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THE AUTHORITY OF THE
HANDS.
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Greetings Friends of the Baha'i Faith! Recently the Baha'is Under the Provisions of the Covenant received a letter promulgating the Hands of the Cause. The letter was written by a Sans-guardian Baha'i and was forwarded to us from a friend of the Cause. The letter contained most of the arguments for the authority of the Hands. The purpose of this document is to address a few of the Sans-guardian's main points. To begin with, Sans-guardian said: >> I write this letter as a humble attempt to refute idle claims against marvelous and wonderful institutions, the Hands of the Cause of God and the Universal House of Justice. <<
He mentions these two institutions, the Hands and the UHJ, as if they are the two primary institutions of the Faith. However, according to Shoghi Effendi, this is false. The unity of the human race depends upon a world commonwealth made up of two institutions--the executive and the legislative: "The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Baha'u'llah, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united... This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth." [Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 189] According to page 15 of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, it takes both the executive branch and the legislative branch to have justice. Without justice there can be no Universal House of Justice. If that one on Mt. Carmel doesn't have the executive branch, then it's not Baha'u'llah's House of Justice: "The legislative body must reinforce the executive, the executive must aid and assist the legislative body so that through the close union and harmony of these two forces, the foundation of fairness and justice may become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world may become even as Paradise itself." ['Abdu'l-Baha, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 15] We caught you red-handed! According to the Will and Testament, the Universal House of Justice consists of two branches--the executive branch and the legislative branch. Any "House of Justice" that doesn't have the executive branch is the guilty party. The Hands did away with the executive in order to get their hands in the cookie jar, that is, for their own self-aggrandizement and empowerment. They were interested in getting control of the property and the money in the Baha'i Faith. That's the only reason they took over is because of their greed for power and wealth. There are a number of you who see the Covenant-breaking taking place in the Baha'i World Faith due to the lack of the executive branch on the "Universal House of Justice" on Mt. Carmel. This document will show how the Hands knowingly went against Shoghi Effendi and the Baha'i Covenant in a vain attempt to establish themselves as leaders of the Baha'i Faith. But before we get into the Hands' violation, it is necessary to answer the question: Why aren't the Baha'is Under the Provisions of the Covenant shunning the mainstream Baha'is? Sans-guardian commented: >> If I am considered a covenant breaker, shun me... For some reason, those covenant breakers are not willing to shun those Baha'is loyal to the Universal House of Justice in Haifa... If the Covenant Breakers see themselves as standard bearers for the Covenant, they should shun us all... Failure to do this itself shows how they do not live up to the standards in Abdu'l-Baha's Will and Testament...<< We all agree that Baha'u'llah is the Manifestation of God, 'Abdu'l-Baha is the Exemplar of the Faith, and Shoghi Effendi was the Guardian of the Cause of God. We also agree on the principle of shunning. But should anyone blindly shun another? Or should we shun according to the tenets of the Faith? In the book Promulgation of Universal Peace, 'Abdu'l-Baha says: "At most it is this: Some do not know; they must be guided and trained... Some are ignorant; they must be informed. Some are as children, undeveloped; they must be helped to reach maturity. Some are ailing, their moral condition is unhealthy; they must be treated until their morals are purified. But the sick man is not to be hated because he is sick, the child must not be shunned because he is a child, the ignorant one is not to be despised because he lacks knowledge."[page 270] "...Truth or reality must be investigated; for reality is one, and by investigating it all will find love and unity. Those who are ignorant must be educated, the ailing must be healed, the undeveloped must be brought to maturity. Shall we reject or oppose the ignorant, sick or immature because of their incapacity? Is it not better to be kind and gentle and to provide the means of remedy?" [pages 127-128] According to the Writings, Baha'is don't shun others who are wavering or completely ignorant of the violation. Therefore we are not shunning those who are afflicted by the violation of the Hands. It is because of our kindness that we attempt to guide you to the truth of the matter concerning how the Covenant was broken by the Hands. Our methods may seem harsh and abrasive, but "like a man holding in his hand a cup of poison, which, when about to drink, a friend breaks and thus saves him" ['Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, page 21], we now strike this shameful cup of abominations from your lips in an attempt to save you from awaking to "everlasting contempt." [Daniel 12:2] On the other hand, we do shun the perpetrators of the Violation and those who knowingly go against God: "Take heed that thou resign not the reins