This is a chapter from The Bahá'í Faith and Abortion
Bahá'ís ("Bah-highz") are the followers of Bahá'u'lláh ("Bah-HAH-ool-LAH"); a Man Who claimed to be the "Manifestation of God" for our Age. He claimed to be:
*The Messiah ben David of Judaism.
*The Kalki Avatar of Vishnavism.
*The Shah Bahram of Zoroastrianism.
*The Maitreya Buddha of Buddhism.
*The Return of Christ in the Glory of the Father of Christianity.
*The Return of the Prophet Isa of Islam.
He claimed to be the Promised One of all Revealed Religions (i.e. religions revealed to Prophets by the One True God).
Baha'is believe that each major Prophet, or Manifestation of God, has a "book of holy laws". These holy laws are not the laws of uninspired men, but the literal "Law of God". When a new Manifestation of God comes He (and He alone) can "abrogate" certain holy laws. He can modify some, add some, and take some away. But only a Manifestation of God can do that. Not even a minor Prophet can do abrogate or change the Holy Law.
In the days of the Moses the "book of holy law" was His "Torah" (Hebrew: "Law"). But how is the Torah to be interpreted? It says that the Lord had Moses call "70 elders" of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord said to Moses: "I will take the Spirit which is upon thee, and I will put it upon them." (Numbers 11:17). These 70 elders became known as the Beth-Din ("House of Justice"). They interpreted the Torah, or Law of God that He revealed to Moses. Their interpretations are contained in the Mishnah.
Under the Law of Moses (rather the Law of God that He revealed to Moses), as interpreted by the Beth-Din ("House of Justice") that the Lord established at the time of Moses, abortion was the murder of "a man-within-a-man" (i.e. a human within a human=a fetus), and the penalty for killing a "man-within-a-man" (a fetus) was death (Mishnah, Sanhedrin 57b). The only exception was when the child was stuck in the birth canal; the Beth-Din decided that if the woman and child were threatened with death because of a breeched birth then the woman's life took presidence, and the child could then be dismembered while in the womb and removed; to save the life (not "quality of life") of the mother (Mishnah, Ohaloth 7:6). Such decisions of the Beth-Din (House of Justice) are recorded in the Mishnah; the book of oral Jewish oral law.
Jesus did not abrogate any of the laws of the Mishnah save Sabbath and Divorce. He did not abrogate the law against abortion in all cases except to save the life of the mother. The Mishnah continued to be the "book of laws" under Jesus' dispensation.
Muhammad did not abrogate the Holy Law against abortion. The Qur'an says to Muslims "Do not kill your AWLAD" (6:151, 17:31). The Arabic word "children" in those verses is AWLAD and means "children born or unborn". The Arabic word for born-only children (MAOLOOD) was not used in those verses; so they obviously deal with abortion as well as infanticide.
The son-in-law of Muhammad was 'Ali; the husband of His daughter Fatimah. The 12 Imams of Shi'ite Islam were considered "infallible" Seers (not Prophets lesser or otherwise but "Seers"). None of the Imams abrogated the Holy Law against abortion, because as non-prophets they could not abrogate any Holy Law. Baha'is accept the 12 Imams of Shi'ite Islam as "infallible" Seers.
One of the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad was Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad Shirazi; otherwise known as "The Bab". He wrote a number of books; which include:
The Bayan
The Qayyumu'l-Asma'
The Qayyumu'l-Asma' (His "Commentary on the Surih of Joseph") is considered His "first and mightiest" Revelation. In that work, both divorce and abortion are declared HARAM (ABSOLUTELY forbidden).
The Bab's Holy Law concerning abortion
In the time of The Bab, in Persia, there were many potions women could buy in order to produce an abortion; if it was within that 4 month period (and post-quickening illegal abortions were often ignored by authorities). In 1865 a German named Polak wrote of his years in Persia (about the same time of The Bab). One historian who reviewed Polak's book wrote:
"In Persia, according to Polak, abortion is regularly practiced to prevent illegitimate births; and legislation ignores the crime." (New Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge 2:55)Why did laws in Iran at that time "ignore" abortions? Because it was believed by Shi'ite Muslims jurists, based upon Aristotle, that the "soul" did not enter the fetus until the "time of quickening"; when the mother felt the fetus move (about the 4th month). Therefore, it was legal for women to have abortions until the 4th month. Surgery was not used; because back then surgery for an abortion would assuredly kill the woman as well as the child. Potions were used; made from "wormwood" and other plants.
The Bab, of course, knew that Persian women used potions to enduce abortions. He did not agree with the Shi'ite Muslims that a "soul" did not enter the womb until the 4th month. The Bab wrote that the soul came into being at conception. This is why The Bab outlawed abortion in His book of Holy Laws: the Qayyumu'l-Asma.
Prof. E.G. Browne, the great Orientalist, read the Quyyumu'l-Asma, and commented about one section:
"Divorce appears to be forbidden, as well as the use of drugs to produce abortion." (Selections from the Writings of E.G. Brown on the Babi and Baha'i Religions, p.214)The Qayyumul'l-Asma has yet to be translated into English; so I cannot give you chapter-and-verse.
The Holy Book of Laws in the Baha'i Faith is the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Baha'u'llah abrogated certain laws in the Qayyumu'l-Asma; such as divorce, the kissing of rings, etc. Baha'u'llah did not abrogate the law against abortion. That which is not abrogate REMAINS part of the Holy Law!
The Kitab-i-Aqdas was never supposed to be a complete set of laws! It is merely an Addendum to the Babi book of holy laws; the Qayummu'l-Asma; which itself is merely an Addendum to the Holy Law of Islam; the Qu'ran.
