Baha'i for Beginners

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Catherineanne

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So, this is a thread so that those of us who know nothing about Baha'i can learn about it. Usual request; keep it civil. Thanks muchly!!

My first questions are very basic. How was this faith founded, and who by? What roots does it have, and how does it relate to other current faiths?

Also, what does 'Baha'i' mean, and have I spelled it correctly?

:wave:
 

BruceDLimber

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Hi! :) Here's some info for you folks. Bruce



*** THE BAHA'I FAITH ***



The Baha'i Faith (pronounced "ba HIGH") is the newest of the major world religions. It began in 1844 in Persia, and has now spread to literally every country. In terms of localities where members live, it is also the second most widespread religion on earth (Christianity is first) [source: Encyclopedia Britannica], and is also the fastest-growing religion among those already established in over 100 countries [source: World Christian Encyclopedia].

"Baha" is Arabic for "glory" (or "splendor"), and the suffix forms the adjective, so that "Baha'i" means "of Glory."


HISTORY

In 1844, a young man in Persia took the title Bab ("the Gate"), and announced that He was a divine Messenger and that another Messenger would soon appear. The Bab quickly amassed a large following, but opposition by Muslim clergy and government officials soon turned to oppression, and thousands (including the Bab Himself) were put to death.

One of the Bab's followers, a young nobleman, was imprisoned as part of this attempt to stamp out the infant faith. The Bab had given Him the title Baha'u'llah ("Glory of God"). While in prison, He received a vision that He was the new Messenger foretold by the Bab. Solely because of His religious teachings, Baha'u'llah and His family were exiled several times, and finally sent to the prison city of Akka, Palestine (now Israel), where He spent the rest of His life. During His ministry, He wrote over 100 volumes, and the number of His followers (now called Baha'is—"of Glory") increased.

Baha'u'llah died in 1892. In His will, He appointed his eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, as His successor and the official interpreter of His writings. Eventually released from prison in 1907, 'Abdu'l-Baha traveled the world teaching the Faith (he visited the United States in 1912). 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote a number of books explaining and amplifying the teachings of Baha'u'llah.

The works of the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha, which comprise about 200 different volumes, comprise the Baha'i scriptures. Baha'is also recognize other books such as the Bible and the Qur'an, as scriptural.

Upon 'Abdu'l-Baha's death, his will appointed his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to head the faith. During his lifetime, Shoghi Effendi worked to teach the Faith and to establish the Baha'i administrative order set out in the Baha'i scriptures. Since Shoghi Effendi's death in 1957, the Baha'i Faith has been run by the elected bodies of this administrative order.


TEACHINGS

The Baha'i Faith teaches that, for the individual, this life is a time of acquiring spiritual qualities in preparation for the afterlife. Existence—both here and then—is a gradual process of spiritual growth, of drawing closer to God. (We never attain the station of God or "become Gods.") What makes this life unique is that here, we have free will and control our own growth or lack thereof. After death, our progress is at God's will. While we have no details, our scriptures tell us that the next life will be inexpressibly wondrous!

Heaven and hell are not places, but spiritual conditions: Heaven is nearness to God; hell, separation. As such, they exist here and now as well as after death: which one any of us is in at any given moment is a function of where his/her head is at that moment. Just as a child in its mother's womb is acquiring the physical tools it will need here (and will be handicapped if it fails to do so), so we are acquiring the spiritual tools needed after death (and will be impaired then if we don't). The more spiritual, the "nearer" to God. Thus, although spiritual growth will indeed continue then, the awareness of one's spiritual station compared to what one might have been (i.e., the relative "nearness to" or "separation from" God) will seem a Heaven or hell after death.

The most important spiritual teachings of the Baha'i Faith are what we call the “Three Onenesses."

1. The first is the oneness of God. There is only one God, known by different names in the various languages and cultures. God is unknowable by human means; the only knowledge of God possible to humankind is that brought by His divine Messengers.

2. The second is the oneness of humankind: there is only one race, the human race, and we are members of one family.

3. The third is the oneness of religion. All the major religions of the world are divine in origin, sent by God as stages in a single evolving divine plan, the Faith of God.

