Talk:Bahá'í marriage

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[edit] Dowry

The range of dowry weight is between 2.22 troy ounces and 11.1 troy ounces depending on where the husbands permanent residence, gold for city, silver for rural. I would like to know what the maximum is to two decimal places please.RoddyYoung 16:20, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] An odd question

This is just out of curiosity and it is not intended to cause offence or make fun of anyone (if you think it might offend you then stop reading). Are alternative sexual practices like Urolagnia etc allowed between a married couple? Just wondering and again I hope I have not offended anyone. --Hydraton31 15:32, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi, no offence taken. Specific practices, such as Uralagnia, have not been commented on in the Baha'i writings (in my knowledge). There are, however, general principles in regards to the sexual impulse and I've listed some of them below. Note that no one Baha'i can interpret the Baha'i writings for another Baha'i since only Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi were authorized as interpreters (their interpretations are authoritative). Also, the observance of personal laws such as prayer or fasting, while a universal obligation, is the sole responsibility of the individual, and are not enforced by any other Baha'i or Baha'i institution.

• "The Bahá'í teachings on sexual morality centre on marriage and the family as the bedrock of the whole structure of human society and are designed to protect and strengthen that divine institution. Bahá'í law thus restricts permissible sexual intercourse to that between a man and the woman to whom he is married."(notes in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 223)
• "The question you raise as to the place in one's life that a deep bond of love with someone we meet other than our husband or wife can have is easily defined in view of the teachings. Chastity implies both before and after marriage an unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage absolutely faithful to one's chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts, faithful in word and in deed." (Shoghi Effendi, letter to an individual believer, September 28, 1941)
• "Concerning your question whether there are any legitimate forms of expression of the sex instinct outside of marriage; according to the Bahá'í Teachings no sexual act can be considered lawful unless performed between lawfully married persons. Outside of marital life there can be no lawful or healthy use of the sex impulse except self-control which, when exercised, undoubtedly has a salutary effect on the development of character and of personality in general, and on the other should be advised, nay even encouraged, to contract marriage while still young and in full possession of their physical vigour." (Shoghi Effendi, letter to an individual))
• "The Institution of marriage, as established by Bahá'u'lláh, while giving due importance to the physical aspect of marital union considers it as subordinate to the moral and spiritual purposes and functions with which it has been invested by an All-Wise and loving Providence, and only when these different values are given each their due importance, and only on the basis of the subordination of the physical to the moral, and the carnal to the spiritual can such excesses and laxity in marital relations as our decadent age is so sadly witnessing be avoided, and family life be restored to its original purity, and fulfil the true function for which it has been instituted by God." (Shoghi Effendi, letter to a believer May 8, 1939)
• "Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations. It demands daily vigilance in the control of one's carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures. It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs. It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature, the practices of nudism and of companionate marriage, infidelity in marital relationships, and all manner of promiscuity, of easy familiarity, and of sexual vices. It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age. Nay rather it seeks to demonstrate, through the dynamic force of its example, the pernicious character of such theories, the falsity of such standards, the hollowness of such claims, the perversity of such habits, and the sacrilegious character of such excesses." (Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 30)
• "Bahá'u'lláh says God has created all the good things in the world for us to enjoy and partake. But we must not become attached to them and put them before the spiritual things. Chastity in the strict sense means not to have sexual intercourse, or sexual intimacies, before marriage. In the general sense it means not to be licentious. This does not mean we Bahá'ís believe sexual relations to be impure or wrong. On the contrary they are natural and should be considered one of God's many blessings. He does not know anything about whether albumen and delicious food affect sex; this is a medical question. Sex is a very individual matter, some people are more passionate by nature than others, and might consequently suffer more if forced to be continent. But when the world becomes more spiritual there will not be such an exaggerated emphasis on sex, as there is today, and consequently it will be easier for young people to be chaste and control their passions. A man of noble character and strong willpower, could certainly remain faithful to his wife during a long absence!" (Shoghi Effendi, The Light of Divine Guidance v II, p. 69)

I hope this helps answer your question. Regards, -- Jeff3000 16:34, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, I find this very interesting and it does pretty much answer the question in so far as it concerns me (ie, personal interest). Thanks again! --Hydraton31 17:34, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Another Question

The article is a little unclear. Are Baha'i women allowed to marry non-Baha'i men? The article states that Baha'i can intermarry but does not make it clear if this is valid for both sexes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.204.191.184 (talk) 20:52, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

The article states "Marriage with non-Bahá'ís is permitted" which is valid for both men and women. Both men and women can marry those that are not Baha'is. Regards, -- Jeff3000 23:44, 7 November 2007 (UTC)