In other words, the Qur'an plus the Qayummu'l-Asma plus the Kitab-i-Aqdas is the sacred Word of God and His Holy Laws. What is NOT mentioned in these Holy Books, and in the other Holy Writings of the Central Figures, or by Shoghi Effendi, falls upon the Universal House of Justice.
Abortion IS mentioned in the Qayummu'l-Asma; of which the Kitab-i-Aqdas is simply the "completion" of. Abortion is "forbidden"!
In Arabic the word "forbidden" is HARAM; it means something ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN! It does not mean "discouraged" or "recommended" or "neutral". There are other Arabic words for that. In Sh'ite Islam there are 5:
*Forbidden (Haram)
*Discouraged (Makrah)
*Neutral (Muhbah)
*Recommended (Mustahab)
*Mandatory/Obligatory (Wajib)
In the Holy Book of Laws abortion is "HARAM".
In the Baha'i Faith adultery, homosexual acts, sex-before-marriage, and drinking alcohol is FORBIDDEN; it means "not allowed". It does not mean "personal choice".
In the Baha'i Faith smoking is DISCOURAGED (Makruh); meaning it is recommended against, but allowed.
According to the Holy Law of the Bab abortion is FORBIDDEN. According to Shoghi Effendi abortion is FORBIDDEN. According to the Universal House of Justice abortion for birth-control is FORBIDDEN.
What does "forbidden" mean?
a) personal choice.
b) up to the woman.
c) neutral
d) NOT allowed!
Choose one.
The Bab, as a Manifestation of God, Who revealed the Will of God, made abortion FORBIDDEN. Baha'u'llah did not abrogate this Holy Law. The Kitab-i-Aqdas is merely the "conclusion" of the Qayummu'l-Asma. I also discovered that both Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha referred to the "child in the womb"; using the term "child" instead of some other term. I also discovered that the Guardian said that the soul was created at conception, and not the time of quickening as was believed by Muslim jurists (based upon Aristotle's supposition). The Manifestations and Prophets of God were always clear: abortion was the killing of a human soul.
Of course, from my years of doing research for the Pro-Life Movement, I already knew that the so-called "Pro-Choice Movement" was founded by Margaret Sanger and her allies; all of them Eugenecists and Neo-Malthusians. All of them white racists. And the irony was that none of them believing in the "woman's right to choose". All of them believed that poor women should be forcibly sterilized, or have forced abortions if they did not consent to have them themselves. Very few of the general public know that the first Board of Directors of the Birth Control Review (the predecessor of Planned Parenthood International) had a Nazi eugenecist and the Imperial Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan of Massachusetts as members. Today's "Pro-Choice Movement" is the classic "Big Lie", and, as Hitler said, it works quite well! You can read more about the racist roots of the pro-choice movement at: Pro-Choice "Baha'is" and the Racist Roots of the Pro-Choice Movement online.
Shoghi Effendi wrote a letter himself to a Believer when he was asked about abortion, and he wrote:
"The practice of abortion--which is absolutely criminal as it involves the deliberate destruction of human life--is forbidden in the Cause." (Shoghi Effendi to an individual Believer, 25 August 1939).
"The soul or spirit of the individual comes into being with the conception of his physical body." (Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavors, p.71)The Guardian's own hand-written letter that the "practice of abortion--which is absolutely criminal as it involes the deliberate destruction of human life--is forbidden in the Faith." was in the first edition of Lights of Guidance but removed from all later editions without explanation."Birth control procedures which allow the ovum to be fertilized but do not permit the fertilized ovum to develop are thus not permissible,...." (Universal House of Justice, 3 January, 1993)
"Regarding the practice of abortion; as no specific reference has been made to the subject in the Writings of Baha'u'llah, it devolves upon the International House of Justice to definitely pronounce upon it. There can be no doubt, however, that this practice, involving as it does the destruction of human life, is to be strongly deprecated." (Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 12 November 1940)
"Abortion merely to prevent the birth of an unwanted child is strictly forbidden in the Cause. There may, however, be instances in which an abortion would be justified by medical reasons, and legislation on this matter has been left to the Universal House of Justice." (Lights of Guidance 2nd Edition p.34)
Notice what the Guardian says:
*"Abortion is FORBIDDEN".
Notice what the House says:
*"Abortion merely to prevent the birth of an unwanted child is strictly forbidden in the Cause".
Remarkably, many pro-Choice Baha'is interpret the above guidelines as giving the woman "the right to choose" in all circumstances! Others seem to interpret the word "forbidden" as meaning "recommended" or "suggested".
I have been told by a number of Baha'is, "I'm not pro-Choice, but OF COURSE I believe in a woman's right to choose!"
Women in Indian and China also sometimes "choose" to kill a child (sometimes up to 5 years old). Why? For fear of poverty. Should they receive any punishment? Is that a woman's right to? If not, why not? When does a "child" begin? 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi said "at conception". That when the right-to-life begins.
Some will say, "The House has said that the decision is up to the woman and her physician".
FALSE! The House has said that elective abortion (abortion as a means of birth-control) is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN in the Faith! Non-elective abortion, for "valid medical reasons", is still allowed. But not for birth-control; merely because the child is unwanted.
Baha'is who ignore the Holy Law against abortion are "Baha'is" in name only; because the two "twin duties" of a Baha'i is to first recognize the Manifestation of God for the Age, and then to obey His laws and ordinances. 'Abdu'l-Baha said:
"The man who lives the life according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah is already a Baha'i. On the other hand a man may call himself a Baha'i for fifty years and if he does not live the life he is not a Baha'i. An ugly man may call himself handsome, but he deceives no one, and a black man may call himself white, yet he deceives no one; not even himself." ('Abdu'l-Baha in London, p.106)
