The human soul is the moral agent in creation. Recently, Baha’i-related forums have hosted discussion on how best to respond to the increasing chaos in the world. “Should followers of Baha’u’llah,” people ask, “participate in the political conversations taking place on social media?” Some argue that individuals should not participate in these conversations but, instead, leave it to the Baha’i community’s institutions to put forward the “Baha’i perspective” on events.
I argued in a recent blog post, Finding the Truth About Being Truthful, that individuals should participate—providing they don’t violate Baha’u’llah’s ban on contention—because it is only by participating that people can display the divine attributes, like justice and wisdom, through their own being. Having said that, I think the question comes down to the circumstances of a situation. Baha’u’llah says that speaking out depends on the audience and the timing of the exchange. He also stressed the importance of wisdom. (Tablet of Maqsud)
Regardless, the debate over participation in these discussions is not, in my view, the central issue. It is a byproduct of a more important issue, to do with the role of the human soul in creation. My point is that daily life often obliges a person to make decisions about what is or isn’t the right thing to do. The individual stands at the coalface of life, responding to events as best they can. It is all very well to argue that the community’s institutions will present the “Baha’i perspective,” but the reality is that individuals do the acting in the end. Yes, religious institutions can make public statements, but they cannot shield individuals from daily life and its demands. Inevitably, people face harsh choices, where staying quiet is not an option. Reality is set up that way.
Why does reality force people to make decisions? Because the human soul is the moral agent in creation. No other thing can shoulder that moral burden for the individual or remove it from them. A person’s inherent moral agency stems from the fact that human beings are created in the image of God. (Arabic Hidden Word 3) Along with this comes an enormous bounty and tremendous responsibility. Every person answers to God for how they use this special advantage during their life. Baha’u’llah explains that the divinity of human beings makes them capable of reflecting all the divine attributes. (Gleanings, XC) God expects them to display those virtues to the world. They cannot off-load this responsibility onto others.
Besides, the soul’s inherent divinity enables a person to see the truth for themselves, so why not put that talent to use? In the second Arabic Hidden Word, Baha’u’llah says that he loves fairness, and that his followers should not disregard it. He expects them to look at things with the eye of fairness, and says that this will enable them to see things with their own eyes. He promises that, in this way, he will confide in them the truth of things.
Spirit child, in my sight, the dearest of things is fairness. Do not disregard it, if you desire me, and do not be careless of it, so that you may be a confidant to me. By this means, you will be able to see things through your own eye, not through the eye of the servants, and get to know things through your own experience, not through the experience of anyone else in the world. Think about that, how you ought to be. This is my gift to you and my loving kindness for you, so put it in front of your eyes. (Arabic Hidden Word 2, my translation)
Baha’u’llah states that his confiding in someone is a gift to them. Why would a follower of Baha’u’llah throw that gift away?
A person gains nothing spiritually by adopting a passive position and allowing others to act on their behalf. Baha’u’llah neatly anticipates this scenario. He outlines a hypothetical conversation he has with someone who has died. He asks the person why they did not believe in him, and the person says that it was because no one else believed. Baha’u’llah says that he rejects this answer because no person’s belief is conditioned on that of another soul. (Gleanings, LXXV) From this, I think we can extrapolate that no person’s moral decisions are conditioned on the decisions of another. (Gleanings, CXXXV) A person’s decisions, whatever the reason for them, are regarded as their own. We die alone, we meet our Maker alone, we answer for ourselves alone, and we atone for ourselves alone.
Child of existence, call yourself to account each day, before you are held accountable. Because death will come to you unexpectedly and you will rise up on the basis of the appraisal in yourself. (Arabic Hidden Word 31, my translation)