True Bahá'í

Reflections on the passing of Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa

The passing of Hand of the Cause, Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa, on 22 September 2007 was the end of an era for the sans-Guardian Bahai Faith that is presently headquartered in Haifa and Wilmette.

Dr Varqa came from a distinguished family of holy Baha'is. Dr. Varqa was a descendant of the revered martyr, Hand of the Cause Aqa Mirza Varqa, and received his name by Abdu'l-Baha in memory of his illustrious grandfather. His father, Hand of the Cause Valiyu'llah Varqa, was the trustee for the Huquq'ullah for Shoghi Effendi. Upon his father's death, Dr Varqa was appointed a Trustee of the Huquq by Shoghi Effendi just two years before the first Guardian's passing, and he continued to serve in that capacity on behalf of the Custodians and then the headless UHJ after it was created by the Hands. 

Dr. Varqa was one of the nine Hands who met after the passing of Shoghi Effendi in order to open the Guardian's safe and desk in their futile search for Shoghi Effendi's Will and Testament. During the ministry of the Custodians following Shoghi Effendi's death, Dr. Varqa sometimes acted as one of the "substitute Custodians" in the absence of a permanent Custodian from Haifa. Dr. Varqa was the last living Hand of the Cause appointed by Shoghi Effendi.  His death now means that organization is not only permanently deprived of its Guardian, but also now its Hands of the Cause.

How said it must be for Dr. Varqa to enter the Abha Kingdom in disgrace, In such sharp contrast to the station of glory to which his father and grandfather must have attained in the next world.  To be counted amongst the instigators of the Great Violation must torment his soul.  What a dubious honor it must be to be identified publicly as the "last Hand."

Of course, the Institution of the Hands of the Cause and of the Guardianship are alive and well in the Orthodox Bahai Faith, despite the efforts of the violators to kill these essential Institutions of Baha'u'llah's Kingdom.  Although the Orthodox Baha'is are incredibly small in number, they have intact and functioning the Bahai Administrative Order as intended by Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, as a shining beacon of light and guidance for the world. The Orthodox Baha'is have an activated International Bahai Council, with the Guardian (Joel B. Marangella) as its head, and both national and local councils serving under it.  The Guardian has appointed 8 Hands of the Cause (one of whom was appointed posthumously).

After Shoghi Effendi's death, the Hands met together in secret conclave and decided the end of the Guardianship, declaring "Badah," that God had changed His mind.  Then, instead of allowing the International Bahai Council, the embryonic UHJ created by Shoghi Effendi, to head up the Faith, the Hands appointed "Custodians" to exercise "all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith" and then to deliver those illegitimate rights and powers to the illegitimate UHJ of their own making.  As a result of this violation, the Hands actions threatened the end of the Guardianship and of the Institutions of the Hands (which can only be appointed by the Guardian).  If not for the heroic deeds of Mason Remey and his followers, and now of Joel B. Marangella, and those who obey his Guardianship, in keeping alive these Institutions of the Cause of God, the Administrative Order of Baha'ullah might have been lost!

But it is not too late.  The followers of the illegitimate UHJ now sitting in Haifa have the opportunity to right this wrong and to try to redeem the name of Dr Varqa and his fellow violating Hands.  They simply must abandon this violation and approach the Guardian of Cause with humility and devotion, recognizing his Guardianship and offering their loyalty to him.  They will be welcomed back to the true Cause of God and the healing Message of Baha'u'llah at last can begin to be spread throughout the world, and not a moment too soon.

More thoughts on the spiritual battle with the forces of darkness

In my last article, I spoke about the spiritual warfare that is going on between the forces of darkness and the Army of Light, and about how so many people misunderstand this concept, erroneously confusing spiritual battle with physical methods of force and control. 

"It follows that all who work for the Supreme Design are soldiers in the army of the Spirit. The light of the celestial world makes war against the world of shadow and illusion. The rays of the Sun of Truth dispel the darkness of superstition and misunderstanding." Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 85.

Spiritual battle is engaged in the hearts and minds of humanity and does not require physical methods. 

"[B]e a celestial army, and you shall indeed conquer the city of hearts." Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 171.

