The world today is submerged, amongst other things, in an
over-exaggeration of the importance of physical love, and a dearth of spiritual
values. In as far as possible the believers should try to realize this and rise
above the level of their fellowmen who are, typical of all decadent periods in
history, placing so much overemphasis on the purely physical side of mating.
Outside of their normal, legitimate married life they should seek to establish
bonds of comradeship and love which are eternal and founded on the spiritual
life of man, not on his physical life. This is one of the many fields in which
it is incumbent on the Baha'is to set the example and lead the way to a true
human standard of life, when the soul of man is exalted and his body but the
tool for his enlightened spirit. Needless to say this does not preclude the
living of a perfectly normal sex life in its legitimate channel of marriage. - Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 28 September 1941, written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; quoted by the Universal House of
Justice in a letter dated 6 February 1973 to all National Spiritual Assemblies;
‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)