of the affairs of thy state into the hands of others, and repose not thy confidence in ministers unworthy of thy trust, and be not of them that live in heedlessness. Shun them whose hearts are turned away from thee, and place not thy confidence in them, and entrust them not with thine affairs and the affairs of such as profess thy faith. Beware that thou allow not the wolf to become the shepherd of God's flock, and surrender not the fate of His loved ones to the mercy of the malicious. Expect not that they who violate the ordinances of God will be trustworthy or sincere in the faith they profess. Avoid them, and preserve strict guard over thyself, lest their devices and mischief hurt thee. Turn away from them, and fix thy gaze upon God, thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful." [Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, page 233] So who is Baha'u'llah warning us about in this quote? It fits the Hands to a tee! When Shoghi Effendi died, the people resigned the affairs of the Baha'i world (state) into the hands of the Hands who set themselves up to minister the affairs, heedless of the instructions of Shoghi Effendi that the believers turn to the IBC with the executive as its president. The Hands were not concerned about the people of Baha, rather they were simply interested in attempting to elevate themselves above their allotted stations and the Law of God. The people fell asleep, and the wolf became the shepherd. The Hands and their administration loosely refer to people as "Covenant-breakers," ignorant of the true meaning of the term. A person isn't a Covenant-breaker because you slur them with the name "Covenant-breaker." A Covenant-breaker is one who breaks the Covenant. People can't go by somebody labeling someone else as a Covenant-breaker without proof. This is injustice. Just because somebody says that somebody's an SOB doesn't mean that his mother was a female dog. They use the words "SOB" as a slur. Therefore, it's used inappropriately. You say, "He is a Covenant-breaker. You've got to shun him." Well, what part of the Covenant was broken? They never show what provisions of the Covenant were broken. This label has been used by the Hands and the UHJ on Mt. Carmel to conceal the truth, manipulating and oppressing the people of Baha from investigating the reality of things. We don't arbitrarily label anyone as a "Covenant-breaker"--we say that the Hands broke the Covenant because THEY BROKE THE COVENANT AND WE HAVE THE PROOF! How did they break it? As we will prove, they did away with the executive branch! Sans-guardian also feels that the Hands are part of the Baha'i hierarchy: >> I write this in deference to the station of [the Hands'] posts in the Baha'i hierarchy. << According to the Writings, the Hands are not a part of the Baha'i hierarchy. Rather hierarchy consists of the two institutions of the guardianship and the legislative: "The security of our precious Faith, the preservation of the spiritual health of the Baha'i communities, the vitality of the faith of its individual members, the proper functioning of its laboriously erected institutions, the fruition of its worldwide enterprises, the fulfillment of its ultimate destiny, all are directly dependent upon the befitting discharge of the weighty responsibilities now resting upon the members of these two institutions, occupying, with the Universal House of Justice, next to the Institution of the Guardianship, foremost rank in the divinely ordained administrative hierarchy of the World Order of Baha'u'llah." [Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Baha'i World, page 123] Sans-guardian goes on to put forth the malarkey supported by the Hands that the guardianship has come to an end: >> The Guardian died in 1957. He left no heirs; he left no will. Baha'is were bewildered and confused. They expected Shoghi Effendi to nominate a Guardian in a will... Shoghi Effendi left no will because there was no descendent of Baha'u'llah left loyal to the Covenant. << It is not true that the next guardian must be appointed in a will! This is a smoke-screen! The appointment had to be made in Shoghi Effendi's lifetime: "O ye beloved of the lord! it is incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own lifetime him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing." ['Abdu'l-Baha, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 12] A will doesn't take effect until after a person's death and therefore the appointment of a succeeding guardian cannot take place in a will. The Hands failed the test of successorship when they did away with the guardianship because they could not find a successor appointed in a will. If they knew the Will and Testament, as all Baha'is should, they would have known that an appointment in a will is not the criteria upon which we base the successor to the guardianship. The Hands should have been looking for a guardian who fulfilled the following criteria: 1. that he was appointed in the lifetime of Shoghi Effendi (which a will cannot fulfill) and 2. that he is a son, either biologically or through adoption. These two points are clearly laid out in the Will and Testament: "Thus, should the first-born of the guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: "The child is the secret essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him." ('Abdu'l-Baha, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, page 12) We know that Shoghi Effendi had no sons. Even if he did, Shoghi Effendi's biological son could not have fulfilled this criteria because the line of executive guardians (those who sit at the head of the