The forces of darkness are engrossed in passions, greed, brutality, and enslavement of others as a means for obtaining power and control.  The Army of Light works for the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, working in a spirit of selfless service, compassion, and loving-kindness for the purpose of freeing humanity from its bondage and allowing for its spiritual growth and happiness.

"I supplicate God that ye may become the army of that kingdom, in order that by the power of the Most Great Name, the friends of God may conquer this world through love, friendship and the strength of the Kingdom of peace; the human race become compassionate, and bloodshed and carnage be completely effaced from the universe." Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 409.

At present, this war is going badly.  The forces of darkness are taking ascendancy.

Blood lust and violence have taken hold of humanity at every level.  Violence grips people in their families, in the streets, and globally as nations and factions fight one another with increasing levels of terror and destruction.  Violence is viewed by most people as the only effective means of resolving disputes, regarding violence not only as legitimate but as the exclusive or preferred method of achieving one's ends.  Almost universally peaceful methods of conflict resolution are viewed with disdain, as ineffective relics of naive fools.

"O ye dear friends! The world is at war and the human race is in travail and mortal combat. The dark night of hate hath taken over, and the light of good faith is blotted out. The peoples and kindreds of the earth have sharpened their claws, and are hurling themselves one against the other. It is the very foundation of the human race that is being destroyed. It is thousands of households that are vagrant and dispossessed, and every year seeth thousands upon thousands of human beings weltering in their life-blood on dusty battlefields. The tents of life and joy are down. The generals practise their generalship, boasting of the blood they shed, competing one with the next in inciting to violence. 'With this sword,' saith one of them, 'I beheaded a people!' And another: 'I toppled a nation to the ground!' And yet another: 'I brought a government down!' On such things do men pride themselves, in such do they glory! Love -- righteousness -- these are everywhere censured, while despised are harmony, and devotion to the truth." Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 2.

Those who deny the existence of this great battle between the forces of darkness and the Army of Light must be blind to reality because the evidence of this epic fight is all around us.  This is the end time, and those who love God must not sit idle while the forces of darkness take over every aspect of society and capture the souls of our fellow men and women.  We must stand up courageously in the arena of service to the Cause of God and fight evil wherever it presents itself.  This battle is not physical.  This is not a violent struggle.  This is a battle of prayer, kindness, and compassion.

"Therefore today "victory" neither hath been nor will be opposition to anyone, nor strife with any person; but rather what is well-pleasing is that the cities of [men's] hearts, which are under the dominion of the hosts of selfishness and lust, should be subdued by the sword of the Word, of Wisdom, and of Exhortation. Everyone, then, who desireth "victory" must first subdue the city of his own heart with the sword of spiritual truth and of the Word, and must protect it from remembering aught beside God: afterwards let him turn his regards towards the cities of [others'] hearts."
Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller's Narrative, p. 63

The spiritual battle with the forces of darkness

I have been writing critical pieces about the sans-Guardian Bahai organization that is presently headquartered in Haifa and Wilmette, and some of its critics have tried to make the point that the paranoia and oppression exhibited by that organization had its source in the actions of the first Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, and even the founders of the Faith.

I disagree with this.  Although I don't agree with everything Shoghi Effendi did, and I think he had his personality quirks just like everyone else, I don't see any concrete evidence of Shoghi Effendi taking the kind of oppressive actions that the headless UHJ presently commits on a regular basis.

Critics say that Shoghi Effendi exhibited paranoia when he explained Baha'u'llah's teachings that this is the day when the forces of darkness will do battle with the Army of Light.  Larry Rowe recently had this to say on talk.religion.bahai:

Hi Jeffrey,

Whenever I read the following from the UHJ I get the willies:

The need to protect the Faith from the attacks of its enemies may not
be generally appreciated by the friends, particularly in places where
attacks have been infrequent. However, it is certain that such
opposition will increase, become concerted, and eventually universal.
The writings clearly foreshadow not only an intensification of the
machinations of internal enemies, but a rise in the hostility and
opposition of its external enemies, whether religious or secular, as
the Cause pursues its onward march towards ultimate victory.
Therefore, in the light of the warnings of the Guardian, the Auxiliary
Boards for Protection should keep "constantly" a "watchful eye" on
those "who are known to be enemies, or to have been put out of the
Faith", discreetly investigate their activities, alert intelligently
the friends to the opposition inevitably to come, explain how each
crisis in God's Faith has always proved to be a blessing in disguise,
and prepare them for the "dire contest which is destined to range the
Army of Light against the forces of darkness".

