Shoghi Effendi has for years urged the Bahá'ís (who asked
his advice, and in general also) to study history, economics, sociology, etc.,
in order to be au courant with all the progressive movements and thoughts being
put forth today, and so that they could correlate these to the Bahá'í
teachings. What he wants the Bahá'ís to do is to study more, not to study less.
The more general knowledge, scientific and otherwise, they possess, the better.
Likewise he is constantly urging them to really study the Bahá'í teachings more
deeply. One might liken Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to a sphere; there are points
poles apart, and in between the thoughts and doctrines that unite them. We
believe in balance in all things; we believe in moderation in all things -- we
must not be too emotional, nor cut and dried and lacking in feeling, we must
not be so liberal as to cease to preserve the character and unity of our Bahá'í
system, nor fanatical and dogmatic.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 5 July 1947, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Science and Technology’, compiled by
Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and attached to a
Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice,
dated 13-August 1997)
