tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538379590376087070.post1222398556330396020..comments2024-01-20T03:06:23.903-05:00Comments on A Covenant Unique in the Spiritual Annals of Mankind: The Universal House of Justice is the "Marja'" and is Authorized to Receive and Disburse the Right of GodUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538379590376087070.post-21857543359065262402010-06-16T06:15:15.998-04:002010-06-16T06:15:15.998-04:00These are important explanations of the nuances of...These are important explanations of the nuances of some of the more complex aspects of the Baha'i covenant in history. Thank you for the post, Brent.Daniel_APhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11940324671777642844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538379590376087070.post-12043362643671298642009-03-13T13:16:00.000-04:002009-03-13T13:16:00.000-04:00I quite agree that the Headship of the Faith impli...I quite agree that the Headship of the Faith implicitly includes within it a broad array of powers. Off the top of my head, this includes representing the Faith, propagating and protecting it, administering its funds and assets, setting its priorities and direction, enforcing its laws, and liberating it from persecution. That's in no way intended to be complete, as I say, it's just off the top of my head. I think that by far, the vast majority of the functions of the Head of the Faith are shared in by both the Guardian and the House of Justice. It is much easier to specify those powers *not* shared in. The Guardian could not legislate where the Text was silent; I don't know what else he could not do. The Text says that the House cannot interpret; and it has itself determined that it is not authorized to appoint a successor Guardian, not can it appoint more Hands of the Faith. But the vast majority of the functions of the Head of the Faith are in administration, protection, propagation -- and these seem to me to be clearly within the scope of the duties of the Head of the Faith, and are reflected in the Constitution of the House, along with other duties such as promoting peace, the upbuilding of society, and many other specific and general powers.<BR/><BR/>Here's a general statement from Shoghi Effendi's "Dispensation" letter which speaks to this subject:<BR/><BR/>"Their common, their fundamental object is to ensure the continuity of that divinely appointed authority which flows from the Source of our Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers, and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings."<BR/><BR/>BrentBrent Poirierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09428119102240194683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1538379590376087070.post-63307351200071154622009-03-13T06:00:00.000-04:002009-03-13T06:00:00.000-04:00The function of Head of the Faith helps explain so...The function of Head of the Faith helps explain some other details. For example, Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi could both expel covenant-breakers, without this authority being specified in the Kitab-e `Ahd and Will and Testament. Why? Because covenant-breaking is rebellion against the Head of the Faith, so naturally the Head of the Faith is the one who decides when to act. The Hands also had this power, and it was specifically given to them in the Will and Testament - it had to be specified, because the Hands were not Head of the the Faith, so they did not have the power automatically. Conclusion: although the Will and Testament specified this power only to the Hands of the Cause, and there are no more Hands today, this does not mean that the power to expel covenant-breakers has expired, since that power is automatically entailed in the function of Head of the Faith, which is today the Universal House of Justice. <BR/><BR/>I think that this is a clearer concept than saying that the functions of the UHJ and the Guardianship "overlap" in some vague way. I haven't seen any study of the authority and functions the Head of the Faith/marja' : perhaps that's something to work onAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com