Origin of the Baha'i Religion. 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. This unique conception of religion which Abdul-Baha explained by saying These holy Manifestations of God are the Educators and Trainers of the world of existence, the Teachers of the world of humanity is not an artificial attempt to bring religions together, but instead a completely new way to see all Faiths as one organic whole rather than a collection of competing belief systems. 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. It is the world's second-most widespread religion after Christianity, spanning the globe and working to unite it. BAHA'IS AND THE NATURE OF GOD Browne wrote that while he found them admirable, in his view they are inferior to the simplicity and beauty of the teachings of Christ. The primary functions of both groups are to propagate the Bah Faith and protect the community. Cults separate themselves from society, and Bahais take part in society. Does it really matter? 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. "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. In the end (undefined in conventional thinking) all knees will bow before the King of all Kings, Jesus Christ. How very interesting,I too declared the same time but now find myself so spiritually down in the mouth, I take great objection to the anti-homosexual stance having got dear friends that are homosexual, also I actually enjoy the occasional glass of wine in the evening with my husband, the Bahai Calendar continues to baffle me and I cant get to grips with this fasting business, oh dear.Im not actually a bad person but find the faith quite difficult, I intend withdrawing from the faith as Im certainly not spiritually fulfilled, the people are nice but its not for me anymore. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. [26], Bahs have been accused, particularly by successive Iranian governments, of being agents or spies of Russia, Britain, the Shah, the United States, and as agents of Zionismeach claim being linked to each regime's relevant enemy and justifying anti-Bah actions. | The Bahai Insider, Pingback: Dale Husband: Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith Bah Censorship, Pingback: Another reason to despise Michael Shermer | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Pingback: A Critical Analysis of the The Kitb-i-Aqdas, Part Three | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Pingback: A Conversion to Mormonism | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Pingback: Featured in a magazine critical of the Bahai Faith | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, At the gate of the garden some stand and look within, but do not care to enter. I am currently a skeptic who is looking at both UU and Bahai as a new place to find a community that thinks like I do. According to Bahai law, I would have needed the consent of both her mother (her father was already deceased), and my BIRTH (not adoptive) parents to be married to her. Bah Allh was arrested in 1852 and jailed in Tehrn, where he became aware that he was the prophet and messenger of God whose coming had been predicted by the Bb. One of them said: 'How putrid has this animal become!' [15], Islamic theology regards Muhammad as the Khatam an-Nabiyyin, the last prophet whom God has sent and Islam as the final religion for all humankind. The Bah' Faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Bah'u'llh. "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.". But this distinction must not depend upon wealththat they should become more affluent than other people. Bah Allhs peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. Abd al-Bah actively administered the movements affairs and spread the faith to North America, Europe, and other continents. More recently I found that the Dalai Lama said something similar in just two paragraphs of his 10-chapter book, he says hes not an advocate of religious syncretism such as you find in Bahaism.. ", "Indeed the believers have not yet fully learned to draw on each other's love for strength and consolation in time of need. The Baha'i Faith is not just a collection of philosophical principles or an attempt to combine or conflate religions. ", "As regards backbiting, i.e., discussing the faults of others in their absence, the teachings are very emphatic. 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. Baha'u'llahs father was a minister in Irans government, which supported Shi'i Islam as the state religion. But ere long this merciful door will be closed and such enemies will be attacked with a madness. Baha'is, for example, embrace interracial marriage and education for girls. 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.. Bahais have no clergy. The religion began with considerable controversy. Bah Allh was subsequently confined by the Ottomans in Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey) and then in Acre in Palestine (now Akko, Israel). Instead, I asked her to join with me in First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, which I had belonged to before. We are like ploughmen each of whom has his team to manage and his plough to direct, and in order to keep his furrow straight he must keep his eye on his goal and concentrate on his own task. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. If capable, those between the ages of 15 and 70 are required to fast 19 days a year, going without food or drink from sunrise to sunset. 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. Required fields are marked *. All national spiritual assemblies of the world periodically constitute themselves an international convention and elect a supreme governing body known as the Universal House of Justice. She agreed! 