tht ws qck. For you I desire spiritual distinction; that is, you must become eminent and distinguished in morals. 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. As a member of Irans nobility, Baha'u'llah was offered a government position. 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. 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. Baha'is, for example, embrace interracial marriage and education for girls. 10, on page 138, there is a record of a reply given by Abdul-Bah in a private interview in Paris in 1913. '", "What the believers need is not only, as you state, to really study the teachings, but also to have more peace-makers circulating among them. And actually the Bahais are far more interested in growing their numbers than spending time and money on charitable work. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? My family, like many Wilmette residents, witnessed its decades-long construction. Shoghi and the Grandsons of 'Abdu'l Baha; The Guardianship of Shoghi: Losses and Losses; Shoghi in the Will of the Master Abdu'l Baha; New History Society; Early Baha'is. [12], Regarding the Bah teachings of peace and unity, E.G. Try making a comment like an adult and I will then treat you like one. As part of its crackdown on the followers of the Bab, the Iranian government incarcerated Baha'u'llah. While its true that a Bahai House of Worship exists on each continent, and several local Houses of Worship are also being built, theyre all meant as places where anyone can come to pray and meditate. Thanks for the post. The faith has no priesthood and does not observe ritual forms in its worship. Thus you will grow, become more perfect. 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. [27] For example, Juan Cole converted to the Bah Faith in 1972, but later resigned in 1996 after conflicts with members of the administration who perceived him as extreme. If that has changed recently Id like to see the reference. Membership in the Bah community is open to all who profess faith in Bah Allh and accept his teachings. claimed the lives of thousands of his followers. It doesnt matter if you didnt formally withdraw because in practice you would have lost your administrative rights anyway, and since that is the only thing that a formal declaration providesadministrative rightsit really makes no difference anyway. read more. I sometimes hear, from those without much knowledge of the Bahai Faith, that it is syncretic. Will and Testament of 'Abdul-Baha; Shoghi Effendi. You will overcome self, you will not even have time to think of the faults of others'. The clear, forthright responses he gave to the criticism that "the Baha'i Faith offers nothing new," have become, during the intervening century, a classic catalog of the many unique and unprecedented aspects of the Baha'i teachings and principles. 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. There also exist in the Bah Faith appointive institutions, such as the Hands of the Cause of God and the continental counselors. 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. 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. 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. 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. [1] 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. The global Baha'i community is not just a group of well-meaning people. 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. [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. Eventually, what started as a compromise between us grew into a case of full blown allegiance to the UU church for both of us. The Baha'i Faith is not just a collection of philosophical principles or an attempt to combine or conflate religions. The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. Knowing you seem similar to my mindset from a brief review of your site, I might be more inclined to try the UU route. Dale Husbands Sound-Bites for an Idiotic Age, Reliable sources of science news and data, Why peace activists (and critics of religion) sometimes fail Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith? Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . At the same time, the Baha'i faith has spread around the globe. It has an office on the environment involved in sustainable development. Message and data rates may apply. If manifestations are allowed to contradict one another, then there is no way to separate false manifestations from true ones or to discover if any of them really speak for the true and living God. 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. This is the conduct and the manner of the real Bahais (Bahs). He remained there until his passing in 1892. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). ". 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 religion began with considerable controversy. Quite controversially, the Bab claimed that his teachings were a revelation from God and predicted that a new prophetic figure, or manifestation of God, would soon appear. The ineligibility of women has caused discontent among small but vocal groups of western Bah intellectuals,[5][1] and criticism from others. Ive never officially withdrawn or resigned, but stopped being a Bahai either one or two years after declaration. Importantly, the Bahai Faith first emerged in a Muslim culture in what is now Iran, so Islam could be said to be its parent Faith in the same way that Judaism was the parent Faith of Christianity. Quoted in, Last edited on 12 February 2023, at 13:17, Political accusations against the Baha'i Faith, "The Economist explains: The Bahai faith", "Possible Criticisms of the Baha'i Faith from a Feminist Perspective", "The Baha'i Faith in America as Panopticon, 1963-1997", "Fundamentalism in the Contemporary U.S. Baha'i Community", "Bah' Youth and Sexuality A Personal/Professional View", "Missionary as Historian: William Miller and the Bah' Faith", "Marginality and Apostasy in the Baha'i Community", "An Introduction to Bah' Law: Doctrinal Foundations, Principles and Structures", "A Short Introduction to the Bah' Faith", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_the_Bah_Faith&oldid=1138934100, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 13:17. I stayed silent about my defection from the Bahai Faith untilOctober 19, 2007, when I posted my first blog entry attacking it. Over 20,000 unique works by Baha'u'llah have been identified at the Baha'i World Centre, comprising just under seven million words. Instead, he joined a new religious movement, started by a young Iranian, known as the Bab. In 'Star of the West', Volume 8, No. Does it really matter? Consider, that He did not look at all at the defects of that animal; nay, rather, He searched well until He found the beautiful white teeth. This must be the point of distinction among you. The Baha'i Faith, the world's newest independent global belief system, teaches the oneness of God, the unity of humanity , and the essential harmony of religion. I resigned myself on 07/07/07. In the end (undefined in conventional thinking) all knees will bow before the King of all Kings, Jesus Christ. "This is the attribute of the children of the Kingdom. 