It is easy to take quotes of a religion out of context and portray it as being something it isn't. We need to look at all the writings to gain balance and perspective.
Women having babies does not lock women into household servitude. Each family is free through consultation where men and women are equals to decide how best to manage the roles of caring for children, managing the home, and providing an income. Sometimes the most practical approach is for the man to stay at home and for the woman to work and there is absolutely nothing that stops a couple from making such a decision. Baha'i couples often have to make the same compromises as any other couple. For example the women because of her education may be in a better position to support the family financially. Sometimes it is simply preference rather than necessity that causes coupes to reverse roles.
Do assemblies step in and try to counsel the couples to take more traditional roles. No.
LOL! Unless the HUSBAND says NO! That is lack of true equality.
Abdu'l-Baha who said this, wished only to be know as 'Servant of God' which is what name literally means if translated. As Baha'is, men and women are chief concern is to serve humanity and that is the highest honour and rank.
Marriage is essentially an intimate relationship between two equals:
O ye two believers in God! The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned about the welfare of each other.
If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and become the object of divine grace and favor in the Kingdom of heaven. But if they do other than this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness, longing at every moment for death, and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm.
Strive, then, to abide, heart and soul, with each other as two doves in the nest, for this is to be blessed in both worlds.
Abdu'l-Baha
The true marriage of Bahá’ís is this, that husband and wife should be united both physically and spiritually, that they may ever improve the spiritual life of each other, and may enjoy everlasting unity throughout all the worlds of God. This is Bahá’í marriage.
Abdu'l-Baha
Consultation between husbands and wives is central to decision making. Neither husband or wife should dominate:
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 the wife. (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 225)
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. (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 225)
AGAIN - only until the HUSBAND says differently. And you know this is a FACT in your religion.
"
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)
There is only monogamy, and polygamy is not permitted in the Baha'i faith. You have provided no context to the above verse. I hope this helps.
Bahá'í Reference Library - The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Pages 205-206
You have suggested that Baha'i men can commit adultery. Adultery is not permissible whether it be men or women.
The Bahá’í teaching on sexual intercourse is very clear. It is permissible only between a man and the woman who is his wife. (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 344)
Chastity implies both before and after marriage an unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage absolutely faithful to one’s chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts, faithful in word and in deed. (Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 233)
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.
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.
“
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.
"As to thy question concerning the husband and wife, the tie between them and the children given to them by God:
Know thou, verily, the husband is one who hath sincerely turned unto God, is awakened by the call of the Beauty of El-Bahá and chanteth the verses of Oneness in the great assemblies; the wife is a being who wisheth to be overflowing with and seeketh after the attributes of God and His names; and the tie between them is none other than the Word of God. Verily, it [the Word of God] causeth the multitudes to assemble together and the remote ones to be united. Thus the husband and wife are brought into affinity, are united and harmonized, even as though they were one person. Through their mutual union, companionship and love great results are produced in the world, both material and spiritual. ...
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá v3, p. 605-606)
Bahá'u'lláh's father apparently had four wives, three concubines (sex slaves), and at least fifteen children.
Bahá'u'lláh had three wives.
So we obviously have polygamy.
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And then there is the old Patriarchal way of keeping women down. Inheritance laws.
Women are told God wants them to raise children, and God wants men to take care of the family.
Thus - they come up with - inheritance by the male heir, - since he takes care of the family, (a false dichotomy set up by patriarchy to retain power for the male.)
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.
Hold the power and the money.
No Patriarchal religions for me.
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