On page 25 of The Advent of Divine Justice the beloved
Guardian is describing the requirements not only of chastity, but of "a
chaste and holy life" -- both the adjectives are important. One of the
signs of a decadent society, a sign which is very evident in the world today,
is an almost frenetic devotion to pleasure and diversion, an insatiable thirst
for amusement, a fanatical devotion to games and sport, a reluctance to treat
any matter seriously, and a scornful, derisory attitude towards virtue and
solid worth. Abandonment of "a frivolous conduct" does not imply that
a Bahá'í must be sour-faced or perpetually solemn. Humour, happiness, joy are
characteristics of a true Bahá'í life. Frivolity palls and eventually leads to
boredom and emptiness, but true happiness and joy and humour that are parts of
a balanced life that includes serious thought, compassion and humble servitude
to God are characteristics that enrich life and add to its radiance.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a
letter dated 8 May 1979 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to
an individual believer, cited in the compilation ‘A Chase and Holy Life’; compilation
‘Humor and Laughter’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal
House of Justice)