UHJ) must be Aghsans (male lineal descendents from Baha'u'llah) and Shoghi Effendi was not an Aghsan. This is why Shoghi Effendi had no biological sons. Similar to the reason Jesus Christ had no sons: he didn't need to because he didn't sit on the throne of David. Jesus had a non-biological successor made up of his body of 12 apostles. Shoghi's successor is similar to Jesus' in that it is a body of his appointed members of the IBC. His IBC included the executive guardian descended from King David, Mason Remey, which he appointed as president of that IBC. In the above passage from the Will and Testament, 'Abdu'l-Baha states: ...should he [the first-born] not inherit of the spiritual within him...and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the guardian of the Cause of God) choose "another branch to succeed him." What was 'Abdul-Baha talking about here? As stated, Shoghi Effendi had no sons. If he adopted someone, that person would not fit the bill because Shoghi Effendi did not sit on the throne of David and therefore neither would his adopted son. 'Abdu'l-Baha sat on the throne of David. 'Abdu'l-Baha didn't have any natural-born sons either. 'Abdu'l-Baha adopted Mason Remey, a gentile, and grafted him on to the line of David in fulfillment of the Shiloh prophecy in Genesis 49, verse 10 which states: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be]." Shoghi Effendi grafted Mason Remey on to the line of David when he appointed him as president of the IBC. God said he would never lie to David or break his covenant (read Psalms 89, the whole thing). The Hands broke God's covenant. God does not break His own covenant. God sees to it that His plan is fulfilled one way or another. If someone breaks God's covenant, God raises up someone who believes in God, His Plan, and will remain forever steadfast and firm in the covenant to insure the fulfillment of His Plan. What a bunch of losers the Hands were! What a joke, eulogizing the Hands who broke God's covenant, the way the Baha'i world does! They broke God's covenant by saying the guardianship ended! For heaven's sake, investigate! Investigate! You can do that--it is within your right and responsibility as a Baha'i. What is the "other branch to succeed him" referring to? This pertains to the fact that Shoghi Effendi, not having a biological son to succeed him, set up a non biological son successorship in a council in embryonic form that everyone was to turn to upon his passing. This council was an embryonic Universal House of Justice, and was called the first International Baha'i Council. It consisted of two parts, the executive head and the legislative body in conformity with 'Abdu'l-Baha's world court that was to be set up on Mt. Carmel in 1963. Later its body (not the head) was to be elected to form the International Tribunal, that was to bring peace to the world, then it would effloresce into the Universal House of Justice: Are Sans-guardian and the Hands saying that Shoghi Effendi didn't follow the command that "It is incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own lifetime him that shall become his successor..." [Will and Testament, p. 12]? Are they calling Shoghi Effendi a Covenant Breaker?
In fact, Shoghi Effendi obeyed every line of the Will and Testament. According to the Will and Testament, the successors following 'Abdu'l-Baha are Shoghi Effendi and then the Universal House of Justice with the (Aghsan) Executive branch. "All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause [Shoghi Effendi] and [then] the [Universal] House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error." ['Abdu'l-Baha, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 26] In his lifetime Shoghi Effendi appointed his successor, his lineal descendent. As previously explained, his lineal descendent is not a physical son, but is a non-biological son in the perfect form of legislative body and executive head, the first International Baha'i Council that was to evolve into the Universal House of Justice. Shoghi Effendi appointed 'Abdul-Baha's son, an Aghsan (branch), to be the president, or executive branch, of that Council! Formation of First International Baha'i Council Shoghi declared that this IBC was the "embryonic" form of the UHJ. The word embryonic means "being in an early stage of development" or "something as yet undeveloped." The IBC was the UHJ in its first of four stages of evolvement. Everything found in the mature form exists in embryo. For instance, in the embryo of a chicken you will find everything that's in the adult chicken--the heart, the feathers, the beak. It's all there, it's just not fully developed. The same holds true for a tree, a dog, a human being, etc.. Therefore everything found in the embryonic form of the IBC was to be found in the mature form of the UHJ after its four stages of evolvement. And therefore the first IBC was Shoghi Effendi's appointed successor, the embryonic UHJ. In a subsequent cablegram, Shoghi Effendi appointed the president of this first IBC. This president was the head of the embryonic IBC and therefore was to be the head of the adult form of the UHJ: Spiritual and Administrative World Center No! Shoghi did not break the Covenant! He provided a lineal successor in his lifetime, the first IBC and he provided for the continuation of the executive branch by appointing Abdul-Baha's son to be the president of the first IBC. If Shoghi Effendi had not appointed his lineal successor in his lifetime he would have been guilty of Covenant-breaking. He fulfilled his duty by appointing the members of the first IBC and by placing Mason Remey as its president.
