While it can be a severe test to a
Bahá'í to see fellow believers violating Bahá'í laws or engaging in conduct
inimical to the welfare and best interests of the Faith, there is no fixed rule
that a believer must follow when such conduct comes to his notice. A great deal
depends upon the seriousness of the offence and upon the relationship which
exists between him and the offender.
If the misconduct is blatant and
flagrant or threatens the interests of the Faith the believer to whose
attention it comes should immediately report it to the Local Spiritual
Assembly. Once it is in the hands of the Assembly the believer's obligation is
discharged and he should do no more than pray for the offender and continue to
show him friendship and encouragement - unless, of course, the Spiritual
Assembly asks him to take specific action.
Sometimes, however, the matter does not
seem grave enough to warrant reporting to the Spiritual Assembly, in which case
it may be best to ignore it altogether. There are also other things that can be
done by the Bahá'í to whose notice such things come. For example he could
foster friendly relations with the individual concerned, tactfully drawing him
into Bahá'í activities in the hope that, as his knowledge of the teachings and
awareness of the Faith deepens, he will spontaneously improve his patterns of
conduct. Or perhaps the relationship is such that he can tactfully draw the
offender's attention to the teachings on the subject - but here he must be very
careful not to give him the impression of prying into a fellow-believer's
private affairs or of telling him what he must do, which would not only be
wrong in itself but might well produce the reverse of the desired reaction.
(From a letter written on behalf of
the Universal House of Justice, to an individual, February 20, 1977;
compilation ‘Removal of Administrative Rights,’ prepared by the Research
department of the Universal House of Justice)
