Bahá'u'lláh has clearly stated the consent of all living
parents is required for a Bahá'í marriage. This applies whether the parents are
Bahá'ís or non-Bahá'ís, divorced for years or not. This great law He has laid
down to strengthen the social fabric, to knit closer the ties of the home, to
place a certain gratitude and respect in the hearts of children for those who
have given them life and sent their souls out on the eternal journey towards
their Creator. We Bahá'ís must realize that in present-day society the exact
opposite process is taking place: young people care less and less for their
parents' wishes, divorce is considered a natural right, and obtained on the
flimsiest and most unwarrantable and shabby pretexts. People separated from
each other, especially if one of them has had full custody of the children, are
only too willing to belittle the importance of the partner in marriage also
responsible as a parent for bringing those children into this world. The
Bahá'ís must, through rigid adherence to the Bahá'í laws and teachings, combat
these corrosive forces which are so rapidly destroying home life and the beauty
of family relationships, and tearing down the moral structure of society.
(In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi
Effendi, 25 October 1947 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Divorce)
