Bahá’í History * 1963 * 1st Universal House of Justice

关于此套币: Unique among the world’s great religions, the Bahá’i Faith has no clergy and governs itself democratically. In April 1963, exactly 100 years after Bahá'u'lláh's public declaration of His Mission, Bahá’is around the world elected the first Universal House of Justice, the international administrative body of the Faith.

Bahá’is believe Bahá'u'lláh brought God's latest message to humanity. Each of the world's major religions may be seen as chapters in one book, rather than separate books. And their will be more chapters revealed in future. The guidance for today includes democratically-elected legislative and administrative institutions, without clergy or appointed rulers. No individual Bahá’i, not even members of the House of Justice, has any more power or authority than another individual. Only when convening as an assembly, usually composed of nine members, does a Bahá’i institution have authority.

At the local level, elected Local Spiritual Assemblies direct the affairs of the community; and at the national level, National Spiritual Assemblies are elected by delegates from local communities each year. Those National Spiritual Assembly members, now from 181 countries, elect the Universal House of Justice every five years.

The democratic, secret-ballot elections, held with a spiritual quality that foregoes nominations and campaigning, insures the Bahá'i Faith follows a united path, and demonstrates one reason why this Faith has not divided into sects or denominations in its almost two centuries of history. The Universal House of Justice has its seat in the Holy Land at the Bahá’i World Centre, Haifa, Israel, and members have come from six continents, also demonstrating in action Bahá’u’lláh's central teaching of One Human Family, Unity in Diversity.

universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org

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