Baha'is have also been discriminated against in Yemen and in Egypt. Bahu'llh's claim of divine revelation is in direct conflict with this common interpretation of Islam. For backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the friends of a disposition to withdraw. A comparative analysis of the Baha'i and Christian views of heaven and hell. The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. You should urge your fellow-Bahs to take this point of view, and to support you in a strong effort to suppress every critical thought and every harsh word, in order to let the spirit of Bahullh flow into the entire community, and unite it in His love and in His service. The religion began with considerable controversy. [19] Bah World News Service Bah' International Community, has confiscated properties from Baha'i families. He must be a seeker of the truth, no matter from what source it come. https://bahai.works/index.php?title=Lights_of_Guidance/Backbiting,_Criticism,_Faultfinding,_Gossip,_Lies,_Slander_Etc.&oldid=121304. "I hope that the believers of God will shun completely backbiting, each one praising the other cordially and believe that backbiting is the cause of Divine wrath, to such an extent that if a person backbites to the extent of one word, he may become dishonored among all the people, because the most hateful characteristic of man is fault-finding. I desire this distinction for you. 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. But this distinction must not depend upon wealththat they should become more affluent than other people. 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. He teaches that God is a loving Parent who never uses threats or fear or guilt or shame in relating to Her/His children. When people say that the Bahai Faith has something to do with Judaism, its often a result of confusing the word Bahai with Bnai Brith, a service organization dedicated to the social and educational betterment of Jews. 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. by Jeremy Butler | Mar 25, 2010 | Baha'i, World Religions. 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 . The belief in fulfilled prophecies is presented by Bah' authors to demonstrate the validity of Bah'u'llh 's claim to divinity. Browne wrote that while he found them admirable, in his view they are inferior to the simplicity and beauty of the teachings of Christ. [24] The religion has seen a few attempts at splintering, but they have remained extremely small and declined over time. Throughout his life, Bah'u'llah penned over 100 volumes in Arabic and Persian. The majority of Baha'is, however, live in the global south. 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. Regretfully, Dale Husband I composed that letter on my computer and mailed it in January of 2005. Required fields are marked *. In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their 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. Omissions? Selfless Service to Humanity, Eco-Caskets: The Spiritual How - and Why - of Green Burials, Dr. Anthony Lee and the Excavation of Buried Racial Narratives. Also, tons of conservative, orthodox, even fundamentalist traditional morality in Bahai law. "This is the attribute of the children of the Kingdom. [27][31], Denis MacEoin, a scholar who had previously been a Bah, criticized what he saw as a threat to the impartiality of the academic field of Bb and Bah studies due to the dominance of practising Bahs in the field. 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. (6) Some Baha'i errors. It will endeavor to present criteria for the labels "world religion" and "new religious movement," as well as explore to what extent the Bah' Faith fulfils these criteria. 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. "If we profess loyalty to Bahullh, to our Beloved Master and our dear Guardian, then we must show our love by obedience to these explicit teachings. The Baha'i Faith is not just a collection of philosophical principles or an attempt to combine or conflate religions. 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. 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. Baha'u'llah, whose name means Glory of God in Arabic, was born in Tehran in 1817. Eventually, what started as a compromise between us grew into a case of full blown allegiance to the UU church for both of us. 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. A few weeks later, the NSA replied that they had accepted my resignation and expressed hope that I would one day decide to return. How can they best reach you? 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. Still others encircle this garden inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate. [17], Bahu'llh's teachings on the equality of men and women, and that slavery should be banned, were controversial ideas in the nineteenth century Middle East that contributed to attempts to destroy his movement.[16]. 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. 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. Soon the Bbs teachings spread throughout Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shii Muslim clergy and the government. 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. 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. 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. [7][8], The Bah Faith has maintained its unity and avoided serious division, although several attempts have been made to create sects. 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. 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.. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? Check your email for the latest from BahaiTeachings.org. Summed up in Baha'u'llahs words: The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.. I would later realize how useful those books could have been as weapons against my former religion, but I also was able to find enough online resources for my purposes. Helen Hornby, "Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. You must become distinguished for loving humanity; for unity and accord; for love and justice. [27] Soon after his resignation, Cole created an email list and website called H-Bahai, which became a repository of both primary source material and critical analysis on the religion. 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. [21], In the Kitb-i-Aqdas, Bahu'llh prescribed the death penalty both for intentional arson and murder. He remained there until his passing in 1892. Would it please the Blessed Beauty, contribute to the lasting honour of the friends, promote the holy Faith, support the Covenant, or be of any possible benefit to any soul? [35] By contrast, MacEoin generally praised the work in Bah studies of Bah historian Peter Smith and non-Bah sociologist Margit Warburg. The continental counselors are appointed by the Universal House of Justice. 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 Pawel Szul heterodoxy religion of Bayan, Unitarian Baha'i Discussion Forum Yahoo. Abdo presented the following list of criticisms of the Bah Faith from a feminist perspective at an annual gathering for Bah studies in 1995: the ineligibility of women to serve on the Universal House of Justice--this is of particular interest to supporters of women priests within the Christian tradition; the intestacy laws in the Kitab-i-Aqdas; the dowry laws with particular reference to the virginity refund clause; the exemption of menstruating women from obligatory prayers and the implication of menstrual taboo; the use of androcentric language and male pronouns in texts; the emphasis on traditional morality and family values[18]. It is not an ordinary distinction I desire: not scientific, commercial, industrial distinction. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. gss t ws mr lk prf tht yr prblms l lss n pltcs nd rlgn nd mre n mntal hlth sss? | 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. An unethical teaching from the Caleb and Sophia Series December 24, 2022. The writings and spoken words of the Bb, Bah Allh, and Abd al-Bah form the sacred literature of the Bah Faith. Christian apologist Francis J. Beckwith wrote of the Bah teachings: The fact that the various alleged manifestations of God represented God in contradictory ways implies either that manifestations of God can contradict one another or that God's own nature is contradictory. The principal Bah tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Updates? It has an office on the environment involved in sustainable development. An overwhelming majority of Bbs acknowledged his claim and thenceforth became known as Bahs. In fact, the first school for girls in Iran was established by the Baha'is. [11], Bah authors have written in response that the contradictory teachings are either social laws that change from age to age, as part of a progressive revelation, or human error introduced to the more ancient faiths over time. And Sophia Series December 24, 2022 the Shii Muslim clergy and the.! 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