        (The Universal House of Justice, The Institution of the Counsellors,
p. 16)

The Stasi-like mentality that is advocated by the UHJ in the above
has no place in a system deserving of the name spiritual. What such
paranoia which councils coreligionists to:""keep constantly" a
"watchful eye" on those "who are known to be enemies, or to have been
put out of the Faith", discreetly investigate their activities",
inevitably does is create an elite who begin to believe that their
personal religious interpretations are the all in all and that each
and every one of their coreligionists who holds to religious
interpretations which are diverse from their own orthodoxy should be
purged, disenfranchised.

A person needs to investigate what the source of this paranoia is
though.

It was Shoghi Effendi that the UHJ was quoting when they referred to
an Army of Light.

The Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings has pledged unfailing aid to
every crusader battling for His Cause. Invisible battalions are
mustered, rank upon rank, ready to pour forth reinforcements from on
high. Bahá'u'lláh's army of light is standing on the threshold of the
Holy Year.

        (Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Baha'i World - 1950-1957, p. 44)

I also get the "willies" when I read the chilling words of their headless UHJ about how it sees enemies all around it, from within and without, and it must keep a watchful eye.  I don't get the same feeling about Shoghi Effendi's messages because he is talking about a spiritual battle while the headless UHJ is talking about physically opposing its enemies (and of course, it considers me as one of its enemies and it is indeed presently doing battle against me and my colleagues in a federal district court in Chicago).
http://trueseeker.typepad.com/true_seeker/court_case.html

I believe we are in the midst of spiritual warfare.  I am not talking about any of the physical wars going on in the world, although they are obvious symptoms of this greater fight that is going on in the spiritual world for the soul of humanity.  In brief, this spiritual war is for the hearts and minds of every human being on this planet.  The forces of darkness wish to enslave humanity in a materialist hell of hatred and passion.  The Army of Light, on the other hand, seeks to free humanity so that it may achieve its destiny and evolve into spiritual beings of light and truth.  This battle is being waged on all fronts throughout the world and it is absolutely essential that all of us engage the enemy and fight for love, truth, and justice in this world.  When I say fight, I am not talking about physical or material violence in any shape way or form.  I am talking about being prayer warriors, and fighting in the spiritual world for the redemption of our fellow men and women.  This is difficult for many people to grasp because their vision is limited to the physical world.  They have no real concept of a spiritual world, much less a spiritual battle.

It is ironic, of course, that the large Bahai organization headed up by the headless UHJ has already succumbed to the forces of darkness.  Its paranoia about the sinister enemies comes far too late, because that organization lost its soul some 40 years ago and it already serves the forces of darkness.  It already has a material view of the world, seeks power and prestige on the earth, and greedily hungers for money and to grow itself into a large force in this world.  It is not concerned about matters of spirit.  It has no regard for truth, justice, love, compassion, brotherhood, or peace.  It gives lip service to them as it engages on a daily basis in behavior that betrays all of these ideals.  It truly is a dangerous organization because it masquerades as the true Cause of God, borrowing the prestige and ideals of Baha'u'llah's Revelation, in its nefarious efforts to destroy the truly faithful ones and to trick and enslave the masses of humanity in its fascist vision of controlling the world.

Abdu'l-Baha:

"O ye friends of God! Today is the day of union and this age is the age of harmony in the world of existence. 'Verily, God loveth those who are working in His path in groups, for they are a solid foundation.' Consider ye that he says 'in groups,' united and bound together, supporting one another. 'To work,' mentioned in this holy verse, does not mean, in this greatest age, to perform it with swords, spears, shafts and arrows, but rather with sincere intentions, good designs, useful advices, divine moralities, beautiful actions, spiritual qualities, educating the public, guiding the souls of mankind, diffusing spiritual fragrances, explaining divine illustrations, showing convincing proofs and doing charitable deeds. When the holy souls, through the angelic power, will arise to show forth these celestial characteristics, establishing a band of harmony, each of these souls shall be regarded as one thousand persons and the waves of this greatest ocean shall be considered as the army of the hosts of the Supreme Concourse."   
Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 401

