"As regards your question concerning the membership of the Universal House of Justice, there is a Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Baha in which He definitely states that the membership of the Universal House is confined to men and that the wisdom of it will be fully revealed in the future. In the local, as well as the National Houses of Justice, however, women have the full right of membership. It is therefore, only to the International House that they cannot be elected. The Baha'is should accept this statement of the Master in a spirit of deep faith, confident that there is a divine guidance and wisdom behind it, which will be gradually unfolded to the eyes of the world."

"Regarding your question, the Master said the wisdom of having no women on the International House of Justice, would become manifest in the future.

We have no other indication than this.

"At present there are women on the International Council, and this will continue as long as it exists, but when the International House of Justice is elected, there will only be men on it, as this is the law of the Aqdas."

212: VACCINATION

"Regarding your question about vaccination:

"These are technical matters which have not been specifically mentioned in the Teachings, and consequently, the Guardian cannot make any statement about them. No doubt medical science will progress tremendously as time goes by and the treatment of disease becomes more perfect."

213: VISIONS

"There is a fundamental difference between Divine Revelation as vouchsafed by G.o.d to His Prophets, and the spiritual experiences and visions which individuals may have. The latter should, under no circ.u.mstances, be construed as const.i.tuting an infallible source of guidance, even for the person experiencing them."

214: VOTING--(CIVIL)

"The friends may vote, if they can do it, without identifying themselves with one party or another. To enter the arena of party politics is surely detrimental to the best interests of the Faith and will harm the Cause. It remains for the individuals to so use their right to vote as to keep aloof from party politics, and always bear in mind that they are voting on the merits of the individual, rather than because he belongs to one party or another. The matter must be made perfectly clear to the individuals, who will be left free to exercise their discretion and judgment. But if a certain person does enter into party politics and labors for the ascendency of one party over another, and continues to do it against the expressed appeals and warnings of the a.s.sembly, then the a.s.sembly has the right to refuse him the right to vote in Baha'i elections."

215: VOTING RIGHT, THE

"I feel I must reaffirm the vital importance and necessity of the right of voting--a sacred responsibility of which no adult recognized believer should be deprived, unless he is a.s.sociated with a community that has not as yet been in a position to establish a Local a.s.sembly. This distinguishing right which the believer possesses, however, does not carry with it nor does it imply an obligation to cast his vote, if he feels that the circ.u.mstances under which he lives do not justify or allow him to exercise that right intelligently and with understanding. This is a matter which should be left to the individual to decide himself according to his own conscience and discretion."

216: VOTING RIGHTS (STATUS OF INDIVIDUALS DEPRIVED OF)

"Concerning your question as to the status of those individuals whom the Local a.s.sembly or the N.S.A. have considered it necessary to deprive of the voting right and to suspend from local meetings and gatherings; such action which Local and National a.s.semblies have been empowered to take against such recalcitrant members, however justified and no matter how severe, should under no circ.u.mstances be considered as implying the complete expulsion of the individuals affected from the Cause. The suspension of voting and other administrative rights of an individual, always conditional and therefore temporary, can never have such far reaching implications, since it const.i.tutes merely an administrative sanction; whereas his expulsion or ex-communication from the Faith, which can be effected by the Guardian alone in his capacity as the supreme spiritual head of the community, has far-reaching spiritual implications affecting the very soul of that believer. The former, as already stated, is an administrative sanction, whereas the latter is essentially spiritual, involving not only the particular relationship of a believer to his local or National a.s.sembly, but his very spiritual existence in the Cause. It follows, therefore, that a believer can continue calling himself a Baha'i even though he may cease to be a voting member of the community.

But in case he is excluded from the body of the Cause by an act of the Guardian he ceases to be a believer and cannot possibly identify himself even nominally with the Faith."

217: WORK, BAHa'i

"If the believers could properly evaluate the work they are doing they would be astonished at its importance, but they are in the position of not being able to see the forest for the trees; they are too close to it to realize its true import."

218: WORK, DAILY--(BAHa'U'LLaH'S COMMAND CONCERNING DAILY WORK)

"With reference to Baha'u'llah's command concerning the engagement of the believers in some sort of profession; the teachings are most emphatic on this matter, particularly the statement in the Aqdas to this effect which makes it quite clear that idle people who lack the desire to work can have no place in the new World Order. As a corollary of this principle, Baha'u'llah further states that mendicity should not only be discouraged but entirely wiped out from the face of society. It is the duty of those who are in charge of the organization of society to give every individual the opportunity of acquiring the necessary talent in some kind of profession, and also the means of utilizing such a talent, both for its own sake and for the sake of earning the means of his livelihood. Every individual, no matter how handicapped and limited he may be, is under the obligation of engaging in some work or profession, for work, especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according to Baha'u'llah, a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a value in itself, because it draws us nearer to G.o.d, and enables to better grasp His purpose for us in this world. It is obvious, therefore, that the inheritance of wealth cannot make anyone immune from daily work. As to the question of retirement from work for individuals who have reached a certain age, this is a matter on which the International House of Justice will have to legislate as there are no provisions in the Aqdas concerning it."

219: WORLD FEDERATION--(ON BAHa'i PARTIc.i.p.aTION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES)

"He feels that the statement which your a.s.sembly made in your letter to him ... regarding Baha'is cooperating with peace and world unity conferences, covers the subject adequately. There is no reason to draw a line of demarcation as to whether the type of world federation being promoted by a certain society involves governments or peoples. The point is that if it is not allied to any particular political faction, and is not either Eastern or Western in its projects, the Baha'is may appear as speakers on its platform and give it moral support."

220: YEAR NINE, THE

"The 'Year Nine' is an abbreviation of 1269 A.H. The beginning of the Year Nine occurred about two months after His (Baha'u'llah's) imprisonment in that dungeon. We do not know the exact time He received this first intimation... We therefore regard the entire Year Nine as a Holy Year, and the emphasis should be placed ... on the entire year, which started in October, 1852. This means our Centenary Year of Celebration will be from October, 1952 to October, 1953."

221: YOUTH