We were married the following year. 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. 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. Bah Allh was subsequently confined by the Ottomans in Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey) and then in Acre in Palestine (now Akko, Israel). Throughout his life, Bah'u'llah penned over 100 volumes in Arabic and Persian. 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 Soon after this, I began my relationship with Cheri, the woman that would later become my wife. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. Every attempted Bah schism has failed to attract more than a few hundred individuals and declined over time. This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 01:55. [7][8], The Bah Faith has maintained its unity and avoided serious division, although several attempts have been made to create sects. "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.". The governance of the Bah community begins on the local level with the election of a local spiritual assembly. 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 Babi movement called for revolutionary social changes and championed womens rights. 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. Oral reports, although they exist, are considered too unreliable to be fully authoritative and are to . The last claim is partially rooted in the presence of the Bah World Centre in northern Israel. I have been studying AJ Millers teachings for 17 months now. IV. 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. He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. In our group, the discourse enabled all participants to deal upfront with common misconceptions about their religions, and allowed panelists and audience members to be exposed to religions unfamiliar to them. I resigned myself on 07/07/07. The Bah Faith was first mentioned in the United States in 1893 at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Religion: Kashmir Shaivism (Trika) I've always found some issues with the main idea of the Baha'i faith, for a few different reasons. 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. The Bible provides ALL the answers, in my truly humble (!) Reading and Reacting to The Gadfly Molehill. Yet Baha'is in Iran, who are the largest non-Muslim religious community, continue to face persecution. ", "an unwise act or statement by a Bah in one country could result in a grave set-back for the Faith there or elsewhereand even loss of the lives of fellow believers. Marrying that mentally immature woman was perhaps the biggest mistake of my life, and joining the Bahai Faith was the second biggest. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. According to Bah' belief, there have been individuals throughout history who were Manifestations of God, who founded major world religions and had certain supernatural powers, such as the ability to prophesy. ", "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. Maybe there is a wisdom in asking for parental consent after all, reading how this marriage of two adults ended up. ", " 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. When not convened as a body, each member has no autonomous authority. Handwriting Analysis of the Will of Abdu'l Baha by Dr. Mitchell; Hermann . "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. There are no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. The religion's governing institution is the elected Universal House of Justice, whose membership is male-only. My future wife was a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, a stronghold of fundamentalism. [14] For example, the perspectives of Subh-i-Azal, Mrz Muhammad Al, and Mason Remey, the most prominent covenant-breakers of the religion, were all upheld by Miller in an attempt to show its adherents as deceived, its teachings superficial or irrelevant, and its administration "a dictatorship". In fact, the first school for girls in Iran was established by the Baha'is. 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. 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. I was recently invited to participate on an interfaith panel where we all responded to this question: What are the truths and misconceptions about your Faith? 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. 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. (5) Moral concerns. ", "I desire distinction for you. 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. Conservatives among Unitarian Universalists Still Feel Like Victims. | 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. [35] By contrast, MacEoin generally praised the work in Bah studies of Bah historian Peter Smith and non-Bah sociologist Margit Warburg. The feasts are designed to ensure universal participation in the affairs of the community and the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship. The global Baha'i community is not just a group of well-meaning people. 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 [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. 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. The Baha'is are among the most persecuted religious minorities in the world. "[6] Former Bah William Garlington said the Bah position in the United States "can at most be characterized as one of sympathetic disapproval" toward homosexuality. ", "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. Its six years since I declared and four or five since I became an ex Bahai. The Baha'i faith. Bahais have no clergy. Baha'is were nonetheless subjected to persecution, as some Muslim clerics perceived their faith to be a heresy. ", "Indeed the believers have not yet fully learned to draw on each other's love for strength and consolation in time of need. If, however, we look at people from the standpoint of their faults, then being a friend to them is a formidable task. Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . I encourage you to look him up and see if it resonates with you. Man must be a lover of the light, no matter from what dayspring it may appear. That Baha'u'llah was the Manifestation of God for this day and be obedient to the covenant. ", "As regards backbiting, i.e., discussing the faults of others in their absence, the teachings are very emphatic. The Bah' Faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Bah'u'llh. Thank you so much! In 1852, two years after the execution of the Bb, a fringe element in the . By clicking "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. A Unitarian Bahai comes across as an idiot, again! [24] The religion has seen a few attempts at splintering, but they have remained extremely small and declined over time. (Dale Husband: How old are you? This must be the point of distinction among you. Abd al-Bah actively administered the movements affairs and spread the faith to North America, Europe, and other continents. Thus you will grow, become more perfect. Hi, exmuslim atheist here. Goodbye. How white they are!' We should therefore, as tactfully as possible, but yet firmly, do our utmost to prevent others from making accusations or complaints against others in our presence.". But ere long this merciful door will be closed and such enemies will be attacked with a madness. 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. It is free information and it is offered without any coercion on your free will about what to do with it. ", "One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. Over 20,000 unique works by Baha'u'llah have been identified at the Baha'i World Centre, comprising just under seven million words. The Bahs use a calendar, established by the Bb and confirmed by Bah Allh, in which the year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of 4 intercalary days (5 in leap years). Baha'u'llahs followers disseminated his teachings in the Middle East and beyond. Despite their apparent differences, the worlds great religions, according to the Bahs, teach an identical truth. In Iran, where the religion was founded, universities refuse to admit Baha'i students, Baha'i cemeteries have been destroyed and the countrys Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has confiscated properties from Baha'i families. 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 members of the Hands of the Cause of God were appointed by Bah Allh and Shoghi Effendi. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Velma A Good Reason to NEVER Subscribe to HBO Max! Historical context. Yes, the Road to Serfdom is Indeed Paved by Conservatives, you Libertarian Idiot! ", "The worst enemies of the Cause are in the Cause and mention the Name of God. Located there long before Israel became a nation, it happened because Bahaullah had been exiled to the prison city of Akka in Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, about 85 years before the state of Israel was founded. The external article completely drops any pretenses of neutrality, blaming certain events (like the attempted assassination of Iranian officials) as done by . 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. I desire this distinction for you. | 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. Christian and Islamic authors (e.g. Regretfully, Dale Husband I composed that letter on my computer and mailed it in January of 2005. For the most part, though, individual Bahai communities do not have a Bahai House of Worship, which are actually more like a gift to the community, not for exclusive use by Bahais. 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. RELATED: What Happens When You Become a Bahai? One of the Bbs earliest disciples and strongest exponents was Mrz osayn Al Nr, who had assumed the name Bah Allh when he renounced his social standing and joined the Bbs. 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. 6. 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. The followers of such sects are labeled Covenant-breakers, shunned, and viewed as enemies of the faith. Thanks for the post. Also, tons of conservative, orthodox, even fundamentalist traditional morality in Bahai law. Bahu'llh's claim of divine revelation is in direct conflict with this common interpretation of Islam. All done! [17], From 1980 onward, several well-educated Bahs left the religion and subsequently criticized it. 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. The Christian Grace Network on YouTube November 23, 2022. Today, Baha'u'llahs shrine, now in Israel, is an important pilgrimage site. The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. 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