to be too independent of the wishes of their parents
and lacking in the respect due to them....

(From a letter dated 22 July 1943 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
an individual believer) [131]

"132: Regarding your question about children fighting: the statement of
the..."

Regarding your question about children fighting: the statement of the
Master, not to strike back, should not be taken so extremely literally
that Baha'i children must accept to be bullied and thrashed. If they can
manage to show a better way of settling disputes than by active
self-defence, they should naturally do so.

(From a letter dated 11 May 1945 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer) [132]

"133: You ask him about the fear of God: perhaps the friends do not
realize..."

You ask him about the fear of God: perhaps the friends do not realize that
the majority of human beings need the element of fear in order to
discipline their conduct? Only a relatively very highly evolved soul would
always be disciplined by love alone. Fear of punishment, fear of the anger
of God if we do evil, are needed to keep people's feet on the right path.
Of course we should love God--but we must fear Him in the sense of a child
fearing the righteous anger and chastisement of a parent; not cringe
before Him as before a tyrant, but know His mercy exceeds His justice!

(From a letter dated 26 July 1946 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
an individual believer) [133]

"134: He is sorry to hear your little boy is not developing
satisfactorily;..."

He is sorry to hear your little boy is not developing satisfactorily; very
few children are really bad. They do, however, sometimes have complicated
personalities and need very wise handling to enable them to grow into
normal, moral, happy adults. If you feel convinced your son will really
benefit from going to Father Flanagan's school you could send him there.
But in general we should certainly always avoid sending Baha'i children to
orthodox religious schools, especially Catholic, as the children receive
the imprint of religious beliefs we as believers know are outdated and no
longer for this age. He will especially pray for the solution of this
problem.

(From a letter dated 30 May 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer) [134]

"135: Regarding the questions you asked him: there is no objection to
children..."

Regardi