Date: 8 Oct 92 22:57:44
Distribution: world
From: lisad@zoo.toronto.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Organization: <none>
Subject: Women in the Universal House of Justice

[Lisa begins this article with private e-mail she received (minus any
reference to the original sender).--mmt]

>  I read your letter on the read news file on the Bahai Faith. I can't 
>  believe your responce. Don't you realize that by not allowing women 
>  to serve on the Universal House of Justice it is the same as saying
>  that true divine knowlege and guidance; knowlege and guidance power-
>  ful enough to govern man, is not to be reveiled to women. This is 
>  basicly saying that women are not equal to men, and are not worthy 
>  of receiving this knowlege.
  
>  Its women like you that have prevented me from signing the card

[By "signing the card" is meant signing the registration card which
proclaims one's belief in Baha'u'llah.--mmt]

I would like to respond to this letter, which I received this morning
because I have been out of town for a week.

Dear [anonymous],
	I think that you have misinterpreted the spirit of the ban on
Women from the Universal House of Justice.  I have never read in any
of the writings by either Baha'u'llah, `Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi
that not allowing women in the Universal House of Justice was because
"true guidance and knowledge....is not to be reveiled to women."  ALL
Bahai's are supposed to read the writings on their own and interpret
them for themselves, whether male or female.  We are allowed to
consult with each other, but unless something is clearly written,
another's opinion is just that, opinion.  All that I have ever read on
why women were banned from the Universal House of Justice was that it
just "is" and will one day become as clear as the midday sun.  As of
yet, this has not been made clear.

	By accepting that there are still things which we do not
understand I am NOT putting myself in the place of a second class
citizen (as I assume you think I am).  I was in many ways attracted to
the Baha'i Faith in the first place because of the equality of men and
women, and all races.  I think that you, like I, have seen too many
examples in society (western at least), and religious of a real
negative feeling towards women, and their lower status as regards to
men.  I come from a Christian background (in fact my father is a
minister).  I was always struck by the way that certain denominations
will argue about the weakness of women citing the fact that it was Eve
who first ate of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden.  I wanted
to become a minister when I was a child, and was told by my father
that I could not, because women could not be ordained!  I was mad
about it then.  That has since changed, but only recently.

	I don't believe that the Baha'i Faith practises patriarchal
biases.  But I do think that many people misinterpret the rule of no
women in the Universal House of Justice as discriminatory and
indicating that men are "better" than women.  My point is, that one
should not interpret this rule from their own bias.  If you have
encountered discrimination and sexism elsewhere, you will not
necessarily find it everywhere.  If you have a problem with a rule, go
to the source.  Don't just assume that because women are not in the
Universal House of Justice that they are seen as lower class.
Baha'u'llah never said that, `Abdu'l-Baha never said that and Shoghi
Effendi never said that.

I hope that others will feel free to comment on this.

Lisa