Baha'is believe in what is called "progressive revelation." We believe that God made a Covenant with Abraham that humanity would never be left without Divine Guidance. In fulfillment of this, God periodically sends a Divine Messenger to renew religion (getting it "back on the rails" by eliminating man-made additions and alterations) and to bring humanity new teachings in accord with its abilities and needs at that time. (Such Messengers usually appear every 500-1,000 years.) A few have been: Moses, Jesus, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Muhammad, and Baha’u’llah (our Founder); there will be more in the future.

A Messenger has a dual station; He is both a man (who was born, died, etc.) and also a Manifestation of the eternal spirit of God. He may be likened to a mirror reflecting the sun. It is correct to point to the mirror and say, "That is the sun." It is also correct to say "That's not the sun, only a mirror." Thus Jesus said, "Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but God" (Jesus the man speaking), but also said "Before Abraham was, I am" and "No one comes to the Father but by Me" (the eternal spirit speaking, here called "Christ"). This latter "but by Me" quote refers to the fact that only through these Messengers can humankind know God, and it is the Holy Spirit investing all these Messengers that makes Them all one and all equal parts of this Only Way!

BTW, we see the Biblical "end of the world" prophecies as in fact a mistranslation. The word in the original Greek is "eras," which means "world" or 'age." IOV the translators used the wrong word, and these prophecies in fact refer to the end of the Age!

Baha'is see both humanity and religion as evolving over time. This process of the repeated appearance of many Messengers over time is how the Faith of God advances.
[End part one of four]
 
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BruceDLimber

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[Part two of four]
Spiritual teachings are eternal and unchanging (there is a God, don't murder, the Golden Rule, we are here for a reason, etc.). All the religions teach the same spiritual truths, though expressed differently or in greater degree as humankind's capacity increases. (Recall, for example, Jesus' amplifying "thou shalt not kill" into "unjustified anger is equivalent to murder.")

Social teachings are temporary. Each Messenger brings new social laws suited to humankind's situation and needs at the time, rescinding old laws. Social laws deal with such things as marriage and divorce, diet, obligatory prayers, fasting, etc.. (Jesus abrogated the Jewish restrictions on the Sabbath, for example.) Some of the Baha'i social teachings follow.

We see the Baha'i Faith as the fulfillment of the prophecies of earlier religions. Among others, this includes the promise of Jesus that He had more to tell us, and that He would send the Spirit of Truth to us. Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah fulfills this promised Return of the Christ Spirit with the new name which the Bible prophesied. And further, we are certain that this religious process will, over the centuries, bring about the promised Kingdom of God on earth.

As humankind evolves, our capacities increase. Baha'u'llah tells us that humankind is now entering young adulthood. Because each person now has the ability to investigate the Truth him- or herself, each now has the obligation to examine the various religions, determine where the truth lies, and follow it (we call this "Individual Investigation of Truth"). No one has the right to tell another what to believe. Therefore, the Baha'i Faith has no clergy or hierarchy: everyone is "just a Baha'i."

Further, while parents have the obligation to instruct children (in all the great religions), they may not force them to become Baha'i: that decision is up to the child, and no stigma is attached to being Baha'i or not being Baha'i. (We don't say that we're right and everyone else is wrong.) Membership in the Faith is not inherited; upon reaching the age of maturity (15), one is only considered a Baha'i if one has requested such. Thus a 15-year-old may choose to become a Baha'i, to join some other religion, or to join nothing at all! And the parents must support this decision.

And it is in this spirit that we tell you and others about the Baha'i Faith: we hope you'll investigate it, learn about it from many sources, and come to your own informed conclusion about it. We have no desire or interest in having unthinking or uninformed followers!

The Baha'i Faith was the first to proclaim the equality of men and women in its original Revelation. In fact, one of the first Babis (followers of the Bab) was publicly executed for daring to remove her veil and proclaim this principle.

Now in the interest of full disclosure and because I don't want to be accused of misleading you, I will tell you up front that there is one—and only one—apparent anomaly in the Baha'i Faith. While we are indeed working for the equality of women, the Baha'i scriptures require that our world-level elected body (about which more below) be composed of nine men. We do not understand the reason for this (though they say we will someday), but as we do not have the right to alter our scriptures, we obey this.

