Though new, these beliefs originated in Twelver Shii Islam, which asserts a belief in the forthcoming return of the 12th imam (successor of Muhammad), who will renew religion and guide the faithful. My future wife was a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, a stronghold of fundamentalism. Conservatives among Unitarian Universalists Still Feel Like Victims. [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. 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. 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. If the Bahs would follow the Bah laws in voting, in electing, in serving and in abiding by Assembly decisions, all this waste of strength through criticising others could be diverted into cooperation and achieving the Plan. Also, the lack of actual places of worship was another big shock. In 1852, two years after the execution of the Bb, a fringe element in the . Hi, exmuslim atheist here. For backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the friends of a disposition to withdraw. Large-scale persecutions of his adherents, the Bbs, followed. Gods wisdom cannot always be seen by human eyes. 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. RELATED: What is the Best Way to Worship? The more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side, that their point of view is the right one, the worse the whole situation becomes. Thus you will grow, become more perfect. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting could be shut eternally and each one of the believers of God unsealed his tongue in the praise of the other, then the teachings of His Holiness Baha'o'llah (Bahullh) would be spread, the hearts illuminated, the spirits glorified and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity. "You ask in your letter for guidance on the implications of the prohibition on backbiting and more specifically whether, in moments of anger or depression, the believer is permitted to turn to his friends to unburden his soul and discuss his problem in human relations. 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. Velma A Good Reason to NEVER Subscribe to HBO Max! Another Haifan Bahai Gets Busted on Reddit, A Challenge Leads to a Peaceful Resolution, The Next UUA Presidential Election Seems to be in Trouble, An unethical teaching from the Caleb and Sophia Series, A Question About Translating the Bahai Writings. 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. [32][33] He specifically criticized the work of individual Bah scholars he saw as defending Bah orthodoxy at the expense of historical rigour, including William S. Hatcher,[32] Muhammad Afnan,[32] Juan Cole[33] (although Cole subsequently left the religion), Nader Saiedi,[34] and Moojan Momen. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. Pingback: Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith? This must be the point of distinction among you. No, never! 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 . 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. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. Goodbye. In such cases, of course, the name of the person or persons involved will have to be mentioned. While Bah teachings assert that men and women are spiritually equal, some areas of differentiation remain. All done! Bahs believe that all the founders of the worlds great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race. Pingback: Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Your email address will not be published. Indeed Baha'u'llah claimed to be the manifestation of God that the Bab had foretold and gained a large following. As Abdul-Baha, the son and successor of Bahaullah, explained: The original purpose of temples and houses of worship is simply that of unity places of meeting where various peoples, different races and souls of every capacity may come together in order that love and agreement should be manifest between them that all religions, races and sects may come together within its universal shelter. 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. The ineligibility of women has caused discontent among small but vocal groups of western Bah intellectuals,[5][1] and criticism from others. 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. 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 Does it really matter? 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. Deeds not words are what they demand, and no amount of fervor in the use of expressions of loyalty and adulation will compensate for failure to live in the spirit of the teachings.". Baha'u'llahs followers disseminated his teachings in the Middle East and beyond. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. Perhaps youll be inspired to organize a similar discussion where you live. The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bah calendar. Thanks! Since then, the Bahai International Community, as a non-governmental organization with a permanent seat at the United Nations, has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. I encourage you to look him up and see if it resonates with you. [12], Regarding the Bah teachings of peace and unity, E.G. Baha'is believe that God has . claimed the lives of thousands of his followers. The Nineteen Day Feast, originally instituted by the Bb, brings together the Bahs of a given locality for prayer, the reading of scriptures, the discussion of community activities, and the enjoyment of one anothers company. Ottoman officials later moved Baha'u'llah to the prison city of Akka in Palestine. [22] Bah scholar Udo Schaefer stated that the legitimization of the death penalty in cases of murder and arson is usually met with disapproval and suspicion in Europe. ", "As regards backbiting, i.e., discussing the faults of others in their absence, the teachings are very emphatic. After years of investigation and soul-searching, I have finally come to the sad understanding that I can no longer bring myself to believe in Bahaullah or any of the institutions established in His name, including the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. "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.". 9 Politics: Here a number of criticisms about the Bahai faith aligning itself with different historical superpowers are listed. In the temples there is no preaching; services consist of recitation of the scriptures of all religions. I am currently a skeptic who is looking at both UU and Bahai as a new place to find a community that thinks like I do. John Ankerberg) have attacked its history and founders, institutions, teachings, and use of prophecy. This is the conduct and the manner of the real Bahais (Bahs). Reading and Reacting to The Gadfly Molehill. The first time I heard the word syncretic connected with the Bahai Faith was from a college professor who knew I was Bahai but wanted to instruct me about this particular weakness he perceived. After Islamic fundamentalists came to power in Iran in 1979, the 300,000 Bahs there were persecuted by the government. 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. Its six years since I declared and four or five since I became an ex Bahai. I stayed silent about my defection from the Bahai Faith untilOctober 19, 2007, when I posted my first blog entry attacking it. 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. I, too, am considering resigning my membership. ThenI cut completely all personal ties to the Bahais in the Fort Worth area. Browne wrote that while he found them admirable, in his view they are inferior to the simplicity and beauty of the teachings of Christ. Such passages as the following extract from one of the letters written on behalf of the beloved Guardian by his secretary will also be helpful: " 'Each of us is responsible for one life only, and that is our own. RELATED: What Happens When You Become a Bahai? The writings and spoken words of the Bb, Bah Allh, and Abd al-Bah form the sacred literature of the Bah Faith. 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. 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. Christian and Islamic authors (e.g. 10, on page 138, there is a record of a reply given by Abdul-Bah in a private interview in Paris in 1913. In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. Regretfully, Dale Husband I composed that letter on my computer and mailed it in January of 2005. Bahs believe that all the founders of the world's great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race. The Baha'i Faith is a dynamic world religion with several million adherents from a variety of different religious and cultural backgrounds. But His Holiness Christ said: 'Look at its teeth! 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.". [27] Central to Cole's complaints is the Bah review process, which requires Bah authors to gain approval before publishing on the religion. Realizing that I had to remove myself from that community outright as a matter of honor, I wrote the following letter: To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahais of the United States, Many of the Bahai writings are mystical and tell us a great deal about spiritual reality but others lay the foundation for an elegant and very practical democratically-elected global administrative order, designed to gradually unfold and help bring humanity to a permanent world peace. It is free information and it is offered without any coercion on your free will about what to do with it. You don't need to belong to a religion to be of service to others and do good in the world. 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. Instead, I asked her to join with me in First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, which I had belonged to before. 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 continental counselors are appointed by the Universal House of Justice. Maybe there is a wisdom in asking for parental consent after all, reading how this marriage of two adults ended up. 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. 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. [21] The Universal House of Justice stated in 1995, and has repeated since, that the teachings on sexuality are laid down in the faith's scripture and that, "the House of Justice has no authority to change this clear teaching on homosexual practice. Ironic, considering that many Bahais have non-Bahai parents who may even be racist, and thus object to their children marrying members of a different race. Cults separate themselves from society, and Bahais take part in society. [21], In the Kitb-i-Aqdas, Bahu'llh prescribed the death penalty both for intentional arson and murder. Its 2014 now. The Baha'i faith. Baha'is, for example, embrace interracial marriage and education for girls. 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . 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