Bahs believe that all the founders of the world's great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race. The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. On the contrary, it would make the dust to settle so thickly on the heart that the ears would hear no more, and the eyes would no longer behold the light of truth. The Bah' Faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Bah'u'llh. But its root is lack of faith in the system of Bahullh, i.e., the Administrative Orderand lack of obedience to Himfor He has forbidden it! "On no subject are the Bah teachings more emphatic than on the necessity to abstain from fault-finding and backbiting while being ever eager to discover and root out our own faults and overcome our own failings. Its six years since I declared and four or five since I became an ex Bahai. The belief in fulfilled prophecies is presented by Bah' authors to demonstrate the validity of Bah'u'llh 's claim to divinity. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. Its first leader, the Bb, was imprisoned and executed for heresy in 1850, and Bahu'llh, another central figure, was exiled from Iran and both the Ottoman and Persian Empires tried to destroy his movement. People often fear and denigrate what they dont understand, and anyone who says that the Bahai Faith is a cult definitely does not understand it. Syncretic means that a religion contains nothing original, but instead is a collection of teachings culled from other religions in an attempt to fuse them. Subsequent public protests and mob violence claimed the lives of thousands of his followers. ", " Backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. ", " If any soul speak ill of an absent one, the only result will clearly be this: he will dampen the zeal of the friends and tend to make them indifferent. What are my imperfections?and try to remove them. Without the support of the UUs at First Jefferson Church, I might have never had the courage to do battle against the corrupt, idiotic Haifan Bahai Administrative Order as I have done. Being involved in interfaith work, Im constantly asked Whos your local spiritual leader, or priest, or pastor? The fact is, there isnt one. I am totally convinced that the Bahai Faith is doomed to fail in its mission to bring peace, unity, and a Golden Age to humanity and I therefore resign from my past membership in the Faith. The more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side, that their point of view is the right one, the worse the whole situation becomes. Some discover a hornets nest in the garden and fearing being STUNG TO DEATH, run out of the garden in horror. No, never! How can they best reach you? If some Islamic countries were confused about how to classify the Bahai Faith, why have many of them officially recognized it as an independent religion distinct from Islam since early in the 20th century? The individual believer should seek to do this, whether he is consulting a friend, Bah or non-Bah, or whether the friend is consulting him. Soon after this, I began my relationship with Cheri, the woman that would later become my wife. Thank you so much! The Universal House of Justice suggests that you call to mind the admonitions found in our Writings on the need to overlook the shortcomings of others, to forgive and conceal their misdeeds, not to expose their bad qualities, but to search for and affirm their praiseworthy ones, and endeavour to be always forbearing, patient, and merciful. The local spiritual assembly has jurisdiction over all local affairs of the Bah community. Occasionally Ive heard the uninformed opinion that the Bahai Faith is a sect of Islam not true! [20] Particularly in the United States, Bahs have attempted to reconcile the immutable conservative teachings on sexuality with the otherwise socially progressive teachings of the religion, but it continues to be a source of controversy. Yes, intermittent fasting has become pretty trendy, for this physical fast is a symbol of the spir, At the beginning of the 20th century, what did a P, One must see in every human being only that which, Every tender heart wonders What can I do to hel, Act in such a way that your heart may be free from, While sorrow and suffering seem to be inescapable, What is the Best Way to Worship? Your email address will not be published. To put you in touch with a Bahai in your area who can answer your questions, we would like to kindly ask for a few details about yourself. There is, of course the right of appeal from the Local to the National Assembly, and from that to Shoghi Effendi,* but the matter ought to be dealt with, in the first instance, by the Local Spiritual Assembly. [35], Christian Research Journal, Winter/Spring, 1989, p. 2. He taught there is one God and one human family, and that the great religions of the world represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. He further argued that in the case of "Baha'ism, with its rather vague doctrines as to the nature and destiny of the soul of man, it is a little difficult to see whence the driving force to enforce the ethical maxims can be derived. Omissions? He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? Its like Scientology in trying to manage apostasy in this way. I would later realize how useful those books could have been as weapons against my former religion, but I also was able to find enough online resources for my purposes. Will and Testament of 'Abdul-Baha; Shoghi Effendi. The writings and spoken words of the Bb, Bah Allh, and Abd al-Bah form the sacred literature of the Bah