Here are some excerpts of a news article about last Friday's ruling of the Supreme Court regarding a forced blood transfusion ordered by a Manitoba court against the persons religious beliefs and wishes.
Baha'is recognize and extol the institution of marriage.. however there are some exceptional aspects to Baha'i marriage that are not well known.
To have a Baha'i marriage you need the approval of all living parents of the prospective spouses. Even if you're sixty years old and your parent is eighty they still need to approve of the marriage. This practise eliminates the grounds for complaints from the proverbial "mother-in-law" and actually makes sense I think because new families today often need the support of their in laws anyway. So there is no eloping among Baha'is.
Once everyone approves of the marriage the couple goes to their nearest Local Spiritual Assembly and applies to have the Baha'i marriage. Two witnesses approved by the Assembly need to be present to witness the vows of the couple.
The vow consists of the words "We will all verily abide by the Will of God" in front of the approved witnesses. Once that's... [Read More]