To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States
Dear
Bahá'í Friends,
The Universal House of Justice has considered your letters of August 27,1993,
and September 19,1994, in which you describe the impact of the changing sexual
mores and the public debate on homosexuality on some of the members of the
American Bahá'í community who are homosexuals.
We are instructed to provide the following guidance in response to the National
Spiritual Assembly's requests for a clarification of the Bahá'í law on
homosexual practices and for assistance in guiding the believers.
It is important to understand that there is a difference between the Bahá'í
attitude toward, on the one hand, the condition of homosexuality and those who
are affected by it and, on the other, the practice of homosexual relations by
members of the Bahá'í community.
As you know, the Bahá'í Faith strongly condemns all blatant acts of immorality,
and it includes among them the expression of sexual love between individuals of
the same sex. With regard to homosexual practices, Bahá'u'lláh, in the
Kitab-i-Aqdas, paragraph 107, and Questions and Answers, number 49, forbids
paederasty and sodomy. The following extract from one of His Tablets reveals the
strength of His condemnation:
"Ye are forbidden to commit adultery, sodomy and lechery. Avoid them, O concourse
of the faithful. By the righteousness of God! Ye have been called into being
to purge the world from the defilement of evil passions. This is what the Lord
of all mankind hath enjoined upon you, could ye but perceive it. He who relateth
himself to the All-Merciful and committeth satanic deeds, verily he is not of Me. Unto
this beareth witness every atom, pebble, tree and fruit, and beyond them this
ever-proclaiming, truthful and trustworthy Tongue."
In a letter dated March 26,1950, written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi, the
authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í Teachings, further explicates the Bahá'í
attitude toward homosexuality. It should be noted that the Guardian's
interpretation of this subject is based on his infallible understanding of the
Texts. It represents both a statement of moral principle and unerring guidance
to Bahá'ís who are homosexuals. The letter states:
"No matter how devoted and fine the love may be between people of the same sex,
to let it find expression in sexual acts is wrong. To say that it is ideal is no
excuse. Immorality of every sort is really forbidden by Bahá'u'lláh, and homosexual
relationships He looks upon as such, besides being against nature.
"To be afflicted this way is a great burden to a conscientious soul. But through
the advice and help doctors, through a strong and determined effort, and through prayer,
a soul can overcome this handicap."
It is evident, therefore, that the prohibition against Bahá'ís engaging in homosexual
behavior is an explicit teaching of the Cause. The Universal House of Justice is authorized
to change or repeal its own legislation as conditions change, thus providing Bahá'í
law with an essential element of flexibility, but it cannot abrogate or change any
of the laws which are explicitly laid down in the sacred Texts. It follows, then
that the House of Justice has no authority to change this clear teaching on homosexual practice.
You mention that concern has been expressed by some of the friends that the
unique identity of homosexual Bahá'ís is not sufficiently appreciated by the
Bahá'í community. It is important to reflect on the fact that the Writings of
the Faith not only acknowledge that each individual has a God-given identity,
but they also set out the means by which this identity can achieve its highest
development and fulfillment.
Bahá'u'lláh attests that through the Teachings of the Manifestations of God
"every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he
can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been
endowed." 'Abdu'l-Bahá observes that should man's "natural qualities ... be used
and displayed in an unlawful way, they become blameworthy."
Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated May 25,1936, writen on his behalf, identifies
man's "true self" with "his soul." In describing the nature of "man's inner
spiritual self or reality," he notes that the "two tendencies for good or evil
are but manifestations of a single reality or self," and that the self "is
capable of its highest development and that the self "is capable of development
in either way." Underlining the importance of education to the actualization of
man's potential, the Guardian concludes:
"All depends fundamentally on the training or education which man receives. Human
nature is made up of possibilities both for good and evil. True religion can enable it
to soar in the highest realm of the spirit, while its absence can, as we already witness
around us, cause it to fall to the lowest depths of degradation and misery."
As a framework within which to consider the subject of homosexuality, it is
important to acknowledge, with all due humility, that basic to the Bahá'í
Teachings is the concept that it is only God Who knows the purpose of human
life, and Who can convey this to us through His Manifestations.
A distinguishing feature of human existence is that we have been given the
capacity to know and love God and to consciously obey Him. Thus we also have the
converse: the abillty to turn away from God, to fail to love Him and to disobey
Him. Indeed, left to himself, man is naturally inclined toward evil. Human beings
need not only assistance in defining acceptable behavior of one person toward
another, but also guidance which will help them to refrain from doing that which
is spiritually damaging to themselves.
By responding to the Message of the Manifestation of God we learn how we should
live and draw on the spiritual strength which comes with it. Through studying
the Word of God and training ourselves to follow His commandments, we rise to
the full stature that He has designed for us.
The material world, in relation to the spiritual world, is a world of
imperfections. It is full of dangers and difficulties which have been greatly
aggravated by man's neglect and misuse of his responsibilities. Human society
itself, which exists in the material world, is in disastrous disarray.