2,070. The Bah's are fully entitled to address criticisms to their assemblies; they can freely air their views about policies or individual members of elected bodies to the assembly, local or national, but then they must whole-heartedly accept the advice or decision of the assembly, according to the principles already laid down for such matters in It really doesnt matter what one calls oneself, it only matters what ones relationship is to God in reality. You should urge your fellow-Bahs to take this point of view, and to support you in a strong effort to suppress every critical thought and every harsh word, in order to let the spirit of Bahullh flow into the entire community, and unite it in His love and in His service. Select search scope, currently: articles+ all catalog, articles, website, & more in one search; catalog books, media & more in the Stanford Libraries' collections; articles+ journal articles & other e-resources Author Lil Abdo says that the Bah understanding of sexual equality is different from that of secular feminists. I am closer to God than I have ever been, and less confused than I have ever been. Mirza Ahmad Sohrab; Lady Ruth White. Rather, Bahais look to the spiritual teachings of the Bab and Bahaullah, as interpreted and elucidated by Abdul-Baha, for inspiration and guidance. If, on the other hand, God's own nature is said to be contradictory, that is, that God is both one God and many gods, that God is both able and not able to have a son, personal and impersonal, etc., then the Bahai concept of God is reduced to meaninglessness. Bah Faith, religion founded in Iraq in the mid-19th century by Mrz osayn Al Nr, who is known as Bah Allh (also spelled Bahullh), which in Arabic means Glory of God. The cornerstone of Bah belief is the conviction that Bah Allh and his forerunner, who was known as the Bb (Persian: Gateway), were manifestations of God, who in his essence is unknowable. Your message was successfully sent to BahaiTeachings.org. Your email address will not be published. Dale's Declarations. We need not fear the enemies on the outside for such can be easily dealt with. As part of its crackdown on the followers of the Bab, the Iranian government incarcerated Baha'u'llah. The seat of the Universal House of Justice is in Haifa, Israel, in the immediate vicinity of the shrines of the Bb and Abd al-Bah and near the Shrine of Bah Allh at Bahj, near Akko. The external article completely drops any pretenses of neutrality, blaming certain events (like the attempted assassination of Iranian officials) as done by . Actually, Bahais have been imprisoned and martyred since their Faith began in Persia, because of the persecution of the powerful Islamic clerics who consider the Bahai Faith and its progressive principles a threat. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. 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. If we allow our attention and energy to be taken up in efforts to keep others right and remedy their faults, we are wasting precious time. Whenever you recognize the fault of another, think of yourself! They and other UUs are destined to do the work of peace, unity, and freedom that Bahais cannot and will never do! The Baha'i Faith is a scriptural religion; the current written texts are considered fully authoritative. RELATED: What Happens When You Become a Bahai? ", "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. 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. 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. When Bahaullahs son and successor Abdul-Baha visited North America in 1912, he modeled an example of social action when he told Bahais to racially integrate even in cities which were segregated at that time; and to also apply the Bahai principle of the equality of the sexes to their lives. Though new, these beliefs originated in Twelver Shii Islam, which asserts a belief in the forthcoming return of the 12th imam (successor of Muhammad), who will renew religion and guide the faithful. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting were shut eternally and each one of the believers unsealed his lips in praise of others, then the teachings of His Holiness Bahullh would spread, the hearts be illumined, the spirits glorified, and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity.' Subsequent public protests and mob violence claimed the lives of thousands of his followers. In all other levels of administration (other than the UHJ), however, women have always been eligible to serve, often contrary to prevailing cultural or societal norms. 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! [24] The religion has seen a few attempts at splintering, but they have remained extremely small and declined over time. That looked like denial to me, so I dismissed it and threw away the letter. As a member of Irans nobility, Baha'u'llah was offered a government position. The members of the Hands of the Cause of God were appointed by Bah Allh and Shoghi Effendi. Once they are ADULTS, they should be treated like adults, period. The feasts are designed to ensure universal participation in the affairs of the community and the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship. In this two-part article we will briefly examine: (1) the Baha'i approach to other religions; (2) the absence of the personal requirements Baha'i demands for the Manifestations; (3) anachronistic Baha'i scriptures; (4) the Miller analysis of the Baha'i faith; (5) moral concerns; (6) some Baha'i errors; and (7) failed prophecy and Baha'i misuse of I sometimes hear, from those without much knowledge of the Bahai Faith, that it is syncretic. In a letter written to an individual believer on behalf of the Guardian it is stated: 'If we are better, if we show love, patience, and understanding of the weakness of others, if we seek to never criticize but rather encourage, others will do likewise, and we can really help the Cause through our example and spiritual strength. 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.' It will endeavor to present criteria for the labels "world religion" and "new religious movement," as well as explore to what extent the Bah' Faith fulfils these criteria. [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 Bahai Insider, Dale Husband: Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith Bah Censorship, Another reason to despise Michael Shermer | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, A Critical Analysis of the The Kitb-i-Aqdas, Part Three | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, A Conversion to Mormonism | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Featured in a magazine critical of the Bahai Faith | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants. 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. Only the last category could fall into the category of reliable sources (although not independent or disinterested sources ). Still others encircle this garden inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate. About a dozen of these have been translated into English and other languages. 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. Occasionally Ive heard the uninformed opinion that the Bahai Faith is a sect of Islam not true! They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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