In every other way, we do everything we can to promote women's advancement and equality! Not only do we have development projects the world around to advance women, but women hold many prominent and important positions throughout the Faith (with the sole exception of this one nine-member body); in addition, we are formal members of UNIFEM, the UN agency for women's equality-and indeed, recently chaired its meetings! In addition, the Baha'i scriptures give women—ALL women world wide—an important special privilege: every woman has precedence over men for receipt of education!

Another teaching of the Faith is universal compulsory education. This both allows learning a profession and enables one to read the various holy scriptures—needed for the investigation of truth described above. (And as I said earlier, if resources don't permit educating everyone at once, the education of girls and women has absolute priority over boys and men.)

The Faith teaches the essential harmony of science and religion, and states that religion must be in accord with science and reason. The purpose of science is to tell HOW; that of religion to tell WHO and WHY. Ignoring either one, or using either in the other's place, quickly leads to problems. Science without religion is gross materialism; religion without science is superstition and witch-burning.

A universal auxiliary language—either new or already existing—is necessary so that all peoples can communicate. This would be in addition to one's native tongue and culture.

While absolute equality is neither necessary nor desirable, extremes of wealth and poverty must be abolished.

Abolition of all forms of prejudice is also necessary, including—among others—racism, religious and class distinctions, and nationalism.

Work done in the spirit of service to humanity is raised to the status of worship of God.

The nations of the world must unite in a democratically-elected world government.

The Baha'i Faith teaches that truth is relative, and that the only absolute is God. Evil, while it exists, is a negative entity: the absence of good. In the same way, light exists, and dark is its absence, not a separate existence: this is proven by the fact that you can bring light into a room, but not bring dark into a light room.) Also, a thing may be good in one circumstance, but bad in another. God has no equal or rival! "Satan" merely refers to our lower, animal nature when we give it control instead of our higher, spiritual nature.

All creation is essentially good. Salvation consists of knowing and following God's purpose for mankind; it is to this end that God has sent and will continue to send Messengers. And our purpose here is twofold:

* As individuals, we are to acquire the spiritual virtues we need in both this life and the Next.

* In aggregate, we are to carry forward an ever-advancing, spiritually-based civilization.

And the purpose of religion is to show us HOW to go about this!
[End part two of four]
 
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BruceDLimber

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[Part three of four]
Here are just a few of the Baha'i ordinances and practices:
· As I said above, our primary goal is to work for unity, peace, love, harmony, and concord. In furtherance of this, and for our own spiritual well-being, backbiting and gossip are condemned in the strongest possible terms! (Indeed, the Baha'i scriptures describe backbiting as the one crime worse than murder.)
· Aggression and waging war are explicitly forbidden, with a single exception, specifically: if someone attacks another nation, then it is the duty of every other nation in the world to bind together to stop him!
· Baha'is don't use recreational drugs or alcohol. There are no dietary restrictions or forbidden foods. Baha'is are commanded to see doctors when ill.
· Baha'is, while promoting unity, avoid partisan politics and divisiveness.
· Baha'is endeavor to obey the laws of the countries where they live, with the sole exception that they will not deny their Faith if commanded to do so.
· Baha'is observe a fasting period once a year, and celebrate eleven holy days based upon Baha'i history.
· There are no restrictions on dress save moderation, and Baha'is live and work ordinary lives like others: they don't live in communal groups or separate societies, and aren't in any way noticeable by their appearance.
· Art, music, and other forms of creative expression are appreciated and often practiced by Baha'is. Baha'is work in many professions just like others.


ADMINISTRATION

The goal of the Baha'i Faith is to foster unity. This is the purpose of the Baha'i administrative system, which is delineated in the Baha'i scriptures.

The Baha'i calendar consists of nineteen months of nineteen days (plus several extra days in February/March to make an even solar year).

On the first day of each month, the Baha'is of each community gather for the Nineteen Day Feast. The feast has three parts: prayers, readings, and often music; community business; and refreshments and fellowship. The feast is the primary gathering within Baha'i communities, and is the main opportunity for the assembly and the community to consult together. Baha'is have few rituals or ceremonies, but the feast is the nearest analogy to the service in Judeo-Christian faiths.

Baha'i administration is geographically based: a Baha'i is automatically a member of the Baha'i community in whose area he or she resides.