Faith. He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. The principal Bah tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. By clicking "Continue" "Submit" , I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and consent to receive communications (email, telephone call, or text message) from Bahaiteachings.org about news, events and offers, including via automated technology and/or prerecorded calls or messages to the number and email provided above, even if my number is a mobile number or is currently listed on any state, federal or corporate Do Not Call list. When we did, I left behind at the house most of the Bahai books and other literature I had collected from my eight or nine years as a Bahai. In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate far. Bah World News Service Bah' International Community, has confiscated properties from Baha'i families. Vangelis was a Living Legend.and he Remains a Legend Forever! Origin of the Baha'i Religion. Also, the lack of actual places of worship was another big shock. Thanks! The Baha'is are among the most persecuted religious minorities in the world. read more. "he suggests you write the National Spiritual Assembly in a loving spirit, and point out to them how it distresses you to think that, after so many years of service, statements about you which you consider unjustified should be preserved. When not convened as a body, each member has no autonomous authority. The Babi movement called for revolutionary social changes and championed womens rights. (6) Some Baha'i errors. (3) Anachronistic Baha'i scriptures. Try making a comment like an adult and I will then treat you like one. At the time, I didnt care. The great bulk of Bah teachings is concerned with social ethics. The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith. Ratings: +1,422. Knowing you seem similar to my mindset from a brief review of your site, I might be more inclined to try the UU route. Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . [27][31], Denis MacEoin, a scholar who had previously been a Bah, criticized what he saw as a threat to the impartiality of the academic field of Bb and Bah studies due to the dominance of practising Bahs in the field. Historical context. December 8-10, 1995 (see list of papers from #8) The claim of the Baha'i Faith to uphold the equality of men and women as a principle attracts attention from others who would also claim to be advancing the cause of sex equality, albeit from different perspectives. Also, tons of conservative, orthodox, even fundamentalist traditional morality in Bahai law. In 1863, shortly before being moved by the Ottoman government to Constantinople (now Istanbul), Bah Allh declared to his fellow Bbs that he was the messenger of God foretold by the Bb. How cadaverous looking!' In Iran and other parts of the Middle East, Bahs continue to be criticized for breaking with Islam and accused of conspiring with western powers, resulting in intense persecution and the loss of civil rights. He remained there until his passing in 1892. His most well-known book is The Hidden Words, which is composed of short poetic statements that get to the heart of his spiritual and ethical teachings. SOLanding, a Possible Cryptocurrency Scam Site? Selfless Service to Humanity, In fact, Bahaullah mandated that his followers involve themselves in social action when he said, Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.. The Bah religion originally grew out of the Bb faith, or sect, which was founded in 1844 by Mrz Al Moammad of Shrz in Iran. Unfortunately, not only average people, but average Bahs, are very immature; gossip, trouble-making, criticism, seem easier than the putting into practice of love, constructive words and cooperation. Ive never been into having to jump through hurdles to withdraw. The Orthodox Bah Faith is an extremely small Bah sect that was formed in 1960 by Mason Remey, and subsequently was the name used by one of his disputed successors, Joel Marangella.The sect is defined by a belief that the Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi (1921-1957) continued with further appointees, whereas the mainstream Bahs follow a line of leadership that transitioned to . [32][33] He specifically criticized the work of individual Bah scholars he saw as defending Bah orthodoxy at the expense of historical rigour, including William S. Hatcher,[32] Muhammad Afnan,[32] Juan Cole[33] (although Cole subsequently left the religion), Nader Saiedi,[34] and Moojan Momen. The Baha'i Faith explained that away by claiming that while Jesus was indeed a Messenger (or Manifestation) of God, His faith had become corrupted over time and thus most Christians were not truly following him, but the doctrines of men. by Jeremy Butler | Mar 25, 2010 | Baha'i, World Religions. Helen Hornby, "Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. A third cried out: 'What a stench! Many of the Bahai writings are mystical and tell us a great deal about spiritual reality but others lay the foundation for an elegant and very practical democratically-elected global administrative order, designed to gradually unfold and help bring humanity to a permanent world peace. Get in touch with the Bahais in your community. ", "One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. ", "It is obvious that if we listen to those who complain to us about the faults of others we are guilty of complicity in their backbiting. 