BAHA'IS AND THE NATURE OF GOD At the time, I didnt care. The central figure of the religion is Baha'u'llah, and Baha'is consider him to be the latest in a series of divine messengers. gss t ws mr lk prf tht yr prblms l lss n pltcs nd rlgn nd mre n mntal hlth sss? "As to backbiting, the House of Justice points out that learning not to concern oneself with the faults of others seems to be one of the most difficult lessons for people to master, and that failing in this is a fertile cause of disputes among Bahs as it is among men and women in general. I have been studying AJ Millers teachings for 17 months now. Large-scale persecutions of his adherents, the Bbs, followed. 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. 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. They also. Still others encircle this garden inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate. [19] In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. Soon after, early American converts began embracing the new religion. The great bulk of Bah teachings is concerned with social ethics. When Criticism and Harsh Words Arise "When criticism and harsh words arise within a Bah' community, there is no remedy except to put the past behind one, and persuade all concerned to turn over a new leaf, and for the sake of God and His Faith refrain from mentioning the subjects which have led to misunderstanding and inharmony. Yes, the Road to Serfdom is Indeed Paved by Conservatives, you Libertarian Idiot! Lights of Guidance/Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc. The Bah community is governed according to general principles proclaimed by Bah Allh and through institutions created by him that were elaborated and expanded on by Abd al-Bah. Abd al-Bah actively administered the movements affairs and spread the faith to North America, Europe, and other continents. Soon after this, I began my relationship with Cheri, the woman that would later become my wife. "[25] Excommunication among Bahs is rare and reserved for those actively promoting schism. Thank you so much! This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bahai-Faith, The British Library - An introduction to the Bahai Faith, World Religious and Spirituality Project - Bahai Faith, Bahai Faith - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Bahai faith - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The Nineteen Day Feast, originally instituted by the Bb, brings together the Bahs of a given locality for prayer, the reading of scriptures, the discussion of community activities, and the enjoyment of one anothers company. After Islamic fundamentalists came to power in Iran in 1979, the 300,000 Bahs there were persecuted by the government. 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. But there are always some who enter and, becoming intoxicated with the splendor of what they behold, remain for life to tend the garden.. Historical context. Baha'is believe that God has . He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. ", " Each of us is responsible for one life only, and that is our own. Origin of the Baha'i Religion. He remained there until his passing in 1892. Baha'u'llahs writings form the foundation of the Baha'i faith. 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. John Ankerberg) have attacked its history and founders, institutions, teachings, and use of prophecy. Targeting the faith's followers is a longstanding feature of the Islamic Republic but has been escalating of late. The faith has no priesthood and does not observe ritual forms in its worship. Goodbye. He was released in 1853 and exiled to Baghdad, where his leadership revived the Bb community. [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. I encourage you to look him up and see if it resonates with you. It is one of the functions of the older and the more mature Bahs to help the weaker ones to iron out their difficulties and learn to really function and live like true believers!". Mirza Ahmad Sohrab; Lady Ruth White. And actually the Bahais are far more interested in growing their numbers than spending time and money on charitable work. 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.. It has an office on the environment involved in sustainable development. Do it yourself clergy aka the horrible administrative order, no politics allowed aka also another side effect of the administrative order as a model for the world at large, no alcohol drugs gambling gossip sex outside of heterosexual monogamy aka loads and loads of rules, etc are all drawbacks of being a Bahai. Goodbye. People who leave the religion, transgress community standards, or attack it externally are not considered Covenant-breakers. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. "It is related that His Holiness ChristMay my life be a sacrifice to Him!one day, accompanied by His apostles, passed by the corpse of a dead animal. [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. Your opinion is based on no facts whatsoever and therefore is not worth considering. Someone from the Bahai community will contact you shortly. 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. The global Baha'i community is not just a group of well-meaning people. 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. The condemnation of backbiting could hardly be couched in stronger language than in these passages, and it is obviously one of the foremost obligations for Bahs to set their faces against this practice. 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 a Tablet to an American friend the Master wrote: 'The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting, more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. 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. He concluded from this that the Bah' World Faith must be God's religion. The principles of the Bah' Faith were established by Bah'u'llh, the Founder of the Faith, in the latter half of the nineteenth century and promulgated by His Son and appointed successor, 'Abdu'l-Bah during a tireless twenty -nine year ministry.While on an historic teaching trip in 1912 throughout the United States and Canada, 'Abdu'l-Bah explained Bah'u'llh's Teachings to . I cant remember if it was one year or two years, but it was probably closer to one year. Thanks! 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. That relationship ended long ago and now I am Orthodox, but this post kind of brought up some old memories. Paradise and Paradigm - Christopher Buck 1999-01-01 Comparing paradise imagery in two Persian religions, early Syriac Christianity and the Baha'i Faith, this work contributes to religious studies methodology by introducing "symbolic paradigm analysis." The Baha'i Faith in Africa - Anthony Lee 2011-10-28 [1][2], The criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. In this two-part article we will briefly examine: (1) The Baha'i approach to other religions. Thus you will grow, become more perfect. (5) Moral concerns. Required fields are marked *. The Babi movement called for revolutionary social changes and championed womens rights. Author Lil Abdo says that the Bah understanding of sexual equality is different from that of secular feminists. Bahais have no clergy. Mrz Al Moammad first proclaimed his beliefs in 1844 and assumed the title of the Bb. Bah Allhs peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. Pingback: Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Your email address will not be published. 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. Get in touch with the Bahais in your community. Jehovah's Witnesses and Baha'is were among the most . Reading and Reacting to The Gadfly Molehill. Its six years since I declared and four or five since I became an ex Bahai. 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