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. Bahais have no clergy. [4][5] These issues may be only marginal to the numerically dominant Bah community outside of Europe and North America. Origin of the Baha'i Religion. Targeting the faith's followers is a longstanding feature of the Islamic Republic but has been escalating of late. No, never! The Cause of God is endowed with tremendous powers, and the reason the believers do not gain more from it is because they have not learned to draw fully on these mighty forces of love and strength and harmony generated by the Faith. 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. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. 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. In 1850, the Bab was charged by Shi'i religious officials with heresy and was put to death by firing squad. The Bah Faith and its predecessor, the Bb religion, originated in the nineteenth-century Persian Empire, arousing considerable opposition, initially on purely theological and doctrinal grounds; it was perceived by many Iranians as threat to established power and authority in Persia.. 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.' Theimplication is that Bahai is Jewish, which may also be mistakenly inferred by some because the world headquarters of the Bahai Faith is in Haifa, Israel. He must be a seeker of the truth, no matter from what source it come. How blessed are these aims, especially the prevention of backbiting! IV. 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. Religion: Kashmir Shaivism (Trika) I've always found some issues with the main idea of the Baha'i faith, for a few different reasons. "[13], William McElwee Miller (18921993) was a Presbyterian missionary in Iran who published a polemic titled The Baha'i Faith (1974), in which he attacked the religion by promoting the views of individuals opposing Bah leadership. ", "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. 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. These are worded in a way to seem like crazy conspiracies. Being involved in interfaith work, Im constantly asked Whos your local spiritual leader, or priest, or pastor? The fact is, there isnt one. In any case, good luck to you and God Bless. I am closer to God than I have ever been, and less confused than I have ever been. The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bah calendar. I hope that all the believers will attain to this lofty station. 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. Deborah Clark Vance earned a Ph.D. from Howard University in Intercultural Communication and served as Assoc Prof. and Chair of the Dept of Comm & Cinema at McDaniel College. The great bulk of Bah teachings is concerned with social ethics. [35], Christian Research Journal, Winter/Spring, 1989, p. 2. He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. In brief, you must become distinguished in all the virtues of the human world; for faithfulness and steadfastness; for philanthropic deeds and service to the human world; for love toward every human being; for unity and accord with all people; for removing prejudices and promoting international peace. 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 (Bnai Brith means children of the covenant.). They and other UUs are destined to do the work of peace, unity, and freedom that Bahais cannot and will never do! 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . Message and data rates may apply. It really doesnt matter what one calls oneself, it only matters what ones relationship is to God in reality. Velma A Good Reason to NEVER Subscribe to HBO Max! 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. 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. The religion's governing institution is the elected Universal House of Justice, whose membership is male-only. You may know of some other misconceptions, and I learned on our interfaith panel that they can be a wonderful topic for public discussion. Since the Bahai Faith is a relatively young religion founded by Bahaullah in the middle of the 19th century not everyone knows a great deal about it, and some people have incorrect information. Gods wisdom cannot always be seen by human eyes. 2 - Belief in the transmigration of souls, and that reward and punishment happen to the soul only. Do this whenever you are tried through the words or deeds of others. 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. John Ankerberg) have attacked its history and founders, institutions, teachings, and use of prophecy. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. https://bahai.works/index.php?title=Lights_of_Guidance/Backbiting,_Criticism,_Faultfinding,_Gossip,_Lies,_Slander_Etc.&oldid=121304. (4) The Miller analysis of the Baha'i Faith. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. That Baha'u'llah was the Manifestation of God for this day and be obedient to the covenant. 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. 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. The Bah Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. On the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, the question remains: What is the reason for their persecution? How can they best reach you? Finding out about what the Bahai Faith was actually about rather than all the stuff they like to advertise was a big shock. Vangelis was a Living Legend.and he Remains a Legend Forever! 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. 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. She has published in anthologies, textbooks, peer-reviewed academic journals, radio and magazines; presented papers at numerous By clicking "Sign up", 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. The Baha'i Faith is a dynamic world religion with several million adherents from a variety of different religious and cultural backgrounds. in practice you would have lost your administrative rights anyway,. Only the last category could fall into the category of reliable sources (although not independent or disinterested sources ). Parental consent should only be an issue if the married partners are still minors. Thank you so much! Baha'u'llah's writings form the foundation of the Baha'i faith. 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. Updates? Bahais believe in the agreement of science and religion; and accept that religion must have practical benefit for humanity in fact, Abdul-Baha said, otherwise it would be preferable to have no religion. 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This article ( requires login ), the Iranian government incarcerated Baha ' i religious officials with heresy was...