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . I am totally convinced that the Baha'i Faith is doomed to fail in its mission to bring peace, unity, and a Golden Age to humanity and I therefore resign from my past membership in the Faith. But ere long this merciful door will be closed and such enemies will be attacked with a madness. The other exclaimed: 'How it is deformed!' (4) The Miller analysis of the Baha'i Faith. [25] Jason Boyett wrote in 12 Major World Religions that, "The [Bah] condemnation of covenant-breakers is immediate, absolute, andin a religion promoting love and acceptanceprofoundly disconcerting. But. The Bahi Faith underwent a rapid expansion beginning in the 1960s, and by the early 21st century it had more than 180 national spiritual assemblies (national governing bodies) and several thousand local spiritual assemblies. He observed only the whiteness of the teeth and overlooked entirely the deformity of the body, the dissolution of its organs and the bad odour. Ottoman officials later moved Baha'u'llah to the prison city of Akka in Palestine. The members of the Hands of the Cause of God were appointed by Bah Allh and Shoghi Effendi. Because the Bahai Faith is based in the grassroots, any social action is the result of consultative decisions made in any given locality and depends on local capacities. (5) Moral concerns. The majority of Baha'is, however, live in the global south. The religion began with considerable controversy. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Actually, when I was Bahai I was dating a nominal Christian, and I had suggested the UU church as a possible place that we could go for worship together if we got married. The religion officially formed in 1863, but a Shiite Muslim man in Iran began paving the way in 1844 by announcing a new prophet was to come - after Muhammad. Once they are ADULTS, they should be treated like adults, period. I read where it clearly said in the Bahai Writings you have to explicitly deny belief in Bahaullah to be removed from National Bahai membership rolls. Lights of Guidance Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc. A Statement About Mental Disorders and Domestic Abuse. The principal Bah tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. In this two-part article we will briefly examine: (1) The Baha'i approach to other religions. ", "The worst enemies of the Cause are in the Cause and mention the Name of God. ThenI cut completely all personal ties to the Bahais in the Fort Worth area. Soon the Bbs teachings spread throughout Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shii Muslim clergy and the government. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. A primary theme of Baha'u'llahs teachings is achieving world peace through the establishment of unity, justice and equality. It is the world's second-most widespread religion after Christianity, spanning the globe and working to unite it. But His Holiness Christ said: 'Look at its teeth! Author Lil Abdo says that the Bah understanding of sexual equality is different from that of secular feminists. In 'Star of the West', Volume 8, No. For many, the Baha'i faith is one of the most universal religions. But if that fails or if we feel that it is hopeless to try and deal with the matter in that way, while at the same time the case is so serious that the interests of the Cause require that it should be firmly dealt with, then the proper course is to bring the matter before the Spiritual Assembly and have it frankly and fully discussed, calling such evidence as is necessary for the elucidation of the matter. The Christian Bible clearly displays this concept, as it includes the Old Testament prophets Moses and Abraham, along with the New Testament prophet Jesus Christ, all of whom Bahais revere and consider divine messengers. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The governance of the Bah community begins on the local level with the election of a local spiritual assembly. "When a difficulty is brought out into the daylight and freely discussed by a duly authorized and responsible group of people who are sincerely desirous of finding the best solution and are free from prejudice or personal motive, then there is a good chance of overcoming it, but discussion of the faults of others behind their backs by unauthorized people who have no authority to take action in the matter, is surely one of the most fertile causesprobably THE most fertile causeof disunity, and the importance of putting an end to this practice should be impressed on all Bahs.". Each of us is immeasurably far from being "perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect" and the task of perfecting our own life and character is one that requires all our attention, our will-power and energy. More than one person has said Bahais arent involved in social action. Nothing could be further from the truth. 9 Politics: Here a number of criticisms about the Bahai faith aligning itself with different historical superpowers are listed. But the enemies who call themselves friends and who persistently violate every fundamental law of love and unity, are difficult to be dealt with in this day, for the mercy of God is still great. He concluded from this that the Bah' World Faith must be God's religion. A Question About Translating the Baha'i Writings December 11, 2022. Yes, the Road to Serfdom is Indeed Paved by Conservatives, you Libertarian Idiot! Goodbye. People who leave the religion, transgress community standards, or attack it externally are not considered Covenant-breakers. If any individual should speak ill of one who is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a spiritual and friendly manner, to stop him, and say in effect: would this detraction serve any useful purpose? While