Baha'is in each community of nine or more annually elect their nine-member administrative body, the Local Spiritual Assembly. The assembly's function is the spiritual well-being and leadership of the community under its jurisdiction.

Baha'i elections are non-political in nature. There is no nomination or campaigning, and discussion of individual personalities is forbidden. Each individual, after prayer and meditation, votes by secret ballot for the nine persons he or she believes are best qualified to serve; the nine receiving the most votes are automatically elected. Thus, each person tends to vote for persons he or she personally feels are best qualified, and those so considered by the greatest number of persons tend to be elected.

In case of a tie, the position automatically goes to the minority individual (the definition of "minority" varies according to locale). If no minority is represented among those tying, or if there is uncertainty about whether the minority rule applies, a run-off vote takes place among those tying.

Because individuals have neither the right to "run for office," nor—except for reasons such as ill health—to refuse to serve once elected, the divisiveness of conventional politics is eliminated. Further, elected individuals have no special status; they are "just Baha'is." It is only the assemblies themselves, meeting officially, that have authority, not the individuals on them.

Also, once elected, assemblies are not answerable to their communities for assembly decisions. This, with the secret ballot and lack of campaigning, eliminates the "I voted for you: now, here's what I want you to do for me" syndrome. (Of course, any assembly member abusing nonanswerability tends not to get reelected.)

Like local assemblies, National Spiritual Assemblies are elected annually. (Baha'is in area districts elect delegates who in turn vote for the National Assembly; any Baha'i in the national area is eligible for election.) National assemblies have jurisdiction over their assigned areas (which sometimes cover less or more than a single country, depending on geography and the number of Baha'is residing in a region).

Every five years, the National Assemblies elect the nine-man Universal House of Justice, the supreme administrative body of the Baha'i Faith.

Some countries (the US, Canada, the Philippines, and India are several) also have state or regional Baha'i councils; these are elected by the Local Spiritual Assembles of that area and serve as an intermediate administrative level between Local and National Assemblies.

As mentioned above, no elected member of an administrative body has any special status. A few especially gifted and learned Baha'is have been appointed as members of the Hands of the Cause of God or Continental Counselors. They advise the elected bodies, but have no administrative power. Thus, positions of renown and positions of power are separate.

The Baha'i Faith is funded entirely by voluntary, confidential contributions. Donating is a privilege reserved to members; non-members are not permitted to give to Baha'i funds. And no collection plate is ever passed.

There are currently over six million Baha'is worldwide, in every country on earth plus 49 significant islands and territories, with 182 National Spiritual Assemblies; there are about 13,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies. There are over 2,100 tribes and ethnic groups represented in the Faith, and Baha'i literature has been translated over 800 languages.

National Spiritual Assemblies currently manage over 900 development projects, the majority being grassroots efforts with little or no outside funding. These include activities in health and social services, communications, agriculture and forestry, plus community development projects such as medical centers, women's programs, credit unions, building renovation, cooperative fishing, and homes for refugees and for the aged. There are more than 500 Baha'i tutorial schools and training centers in Africa, Asia, and the Americas; Baha'i communities operate 29 formal primary and secondary schools.
[End part three of four]
 
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BruceDLimber

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[Part four of four]
Since 1947, the Baha'i International Community has had consultative status as a non-governmental organization with several agencies of the United Nations. We have seats on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNICEF, WHO, UNIFEM (the women's development agency, and UNEP (the U.N. environmental program), and work closely with the U.N. Information Office. Baha'is have played major roles in various UN activities, such as the Earth Summit and the International Conference on Women.

In the past, ... spiritual teachings have been concerned primarily with individual actions—or with the harmony of relatively small groups of people. Moral concern has likewise focused mostly on individual behavior: do not steal; do not lie; love your neighbor.

