Idealism
The casual observer may well choose to label the community's attempts to surmount these challenges "idealistic". Yet it certainly would not be justified to portray Bahá’ís as uninterested in the affairs of their own countries, much less as unpatriotic. However idealistic the Bahá’í endeavour may appear to some, its deep-seated concern for the good of humankind cannot be ignored. And given that no current arrangement in theworld seems capable of lifting humanity from the quagmire of conflict and contention and securing its felicity, why would any government object to the efforts of one group of people to deepen its understanding of the nature of those essential relationships inherent to the common future towards which the human race is being inexorably drawn? What harm is there in this?
- Universal House of Justice, To the Bahá’ís of Iran, 2 March 2013
Quote of the Day
Jamal 15 Sultan 182 B.E.
The Assemblies must be wise and gentle in dealing with such cases (i.e. Bahá’ís using alcoholic beverages), but at the same time must not tolerate a prolonged and flagrant disregard of the Bahá’í Teachings as regards alcohol.
Shoghi Effendi – Bahá’í News, June 1958, p. 16