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 . But this distinction must not depend upon wealththat they should become more affluent than other people. [6], The religion's rise in the Middle East and subsequent movement into the West has given rise to a body of anti-Bah polemic. However, from a Bahai perspective if your relationship to God has not been directed by the revelation of Bahaullah than we are really talking more about ones own vain imaginings as opposed to reality. Im glad to know that you have found a better life after moving on, as have I. Its interesting how much confusion this lack of a fixed building in many Bahai communities can create for members of other Faiths who feel connected to their places of worship. Yet Baha'is in Iran, who are the largest non-Muslim religious community, continue to face persecution. https://bahai.works/index.php?title=Lights_of_Guidance/Backbiting,_Criticism,_Faultfinding,_Gossip,_Lies,_Slander_Etc.&oldid=121304. 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. We were married the following year. In the West, liberals have criticized the Bah Faith for some of its conservative social practices, notably the prohibition on premarital or homosexual intimacy for Bahs. These are worded in a way to seem like crazy conspiracies. [3][9], Christian author and missiologist Ed Stetzer rejects the Bah Faith as a syncretic combination of faiths,[10] while Christian author John Ankerberg points to discrepancies between faiths to contradict the idea of unity of religion.[8]. ", "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. Helen Hornby, "Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. "This is the attribute of the children of the Kingdom. There is no way Im going to use a strangers personal home as a house of worship. 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. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. The Baha'i faith. "The only way jealousy or petty attitudes can be overcome is by the love and tact of the teacher; these are not things that can be solved by a 'ruling'.". 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. The feasts are designed to ensure universal participation in the affairs of the community and the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship. Try making a comment like an adult and I will then treat you like one. Thanks! The principal Bah tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. The Bah Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people.. Goodbye. In fact, 41 countries - or around a fifth (21%) of those evaluated - banned at least one religion-related group in 2019, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of laws and policies in effect in 198 countries in 2019, the most recent year for which comprehensive data is available. For most Muslims, the prophet Muhammad was the last and final prophet. As a member of Irans nobility, Baha'u'llah was offered a government position. 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. A Unitarian Bahai comes across as an idiot, again! I hope that all the believers will attain to this lofty station. The official website of the Baha'i Faith is: Sign up for our newsletter and get all our latest content, 2023 BahaiTeachings.org All Rights Reserved. Beliefs, ideas and rituals of the Baha'is: 1 - Belief that Allaah is incarnated in some of His creation, and that Allaah was incarnated in al-Baab and al-Baha'. 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. The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith. Subsequent public protests and mob violence claimed the lives of thousands of his followers. 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. Abdo presented the following list of criticisms of the Bah Faith from a feminist perspective at an annual gathering for Bah studies in 1995: the ineligibility of women to serve on the Universal House of Justice--this is of particular interest to supporters of women priests within the Christian tradition; the intestacy laws in the Kitab-i-Aqdas; the dowry laws with particular reference to the virginity refund clause; the exemption of menstruating women from obligatory prayers and the implication of menstrual taboo; the use of androcentric language and male pronouns in texts; the emphasis on traditional morality and family values[18]. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? 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 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. 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. I have been studying AJ Millers teachings for 17 months now. The external article completely drops any pretenses of neutrality, blaming certain events (like the attempted assassination of Iranian officials) as done by . ", "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. ", " 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. Many things are preserved in records as matters of opinion; no one has given a verdict on this matter! Most criticism has come from Iranian enemies with a reputation for deception, Christian groups intending to smear the religion, and disaffected former Baha'is who largely criticize individuals in the administration. Corrections? 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. Despite their apparent differences, the worlds great religions, according to the Bahs, teach an identical truth. Lights of Guidance/Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc. The majority of Baha'is, however, live in the global south. I should update this by noting that I separated from Cheri in December of 2011 and filed for divorce from her on May 7, 2012, finally getting the divorce granted on August 15, 2012. And actually the Bahais are far more interested in growing their numbers than spending time and money on charitable work. A "Unitarian Baha'i" comes across as an idiot, again! After Islamic fundamentalists came to power in Iran in 1979, the 300,000 Bahs there were persecuted by the government. Baha'u'llahs writings form the foundation of the Baha'i faith. [1] Actually, Baha'is have been imprisoned and martyred since their Faith began in Persia, because of the persecution of the powerful Islamic clerics who consider the Baha'i Faith and its progressive principles a threat. "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 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. He was released in 1853 and exiled to Baghdad, where his leadership revived the Bb community. There are no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. 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. Velma A Good Reason to NEVER Subscribe to HBO Max! "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. Bah Allhs peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. [27] Soon after his resignation, Cole created an email list and website called H-Bahai, which became a repository of both primary source material and critical analysis on the religion. When not convened as a body, each member has no autonomous authority. ", "I desire distinction for you. The great bulk of Bah teachings is concerned with social ethics. Later, my mother, who was always hostile to the Bahai Faith because of her Baptist convictions, took those items and discarded them all without my consent. 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. [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. 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. Soon after, early American converts began embracing the new religion. Now is certainly not the time for any man to think of himself, or busy himself with the weaknesses of his brother; but, rather each and every Bah must concentrate on the tasks ahead and be reborn in the service of Bahullh. 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 Its six years since I declared and four or five since I became an ex Bahai. Jehovah's Witnesses and Baha'is were among the most . Before Bah Allh died in 1892, he appointed his eldest son, Abd al-Bah (18441921), to be the leader of the Bahi community and the authorized interpreter of his teachings. If you dont recognize Bahaullah as a manifestation of God then you arent really a Bahai whether or not you happen to be part of the Bahai Administrative Order. 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . [7][8], The Bah Faith has maintained its unity and avoided serious division, although several attempts have been made to create sects. The Baha'i Faith is a dynamic world religion with several million adherents from a variety of different religious and cultural backgrounds. I sometimes hear, from those without much knowledge of the Bahai Faith, that it is syncretic. 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. Bahais have no clergy, and in every location where they reside, Bahais live according to this administrative order, following the guidance given to them by the Universal House of Justice, the first truly democratic global system of governance. Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . The problem is that everything you hear in the news is about the superficiality, immorality, and degradation of Hollywood. One must expose the praiseworthy qualities of the souls and not their evil attributes. If the situation is of such gravity as to endanger the interests of the Faith, the complaint, as your National Spiritual Assembly has indicated, should be submitted to the Local Spiritual Assembly, or as you state to a representative of the institution of the Counsellors, for consideration and action. (2) The absence of personal requirements (Baha'i demands) for the Manifestations. For backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the friends of a disposition to withdraw. The Bb was arrested and, after several years of incarceration, was executed in 1850. [19] The religion began with considerable controversy. 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 . Cults often promote violence, and Bahais are peaceful, non-violent citizens. 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. I encourage you to look him up and see if it resonates with you. 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 This body applies the laws promulgated by Bah Allh and legislates on matters not covered in the sacred texts. Consider this your only warning!). The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bah calendar. 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. Baha'u'llah, whose name means Glory of God in Arabic, was born in Tehran in 1817. Some discover a hornets nest in the garden and fearing being STUNG TO DEATH, run out of the garden in horror. 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