Today, our understanding of spirituality must embrace not only personal and group life, but also the collective progress of humanity as a whole. Indeed, it is only because the human race has at last entered on its age of maturity that the age-old prophecies of an era of peace and justice can now be fulfilled.
[from The Baha'is,
an overview published by the
Baha'i International Community]



The divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one though in name and nomenclature they differ. Man must be a lover of the light no matter from what day-spring it may appear.
He must be a lover of the rose no matter in what soil it may be growing.
He must be a seeker of the truth no matter from what source it comes…. The word of truth no matter which tongue utters it must be sanctioned…. If we harbor prejudice, it will be the cause of deprivation and ignorance.
The strife between religions, nations, and races arises from misunderstanding. If we investigate the religions to discover the principles underlying their foundations, we will find they agree, for the fundamental reality of them is one and not multiple.
[The Promulgation of Universal Peace]

O SON OF MAN!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not, wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished, why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory.
[The Hidden Words]


The above is just an overview. For more information, please visit:

www.bahai.org or www.usbnc.org or www.bahai.us
or www.info.bahai.org

To see our scriptures and related materials, including our Peace Statement, Prosperity Statement, Race Unity Statement, and Destiny of America Statement:
· www.ibiblio.org/Bahai (This site has includes a search engine.)
· www.bahai-library.org (Click "Baha'i Writings" for our scriptures.)
· www.reference.bahai.org (This site is multi-lingual.)
· www.bahaistudy.org (This also has videos and talking books.)

To use OCEAN, an online collection of the scriptures of many religions, with a searchable concordance:

www.BahaiResearch.com

To view the Baha'i Newsreel:

http://newsreel.bahai.us

There's an excellent group of informal discussion areas about the Baha'i Faith at:

www.planetbahai.org (click "Messages").

For information on how the Baha'i Faith has fulfilled prophecies:

http://bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled

To see an online video of the eight Baha'i temples (one per continent) around the world, including the still-under-construction Chile temple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2FQAQBI0fg

To enjoy Baha’i-oriented music:

www.RadioNur.com

To download and view other Baha'i videos:

http://www.us.bahai.org/media/index.html


You may often find "Baha'i Faith" listings in the White Pages of your phone book.

In the USA, you can also phone 1-800-22-UNITE for free information and literature, and—if you like—to find out where the nearest Baha'is are.

I hope this has been helpful and answered some of your questions.

And as always, further questions are most welcome!

Many regards! :)

Bruce
 
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Livindesert

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The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.[1] There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.[2][3]
In the Bahá'í Faith, religious history is seen to have unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and the capacity of the people. These messengers have included Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and others, and most recently the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. In Bahá'í belief, each consecutive messenger prophesied of messengers to follow, and Bahá'u'lláh's life and teachings fulfilled the end-time promises of previous scriptures. Humanity is understood to be in a process of collective evolution, and the need of the present time is for the gradual establishment of peace, justice and unity on a global scale.[4]
The word "Bahá’í" (pronounced /bəˈhaɪ/)[5] is used either as an adjective to refer to the Bahá'í Faith or as a term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh. The word is not a noun meaning the religion as a whole.[6] It is derived from the Arabic Bahá’, meaning "glory" or "splendour".[7] The term "Bahaism" (or "Baha'ism") has been used in the past, but the correct name of the religion is Bahá'í Faith.[
 
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Arthra

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Thanks for the information; that is a good overview. But now tell us some of the mundane stuff. What do you eat, how do you worship God, stuff like that.

What is it like living a Baha'i life?


Thanks for asking Catherine.. Bruce did post some pertinent info. above but to your questions..

Baha'is have no restrictions on food so we can eat anything..

We have one fasting time a year "The Nineteen Day Fast" where we fast from sunrise to sunset and that means we do not eat solid food or liquids during that period. Exceptions are for people under fifteen years of age.. pregnant women..also if there is an illness, people over seventy are exempt or people who are traveling long distances or working heavy manual labor.

We also do not consume alcoholic beverages or use drugs other than those prescribed by physicians.

Baha'is observe a daily obligatory prayers and can choose to pray a short prayer once a day.. three times a day or one long obligatory prayer after performing ablutions and facing the Qiblah in the Holy Land..We also are to read the Writings morning and evening.. We recite our obligatory prayers in private.

For the texts of these Prayers see:

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BP/

My wife and I have lived the Baha'i life for some forty years or so and raised our children in the Faith and as adults they are still Baha'is.. so it is a good life with sound values and high spiritual aspirations.

