In "The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys" Baha'u'llah specifically says to step back at what appears to be the threshold of divine union. My interpretation of it (and it is not mine alone) is that this represents an incomplete mystical union with the divine. You are to step back unless you are in complete agreement with someone else's previous revelation. Basically what it says is that if you don't agree with Me then you shouldn't enter into union with the divine. Again it is just a way of maintaining the status quo.
In fairness this sort of abbreviated or interupted mystical experience isn't exclusive to the Baha'i. Both Islam and the Christian religion use the same principle. Jesus or Muhammud had the revelation about what you should do and how you should behave so don't go having any revelations of your own. While I agree that some people (perhaps many people) do not possess enough innate moral sensibilities to come up with a constructive (or at least benign) revelation that does not mean that everyone should avoid complete mystical experience. In fact I argue to not allow good people to have this experience weakens nearly everyone's religious experience.
On the subject of all the Baha'i splinter groups; "The institution of a 'living' Guardian" are just words without meaning. The living guardian written of by Baha'u'llah was unabiguously meant to be an living (meaning alive on this earth not dead only to be recognized as a concept) man. Afterall in Islam Muhammud is spiritually alive and well and is considered to guide the clerics. The same goes for Christianity. Jesus is alive and guides us. None of this has kept either Islam or Christianity from splintering into many factions and the same clearly applies to the Baha'is. Baha'is however take solice in the fact that any one sect of the Baha'i Faith isn't that large. This is merely the case because the Baha'i Faith in total isn't that large. Afterall Christianity held together pretty well in its early formation. It wasn't until it became a popular religion that you had the development of major sects. The Baha'i await "Entry by Troops" with zeal but what they do not expect (and will certainly find) is that with their success these minor skisms will become major fractures. I for one do not think that it will ever come to that. The Baha'i Faith's numbers are dwindling as we speak. Time for a new revelation.
What say you Popeye (and any other Baha'is) to the study on mystical experince done by Johns Hopkins University (
Johns Hopkins Gazette | July 24, 2006)? Baha'is are supposed to embrace the resolution of science and religion. They aren't supposed to ignore science as that way leads to superstition according to Baha'u'llah and Abdul Baha.
