If you know of any guidance about it from the institutions, maybe you could quote it or link to it. Also, have you had that experience of thinking some members of the Faith in Internet discussions were spreading misunderstandings and misinformation about the community and the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh? If so, how did you respond to it?
This is a very important topic you have raised and I really needed to go back to the guidance offered not just through the Baha’i writings but from the Universal House of Justice itself.
The quote that comes to mind is from a document called the Institution of the Counsellors in regards protection of the cause. You may be familiar with the passage where it opens discussing the covenant in relation to the oneness of humankind.
The pivot of the oneness of humankind is the power of the Covenant, and this power quickens every distinguishing element of Bahá'í life. It is in the context of this unique characteristic of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation that the institution of the Counsellors approaches its sacred duty to protect the Faith. Auxiliary Board members, particularly those assigned to protection, have to be ever conscious of the imperative need for a centre on which all must focus: `Abdu'l-Bahá the Centre of the Covenant and His designated successors, the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice.
The document then talks about the role of the Counsellors and their Auxiliary Board members in regard their role for the protection of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
In discharging their obligations related to protection, the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members endeavour to nourish the roots of certitude, fan the flame of an all-embracing love in the hearts of the friends, combat the age-old habit of conflict and contention and fortify bonds of friendship and unity, promote adherence to principle and the ethical standards enshrined in the Teachings, raise the believers' sight above the limitations of self-centredness that they may dedicate their energies to the welfare of the human race, and strengthen their allegiance to the Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
Now this is really important:
Helping the believers to meet high moral standards does not require prying into their private lives. The nature of this responsibility is essentially educative.
However:
Although deepening the friends' understanding of the Covenant and increasing their love and loyalty to it are of paramount importance, the duties of the Auxiliary Board members for Protection do not end here. The Board members must remain ever vigilant, monitoring the actions of those who, driven by the promptings of ego, seek to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of the friends and undermine the Faith.
So who are these people driven by promptings of the ego? How about those who sow seeds of doubt in the minds of the friends? Those that undermine the faith?
Whoever they are, what about the believer in relation to such people?
In general, whenever believers become aware of such problems, they should immediately contact whatever institution they feel moved to turn to, whether it be a Counsellor, an Auxiliary Board member, the National Spiritual Assembly or their own Local Assembly. It then becomes the duty of that institution to ensure that the report is fed into the correct channels and that all the other institutions affected are promptly informed. Not infrequently, the responsibility will fall on an Auxiliary Board member, in coordination with the Assembly concerned, to take some form of action in response to the situation.
Ok, immediately contact the appropriate institution as I mentioned above. Once that responsibility is discharged they have now done all they can.
If we consider the actions that are next required it becomes apparent we are talking about those who are about to break the covenant.
This involvement will include counselling the believer in question; warning him, if necessary, of the consequences of his actions; and bringing to the attention of the Counsellors the gravity of the situation, which may call for their intervention. Naturally, the Board member has to exert every effort to counteract the schemes and arrest the spread of the influence of those few who, despite attempts to guide them, eventually break the Covenant.
Institution of the Counsellors
To clarify, I’m not talking about people doing it intentionally. Most or all of what I’m thinking of might be with the best of intentions.
I don’t know to what extent any of the material I have shared with you relates to the particular circumstances you describe if at all.
But you have my attention as I make better sense of what you are saying and how that fits with Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation and more specifically His Covenant.