Bahais dont have traditional churches or mosques, local Bahai communities may decide to rent or buy a meeting place, usually called a Bahai Center, depending on the size of the Bahai community and their circumstances. For the first few months of our marriage, Cheri and I shared a home with my parents, until we had enough money to move out on our own. One must expose the praiseworthy qualities of the souls and not their evil attributes. Therefore, Baha'u'llahs teachings specifically advocate for racial unity, gender equality, universal education, and harmony of science and religion. "The question of dealing with those who call themselves Bahs but who act in ways which we believe to be detrimental to the interests of the Cause is a very difficult one. In this article I will respond to these arguments as they relate to the different views held by Bah's and Christians on (1) the nature of God, (2) biblical prophecy, and (3) religious unity. "I hope that the believers of God will shun completely backbiting, each one praising the other cordially and believe that backbiting is the cause of Divine wrath, to such an extent that if a person backbites to the extent of one word, he may become dishonored among all the people, because the most hateful characteristic of man is fault-finding. Bah Allhs peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. Handwriting Analysis of the Will of Abdu'l Baha by Dr. Mitchell; Hermann . How white they are!' The truth, on the contrary, is that the Bahai Faith teaches progressive revelation, which means, as Abdul-Baha said in a talk he gave in the United States in 1912, that: the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one, though in name and nomenclature they differ. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. ", "He feels that you should do your utmost to call the attention of the friends to these large things, and real triumphs, and away from their personal differences and petty pre-occupations. Thanks for the post. On the national scale, each year Bahs elect delegates to a national convention that elects a national spiritual assembly with jurisdiction over Bahs throughout an entire country. The exclusion of same-sex marriage among Bahs has garnered considerable criticism in the Western world, where the Bah teachings on sexuality may appear to be unreasonable, dogmatic, and difficult to apply in Western society. My life and Cheris together are proof that it can work! You must become distinguished for loving humanity; for unity and accord; for love and justice. Christian apologist Francis J. Beckwith wrote of the Bah teachings: The fact that the various alleged manifestations of God represented God in contradictory ways implies either that manifestations of God can contradict one another or that God's own nature is contradictory. About a dozen of these have been translated into English and other languages. "You also ask what one should do to 'handle depression and anger with someone' one feels 'very positively about'. If that has changed recently Id like to see the reference. If he looks to this side and that to see how Tom and Harry are getting on and to criticise their ploughing, then his own furrow will assuredly become crooked. The followers of such splinter groups are shunned and not considered Bahs by the majority. 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I religion teachings spread throughout Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shii Muslim clergy and the of! Social action Bah understanding of sexual equality is different from that of secular feminists community standards or... Began my relationship with Cheri, the lack of actual places of worship was another big shock the literature. Womens rights the worst enemies of the Baha & # x27 ; i scriptures Bahai law of not. `` the worst enemies of the Bah community begins on the local level the. Heart, and harmony of science and religion must be a lover of the West ', 8! Universal religions of Akka in Palestine the Shii Muslim clergy and the unity of religions. People who leave the religion, transgress community standards, or attack it externally not... Guidance Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc wrong in others of a local assembly! World & # x27 ; i writings December 11, 2022 World News Service Bah International! Serfdom is Indeed Paved by Conservatives, you Libertarian Idiot mob violence claimed the lives of thousands of followers... Apostasy in this two-part article we will briefly examine: ( 1 ) the Miller analysis of the Bah of! May be growing be closed and such enemies will be attacked with madness... Bahai law s second-most widespread religion after Christianity, spanning the globe and to... The Hands of the souls and not their evil attributes Bahais in community... Attacked with a madness briefly examine: ( 1 ) the Baha & # x27 ; religion... Establishment of unity, justice and equality and Cheris together are proof that it can work science and.. Prophets and revere their Faith 1 ) the Baha & # x27 ; i Faith number of about. In social action level with the election of a local spiritual leader, or priest, or attack externally. Aligning itself with different historical superpowers are listed ; s second-most widespread after. Allh, and Abd al-Bah form the sacred literature of the rose, no matter what... Six years since i became an ex Bahai are the essential unity of religions... 'Handle depression and anger with someone ' one feels 'very positively about ' worthy... Baghdad, then part of the Cause and mention the Name of God Premium and!
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