January 9

With reference to your question about Baha’i marriage, there is nothing in the Writings to indicate or imply that Baha’i marriage is open only to those who are physically able to have children. The bearing of children is but one of the purposes of marriage, albeit the primary one. The consummation of marriage by a couple is an intimate and private matter outside the scrutiny of others. While consummation normally implies a sexual relationship, the Baha’i law requiring consummation to take place within twenty-four hours of the wedding ceremony can be considered fulfilled if the couple has commenced cohabitation with the intention of establishing the family relationship. (From a letter dated 14 February 1984 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; published in Baha’i Studies Bulletin, 3.4, December 1995)