Religion will degenerate into a mere organization

The emphasis in the Bahai Faith (that is, the sans-Guardian organization of Baha'is now occupying Haifa and Wilmette) on its Administration, obedience to its leadership, the constant flow of rules and regulations, the spying and paranoia over its members. and petty enforcement of laws regulating the private lives of its believers, has caused that organization to enter into a winter of spiritual ossification.

It seems this organization has forgotten that it is first and foremost a religious faith.  Instead it has become preoccupied with itself as a corporate entity, with its trademarks, copyrights, market share, and advertising, as if the Message of Baha'u'llah was a commodity to be marketed and sold in the marketplace.

Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Cause, saw this was coming and tried to warn the Baha'is that spiritual death would come without a mystical relationship with God born of prayer and meditation:

"For the core of religious faith is that mystic feeling which unites Man with God. This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer. And this is the reason why Bahá'u'lláh has so much stressed the importance of worship. It is not sufficient for a believer merely to accept and observe the teachings. He should, in addition, cultivate the sense of spirituality which he can acquire chiefly by means of prayer. The Bahá'í Faith, like all other Divine Religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character. Its chief goal is the development of the individual and society, through the acquisition of spiritual virtues and powers.  It is the soul of man which has first to be fed. And this spiritual nourishment prayer can best provide.

"Laws and institutions, as viewed by Bahá'u'lláh, can become really effective only when our inner spiritual life has been perfected and transformed. Otherwise religion will degenerate into a mere organization, and becomes a dead thing. The believers, particularly the young ones, should therefore fully realize the necessity of praying. For prayer is absolutely indispensable to their inner spiritual development, and this, as already stated, is the very foundation and purpose of the religion of God."   Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 86-87

Thankfully, in the Bahai revelation, matters of spirituality are left to individual choice.  Except for the revealed prayers, there is no established methods of prayer and meditation.  The individual is left to choose spiritual practices according to his or her own level of spiritual growth.  Since prayer and meditation is strictly a matter between God and an individual, there is no congregational or other organized forum for prayer.  Instead, the practice of briefly reciting prayers at meetings is used.  This freedom in matters of spirituality is one of the distinguishing features of the Baha'i religion, and because of this freedom the Baha'i religion is accessible to people of a variety of backgrounds.  Regardless of one's past religious history or level of spiritual development, one can join the Faith and participate in its community, while pursuing one's own individual relationship with God.  A Zen Buddhist and a Christian laymen can join side by side, each with his or her own spiritual practices and yet united within a common faith.  At least, that was one of the promises of the Bahai Revelation.

Unfortunately, for those Bahais who are shallow and have merely scratched the surface of this Revelation (and those who know a community of these Baha'is will attest that this applies to the vast majority of them) they have no other spiritual life than the brief recital of a revealed prayer at a Feast, or Bahai school, or other function.  That is the extent of their religious service.  Since everything in their Bahai life is otherwise strictly regulated and controlled, there is no one telling them to pray at home and so most probably do not do so.  It appears anyway that this is the case.  The Bahais seem to give lip service to their spirituality but otherwise treat their religious activities as cold and calculating meetings designed to attract more members so that a larger pool of fanatical contributors can be obtained in order to further their goals of growth and consolidation.  It is nothing more than a corporate business mentality.  It has ceased to be a religion.

Can you guess where these quotations came from?

Can you guess where these quotations came from?

1. "At a time when religious extremism, intolerance, and discrimination are threatening peace and security in many parts of the world, it is imperative for the United Nations to address this issue [the freedom of religion or belief] openly and earnestly. Until all people are free to openly practice and share their beliefs within the parameters of equally applied laws, as well as change their religion or belief system, development and peace will prove elusive."

2. "Baha’is believe freedom of religion and conscience is the intrinsic right of each individual and is central to human development. It lies at the heart of an individual’s integrity and identity."

3. "Baha’is believe adherence to religion or belief must never be coerced."