Our appetites and inclinations are strongly influenced by the condition of our
physical makeup, and our bodies are in varying degrees of health, depending upon
factors such as heredity, environment, nourishment and our own treatment of
them. Genetic variations occur, producing conditions which can create problems
for the individual. Some conditions are of an emotional or psychological nature,
producing such imbalances as quickness to anger, recklessness, timorousness, and
so forth; others involve purely physical characteristics, resulting not only in
unusual capacities but also in handicaps or diseases of various kinds.
Whether deficiencies are inborn or are acquired, our purpose in this life is to
overcome them and to train ourselves in accordance with the pattern that is
revealed to us in the divine Teachings.
The view that homosexuality is a condition that is not amenable to change is to
be questioned by Bahá'ís. There are, of course, many kinds and degrees of
homosexuality, and overcoming extreme conditions is sure to be more difficult
than overcoming others. Nevertheless, as noted earlier, the Guardian has stated
that "through the advice and help of doctors, through a strong and determined
effort, and through prayer, a soul can overcome this handicap."
The statistics which indicate that homosexuality is incurable are undoubtedly
distorted by the fact that many of those who overcome the problem never speak about
it in public, and others solve their problems without even consulting professional counselors.
Nevertheless there are undoubtedly cases in which the individual finds himself
(or herself) unable to eliminate a physical attraction to members of the same
sex, even though he succeeds in controlling his behavior. This is but one of the
many trials and temptations to which human beings are subject in this life. For
Bahá'ís, it cannot alter the basic concept taught by Bahá'u'lláh, that the
kind of sexuality purposed by God is the love between a man and a woman, and
that its primary (but not its only) purpose is the bringing of children into
this world and providing them with a loving and protective environment in which
they can be reared to know and love God.
If, therefore, a homosexual cannot overcome his or her condition to the extent
of being able to have a heterosexual marriage, he or she must remain single,
and abstain from sexual relations. These are the same requirements as for a
heterosexual person who does not marry. While Bahá'u'lláh encourages the
believers to marry, it is important to note that marriage is by no means an
obligation. It is for the individual to decide whether he or she wishes to lead
a family life or to live in a state of celibacy.
The condition of being sexually attracted to some object other than a mature
member of the opposite sex, a condition of which homosexuality is but one
manifestation, is regarded by the Faith as a distortion of true human nature, as
a problem to be overcome, no matter what specific physical or psychological
condition may be the immediate cause. Any Bahá'í who suffers from such a
disability should be treated with understanding, and should be helped to control
and overcome it. All of us suffer from imperfections which we must struggle to
overcome, and we all need one another's understanding and patience.
To regard homosexuals with prejudice and disdain would be entirely against the
spirit of Bahá'í Teachings. The doors are open for all of humanity to enter the
Cause of God, irrespective of their present circumstances; this invitation
applies to homosexuals as well as to any others who are engaged in practices
contrary to the Bahá'í Teachings.
Associated with this invitation is the expectation that all believers will make
a sincere and persistent effort to eradicate those aspects of their conduct
which are not in conformity with Divine Law. It is through such adherence to the
Bahá'í Teachings that a true and enduring unity of the diverse elements of the
Bahá'í community is achieved and safeguarded.
When a person wishes to join the Faith and it is generally known that he or she
has a problem such as drinking, homosexuality, taking drugs, adultery, etc., the
individual should be told in a patient and loving way of the Bahá'í Teachings on
these matters. If it is later discovered that a believer is violating Bahá'í
standards, it is the duty of the Spiritual Assembly to determine whether the
immoral conduct is flagrant and can bring the name of the Faith into disrepute,
in which case the Assembly must take action to counsel the believer and require
him or her to make every effort to mend his ways.
If the individual fails to rectify his conduct in spite of repeated warnings,
sanctions should be imposed. Assemblies, of course, must exercise care not to
pry into the private lives of the believers to ensure that they are behaving
properly, but should not hesitate to take action in cases of blatant
misbehavior.
The Spiritual Assemblies should, to a certain extent, be forbearing in the
matter of people's moral conduct, such as homosexuality, in view of the terrible
deterioration of society in general. The Assemblies must also bear in mind that
while awareness of contemporary social and moral values may well enhance their
understanding of the situation of the homosexual, the standard which they are
called upon to uphold is the Bahá'í standard. A flagrant violation of this
standard disgraces the Bahá'í community in its own eyes even if the surrounding
society finds the transgression tolerable.
With regard to the organized network of homosexual Bahá'ís mentioned in your
letter, the Universal House of Justice has instructed us to say that, while there
is an appropriate role in the Bahá'í community for groups of individuals to come
together to help each other to understand or to deal with certain problem
situations, according to the Bahá'í Teachings there can be no place in our
community for groups which actively promote a style of life that is contrary to
the teachings of the Cause.
It should be understood that the homosexual tendencies of some individuals do
not entitle them to an identity setting them apart from others. Such individuals
share with every other Bahá'í the responsibility to adhere to the laws and
principles of the Faith as well as the freedom to exercise their administrative
rights.
The Universal House of Justice will pray that, armed with the guidance contained
in this letter, the National Spiritual Assembly will act with love, sensitivity
and firmness to assist the believers both to gain a deeper understanding of
their true and ennobling purpose in life and to make a strong and determined
effort to overcome every handicap to their spiritual development.
The Universal House of Justice
Department of the Secretariat