Caste System in Baha’i Faith

Eric Stetson

Currently, the Baha’is think of humanity as being divided into a few official groups or castes. I have organized them in a list from “best” to “worst” based on how many rights they would have in a future Baha’i world order:

1. Baha’i in good standing

2. Baha’i with administrative rights removed

3. non-Baha’i

4. Covenant-breaker

If you include more subtle gradations, which may possibly acquire a greater degree of official status in the future, the list would look like this…

1. Baha’i in good standing, active

2. Baha’i in good standing, inactive

3. Baha’i with some administrative rights removed

4. Baha’i with all administrative rights removed (Feast attendance, voting, eligibility for election, contribution to Funds, contribution to Huququ’llah, plus anything I’m forgetting to mention)

5. non-Baha’i (never been a Baha’i)

6. ex-Baha’i, left voluntarily (not an opponent)

7. ex-Baha’i, membership revoked/expelled by UHJ (not an opponent)

8. opponent or enemy of the faith, non-Baha’i

9. opponent or enemy of the faith, ex-Baha’i

10. child or grandchild of Covenant-breaker, not practicing in Covenant-breaker organization

11. Covenant-breaker, not officially declared by UHJ but member of Covenant-breaker organization

12. Covenant-breaker, officially declared by UHJ

Groups 10-12 constitute the Baha’i version of the “untouchable caste.” Groups 4-12 (the vast majority of categories) would not have the right to vote in elections for the highest governmental positions, i.e. the Baha’i Houses of Justice that would have final authority at the local, national, and international levels.

How’s that for unity of all people, huh?

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