In general one can say that modern
democracies have been established as the outcome of attempts to limit the power
of absolute monarchy, of dictatorships, or of certain dominant classes. This
may have come about gradually through the centuries, or tumultuously by a
series of revolutions. Thus, even when democratic constitutions and
structures have been established, there remains a suspicion of authority as
such, and a tension between the degree of freedom accorded to individual
citizens and the imposition of sufficient public discipline to protect the weak
against the selfish pursuits of the strong among the citizenry. The operation
of transparency, accountability, freedom of the press and critical dialogue is
thus imbued with a spirit of partisanship that easily descends into the
merciless invasion of personal privacy, the dissemination of calumny, the
exaggeration of mistrust, and the misuse of the news media at the hands of
vested interests. The reaction of those who attempt to protect themselves
against such distortions of the system produces secretiveness, concealment of
uncomfortable facts, and reciprocal misuse of the media—in all, a perpetuation
of disharmony in the social fabric.
In contrast to these patterns bred by traditional antagonisms, the Bahá’í system is based upon the ideals of unity, harmony, justice, diversity and forbearance in the building of a divinely conceived administrative structure through a process of mutual learning and discovery. As already noted, the element of power-seeking is entirely absent. All members of a Bahá’í community, no matter what position they may temporarily occupy in the administrative structure, are expected to regard themselves as involved in a learning process, as they strive to understand and implement the laws and principles of the Faith. As part of this process, the Assemblies are encouraged to continually share their hopes and cares and the news of developments with the members of the community and to seek their views and support. There are, of course, matters such as the personal problems of a believer which he (or she) brings to his Assembly for advice, the amounts of the contributions of individual believers to the Fund, and so forth, in relation to which the Assembly must observe strict confidentiality. As in any just system of government the proper balance has to be sought and found between extremes.
- The Universal House of Justice (From
a letter dated 18 July 2000 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
to an individual believer)
