nderstand that his calling is far above the average service; and his duty
to remain at his post a very pressing one indeed."

149: POLITICAL FIGURES (NON-POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE BAHA'I FAITH)

"The Guardian wishes me to draw the attention of the friends through you
that they should be very careful in their public utterance not to mention
any political figures ... either side with them or denounce them. This is
the first thing to bear in mind. Otherwise they will involve the friends
in political matters, which is definitely dangerous for the Cause."

150: POLITICS (LOYALTY TO WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH)

"Loyalty (to the) World Order of Baha'u'llah, security of its basic
institutions, both imperatively demand all its avowed supporters ... in
these days when sinister uncontrollable forces are deepening (the)
cleavage sundering peoples, nations, creeds (and) classes, (to) resolve,
despite (the) pressure (of) fast crystallizing public opinion, (to)
abstain individually and collectively, in word (and) action, informally as
well as in all official utterances and publications, from assigning blame,
taking sides, however indirectly, in recurring political crises now
agitating (and) ultimately engulfing human society. Grave apprehension
lest cumulative effect (of) such compromises (should) disintegrate (the)
fabric, clog (the) channel of grace that sustains (the) system of God's
essentially supranational, supernatural order so laboriously evolved, so
recently established."

151: POLITICS (NON-INTERFERENCE IN)

"The attitude of the Baha'is must be two-fold, complete obedience to the
government of the country they reside in, and no interference whatsoever
in political matters or questions. What the Master's statement really
means is obedience to a duly constituted government, whatever that
government may be in form. We are not the ones, as individual Baha'is, to
judge our government as just or unjust--for each believer would be sure to
hold a different viewpoint, and within our own Baha'i fold a hotbed of
dissension would spring up and destroy our unity. We must build up our own
Baha'i system, and leave the faulty systems of the world to go their way.
We cannot change them through becoming involved in them; on the contrary,
they will destroy us."

152: POLITICS (REMAIN ALOOF FROM POLITICAL AFFAIRS)

"We should--every one of us--remain aloof, in heart and in mind, in words
and in de