58 To None Is It Permitted To Seek Absolution From Another Soul #34

Categories: NOTES
Sources: The Kitab-i-aqdas

Baha'u'llah prohibits confession to, and seeking absolution of one's sins

from, a human being. Instead one should beg forgiveness from God. In the

Tablet of Bisharat, He states that such confession before people

results in one's humiliation and abasement, and He affirms that God

wisheth not the humiliation of His servants.



Shoghi Effendi sets the prohibition into context. His secretary has

written on his ehalf that we





...are forbidden to confess to any person, as do the Catholics to

their priests, our sins and shortcomings, or to do so in public,

as some religious sects do. However, if we spontaneously desire to

acknowledge we have been wrong in something, or that we have some

fault of character, and ask another person's forgiveness or

pardon, we are quite free to do so.





The Universal House of Justice has also clarified that Baha'u'llah's

prohibition concerning the confession of sins does not prevent an

individual from admitting transgressions in the course of consultations

held under the aegis of Baha'i institutions. Likewise, it does not

preclude the possibility of seeking advice from a close friend or of a

professional counsellor regarding such matters.