We also believe in the oneness of humanity and that there should be world peace maintained by a representative world parliament..oppose racism, prejudice and believe the extremes of wealth and poverty should be abolished.
 
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Arthra

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I have a question for the Baha'ians (if that's what you're called). Why do you think that what you believe is true?


Jasper,

Thanks for your question..

First allow me though to say that the correct designation for those who accept Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this day are called "Baha'is" which means followers of "Baha". "Baha" is the title that was used to designate Mirza Husayn Nuri as confirmed by the Bab ("Gate"). "Baha" means "Light" of "Glory".

Anyway you ask:

"Why do you think that what you believe is true?"

Each Baha'i is expected to independently search for the truth and verify for themselves what is "true" about their Faith not just be a Baha'i becasue their parents were Baha'is.. of course children are raised as Baha'is but when they reach the age of reason around fifteen they are expected to declare or make an independent effort and investigate for themselves...

So for each Baha'i this could be answered individually and be somewhat unique..

For myself. I was raised in a Christian home and attended church and so on.. I began investigating for myself and explored various religions and philosophies.. I came across the Baha'i Faith when I was around twenty five years old and felt it represented a balance between the mystical and the social needs of the day and fulfilled for me the prophecies and expectations of past religions...
 
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JasperJackson

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Penumbra

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Each Baha'i is expected to independently search for the truth and verify for themselves what is "true" about their Faith not just be a Baha'i becasue their parents were Baha'is.. of course children are raised as Baha'is but when they reach the age of reason around fifteen they are expected to declare or make an independent effort and investigate for themselves...

So for each Baha'i this could be answered individually and be somewhat unique..
What tools do you believe people have to discern truth about their faith? Do you believe the true faith can be properly reasoned?

-Lyn
 
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Arthra

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Interesting. Can you expand upon this: As in, what are those needs.



And this: What prophecies in particular?

Thanks for your post.. The Baha'i principles are designed to unite humanity which has been so bitterly divided by strife and prejudicwe for so long..

Prior to the Declaration of the Bab there were two fairly large movements in Islam and Christianity in the early nineteenth century..

The only way I could describe them is that they resembled Messianic expectations..

In Christianity it was known as the Millerite movement that expected the Return of Christ in 1844 and in Islam among the Shiahs was a movemnet known as the Shaykhi movement thatexpected the Qa'im or Mahdi ..

Most of the early followers of the Bab were drawn from Shaykhi movement and in 1863 most of the Babis recognized Baha'u'llah as "Him Whom God would make manifest" promised by the Bab.. It has been described as similar to the Messainic expectation when John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ.

In about a week from now we will be observing the anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab which occurred May 22nd - 23rd 1844 or in 1260 AH of the Hijra..
 
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Arthra

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What tools do you believe people have to discern truth about their faith? Do you believe the true faith can be properly reasoned?

-Lyn

Well to me the answer is that yes indeed people can use discernemnt, wisdom and reason in their search for truth ..

One of the Tablets revealed by Baha'u'llah is called the Tablet of the True Seeker...and I quote from part of it here:

But, O my brother, when a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else,

cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy.

He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments.

He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth.

Even as thou dost witness in this day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

That seeker must at all times put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords.

He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smouldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endure a century.
 
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Arthra

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I noticed the mention of satan in the above post, which leads me to ask whether Bahai also believe in Hell? And if so, who goes there? What is its purpose? And while we're at it, do you also believe in heaven? And who goes there?


Thanks for your questions..

You may be referring to the verse:

cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy.


Here "satanic" is understood as turning to self and rejecting God and His attributes.. and not as satan understood by say many Muslism and Christians.. a fallen "angel" or such.

"Hell" is in our belief also being alienated from God and "Heaven" is nearness to God.. It is not a locality so you do not "go" there.. It is a spiritual condition..

… The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Day-springs of ancient glory. These ancient Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality descended from the heaven of the will of God. Though they be dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of glory in the realms above. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the heaven of the divine presence. Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine unity. With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible. …

and

“Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me.”

The Arabic Hidden Words

“The most burning fire is to question the signs of God, to dispute idly that which He hath revealed, to deny Him and carry one's self proudly before Him.”

Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas
 
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pawnraider

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I debated Baha'is on one of their forums and it ended with the moderator cutting off the dabate by stating that Baha'is should not debate about their beliefs. Basically, here it is and you can either you can accept it or not. Never mind in Jude 3 we're told to contend for the faith. I have found a couple of "difficulties" with their "manifestation."
 
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BruceDLimber

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Greetings! :)

As to how I became Baha'i, this was the result of extensive reading, prayer, investigation, research, observation, and evaluation, in accord with our principle of Individyual Investigation of Truth.

Since coupled with going on 39 years as a Baha'i during which I have NOT ONCE found any reason to regret being a Baha'i!

Someone asked about worship. As was mentioned, our scriptures elevate our professions, when performed in the spirit of service to humanity, to the rank of worship of God!

As to Heaven and hell, I'll contribute the following:

"Bahá'u'lláh and &'Abdu'l-Bahá regard the descriptions of Heaven and Hell given in some of the older religious writings as symbolic, like the Biblical story of the Creation, and not as literally true. According to Them, Heaven is the state of perfection, and Hell that of imperfection; Heaven is harmony with God's will and with our fellows, and Hell is the want of such harmony; Heaven is the condition of spiritual life, and Hell that of spiritual death. A man may be either in Heaven or in Hell while still in the body. The joys of Heaven are spiritual joys; and the pains of Hell consist in the deprivation of these joys."
―Baha'u'llah and the New Era pp. 190-1


"When they [men] are delivered through the light of faith from the darkness of these vices, and become illuminated with the radiance of the sun of reality, and ennobled with all the virtues, they esteem this the greatest reward, and they know it to be the true paradise. In the same way they consider that the spiritual punishment ... is to be subjected to the world of nature, to be veiled from God, to be brutal and ignorant, to fall into carnal lusts, to be absorbed in animal frailties, to be characterized with dark qualities ... these are the greatest punishments and tortures....

"...The rewards of the other world are the perfections and the peace obtained in the spiritual worlds after leaving this world ... the spiritual graces, the various spiritual gifts in the Kingdom of God, the gaining of the desires of the heart and the soul, and the meeting of God in the world of eternity. In the same way the punishments of the other world ... consist in being deprived of the special divine blessings and the absolute bounties, and falling into the lowest degrees of existence. He who is deprived of these divine favours, although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the people of truth.

"The wealth of the other world is nearness to God. Consequently it is certain that those who are near the Divine Court are allowed to intercede, and this intercession is approved by God....

"It is even possible that the condition of those who have died in sin and unbelief may become changed; that is to say, they may become the object of pardon through the bounty of God, not through His justice; for bounty is giving without desert, and justice is giving what is deserved. As we have the power to pray for these souls here, so likewise we shall possess the same power in the other world, which is the Kingdom of God.... Therefore in that world also they can make progress. As here they can receive light by their supplications, there also they can plead for forgiveness, and receive light through entreaties and supplications.

"Both before and after putting off this material form, there is progress in perfection, but not in state.... There is no other being higher than a perfect man. But man when he has reached this state can still make progress in perfections but not in state, because there is no state higher than that of a perfect man to which he can transfer himself. He only progresses in the state of humanity, for the human perfections are infinite. Thus however learned a man may be, we can imagine one more learned.

"Hence, as the perfections of humanity are endless, man can also make progress in perfections after leaving this world."
―Some Answered Questions, pp. 260-274 passim.

And please keep the questions coming; we LOVE 'em! :)

Best!

Bruce
 
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I debated Baha'is on one of their forums and it ended with the moderator cutting off the dabate by stating that Baha'is should not debate about their beliefs. Basically, here it is and you can either you can accept it or not. Never mind in Jude 3 we're told to contend for the faith. I have found a couple of "difficulties" with their "manifestation."

Pawn raider,

Well I'm unsure the circumstances you mention but it's true we Baha'is generally try to avoid long protracted debates as they can become acrimonious, tedious and sometimes just result in forming polarity between people.. which is an outcome we would feel is undesirable.

Historically I would agree that Christian tradition may be different as you have different schools and groups that contend with one another so there's more of a debate tradition for you..

The verse you cite does seem to me to advocate contention for "what was once delivered unto the saints" so maybe a reference to what was going on in the formation of early Christianity...

Jud 1:3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
 
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