The National Spiritual Assembly should distinguish between
its functions as an adviser and counsellor of the friends and its role as the
enforcer of Bahá'í Laws. For example, it is quite in order for the Assembly to
advise a believer to consult a psychiatrist or any other doctor, if it feels
this is necessary, but such advice should not be linked with any deprivation of
voting rights which may have to be imposed for flagrant immorality. You may
feel it advisable to give such advice to a person who is being deprived of his
voting rights, but the two actions should be clearly separate--one is
administrative, the other is advice given for the person's own good which he
may or may not accept as he wishes.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter to a
National Spiritual Assembly, September 21, 1965; Compilation ‘Removal of
Administrative Rights,’ prepared by the Research department of the Universal
House of Justice)
