Adoption

He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is a though he hath brought up a son of Mine; upon him rest My Glory, My loving Kindness, My Mercy, that have compassed the world.

In this holy Cause the question of orphans hath the utmost importance. The greatest consideration must be shown towards orphans; they must be taught trained and educated. The Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, especially, must by all means be given to them as far as possible. I supplicate God that thou mayest become a kind parent to orphaned children, quickening them with the fragrances of the Holy Spirit, so that they will attain the age of maturity as true servants of the world of humanity and as bright candles in the assemblage of mankind.

It was a pleasure to Shoghi Effendi to receive your letter of May 26th and to hear about your adopted children. This is a truly Bahá’í act especially as it was often lauded both by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Guardian trusts that they will grow to become Bahá’í workers, and thus repay your kind generosity.

It is clear that the separation of a child from its natural parents is a tragedy that society must do its best to prevent or mitigate. It is also clear that in certain cases the actual separation may be better for the child than to continue living with a parent whose conduct and character make him unworthy of this sacred function, for the Guardian has explicitly stated that the severing of family ties and renunciation of responsibilities between parents and the children is, in certain cases, permissible under the Law of God, but that the Universal House of Justice has to make the law governing such matters.