Those who encounter the title "Orthodox Baha'i" for the first time, especially those who are followers of the sans-Guardian Universal House of Justice, may wonder why people would identify themselves as Orthodox Baha'is if, as 'Abdu'l-Baha has stated, the Baha'i Covenant makes it "impossible for any one to create a sect or faction of belief." Why, then, would those who identify themselves as Baha'is find it necessary to add the word "Orthodox"? Aren't they, by doing so, going against the Covenant and what 'Abdu'l-Baha said? Aren't they attempting to make a schism in a Faith that carries the promise of never experiencing division? Shouldn't they, instead, identify themselves with the majority faction of the Cause so that the Baha'i Faith continues to convey the promise of never splintering into differing sects?
An understanding of the position of Orthodox Baha'is might well begin by studying carefully the complete statement of 'Abdu'l-Baha from which the words "impossible for any one to create a sect or faction of belief" were taken. That statement reads as follows:
As to the most great characteristic of the revelation of Baha'u'llah--a specific teaching not given by any of the Prophets of the past--it is the ordination and appointment of the Center of the Covenant. By this appointment and provision He has safeguarded and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms, making it impossible for any one to create a new sect or faction of belief. To insure unity and agreement He has entered into a Covenant with all the people of the world including the Interpreter and Explainer of His teachings so that no one may interpret or explain the religion of God according to his own view or opinion and thus create a sect founded upon his individual understanding of the divine words. The Book of the Covenant or Testament of Baha'u'llah is the means of preventing such a possibility, for whosoever shall speak from the authority of himself alone shall be degraded. Be ye informed and cognizant of this. (Emphasis added.)
Central to the issue of the safeguarding and protection of the religion of God is the individual who is appointed as the interpreter of the teachings, for, as 'Abdu'l-Baha states, the Covenant of Baha'u'llah includes "the Interpreter and Explainer of His teachings." All Baha'is are aware that in His Will and Testament, 'Abdu'l-Baha conveyed to Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Faith, that self-same interpretative authority with which Baha'u'llah had invested Him, identifying Shoghi Effendi as "the expounder of the words of God." The Will of 'Abdu'l-Baha also made it "incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing."
However, on the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the world-wide community of Baha'is failed to recognize that the first Guardian had appointed his successor in his own life-time. Instead of recognizing and turning to Shoghi Effendi's successor, all accepted the interim leadership of Shoghi Effendi's appointed Hands of the Cause, even though, according to 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will, they are only to serve "under the direction of the guardian of the Cause of God," who, the Will says, "must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the world..."
With the Hands in command of the Baha'i Faith, the Cause of Baha'u'llah became a heterodox organization, for the administration of the Faith was no longer in line with the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Document that Shoghi Effendi has called "the Charter of the New World Order." When the second Guardian of the Faith found it necessary to make a proclamation of his Guardianship to the Baha'i World in order to set matters aright, the leadership of the heterodox Faith rejected him and called upon their followers to do likewise. Those who accepted Mason Remey's claim to the Guardianship, based upon his appointment by Shoghi Effendi to be the head of the embryonic Universal House of Justice (which they maintain is synonymous with the Guardianship, since 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will calls for the Guardian to be the "sacred head" of that institution), first called themselves "Baha'is Under the Hereditary Guardianship" but eventually identified themselves as "Orthodox Baha'is" because they ascribe to all the basic tenets of the Faith.
