My Bahai-related email postings

Responses to Objections
to Church and State



Postings responding to objections to my thesis, that the Bahai Teachings unequivocally support the separation of church and state, and oppose theocratic governments and government interference in religious matters.

Response to an objection based on “The Bahá'í theocracy, ... is both divinely ordained as a system and, of course, based on the teachings of the Prophet Himself...." (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 78). Tarjuman, 30 March 2007
The same posting deals with the phrase "consummate union and blending of church and state" which has been interpolated into Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 455.


Response to questions arising from Susan Maneck's "A Review of Sen McGlinn's Article on Theocracy" which relates to "Theocratic Assumptions in Bahá'í Literature," published in Fazel and Danesh (eds) Reason and Revelation, 2002.
Posted on Talisman9, 21 March 2007


Why is it interesting to look at Bahai teachings on Church and State, given that a Bahai state is not within present possibilities? Responses to further questions arising from Susan Maneck's "A Review of Sen McGlinn's Article on Theocracy"
Posted on Talisman9, 21 March 2007


This starts with a discussion of public baths, because somebody had proposed that since the House of Justice is said to have public hygiene tasks, it must be a theocracy. Then it looks at the circumstances of the name change, from 'House of Justice' to 'Local Spiritual Assembly.'
Posted to Tarikh, March 28, 2007


This posting relates to the interpolation of the phrase ""The consummate union and blending of church and state" in Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 455, and goes on to look at the reasons for such changes - also in the New Testament texts. Then it looks at the meanings of the Persian word siyasiyyah, incorrectly translated in the 8th Ishraqat as 'state.'
Posted on Tarikh, 1 November 2006


A person investigating the Bahai Faith had encountered theocratic ideas among the Bahais she met, and asked if these were correct, and where they came from. I look at a couple of scriptures, and a couple of the early Bahai authors who confused the issue.
Posted on Talisman9, 15 February 2007