", " 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. 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. [19] Abdu'l-Bah said that it would become clear in the future why the restriction was in place. Pingback: Why peace activists (and critics of religion) sometimes fail Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants. "[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. [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". The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. 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. But His Holiness Christ said: 'Look at its teeth! I am closer to God than I have ever been, and less confused than I have ever been. 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. This is the conduct and the manner of the real Bahais (Bahs). I sometimes hear, from those without much knowledge of the Bahai Faith, that it is syncretic. He taught there is one God and one human family, and that the great religions of the world represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. 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. A Unitarian Bahai comes across as an idiot, again! My life has changed in ways that I had hoped the Bahai Faith would help me do, but in 35 years has not. 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. It doesnt matter if you didnt formally withdraw because in practice you would have lost your administrative rights anyway, and since that is the only thing that a formal declaration providesadministrative rightsit really makes no difference anyway. The Quran puts forth the same idea, because along with Muhammad it includes the Old Testament prophets and also Christ. The external article completely drops any pretenses of neutrality, blaming certain events (like the attempted assassination of Iranian officials) as done by . Bahs believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. [24] The religion has seen a few attempts at splintering, but they have remained extremely small and declined over time. Message and data rates may apply. Despite their apparent differences, the worlds great religions, according to the Bahs, teach an identical truth. That Baha'u'llah was the Manifestation of God for this day and be obedient to the covenant. An overwhelming majority of Bbs acknowledged his claim and thenceforth became known as Bahs. If, however, we look at people from the standpoint of their faults, then being a friend to them is a formidable task. Criticism of the Baha'i Faith I can only speak for myself, but I consider direct and detailed criticism of the Baha'i Faith to be an essential part of the recovery process involved in leaving it. 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. Again, it doesnt really matter. [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. Assistant Professor of History and Middle East Studies, Idaho State University. In the early 21st century there were nine Bah houses of worship: in Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Germany, India, Panama, Samoa, the United States, and Uganda. Finding out about what the Bahai Faith was actually about rather than all the stuff they like to advertise was a big shock. Soon the Bbs teachings spread throughout Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shii Muslim clergy and the government. She agreed! The Bah Faith was first mentioned in the United States in 1893 at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Baha'is were nonetheless subjected to persecution, as some Muslim clerics perceived their faith to be a heresy. Thanks for the post. 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. 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. 2,070. AJs concepts are not a religion or a cult. Origin of the Baha'i Religion. 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 Bahai House of Worship in North America is in the town where two generations of my family lived before me Wilmette, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. I should update this by noting that I separated from Cheri in December of 2011 and filed for divorce from her on May 7, 2012, finally getting the divorce granted on August 15, 2012. Its like Scientology in trying to manage apostasy in this way. The religion officially formed in 1863, but a Shiite Muslim man in Iran began paving the way in 1844 by announcing a new prophet was to come - after Muhammad. Ottoman officials later moved Baha'u'llah to the prison city of Akka in Palestine. ", "As regards backbiting, i.e., discussing the faults of others in their absence, the teachings are very emphatic. 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. From my understanding, Baha'i Faith is an offshoot from Islam but still believes in Muhammad. 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 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 Bah Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. 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. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. 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. Finally, you must become distinguished for heavenly illumination and acquiring the bestowals of God. Bah Allh was subsequently confined by the Ottomans in Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey) and then in Acre in Palestine (now Akko, Israel). 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. 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.' Normally, it is possible to describe the situation surrounding a problem and seek help and advice in resolving it, without necessarily mentioning names. The Baha'i Faith is not just a collection of philosophical principles or an attempt to combine or conflate religions. 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. But there are always some who enter and, becoming intoxicated with the splendor of what they behold, remain for life to tend the garden.. 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. Message and data rates may apply. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness. Shouldst thou transgress this command ACCURSED ART THOU.' After Islamic fundamentalists came to power in Iran in 1979, the 300,000 Bahs there were persecuted by the government. [35], Christian Research Journal, Winter/Spring, 1989, p. 2. 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. The Bah Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people.. Goodbye. Bahais believe in the agreement of science and religion; and accept that religion must have practical benefit for humanity in fact, Abdul-Baha said, otherwise it would be preferable to have no religion. Does it really matter? They also. 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. My life and Cheris together are proof that it can work! His son and successor, Abdu'l-Baha, traveled to Europe and the United States to spread the faith. Abstract This article will explore some of the issues involved in the sociological analysis of the status of the Bah' Faith. 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. Extract from Dale Husbands blog. A comparative analysis of the Baha'i and Christian views of heaven and hell. 10, on page 138, there is a record of a reply given by Abdul-Bah in a private interview in Paris in 1913. "Thou hast written regarding aims. [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. RELATED: What Happens When You Become a Bahai? Goodbye. 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. There are no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. The friends must overlook their shortcomings and faults and speak only of their virtues and not their defects. (3) Anachronistic Baha'i scriptures. 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. 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. 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. 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. RELATED: What is the Best Way to Worship? "he suggests you write the National Spiritual Assembly in a loving spirit, and point out to them how it distresses you to think that, after so many years of service, statements about you which you consider unjustified should be preserved. 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. In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. Over 20,000 unique works by Baha'u'llah have been identified at the Baha'i World Centre, comprising just under seven million words. 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 This must be the point of distinction among you. A primary theme of Baha'u'llahs teachings is achieving world peace through the establishment of unity, justice and equality. It is not an ordinary distinction I desire: not scientific, commercial, industrial distinction. 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? I declared back in 2008 when I was a naive open eyed idealist about the principles without knowing about all the contradictions and stuff. "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. Actually, when I was Bahai I was dating a nominal Christian, and I had suggested the UU church as a possible place that we could go for worship together if we got married. The official website of the Baha'i Faith is: Sign up for our newsletter and get all our latest content, 2023 BahaiTeachings.org All Rights Reserved. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. His writings, which promote peace and unity, are at the heart of the . gss t ws mr lk prf tht yr prblms l lss n pltcs nd rlgn nd mre n mntal hlth sss? About a dozen of these have been translated into English and other languages. Therefore, Baha'u'llahs teachings specifically advocate for racial unity, gender equality, universal education, and harmony of science and religion. A third cried out: 'What a stench! Im glad to know that you have found a better life after moving on, as have I. tht ws qck. (2) The absence of personal requirements (Baha'i demands) for the Manifestations. Pingback: Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Your email address will not be published. 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. But ere long this merciful door will be closed and such enemies will be attacked with a madness. A few weeks later, the NSA replied that they had accepted my resignation and expressed hope that I would one day decide to return. [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. [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. The electoral process excludes parties or factions, nominations, and campaigning for office. Being involved in interfaith work, Im constantly asked Whos your local spiritual leader, or priest, or pastor? The fact is, there isnt one. 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. Selfless Service to Humanity, Eco-Caskets: The Spiritual How - and Why - of Green Burials, Dr. Anthony Lee and the Excavation of Buried Racial Narratives. 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. [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. 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. Mrz Al Moammad first proclaimed his beliefs in 1844 and assumed the title of the Bb. The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. To this i bear witness for elementary and high school students speak only of their virtues not... His son and successor, Abdu ' l-Bah said that it is not just a of! East Studies, Idaho State University achieving World peace through the establishment of unity, are the! Instead, i asked her to join with me in first Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, which promote peace unity... To join with me in first Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, which i had hoped the Bahai Faith would me..., class, and to this i bear witness analysis of the Bahai Faith, that it become! What is the conduct and the United States to spread the Faith for... 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criticism of the baha'i faith