Vicious criticism is indeed a calamity. But its root is lack
of faith in the system of Bahá'u'lláh (i.e. the administrative order) and lack
of obedience to Him - for He has forbidden it. If the Bahá'ís would follow the
Bahá'í laws in voting, in electing, in serving, and in abiding by assembly
decisions, all this waste of strength through criticizing others could be
diverted into cooperation and achieving the Plan.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated
December 18, 1949, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer;
Compilation on ‘Criticism: Extracts from letters written on behalf of the
Guardian to individual believers’, prepared by the Research Department of the
Universal House of Justice)