Shoghi Effendi said that the formation of the first IBC "rank[ed] second only to glorious immortal events associated with Ministries of the Three Central Figures of Faith in course of First Age of most glorious Dispensation of the five thousand century Baha'i Cycle" making that first IBC an extremely important institution! Shoghi Effendi didn't say the Hands ranked second, third or fourth or at all. But the Hands proved to be rank when they disregarded Shoghi Effendi's instructions and dissolved that first IBC. Sans-guardian continues: >> Many Baha'is, now more than ever, do not remember or understand The Baha'i International Council formed by Shoghi Effendi. << Yes, the International Baha'i Council has been forgotten by the people just as the Hands hoped it would be almost 40 years ago. The believers have been oppressed because they have been forced to take the word of the Hands and have been prevented from exercising their God-given right to investigate the truth. Sans-guardian states that: >>... it was always intended for the International Baha'i Council to evolve into the Universal House of Justice.... << This statement is correct. But why didn't Shoghi Effendi's first IBC evolve into the UHJ? Because the Hands prevented it from happening! You may be wondering, How did the Hands obstruct the evolution of the IBC into the UHJ? Good question. To answer this you need to understand the make-up of the IBC at the time of Shoghi Effendi's death. The members of the first IBC were all infallibly handpicked by Shoghi Effendi. Five of the members, including it's President, were Hands and the other four members were not Hands. In 1957 when Shoghi Effendi died, the Hands wrongly assumed control of the Baha'i World Faith and attempted to assassinate the IBC. The four members of the IBC who were not Hands were assigned housekeeping duties at the pilgrim house in Haifa. But the other five members of the IBC were still empowered by the fact that they were members of the body of the Hands. Two years later, after the Hands were firmly in control, the Hands figured out by examining Shoghi Effendi's plan that only an IBC could become the UHJ. So they decided to re-set up the IBC. Only now they concluded that the Hands were ineligible to sit on their new IBC. Then the Hands got rid of the executive. They replaced him with nine members of their own choosing which they called the "Custodians." (More on this later.) Instead they created the "Custodians" of the faith who were made up of the remaining Hands, above and aloof from what they had now invented. The original four non-Hands were immediately voted back onto the IBC. But none of the originally appointed Hands, including its Aghsan President, were eligible for their new UHJ. This was all in opposition to Shoghi Effendi who had previously set up an infallible IBC the way God wanted it. But the Hands thought they had a better plan than God and prevented it from ever holding a meeting until it was set up the way they thought it would be in their best interests, similar to the way the US government sets up puppet governments in Panama and Iran to prevent the true government from being activated. Sans-guardian continues: >> the Guardian must be a Ghusn. << On page 11 of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will and Testament, Shoghi Effendi is referred to as "the sacred and youthful branch." The Arabic word that is used for "youthful branch" is the word "far'". This is the singular of the word "afnan" which is translated into English as the word "twigs" and stands for the collateral descendents of The Bab. In order to determine if someone is an Afnan, you must look at the lineage through the male line. Shoghi Effendi was descended from Baha'u'llah through 'Abdu'l-Baha's daughter, Daya'iyyih, and was descended from The Bab through his father, Mirza Hadi Afnan who was The Bab's nephew. Shoghi Effendi was not a male line descendant of Baha'u'llah and therefore was not an Aghsan guardian. He was an Afnan. This is why in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will and Testament Shoghi Effendi is entitled the "unique and priceless pearl" and the "sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees." [pg. 3] This is because Shoghi Effendi was "unique" or "one of a kind" being born from both lineages of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Shoghi Effendi was a unique guardian in the Baha'i Faith, and he had no sons to continue his unique, infallible lineage of being branched from both The Bab and Baha'u'llah. Shoghi Effendi was not a descendent of Baha'u'llah through the male line, thus he was not a Ghusn. He was an Afnan, a collateral descendent from the male line of the Bab and Muhammad. The guardians that follow Shoghi Effendi are to be Ghusn according to page 12 of the Will and Testament: "...Should the first-born of the guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words:--"The child is the secret essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch [Ghusn] to succeed him." This statement shows that the Aghsan Guardianship was always meant to continue because Shoghi Effendi wasn't a Ghusn on his father's side--he was an Afnan. This section of the Will and Testament provides for and promises the continuation of this "glorious" lineage through natural or adopted Aghsans no matter what any Covenant-breaker says. Sans-guardian and the Hands falsely assert that Mason Remey was a Covenant-breaker because he claimed to be the Guardian: >> In 1960, Mason Remey, an elderly western Baha'i who prior to his defection was held in high esteem by all, declared that as President of the Baha'i International Council, he was the Center of the Covenant, Guardian, and that he and his choice of successors should be the head of the Baha'i Faith. << Here, Sans-guardian is making statements that are inaccurate and untrue: 1) The 'Center of the Covenant' was 'Abdu'l-Baha (according the Kitab-i-Ahd). 'Abdu'l-Baha never bestowed this title on Shoghi Effendi--Instead according to the Will and Testament, Shoghi Effendi was the 'Center of the Cause': All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause
