LOL! Unless the HUSBAND says NO! That is lack of true equality.
AGAIN - only until the HUSBAND says differently. And you know this is a FACT in your religion.
If you say so. I've been a Baha'i 27 years, and a husband 17 years so I must be missing something.
"As to thy respected husband: it is incumbent upon thee to treat him with great kindness, to consider his wishes and be conciliatory with him at all times, till he seeth that because thou hast directed thyself toward the Kingdom of God, thy tenderness for him and thy love for God have but increased, as well as thy concern for his wishes under all conditions."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selected Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 122)
Let's have another go at putting the above verse it in context. You have misunderstood it.
748. Keys to Strengthening of Family
"The relationship between husband and wife must be viewed in the context of the Bahá’í ideal of family life. Bahá’u’lláh came to bring unity to the world, and a fundamental unity is that of the family. Therefore, one must believe that the Faith is intended to strengthen the family, not weaken it, and one of the keys to the strengthening of unity is loving consultation. The atmosphere within a Bahá’í family as within the community as a whole should express 'the keynote of the Cause of God' which, the beloved Guardian has stated, 'is not dictatorial authority but humble fellowship, not arbitrary power, but the spirit of frank and loving consultation.'"
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand, December 28, 1980)
749. Honour and Privilege Ordained for Women: Obedience to Husbands
"It is in this context of mutual and complementary duties and responsibilities that one should read the Tablet in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gives the following exhortation:
'O Handmaids of the Self-Sustaining Lord! Exert your efforts so that you may attain the honour and privilege ordained for women. Undoubtedly the greatest glory of women is servitude at His Threshold and submissiveness at His door; it is the possession of a vigilant heart, and praise of the incomparable God; it is heartfelt love towards other handmaids and spotless chastity; it is obedience to and consideration for their husbands and the education and care of their children; and it is tranquillity, and dignity, perseverance in the remembrance of the Lord, and the utmost enkindlement and attraction.' "
(Ibid.)
750. Domination by Husband or Wife not Right
"This exhortation to the utmost degree of spirituality and self-abnegation
should not be read as a legal definition giving the husband absolute authority over his wife, for, in a letter written to an individual believer on 22th July 1943, the beloved Guardian's secretary wrote on his behalf:
'The Guardian, in his remarks…
about parents and children,
wives and husbands' relations in America meant that there is a tendency in that country for children to be too independent of the wishes of their parents and lacking in the respect due to them.
Also wives, in some cases, have a tendency to exert an unjust degree of domination over their husbands which, of course, is not right, anymore than that the husband should unjustly dominate his wife.' "
(Ibid.)
751. Time When Wife Should Defer to Husband and Time When Husband Should Defer to Wife
"In any group, however loving the consultation, there are nevertheless points on which, from time to time, agreement cannot be reached. In a Spiritual Assembly this dilemma is resolved by a majority vote. There can, however, be no majority where only two parties are involved, as in the case of a husband and wife.
There are, therefore, times when a wife should defer to her husband, and times when a husband should defer to his wife, but neither should ever unjustly dominate the other. In short, the relationship between husband and wife should be as held forth in the prayer revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which is often read at Bahá’í weddings: 'Verily they are married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end of time.*' "
(Ibid.)
*(Bahá’í Prayers, p. 107, 1982 ed.)
752. In Tablet of the World Women and Men Envisaged as Breadwinners
"In the Tablet of the World,
Bahá’u’lláh Himself has envisaged that women as well as men would be breadwinners in stating:
'Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to a trusted person a portion of what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture or other occupation, for the training and education of children, to be spent for this purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House of Justice.'"
("Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas", p. 90)
"A very important element in the attainment of such equality is Bahá’u’lláh's provision that boys and girls must follow essentially the same curriculum in schools."
(Ibid.)
753. Love Between Husband and Wife
"The friends of God must so live and conduct themselves and evince such excellence of character and conduct, as to make others astonished.
The love between husband and wife should not be purely physical, nay rather it must be spiritual and heavenly. These two souls should be considered as one soul. How difficult it would be to divide a single soul! Nay, great would be the difficulty!
"
In short, the foundation of the Kingdom of God is based upon harmony and love, oneness, relationship and union, not upon differences, especially between husband and wife."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Family Life, A Compilation of the Universal House of Justice)
Did you miss that the verse said two wives?
God hath prescribed matrimony unto you. Beware that ye take not unto yourselves more wives than two. Whoso contenteth himself with a single partner from among the maidservants of God, both he and she shall live in tranquillity. And he who would take into his service a maid may do so with propriety [He who takes a virgin to serve him it would be permissible for him]1142 Bahā’u’llāh, The Kitābi Aqdas, p. 41.
No I didn't miss the verses about two wives. I provided the writings that informs you why this is no longer applicable anywhere.
This is thought to come from this Quran verse -
"And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course.
By the way "what your right hand possesses" is a term for slaves = sex slaves.
I don't know why you are quoting from the Quran. Baha'is are not Muslims, and what Muhammad revealed was 1,400 years ago when the conditions of society were very different from what they are today.
“Concerning bigamy, this has been promulgated, and no one must abrogate it. ‘Abdu’l-Baha has not abrogated this law. These are false accusations and lies (spread by) the friends. What I have said is that He has made bigamy bound on a precondition. As long as someone does not attain certitude regarding the capability to practice justice and his heart is not at rest that he can practice justice, he should not be intent upon a second marriage. But if he should be sure and attain certitude that he would practice justice on all levels (and conditions), then a second marriage is lawful. ... [ibid. Volume 4, p. 174]
Apparently Baha'i wives aren't even spiritually awakened - unlike their husbands.
This is not an authorised translation of the Baha'i writings.
According to Baha'i - If a family has a husband, wife, and two children - a son and a daughter, and the husband dies, the wife is scr**ed. She does not get the house. It doesn't get split between the children either. It goes to the MALE child. Thus patriarchy, for thousands of years, has made it hard for women to climb out of housewifery, and male control.
Baha'i men and women are free to write their wills as they see fit.
He was the only one left with Abraham.