4. "In their interpersonal relationships, Baha’is are guided by Baha’u’llah’s call to 'consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.'"

5. "In the United States, the Baha’i community advocates for religious freedom..."

You might be shocked to know that quotation number 1 came from the Baha'i International Community's Response to the Secretary General's Report, 30 April 2005.  http://statements.bahai.org/05-0402.htm. 

The Bahá'í International Community is a non-governmental organization (NGO) registered with the United Nations and affiliated with the so-called Universal House of Justice now occupying Mt. Carmel in Haifa.  If you want to see some more shameless hyprocrisy, check out these articles from the Bahai International Community:
Statement on religious freedom:  http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/pdf/05-1001.pdf
Eliminating religious intolerance: http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/pdf/90-0125.pdf

The other quotations above are from a web page of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States (presently headquartered in Wilmette) that is devoted to "religious freedom." http://www.bahai.us/religious-freedom

Anyone familiar with this organization of Baha'is knows how stunning are the hypocrisy of these statements considering the track record of this organization in its constant attempts to stifle dissent and religious freedom of conscience within its own ranks.  Everyone familiar with the organization knows how it shuns, coerces, and abuses anyone who might hold a different view from the one espoused by its leadership.  The tight control of the community and the fanatical response to its critics lies in sharp contrast to the liberal words it espouses to the United Nations. 

This hypocrisy is punctuated by the cries from the Wilmette NSA's religious freedom page over the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and Egypt.  These cries of persecution are in sharp contrast to the actions of the Wilmette NSA in bringing the Orthodox Baha'is and others to court in an attempt to prevent them from using the word "Baha'i" in their names and from using the allegedly trademarked sacred symbols of the Greatest Name. For information about that action, go to: http://trueseeker.typepad.com/true_seeker/court_case.html

The attempt by this Bahai organization to put on a liberal face when it comes to religious freedom does not mean there is any hope at all that they will ever get their house in order and allow religious dissent within the Bahai community, and recognize the right of other denominations of Bahai to exist.  It is only for show and to seek favors and pity from the international community over the mistreatment of the Bahais in Iran and Egypt.  That mistreatment has not enlightened them about the falsity of their own position.

This hypocrisy is evident to the world at large. The fairly objective Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance has made note of this outrageous hypocrisy of the Bahais:  http://www.religioustolerance.org/bahai5.htm.

Another amusing document is the bogus UHJ's statement on individual rights and freedom:
http://bahai-library.org/published.uhj/irf.html

What a contribution to the world's literature is this gem of a statement.  In it, the UHJ expresses both its fear and contempt for free speech. It suggests that the principle of moderation should be applied to just how free society should allow speech to be, reminding us that Baha'u'llah approved of liberty in certain circumstances and did not in others.  It is for their fascist UHJ to let us know what those circumstances are.  Because Baha'u'llah said "excess of speech (is) a deadly poison," the UHJ apparently believes that speech needs to be feared and suppressed.

If you want to see how speech is to be regulated in this bogus UHJ's world order, check out this correspondence:
http://www.bahai-faith.com/ex-Bahai-7.html

Hopefully, the world's public will eventually awaken to the fascist elements of this sick Bahai organization that now occupies Haifa and Wilmette and which every day perverts and distorts the Message of Baha'u'llah. 

Hopefully too the public will perceive the more subtle hypocrisy of this Bahai organization as it espouses a liberal attitude towards all of the world's religions.  It is barely able to mask its contempt for the followers of the other revealed religions it superciliously regards as dead faiths of the historical past. If this organization is ever given the chance, it will probably oppose the right of those religions to exist as well.

It is time for the Bahai community to eliminate the condescending attitude it displays with respect to other religions. In every exposition of the unity of all religions by Baha'is, there is always this patronizing air to it, that the Baha'i Faith is so superior to the previously revealed religions.  The actual teaching of Baha'u'llah is not that the Baha'i Faith is superior to other religions, but that all revealed religious faiths are successive chapters of the one Faith, and that it is the latest one but not the last.  To believe that the Baha'i Faith is superior to other religions is to lose sight of the true teaching of the Faith and it serves only to alienate the members of other religions who can certainly perceive this air of superiority coming from Baha'is.