[Shoghi Effendi] and [then] the House of Justice. And he that turneth
unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error. Therefore, Shoghi Effendi was not the 'Center of the Covenant.' 2) Mason Remey was not the Center of the Covenant either. Neither Shoghi Effendi or 'Abdu'l-Baha bestowed that title on him. Mason's claim was as follows: "He who is President of the Universal House of Justice is the Guardian of the Faith for he who is the Guardian of the Faith is President of the Universal House of Justice. These two offices are one and the same. Therefore, when the beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi appointed me President of the Baha'i International Council, that, he explained, was the forerunner of the Universal House of Justice that was the Embryonic [sic] Universal House of Justice that would eventually develop into the Universal House of Justice. I or one of my successors in Guardianship would be President of this divinely instituted infallible body, the Universal House of Justice; therefore the Guardianship of the Baha'i Faith and the Presidency of the Universal House of Justice are one and the same position in the Faith." [Ministry of the Custodians, page 232] His claim was substantiated by the Will and Testament: "By this body [UHJ] all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the Guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body. ['Abdu'l-Baha, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, page 14] In Sans-guardian's own words, he proves Mason's claim: >> Mason Remey...declared that as President of the Baha'i International Council, he was the...Guardian...[of the Universal House of Justice.] Sans-guardian goes on to say concerning Mason Remey's adoption: >> There are various arguments that Mason Remey was adopted by Baha'u'llah. There are also rumblings about a medallion or clot of blood, or lock of hair used to show the adoption/succession (objects not mentioned in the Will and Testament). Rest assured, had Mason Remey been a viable candidate for the job, Shoghi Effendi could have nominated him. The reason why there was no will nominating Mason Remey for the job is because he was not a Ghusn. << Sans-guardian is attempting to throw you off from the facts by muddying the water. Everyone knows that Mason was not Baha'u'llah's son. But Mason was an Aghsan due to being adopted by 'Abdu'l-Baha. In the Star of the West it is recorded that 'Abdu'l-Baha publicly addressed Mason Remey as "O my dear son," (vol 10, #8 page 144) and "O thou enlightened beloved son," (vol 11, #13, page 229) plus it is recorded in a book written by one of the early believers that 'Abdu'l-Baha sent a message to Mason Remey saying, "You are very dear to me. You are so dear to me I think of you day and night. You are my real son. Therefore I have an idea for you. I hope it may come to pass. 'Abdu'l-Baha." [Diary of Juliet Thompson, page 71] But the Hands apparently thought they had a better idea which included getting rid of Mason Remey in defiance of 'Abdu'l-Baha's plan. The evidence listed above is enough to prove that Mason was 'Abdu'l-Baha's son. In order to make the adoption legal and binding, in accordance with Israeli law, 'Abdu'l-Baha gave Mason Remey a token of inheritance via Shoghi Effendi. He enclosed it inside an envelope within which was another envelope containing the token. On the outside of the envelope in Shoghi Effendi's handwriting was this note: "Of all the remnants of Baha'u'llah's all-sacred Person, the most hallowed, the most precious, confidently delivered into the hands of my brother and co-worker in the Cause of God, Mr. Remey. [Signed] Shoghi. March 1922." On the inside envelope, which was sealed with a blob of wax was handwritten, "Coagulated drops of Baha'u'llah's all-Sacred Blood and Ringlets of
His Most Blessed Locks presented as my most precious possession to 'Abdu'l-Baha's
'dear son' Mr. Charles Mason Remey as a token of my Baha'i affection
and brotherly love. [signed] Shoghi." It is clear and evident that Shoghi Effendi knew that Mason was 'Abdu'l-Baha's adopted son. This token seals the adoption agreement making it legal and binding! This token of the hair and the blood has important symbolism. The blood represents Baha'u'llah's bloodline which is "all-Sacred" and "Hallowed." The bloodline is that of the royal line of Kings descended from David. Baha'u'llah was a male-line descendent from King David and we have His genealogy that proves this. Also, in Baha'u'llah's own words states that he is descended from King David: "The Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty [Baha'u'llah] ruleth upon the throne of David. Thus hath My Pen spoken that which the histories of bygone ages have related." [Baha'u'llah, Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, page 89] The "histories of bygone of ages" that Baha'u'llah is referring to is the promise that God made to David in Psalms 89 that there would always be an appointed descendent (Guardian) seated on the throne of David, and that God will never ever violate or go back on His covenant, or even "alter the words" that went from from His lips: "I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established for ever; it shall stand firm while the skies endure." [Psalms 89:34-37] So you see, the ridiculous line the Hands used, that God "changed His mind" to validate their