How very interesting,I too declared the same time but now find myself so spiritually down in the mouth, I take great objection to the anti-homosexual stance having got dear friends that are homosexual, also I actually enjoy the occasional glass of wine in the evening with my husband, the Bahai Calendar continues to baffle me and I cant get to grips with this fasting business, oh dear.Im not actually a bad person but find the faith quite difficult, I intend withdrawing from the faith as Im certainly not spiritually fulfilled, the people are nice but its not for me anymore. Does it really matter? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Message and data rates may apply. 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? Still, when I left the Administration I formally withdrew but this had more to do with the sanctity of the rites of initiation in the Christain Church than it did with the Administration of the Bahai faith. It is one of the functions of the older and the more mature Bahs to help the weaker ones to iron out their difficulties and learn to really function and live like true believers!". In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. [15] Douglas Martin wrote that Miller's writings were driven by animus against what he saw as a successful rival faith that was moving into Christian lands. Baha'is were nonetheless subjected to persecution, as some Muslim clerics perceived their faith to be a heresy. The criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. A third cried out: 'What a stench! Baha'u'llahs followers disseminated his teachings in the Middle East and beyond. My life and Cheris together are proof that it can work! Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . ", "Indeed the believers have not yet fully learned to draw on each other's love for strength and consolation in time of need. 2 - Belief in the transmigration of souls, and that reward and punishment happen to the soul only. AJs concepts are not a religion or a cult. tht ws qck. claimed the lives of thousands of his followers. 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. Your details have now been sent. Because the Bahai Faith is based in the grassroots, any social action is the result of consultative decisions made in any given locality and depends on local capacities. 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. How can they best reach you? I am closer to God than I have ever been, and less confused than I have ever been. We need not fear the enemies on the outside for such can be easily dealt with. 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. The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bah calendar. More than one person has said Bahais arent involved in social action. Nothing could be further from the truth. (3) Anachronistic Baha'i scriptures. in practice you would have lost your administrative rights anyway,. Historical context. RELATED: What is the Best Way to Worship? Actually, Bahais have been imprisoned and martyred since their Faith began in Persia, because of the persecution of the powerful Islamic clerics who consider the Bahai Faith and its progressive principles a threat. You will overcome self, you will not even have time to think of the faults of others'. [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". Yet Baha'is in Iran, who are the largest non-Muslim religious community, continue to face persecution. [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. Marrying that mentally immature woman was perhaps the biggest mistake of my life, and joining the Bahai Faith was the second biggest. Will and Testament of 'Abdul-Baha; Shoghi Effendi. I stayed silent about my defection from the Bahai Faith untilOctober 19, 2007, when I posted my first blog entry attacking it. 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. Soon after this, I began my relationship with Cheri, the woman that would later become my wife. 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. 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. 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. The central figure of the religion is Baha'u'llah, and Baha'is consider him to be the latest in a series of divine messengers. The Bahs must be distinguished from others of humanity. In any case, good luck to you and God Bless. 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. Browne wrote that while he found them admirable, in his view they are inferior to the simplicity and beauty of the teachings of Christ. 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. The Bb was arrested and, after several years of incarceration, was executed in 1850. "You are quite correct in your understanding of the importance of avoiding backbiting; such conduct strikes at the very unity of the Bah community. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. Baha'u'llah, whose name means Glory of God in Arabic, was born in Tehran in 1817. I have been studying AJ Millers teachings for 17 months now. In 'Star of the West', Volume 8, No. Still others encircle this garden inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate. The primary functions of both groups are to propagate the Bah Faith and protect the community. Baha'u'llahs writings form the foundation of the Baha'i faith. Bah Allh was subsequently confined by the Ottomans in Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey) and then in Acre in Palestine (now Akko, Israel). The other exclaimed: 'How it is deformed!' We were married the following year. 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. Mirza Ahmad Sohrab; Lady Ruth White. I resigned myself on 07/07/07. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bahai-Faith, The British Library - An introduction to the Bahai Faith, World Religious and Spirituality Project - Bahai Faith, Bahai Faith - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Bahai faith - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and 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. There is no way Im going to use a strangers personal home as a house of worship. If some Islamic countries were confused about how to classify the Bahai Faith, why have many of them officially recognized it as an independent religion distinct from Islam since early in the 20th century? Im glad to know that you have found a better life after moving on, as have I. Also, the lack of actual places of worship was another big shock. There is, of course the right of appeal from the Local to the National Assembly, and from that to Shoghi Effendi,* but the matter ought to be dealt with, in the first instance, by the Local Spiritual Assembly. [24] The religion has seen a few attempts at splintering, but they have remained extremely small and declined over time. Many things are preserved in records as matters of opinion; no one has given a verdict on this matter! This must be the point of distinction among you. The Bah community is governed according to general principles proclaimed by Bah Allh and through institutions created by him that were elaborated and expanded on by Abd al-Bah. 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. 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. The followers of such splinter groups are shunned and not considered Bahs by the majority. I hope that you may become confirmed therein, because the worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting; more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. 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. [16] Thus, authorities in the Muslim world have rejected the Bah Faith and regard Bahs as apostates if they had been Muslims before conversion. 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. He teaches that God is a loving Parent who never uses threats or fear or guilt or shame in relating to Her/His children. 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. He must be a seeker of the truth, no matter from what source it come. 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. There were several completely inactive Bahais in the North Richland Hills, Texas locality who I never saw in the years I was a Bahai, but there was no talk of them not having administrative rights. Today, Baha'u'llahs shrine, now in Israel, is an important pilgrimage site. '", "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. 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. Cults have charismatic leaders, and Bahais have no clergy or leaders at all. His writings, which promote peace and unity, are at the heart of the . An unethical teaching from the Caleb and Sophia Series December 24, 2022. The Baha'i Faith is not just a collection of philosophical principles or an attempt to combine or conflate religions. But ere long this merciful door will be closed and such enemies will be attacked with a madness. Origin of the Baha'i Religion. On the contrary, it would make the dust to settle so thickly on the heart that the ears would hear no more, and the eyes would no longer behold the light of truth. ", "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. ", " Each of us is responsible for one life only, and that is our own. The feasts are designed to ensure universal participation in the affairs of the community and the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship. Dale's Declarations. He was kept in an underground prison in Tehran, which Baha'u'llah describes in his writings as filthy, dark and foul beyond comparison.. Conservatives among Unitarian Universalists Still Feel Like Victims. Throughout his life, Bah'u'llah penned over 100 volumes in Arabic and Persian. Its just spiritual, not practical, was one incorrect comment Ive heard about the Bahai Faith not once, but many times. Regretfully, Dale Husband I composed that letter on my computer and mailed it in January of 2005. Rather, Bahais look to the spiritual teachings of the Bab and Bahaullah, as interpreted and elucidated by Abdul-Baha, for inspiration and guidance. 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. "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. The first is that they equate Krishna to many other prophets, as if somehow Krishna in either case is the main god or spokesperson or prophet of Hinduism as a monolithic religion. Required fields are marked *. My life has changed in ways that I had hoped the Bahai Faith would help me do, but in 35 years has not. Baha'i Viewpoint Heaven and Hell are not seen as literal places that the soul of man goes after physical death but are seen as the . Before Bah Allh died in 1892, he appointed his eldest son, Abd al-Bah (18441921), to be the leader of the Bahi community and the authorized interpreter of his teachings. Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate far. They and other UUs are destined to do the work of peace, unity, and freedom that Bahais cannot and will never do! BAHA'IS AND THE NATURE OF GOD His son and successor, Abdu'l-Baha, traveled to Europe and the United States to spread the faith. Beliefs, ideas and rituals of the Baha'is: 1 - Belief that Allaah is incarnated in some of His creation, and that Allaah was incarnated in al-Baab and al-Baha'. A Statement About Mental Disorders and Domestic Abuse. [1] One of them said: 'How putrid has this animal become!' 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. 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. [35], Christian Research Journal, Winter/Spring, 1989, p. 2. [19] The external article completely drops any pretenses of neutrality, blaming certain events (like the attempted assassination of Iranian officials) as done by . What are my imperfections?and try to remove them. Also, tons of conservative, orthodox, even fundamentalist traditional morality in Bahai law. 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. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? The Bah Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Shouldst thou transgress this command ACCURSED ART THOU.' [20] Particularly in the United States, Bahs have attempted to reconcile the immutable conservative teachings on sexuality with the otherwise socially progressive teachings of the religion, but it continues to be a source of controversy. But its root is lack of faith in the system of Bahullh, i.e., the Administrative Orderand lack of obedience to Himfor He has forbidden it! 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