Indeed it is high time for Baha'is everywhere to live up to the ideals of tolerance and righteousness, brotherhood, and freedom of conscience that was taught by the Founding Figures of the Faith. I pray this will happen soon, before it is too late to resurrect the good name of Baha'i.

follow the Light, not the torch-bearer

There is so much confusion and misunderstanding about the Guardianship in the Bahai world today.  First of all, many Bahais have no concept or understanding of the Guardianship as one of the core teachings of the Cause of God.  That is, in this Day of God it is necessary for the Cause to have an authorized interpreter and center, to whom all must turn, in order to maintain the unity of the Cause, and to carry the Faith effectively into the future.

The sans-Guardian Bahais, of course, have perverted this teaching to mean that all must turn to their headless so-called Universal House of Justice.  I believe the simple analogy of a relay race will demonstrate how these Bahais, and others, have completely strayed from the true path.

If you think of divine guidance as the Light emanating from Baha'u'llah and the line of successors as the torch-bearers of that Light, then it is easy to understand the Bahai covenant. 

The first torch-bearer was Abdu'l-Baha, the Center of the Covenant.  Once the torch was in His possession, the authority in the Faith belonged to Him.  It was His decision entirely about the person to whom He would pass the authority after His passing.  Abdu'l-Baha's Will and Testament created the Guardianship for this purpose, and He named Shoghi Effendi, His grandson, as the first Guardian.  The Guardian was the Center of the Cause, the authorized interpreter, and the sacred head of the Universal House of Justice in that future time when it would be created by the Guardian.

Now Shoghi Effendi carried the torch that illumined the world with Baha'u'llah, the Light.  He faithfully carried out his ministry to erect the Institutions of the Faith, as delineated in the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha.  During his ministry, the Faith spread far and wide, with numerous and far-flung local and national Assemblies proliferating throughout the world, the appointment of Hands of the Cause, and the establishment in its embryonic state of the International Baha'i Council, the embryonic Universal House of Justice.  Charles Mason Remey was appointed as the president of the embryonic Institution.

Upon Shoghi Effendi's untimely death, the Bahai world became confused.  The Light of the torch carried by Shoghi Effendi was so bright that they could not conceive of anyone else worthy to carry the Light into the future. Had they understood more clearly the vital and central import of the Guardianship, they would not have lost faith that this Light remained on this earth even though Shoghi Effendi had passed on.  Had they turned to the now newborn International Bahai Council, they would have eventually seen that the President of the IBC was holding the torch that he had received from Shoghi Effendi and that the Light continued to shine in this world.

Making the same mistake that the followers of past religions continually have made, they failed to distinguish between the Light and the torch-bearer, so that they were unable to recognize the new torch-bearer.  It was a relay race and they were still looking to the runner who no longer carried the torch, instead of following the torch in the hands of the next runner.  If one follows the relay race metaphor to its logical conclusion, it is evident that the Custodian Hands had no authority whatsoever.  By the nonsensical argument that they were the "chief stewards" of the Cause, the Hands created the Custodians and claimed that this illicit body was now the bearer of the Light.  The only problem was that the mere designation of the Hands as "chief stewards" was not, by any stretch of the imagination, the same as passing the authority of the Covenant to the Hands.  To the contrary, it was a strong indication that the Hands were to remain sub-servient to the Guardian after the passing of the torch.  The Custodians imagined, in their arrogance, that they somehow had the torch and that they had faithfully passed this torch to the headless UHJ of their own creation.  Of course, their torch was not lit with the Light of Baha'u'llah, so the torch they passed to their bogus UHJ was emitting nothing but darkness.

Meanwhile, Mason Remey ran with the torch.  However, he was already an elderly man and it was difficult for him to run the relay race for very long.  After a long and frustrating battle with the Hands of the Cause that found him expelled from the former Bahai organization and having been rejected by the vast majority of Bahais, Mason Remey's physical health was deteriorating and he was not able to function as the Guardian for more than a few years.  Recognizing his failing health and being divinely guided by the Light that he faithfully carried, Mason Remey appointed Joel B. Marangella as the President of the Second International Bahai Council, and he forcefully insisted that the IBC be activated with Marangella as its President in 1965.  This effectively transferred the torch to Joel B. Marangella even though Remey was still alive.  All of Remey's followers continued to follow the former torch-bearer, Mason Remey, even though the torch was no longer in his hands.  Even Marangella was in denial about this, even though the significance of the activation of the IBC was known and understood by him.  He rationalized it away and continued to follow the former torch-bearer for several years.