own wicked violation of God's sacred covenant in order to dupe the Baha'is into believing a lie, is as bogus as can be. The other token, Baha'u'llah's hair, represents the head which is "precious" and "His Most Blessed Locks." The head is the Executive branch of the UHJ. By adopting Mason Remey, 'Abdu'l-Baha provided another Aghsan who was eligible to be the Executive/ President/ Guardian of the UHJ. This adoption grafted Mason into God's Covenant with David (you really should read Psalms 89). Also the adoption fulfilled the oldest prophecy in the Bible, that the Kingship would depart from the genetic bloodline of David and go to the gentiles. In Genesis 49:10 it says: "The sceptre [rod of kingship] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." It was from the tribe of Judah that King David was descended. Therefore there was to always be a male-line descendent of King David seated on the throne of David until the coming of Shiloh. When Shiloh came, this scepter departed from the line of Judah to the gentiles (see Isaiah 11). This prophecy was fulfilled with the coming of Shiloh (the Promised Land or the Promised Leland) in 1914 AD and the sceptre departed from the line of Judah with 'Abdu'l-Baha's adoption of Mason Remey. No matter what angle you look at it, these facts proves two things: 1) Mason Remey was a son of 'Abdu'l-Baha, making him an Aghsan and 2) Shoghi Effendi appointed Mason Remey as President of the first IBC. Baha'u'llah sat on the throne of David; 'Abdu'l-Baha sat on the throne of David; and Mason Remey sat on the throne of David because 'Abdu'l-Baha adopted him as his son and Shoghi Effendi appointed him as the President of the first IBC/UHJ! Therefore it is obvious that in the Plan of God Mason Remey was intended to be the Guardian of the UHJ. Any attempt to argue this is vain and false and for naught! The other fact is that the Hands craftily got Mason out of the picture simply by labeling him a "Covenant-breaker." They cleverly performed an "executivectomy" in order to keep themselves empowered. To summarize: * A Ghusn is a descendent of Baha'u'llah; * Mason Remey was adopted by 'Abdu'l-Baha; * Therefore Mason Remey was a Ghusn. * The IBC was the embryonic form of the UHJ; * Everything that is found in the embryo is found in the adult; * Therefore the embryonic head of the IBC is the same as the embryonic head of the UHJ. * The president/executive of the IBC/UHJ must be a Ghusn according to the Will and Testament; * One of the first things Shoghi Effendi did as Guardian was to pass on the clot of blood and lock of hair to Mason; * Shoghi Effendi later appointed Mason as the president of the IBC; * Therefore Shoghi Effendi appointed Mason as the president, or head, of the IBC/UHJ. Sans-guardian quoted from Wellsprings of Guidance, page 47 which he presumed to be from the Arabic and Persian Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha: >> "My purpose is this, that ere the expiration of a thousand years, no one has the right to utter a single word, even to claim the station of Guardianship." << If this quote is accurate, did Shoghi Effendi go against 'Abdu'l-Baha when he claimed to be the Guardian before 1,000 years? Isn't this an apparent contradiction? The truth is the word used for "Guardianship" in the original version was "Amr" which means "Command". So it should have read "even to claim the station of Command." The UHJ interpreted it to be "Guardianship," but actually this tablet is referring to the Manifestation to come in a thousand years. Therefore the UHJ has interpolated this Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Baha to suit their needs and further proves that this is a bogus UHJ because it is subject to misinterpretation and error, whereas the true UHJ is freed from error (see Will and Testament, p. 14). Why does it make mistakes? Because of the lack of an executive branch!! -- In the Hands proclamation of their violation to the world, they stated on November 25, 1957: "Whereas the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, passed away in London (England) on the 4th of November, 1957, without having appointed his successor; And whereas it is now fallen upon us as Chief Stewards of the Baha'i World Faith to preserve the unity, the security and the development of the Baha'i World Community and all its institutions; And whereas in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha "the Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God"; We nominate and appoint from our own number to act on our behalf as the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith...to exercise...all such functions, right and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Baha'i World Faith, and this until such time as the Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and elected in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, may otherwise determine." [Ministry of the Custodians, pages 29,30] The first and most important point is why are the Hands meeting as a body following the death of Shoghi Effendi? The Will and Testament explains that the Hands only function under the guardian: "This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction
of the guardian of the Cause of God." Therefore Shoghi Effendi's Hands were to function only under Shoghi Effendi's direction. Their positions were terminated upon his death. This is similar to the cabinet members of the president of the United States--when the president dies or leaves office, his cabinet ceases to exist. Just as your hands no longer function when your head dies, so too did Shoghi Effendi's Hands cease to exist upon his death. Instead the Hands tried to set themselves up in place of the first International Baha'i Council and the succeeding guardian.
