Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . 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. Instead, I asked her to join with me in First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, which I had belonged to before. 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. (5) Moral concerns. Yes, the Road to Serfdom is Indeed Paved by Conservatives, you Libertarian Idiot! If we think we can help matters by a frank and friendly talk with the individual concerned, refraining from judging or condemning, but pointing out in as kind a manner as possible the way in which, as it seems to us, the sort of conduct in question is harmful to the Cause or of a nature forbidden by the teachings, then it seems well to try that method before resorting to the more formidable method of bringing the matter before the Spiritual Assembly. He was kept in an underground prison in Tehran, which Baha'u'llah describes in his writings as filthy, dark and foul beyond comparison.. ", "an unwise act or statement by a Bah in one country could result in a grave set-back for the Faith there or elsewhereand even loss of the lives of fellow believers. 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. [16] Thus, authorities in the Muslim world have rejected the Bah Faith and regard Bahs as apostates if they had been Muslims before conversion. "You are quite correct in your understanding of the importance of avoiding backbiting; such conduct strikes at the very unity of the Bah community. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? Rather, Bahais look to the spiritual teachings of the Bab and Bahaullah, as interpreted and elucidated by Abdul-Baha, for inspiration and guidance. Targeting the faith's followers is a longstanding feature of the Islamic Republic but has been escalating of late. 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. The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith. One must expose the praiseworthy qualities of the souls and not their evil attributes. Your details have now been sent. 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. Pawel Szul heterodoxy religion of Bayan, Unitarian Baha'i Discussion Forum Yahoo. "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.". 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. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness. Does it really matter? Pingback: Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants. December 8-10, 1995 (see list of papers from #8) The claim of the Baha'i Faith to uphold the equality of men and women as a principle attracts attention from others who would also claim to be advancing the cause of sex equality, albeit from different perspectives. Someone from the Bahai community will contact you shortly. The Orthodox Bah Faith is an extremely small Bah sect that was formed in 1960 by Mason Remey, and subsequently was the name used by one of his disputed successors, Joel Marangella.The sect is defined by a belief that the Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi (1921-1957) continued with further appointees, whereas the mainstream Bahs follow a line of leadership that transitioned to . Your email address will not be published. The criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. IV. Shoghi Effendi (Guardian of the Baha'i Faith) wrote about this. As a member of Irans nobility, Baha'u'llah was offered a government position. Once they are ADULTS, they should be treated like adults, period. It is free information and it is offered without any coercion on your free will about what to do with it. "[13], William McElwee Miller (18921993) was a Presbyterian missionary in Iran who published a polemic titled The Baha'i Faith (1974), in which he attacked the religion by promoting the views of individuals opposing Bah leadership. SOLanding, a Possible Cryptocurrency Scam Site? The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. Dale's Declarations. [27] Central to Cole's complaints is the Bah review process, which requires Bah authors to gain approval before publishing on the religion. Assistant Professor of History and Middle East Studies, Idaho State University. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 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 external article completely drops any pretenses of neutrality, blaming certain events (like the attempted assassination of Iranian officials) as done by . In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. The religion's governing institution is the elected Universal House of Justice, whose membership is male-only. Soon after, early American converts began embracing the new religion. Baha'is were nonetheless subjected to persecution, as some Muslim clerics perceived their faith to be a heresy. You will overcome self, you will not even have time to think of the faults of others'. He appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbn (18971957), his successor. 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. That Baha'u'llah was the Manifestation of God for this day and be obedient to the covenant. It was during this exile that he publicly announced the establishment of the Baha'i faith. 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. 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 [3][9], Christian author and missiologist Ed Stetzer rejects the Bah Faith as a syncretic combination of faiths,[10] while Christian author John Ankerberg points to discrepancies between faiths to contradict the idea of unity of religion.[8]. 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 The primary functions of both groups are to propagate the Bah Faith and protect the community. The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. RELATED: What is the Best Way to Worship? In 'Star of the West', Volume 8, No. Pingback: Why peace activists (and critics of religion) sometimes fail Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants. I have been studying AJ Millers teachings for 17 months now. 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. [19] Abdu'l-Bah said that it would become clear in the future why the restriction was in place. The other exclaimed: 'How it is deformed!' Soon the Bbs teachings spread throughout Iran, provoking strong opposition from both the Shii Muslim clergy and the government. The ineligibility of women has caused discontent among small but vocal groups of western Bah intellectuals,[5][1] and criticism from others. Mirza Ahmad Sohrab; Lady Ruth White. For you I desire spiritual distinction; that is, you must become eminent and distinguished in morals. Many things are preserved in records as matters of opinion; no one has given a verdict on this matter! Every Bah, however, is under the spiritual obligation to pray daily; to abstain totally from narcotics, alcohol, or any other substances that affect the mind; to practice monogamy; to obtain the consent of parents to marriage; and to attend the Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each month of the Bah calendar. Its like Scientology in trying to manage apostasy in this way. https://bahai.works/index.php?title=Lights_of_Guidance/Backbiting,_Criticism,_Faultfinding,_Gossip,_Lies,_Slander_Etc.&oldid=121304. Im glad to know that you have found a better life after moving on, as have I. Abstract This article will explore some of the issues involved in the sociological analysis of the status of the Bah' Faith. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bah calendar. p. 192) Bahullh says in the Hidden Words: 'Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art a sinner. Historical context. 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