Not until it became clear to many of his followers that Remey was no longer functioning as the Guardian (that is, his pronouncements were clearly erroneous and could not possibly be the product of a divinely guided man) did it occur to them that perhaps they may have missed something.  By this time, towards the end of 1969, Joel B. Marangella announced that he was, in fact, the Guardian and had been so since the activation of the IBC.  Some of Remey's followers recognized that Marangella now held the torch of divine Light and came over to his Orthodox Bahai Faith.  Many of Remey's followers could not understand how Marangella could possibly carry the torch while Remey was still alive, no matter how obvious it was to them that Mason no longer carried the Light.  Those believers remained in Remey's Bahai Faith under the Hereditary Guardianship that he had re-named in 1966 as the "Abha World Faith." Again, the believers had mistaken the torch-bearer for the Light.

The torch carrying the Light of Baha'u'llah is now in the possession of Joel B. Marangella and will so remain until such time as he passes the torch to his chosen successor (a Persian believer, Hand of the Cause Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand, whose father had recognized Mason Remey and served in the NSA under the Hereditary Guardianship in Iran).

The Baha'is of the world will not be united, and will be unable to carry out their mission of delivering Baha'u'llah's Light to the world, until such time as they come under the guidance of the torch-bearer of His Light, the living Guardian of the Cause of God.  This is nothing but the truth.

What hope is left?

The promise of the Bahai Revelation was the universal tolerance and acceptance of all humanity that its teachings championed.  Never before was there a religion that so brilliantly espoused the unity and brotherhood of men and women of all nations, races, and creeds. 

More than that, the teachings of the Bahai Revelation were spiritually refreshing.  The awe inspiring life and teachings of Abdu'l-Baha impressed many with His teachings that all of reality fundamentally was an expression of the Holy Spirit from the lowest forms of life up through to humanity, and that the physical world was but the shadow of an even more vast and powerful spiritual world.  With this teaching as the foundation, the Master espoused a religion of brotherly love, tolerance, and world unity that was the last hope for a distressed humanity.

How unfortunate that the followers of this religion have so utterly failed to live up to the standards upon which this Cause was founded.  The world today sees a Faith in which Bahais sue other Bahais over the right of the minority Bahais to even identify themselves with Baha'u'llah. We see a Faith strangleholded by a corrupt and paranoid leadership that seeks to control its followers and crush its enemies. 

All of the ideals and spiritual truths upon which the religion was founded are presently nothing more than empty words.  The Bahai Faith has become a pathetic shell of its once glorious promise.  Whatever happened to the idea that "the souls of the people of Baha, who  have entered and been established within the Crimson Ark, shall associate and commune intimately one with another, and shall be so closely associated in their lives, their aspirations, their aims and strivings as to be even as one soul"?  (Gleanings, p. 169-70).  The fundamental verities of the Cause of God have been neglected and abandoned.  The organization of Bahais that now occupies the World Center is the refuge for bitter, close-minded fanatics unable to even express themselves openly and in good faith.

I urge all Bahais of every denomination to come together and abandon the estrangement and hatred for one another.  Do not let your leadership keep you from associating with the followers of all religions, including other denominations of Bahai.  Let us look to our common love for and belief in Baha'u'llah and turn away from the bitter disputes that have divided us.  Tolerance means that each and every one of us can believe what we will about these matters but that should not prevent us from communicating with one another in a spirit of love and fellowship, and mutual understanding.  If the Bahais can be so bitterly divided, then what hope is left for this Faith to serve as a focal point for the unity of the planet?  What hope is left for the survival of humanity when the Message of its deliverance has been diluted by hatred and division?

"Look about thee at the world: here unity, mutual attraction, gathering together, engender life, but disunity and inharmony spell death."  Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 31