(The Hands of the Cause, in 1963, gloating over their violation of the Covenant in setting up the UHJ without an Executive, without the first International Baha'i Council having first become a world court and electing the UHJ without "universal sufferage" nor from "Secondary Houses of Justice.") The second point is that it is absolutely clear as cited by Sans-guardian from the book Ministry of the Custodians that the Hands knew that the first International Baha'i Council was the appointed body that was to evolve into the Universal House of Justice: "As to the International Baha'i Council, appointed by the Guardian and heralded in his communications to the Baha'i world, that body will in the course of time finally fulfill its purpose through the formation of the Universal House of Justice, that Supreme Body upon which infallibility, as the Master's Testament assures us, is divinely conferred: "The source of all good and freed from all error." The main work of the Council has been to act as the Guardian's representative in matters involving the Israeli Government and its courts of law." [Ministry of the Custodians, page 37] The third point is the Hands have no authority to determine who or what the successor is. Nowhere in the Will and Testament are they given this right. Even if they unanimously agree and decide to set up a body of "Custodians" to have all the "functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian," in no way is this an infallible decision nor can the Hands abrogate the Will and Testament. Even if Mason Remey signs this document it doesn't make the Hands decision infallible. The idea that a non-authoritative body can set-up an authoritative body is pure fantasy. They made this self-proclamation that they were the leaders of the Faith, but it is only the recognized authoritative individual or body who can set-up the authoritative UHJ. Shoghi Effendi was the authority who set-up that first IBC; today the Promised Establisher of the Baha'i Faith has set up the second IBC according the Shoghi Effendi's plan. Nowhere are the Hands granted infallibility in any of their decision making. And to briefly answer the question as to why would Mason Remey sign that document if he knew this was a violation of the Hands: according to his diary Daily Observations, Mason Remey said he signed this document because the Hands promised to follow Shoghi's 10-year plan (which included the evolvement of the first IBC into the UHJ). This is verified in the book Ministry of the Custodians: The Hands were "...determined to carry out every aspect of the Guardian's wishes and hopes..." [page 37] It was for this reason that Mason Remey signed the Hands' proclamation. Any document that Mason signed could not have changed the fact that Mason Remey had been adopted by 'Abdu'l-Baha and was his son. Therefore he signed the document, not denouncing his inheritance, but because he knew that the first International Baha'i Council was to evolve into the UHJ and that he was to be its president. As long as the Hands were willing to go along with Shoghi Effendi's plan, Mason Remey signed this document along with the other Hands. And it was for this same reason that Mason Remey broke away from the Hands and made his proclamation as the Guardian when the Hands went against Shoghi Effendi's "wishes and hopes" by dissolving that first IBC in 1959. The fourth point addresses the statement made by the Hands in their proclamation: "...Whereas in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha 'the Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God...'" In order to justify their violation of the Covenant, the Hands/bogus UHJ have purposely mistranslated the sacred text and ignored Shoghi Effendi's infallible guidance on this matter. Let's take a look. In the Will and Testament it says: "The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine
persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services
in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these
nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company
of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by
a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom
the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This
assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices
may not be distinguished (i.e., secret ballot)." The assent being given in a secret ballot refers to the election of the nine. Shoghi Effendi clarifies this point in the explanation below. This passage does not support the claims of the Hands that they have any authority to choose or veto the choice of the Guardian: Passage on Will and Testament According to the Will and Testament, Shoghi Effendi is infallible ("...whoso opposeth him hath opposed God..." page 11) and this is his infallible explanation of this passage of the Will and Testament. It is clear from this passage from the infallible Guardian Shoghi Effendi that the Hands are to be submissive and lowly before the Guardian and this includes the Guardian's choice of successor. It is also clear from this passage, from the infallible Guardian Shoghi Effendi, that the Hands have not been given the authority to overrule the Guardian, that the word 'assent' is a command that they must accept the one that Shoghi Effendi appointed to succeed him. It doesn't need to be reinterpreted by anyone, including Sans-guardian or the UHJ. Period. It was Shoghi Effendi who translated the Will and Testament. Therefore when this matter of the meaning of the word 'assent' came up in the past, it was Shoghi Effendi who explained the passage. Now that it has arisen again with the violation of the Hands, Shoghi Effendi is not here to re-explain this passage, so we must accept his original explanation found in Baha'i News. In accordance with the Will and Testament we accept what Shoghi Effendi said because we are obedient to the Guardian and the Covenant. Next Sans-guardian points out how the Hands went against God's Plan in this series of quotes from Ministry of the Custodians: >> Meanwhile the entire body of the Hands, assembled by the nine
Hands of the World Centre, will decide when and how the International
Baha'i Council is to evolve..." They spuriously set themselves up to be the decision-makers. By saying when and how the IBC would evolve, they subtly became the authority of the Faith. How could the non-authoritative Hands know the mind of God? How can they institute a better plan than God already had? Man plots, but God also plots; and God is the best of plotters. [Koran surah 8, vs 30] >> In all their dealings with the Israel Government and any local
authorities in Israel the Custodians shall act through the Baha'i International
Council, who shall act in accordance with the instructions of the Custodians.
