- 1938-11-27 — In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles, Shoghi Effendi outlined the attitudes and obligations of Bahá'ís regarding military service. [BW17:384–5; UD122–3]
- 1939-06-04 —
In a letter addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles written on behalf of the Guardian he urged them to
"appeal to the government for exemption from active military service in a combatant capacity, stressing the fact that in doing so they are not prompted by any selfish considerations but by the sole and supreme motive of upholding the Teachings of their Faith, which make it a moral obligation for them to desist from any act that would involve them in direct warfare with their fellow-humans or any other race or nation."
[UD128]
- See other correspondence on this theme: UD122; UD134; UD259
- 1940-00-00 — The Canadian Department of National Defence exempted Bahá'ís from combatant military duty.
- 1946-07-20 — The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States enquired of the Guardian whether the existence of the United Nations in its present form changed the attitude of the Baha'is toward military duties which might require the taking of human life. The Guardian's reply, written by his secretary, was:
...the Bahá'ís should continue to apply, under all circumstances, for exemption from any military duty that necessitates the taking of life. There is no justification for any change of attitude on our part at the present time.
The Universal House of Justice amplified this later statement:
There is no objection in a Bahá'í enlisting voluntarily in the armed forces of a country in order to obtain a training in some trade or profession, provided that he can do so without making himself liable to undertake combatant service. [BW17:384–5]
- 1951-09-00 — National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States provided guidance on military service. [BN No 247 September 1951 p4]
- 1965-09-20 — The obligation that Bahá'ís should seek exemption from combatant service was specifically affirmed by the Universal House of Justice in a letter to the American National Spiritual Assembly. That letter said:
It is for each believer, under pain of his own conscience, to determine for himself what his actions should be, bearing in mind that the application of these principles is the spiritual obligation of every Bahá'í. It is rather for your Assembly to see that adequate instruction is provided so that the friends will let these principles be mirrored forth in their actions, and that they will be so steadfast in their love for Bahá'u'lláh that it would be unthinkable for them to willingly place themselves in a position where they must take human life. [Universal House of Justice letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States ref41]
- 1969-06-00 — For the Bahá'í position on military service see War, Governance, and Conscience in This Age of Transition by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States in the National Bahá'í Review.
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