Next Manifestation of God

16Masail

16Masail

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There is nothing in the Writings to support the view that the opposition or persecution will be instigated or inflicted by the Universal House of Justice.

....

You can be sure that the Supreme Institution of the Faith, "under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One", will exert every effort to recognize, when the time is ripe, the reality of the new Manifestation, and lead men to Him.

(UHJ, 1997)
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I hope so. The prevailing authority of every dispensation were certain that they would be first and foremost to support the subsequent Manifestation only to find themselves be the cause of persecution and murder. Of course, we should obey the UHJ and hope that our future generation will recognize the next Manifestation. What if the next One is a woman? That might be the ultimate test of gender equality. To have the highest-governing body whose authority have been restricted to men for at least a 1,000 years bow down to a woman and possibly step down from office if She chooses to abrogate the Administrative Order completely. I'm thrilled. Furthermore, what if the vision of the Maiden was her? Just as Bahá'u'lláh claimed to be the voice who spoke from the Lote Tree (ie, burning bush of Moses), She could be the Maiden who spoke to Bahá'u'lláh.

He [Bahá'u'lláh] was the One Moses conversed with in the Burning Bush. (UHJ)
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While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden—the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord—suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God’s honoured servants...

(Súriy-i-Haykal)
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A fellow Bahá'i brought to my attention the Tablet of the Holy Mariner:

“Study the Tablet of the Holy Mariner that ye may know the truth, and consider that the Blessed Beauty hath fully foretold future events. Let them who perceive, take warning!” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

That's right. Future events! And what do you know, the Maiden is mentioned again.

Whereupon the maid of heaven looked out from her exalted chamber,

...

By the Lord! I found not from these idle claimants the breeze of Faithfulness!
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Who are these idle claimants? Anyways, all of this is far-fetched and purely speculative. Very interesting, indeed.
 
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wil said:
But why would people?
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Cause religious and social conventions are almost always intertwined within a population. Many say it is the social rules are at fault when religions have cruel and barbaric requirements on women. I don't think they should get off so easily with that response. It is the combination of the two that allows cruel and barbaric treatment, and almost always against the women; rarely the men.

But my response is kinda off topic and maybe should be explored in another thread rather than further here.
 
It seems this thread is mostly about some sort of embarrassment about bowing down to a woman...

I've no clue how this is an issue. I don't know enough about Baha'i to know if it is...

Islam, Catholicism seem to have issues...

But Europe, Asia, Africa, south America, Australia.... Every continent but two have had female heads of state...
 
wil said:
It seems this thread is mostly about some sort of embarrassment about bowing down to a woman...

I've no clue how this is an issue. I don't know enough about Baha'i to know if it is...

Islam, Catholicism seem to have issues...

But Europe, Asia, Africa, south America, Australia.... Every continent but two have had female heads of state...
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When Abdu'l-Baha left for Egypt and the West, he appointed his sister to a very high position. Here's a quote from Prophet's Daughter:

"Shoghi Effendi underlines the significance of this assignment and the unique station to which Bahíyyih Khánum was called. He attests that, at the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s absence in the Western world, she was 'His competent deputy, His representative and vicegerent, with none to equal her.'

. . . the use of the term “vicegerent” provides additional insight into the nature of the functions she likely performed, since this term denotes an administrative deputy, a person appointed to perform the functions of a king or magistrate. The term is also applied to a person who is deputed by God to exercise authority in government or in religious matters and to a person who substitutes for another. While the specific tasks the Greatest Holy Leaf undertook are not recorded in detail and can only be deduced by inference, it would appear that the functions she performed during the absence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were far-reaching and included attending to the administrative and spiritual guidance of the community."​

Devils' Advocate said:
Many say it is the social rules are at fault when religions have cruel and barbaric requirements on women.
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We don't say single-sex schools are barbaric. There are no women in the Universal House of Justice. So that makes it a barbaric social rule? Come on . . .
 
Ahanu said:
We don't say single-sex schools are barbaric. There are no women in the Universal House of Justice. So that makes it a barbaric social rule? Come on . . .
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What are the Baha'i regs, thought on equality?

Are women not allowed to have a position in the house of justice?
 
wil said:
Are women not allowed to have a position in the house of justice?
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Aside from that, the Faith takes gender equality very seriously. There are a few rules here and there that differ for men and women but overall, women are treated equally. For example, men are still obligated to pay dowry but the minimum amount is almost $34 US.
 
16Masá'il said:
Aside from that, the Faith takes gender equality very seriously. There are a few rules here and there that differ for men and women but overall, women are treated equally. For example, men are still obligated to pay dowry but the minimum amount is almost $34 US.
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. Buying a woman from her family is equal treatment?

I don't even know how to respond to that.
 
wil said:
Buying a woman from her family is equal treatment?

I don't even know how to respond to that.
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Dowry is a custom that is deeply rooted in many cultures including that of Persia. Therefore, it is my understanding, that it's a lot easier to transmute it to a symbolic act (via paying a mere $34 US) than to eliminate it completely. This is the best explanation that I have come across. Keep in mind that dowry, as a religious act, was meant to protect the woman in case she became a widow or divorcee. It provided the woman with some money to keep for a rainy day...or days since employment opportunities weren't and still aren't that well in some countries.
 
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Will,

To be completely honest, I should mention that while for a Westerner, the minimum amount of a dowry may cover flowers or a few hours of work, in poor countries, it may require a month and a half of work. Therefore, it's not so much symbolic for them as it may be for us.
 
wil said:
Buying a woman from her family is equal treatment?

I don't even know how to respond to that.
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In case you didn't know, the dowry goes to the woman. Her family has nothing to do with it. I always looked at it as a small token of her fiance's love.
 
We do that with the engagement ring....and equal division of wealth at divorce...get everything at death...unless pre nup agreement...
 
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