Once again the Hands have placed themselves above the IBC. In the cablegram where Shoghi Effendi announces the formation of the IBC, he didn't say the IBC would evolve through the guidance of the Hands. It's under the guidance and protection of God. What right do they have to stick their nose in God's business? Like PT Barnum they must have been thinking, "There's a sucker born every minute." A final point regarding this proclamation--Where in the writings is any authority given to "Chief Stewards" or "Custodians"? After the death of Shoghi Effendi the Hands claimed that they were the authority of the Faith because Shoghi Effendi had referred to them as the "Chief Stewards." By making this claim, the Hands don't have a leg to stand on. Surely as educated as Shoghi Effendi was, he used this word 'steward' within its context. Let's examine what the meaning of this word is-- "On a passenger ship a highly organized team of officers are in command. The top man is called the Captain, or Master. He has final authority over and final responsibility for the passengers. Next, the Captain has a number of deck officers, called Mates, to assist him--He has a First Mate, a Second Mate and a Third Mate. All these officers must have a license which they receive after passing a test given by some authority. (For instance, the US Coast Guard issues licenses to officers on American merchant ships.) The deck officers navigate the ship and command the deck crew. "The deck crew consists of Able-Bodied Seamen (or AB's) and ordinary seamen. On American ships both groups of seamen must hold authorized certificates issued by the Coast Guard. Able-Bodied Seamen have more experience then ordinary seamen and have the more responsible tasks such as standing lookout, helping steer and making difficult repairs. Ordinary seamen do painting and other maintenance work. "The maintenance room has a separate organization. It is headed by a Chief Engineer who is aided by First, Second and Third Assistant Engineers. Like the Captain and deck officers, all the engineers must have a license..." According to the definition of the crew members on a standard passenger ship, the only ones who are authorized and fulfill a criteria to be recognized as authentic crew members are: the Captain, the First, Second and Third Mates; the Able-Bodied Seamen and the ordinary seamen; the Chief Engineer, and the First, Second and Third Engineers. And out of all of these positions there are only a few who are authorized and trained to navigate the ship--The Captain, the First, Second and Third Mates and the Able-Bodied Seamen. But the question remains: Where do the Chief Stewards fit in? --"In addition to the deck officers, engine room staff and seamen, the ship has a number of other crewmen. They include a Chief Radio Operator; a Chief Steward, who is in charge of obtaining, preparing and servicing food,...." The Chief Stewards are in charge of obtaining, preparing and serving the food! They serve the passengers! No way are they authorized to steer and operate the ship! However, this is just what the Hands and Ruhiyyih Khanum proclaimed that they did: "... [The Hands] found themselves called upon to seize the helm of their Faith." [Ministry of the Custodians, page xix] They took control of the Baha'i Faith by "seizing the helm," or in other words, they took over the guidance of the Baha'i Faith. A definition of the word "seize" is "to possess or take by force, capture." Therefore according to their own words the Chief Stewards took control of the Baha'i Faith by mutiny, denying the rightful, authoritative successor, the first IBC, to guide the Faith, and proclaiming that they were now the Captain, or head, of the Faith, assigning all the "functions, rights and powers" of the Guardian to a group of head-Chief Stewards they called "Custodians" (aka "Janitors"). This is piracy, plain and simple! 'Abdu'l-Baha forewarned that even the Hands were capable of disobeying God: "Should any, within or without the company of the Hands of the Cause
of God disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and his vengeance
will be upon him, for he will have caused a breach in the true Faith
of God." >> [The Hands said:] The Custodians shall be deemed to succeed the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith... [Ministry of the Custodians, page 33]<< Covenant-breaking! Covenant-breaking! Covenant-breaking! The Hands broke the Covenant of God by setting themselves up as self-proclaimed successors to Shoghi Effendi! This is not according to the Will and Testament and is forbidden! The Will and Testament says the successors are Shoghi Effendi and then the Universal House of Justice: "All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause [Shoghi
Effendi] and [then] the [Universal] House of Justice. And he that turneth
unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error." The Universal House of Justice was embryonic in the first International Baha'i Council. Due to ignorance of the Will and Testament, eight million Baha'is grievously erred in turning unto the Hands in disobedience to 'Abdu'l-Baha and the Will and Testament. This is the situation the Baha'i world finds itself in today. Thankfully God has sent a Promised One to the world to clean this whole mess up. He fulfills the prophecies in all the sacred scriptures (including Baha'i) as the Knight on the white horse (in the Bible and World Order of Baha'u'llah), the Seventh Angel (in the Bible and Some Answered Questions), the return of Jesus the Lamb, the return of Quetzalcoatl, the Lost White Brother the Hopi are waiting for and many, many other prophecies. He is the one sent to set-up the Baha'i administration and Universal House of Justice the way Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi had intended it to be set-up, not according to the dictates of a group of defunct Hands who wanted to be revered as some sort of gods, as the way Sans-guardian speaks about them. |
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