Faith of God may be
shielded and protected, His Law guarded and preserved and
His Cause remain safe and secure, it is incumbent upon everyone
to hold fast unto the Text of the clear and firmly established
blessed verse, revealed about him. None other transgression
greater than his can be ever imagined. He (Bahá’u’lláh)
sayeth, glorious and holy is His Word:—“My foolish loved ones
have regarded him even as my partner, have kindled sedition in
the land and they verily are of the mischief-makers.” Consider,
how foolish are the people! They that have been in His
(Bahá’u’lláh’s) Presence and beheld His Countenance, have
nevertheless noised abroad such idle talk, until, exalted be His
explicit words, He said:—“Should he for a moment pass out
from under the shadow of the Cause, he surely shall be brought
to naught.” Reflect! What stress He layeth upon one moment’s
deviation: that is, were he to incline a hair’s breadth to the right
or to the left, his deviation would be clearly established and his
utter nothingness made manifest. And now ye are witnessing
how the wrath of God hath from all sides afflicted him and how
day by day he is speeding towards destruction. Ere long will ye
behold him and his associates, outwardly and inwardly, condemned
to utter ruin.
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I was playing a game at summer school last year, in which we were asked this question and of course, I answered “no”. Bahá’ís have to be positive, loving, forgiving, creating unity, building communities, don’t we?
How can we do that if we allow criticism to come in?
I was shocked that the answer I gave was wrong! I set out to prove the speaker wrong (thereby criticizing them in my own mind! O God, forgive me, please!). I was surprised by what I found. Have a look with me.
The answer is both yes (with conditions) and no, as we’ll see below.
We all have a right to set forth our views:
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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I was playing a game at summer school last year, in which we were asked this question and of course, I answered “no”. Bahá’ís have to be positive, loving, forgiving, creating unity, building communities, don’t we?
How can we do that if we allow criticism to come in?
I was shocked that the answer I gave was wrong! I set out to prove the speaker wrong (thereby criticizing them in my own mind! O God, forgive me, please!). I was surprised by what I found. Have a look with me.
The answer is both yes (with conditions) and no, as we’ll see below.
We all have a right to set forth our views:
Let us also remember that at the very root of the Cause lies the principle of the undoubted right of the individual to self-expression, his freedom to declare his conscience and set forth his views. (Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration, p. 63)The root cause of criticism is lack of faith in the system of Baha’u’llah:
Vicious criticism is indeed a calamity. But its root is lack of faith in the system of Bahá’u’lláh, i.e., the Administrative Order — and lack of obedience to Him — for He has forbidden it! If the Bahá’ís would follow the Bahá’í laws in voting, in electing, in serving and in abiding by Assembly decisions, all this waste of strength through criticizing others could be diverted into cooperation and achieving the Plan. (Shoghi Effendi, NSA USA – Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities)We have been protected against the misuse of criticism through the Covenant and by an administration which draws out the constructive ideas of individuals and uses them for the benefit of the entire system:
If Bahá’í individuals deliberately ignore the principles imbedded in the Order which Bahá’u’lláh Himself has established to remedy divisiveness in the human family, the Cause for which so much has been sacrificed will surely be set back in its mission to rescue world society from complete disintegration. May not the existence of the Covenant be invoked again and again, so that such repetition may preserve the needed perspective? For, in this age, the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh has been protected against the baneful effects of the misuse of the process of criticism; this has been done by the institution of the Covenant and by the provision of a universal administrative system which incorporates within itself the mechanisms for drawing out the constructive ideas of individuals and using them for the benefit of the entire system. Admonishing the people to uphold the unifying purpose of the Cause, Bahá’u’lláh, in the Book of His Covenant, addresses these poignant words to them: “Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord.” Such assertions emphasize a crucial point; it is this: In terms of the Covenant, dissidence is a moral and intellectual contradiction of the main objective animating the Bahá’í community, namely, the establishment of the unity of mankind. (Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 15-16)
Yes, with conditions
We are fully entitled to address criticisms but then we must whole-heartedly accept the advice or decision of the assembly:The Bahá’ís are fully entitled to address criticisms to their assemblies; they can freely air their views about policies or individual members of elected bodies to the assembly, local or national, but then they must whole-heartedly accept the advice or decision of the assembly, according to the principles already laid down for such matters in Bahá’í administration. (Shoghi Effendi, Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, p. 55)It is our vital responsibility to offer fully and frankly, but with due respect and consideration to the authority of the Assembly, any suggestion, recommendation or criticism he conscientiously feels he should in order to improve and remedy certain existing conditions or trends in his local community:
You had asked whether the believers have the right to openly express their criticism of any Assembly action or policy; it is not only the right, but the vital responsibility of every loyal and intelligent member of the Community to offer fully and frankly, but with due respect and consideration to the authority of the Assembly, any suggestion, recommendation or criticism he conscientiously feels he should in order to improve and remedy certain existing conditions or trends in his local community, and it is the duty of the Assembly also to give careful consideration to any such views submitted to them by any one of the believers. (Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Meetings/The Nineteen Day Feasts, pp. 27-28)Criticism should be addressed to the institutions of the Faith and not aired in the community where it might foment division and misunderstandings:
It is clear then that criticism is allowed, but it should be addressed to the institutions of the Faith and not aired in the community where it might foment division and misunderstandings. (Universal House of Justice, NSA USA – Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities)The best time to do it is at the Feast:
The best occasion chosen for this purpose is the Nineteen Day Feast which, besides its social and spiritual aspects, fulfills various administrative needs and requirements of the Community, chief among them being the need for open and constructive criticism and deliberation regarding the state of affairs within the local Bahá’í Community. (Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Meetings/The Nineteen Day Feasts, pp. 27-28)
No
Criticism and discussions of a negative character which undermines the authority of the assembly should be strictly avoided:It should be stressed that all criticism and discussions of a negative character which may result in undermining the authority of the assembly as a body should be strictly avoided. For otherwise the order of the Cause itself will be endangered, and confusion and discord will reign in the community. (Shoghi Effendi, NSA USA – Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities)Criticism is often the harbinger of conflict and contention:
The responsibility resting on the individual to conduct himself in such a way as to ensure the stability of society takes on elemental importance in this context. For vital as it is to the progress of society, criticism is a two-edged sword: It is all too often the harbinger of conflict and contention. The balanced processes of the Administrative Order are meant to prevent this essential activity from degenerating to any form of dissent that breeds opposition and its dreadful schismatic consequences. How incalculable have been the negative results of ill-directed criticism: in the catastrophic divergences it has created in religion, in the equally contentious factions it has spawned in political systems, which have dignified conflict by institutionalizing such concepts as the “loyal opposition” which attach to one or another of the various categories of political opinion — conservative, liberal, progressive, reactionary, and so on. (Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 15-16)If we continually criticize their acts and challenge or belittle their decisions, we prevent any real progress and repel outsiders:
The Guardian believes that a great deal of the difficulties from which the believers . . . feel themselves to be suffering are caused by their neither correctly understanding or putting into practice the administration. They seem — many of them — to be prone to continually challenging and criticizing the decisions of their assemblies. If the Bahá’ís undermine the very leaders which are, however immaturely, seeking to coordinate Bahá’í activities and administer Bahá’í affairs, if they continually criticize their acts and challenge or belittle their decisions, they not only prevent any real rapid progress in the Faith’s development from taking place, but they repel outsiders who quite rightly may ask how we ever expect to unite the whole world when we are so disunited among ourselves! (Shoghi Effendi, The National Spiritual Assembly compilation, p. 35-36)Contradiction and altercation will make it necessary for a judicial body to render decision upon the question:
It is again not permitted that any one of the honoured members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 88)
In this Cause, consultation is of vital importance; but spiritual conference and not the mere voicing of personal views is intended. In France I was present at a session of the senate but the experience was not impressive. Parliamentary procedure should have for its object the attainment of the light of truth upon questions presented and not furnish a battleground for opposition and self-opinion. Antagonism and contradiction are unfortunate and always destructive to truth. In the parliamentary meeting mentioned, altercation and useless quibbling were frequent; the result mostly confusion and turmoil; even in one instance a physical encounter took place between two members. It was not consultation but comedy. . . Therefore true consultation is spiritual conference in the attitude and atmosphere of love. Members must love each other in the spirit of fellowship in order that good results may be forthcoming. Love and fellowship are the foundation. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 72)
Opposition and division are deplorable. It is better then to have the opinion of a wise, sagacious man; otherwise, contradiction and altercation, in which varied and divergent views are presented, will make it necessary for a judicial body to render decision upon the question. (Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 72)
Conclusion:
So from this we learn that criticism is a two-edged sword. On the one hand:- We have a right to set forth our views
- We are fully entitled to address criticisms to our assemblies
- We can freely air our views about policies or individual members of elected bodies to the assembly
- We must whole-heartedly accept the advice or decision of the assembly
- It is our responsibility to offer suggestions, recommendations or criticism in order to improve and remedy conditions or trends in our local community
- We do so fully and frankly, with due respect and consideration to the authority of the Assembly
- It is the duty of the Assembly to give careful consideration to any such views
- Criticism is allowed, but it should be addressed to the institutions of the Faith and not aired in the community
- The best occasion chosen for this purpose is the Nineteen Day Feast which encourages open and constructive criticism and deliberation regarding the state of affairs within the local Bahá’í Community
- We are protected against the effects of the misuse of the process of criticism through the institution of the Covenant
- Our administrative system has the mechanisms for drawing out the constructive ideas of individuals and using them for the benefit of the entire system
- Criticism which undermines the authority of the assembly should be strictly avoided
- Criticism’s root is lack of faith in the system of Bahá’u’lláh
- Criticism is a waste of strength that could be diverted into cooperation and achieving the Plan
- Criticism is often the harbinger of conflict and contention
- Criticism allows confusion and discord to reign
- Criticism breeds opposition
- Criticism leads to division and misunderstandings
- Criticism has dreadful schismatic consequences
- Criticism leads to negative results
- Criticism has created catastrophic divergences in religion, in the equally
- Criticism has spawned contentious factions in political systems
- Criticism prevents any real rapid progress in the Faith’s development from taking place
- Criticism furnishes a battleground for opposition and self-opinion
- Criticism is destructive to truth
- Criticism results in confusion and turmoil
- Criticism can lead to physical violence
- Criticism that creates dissidence prevents the establishment of the unity of mankind
- Criticism repels outsiders who quite rightly may ask how we ever expect to unite the whole world when we are so disunited among ourselves
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