[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. A third cried out: 'What a stench! 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. Religion: Kashmir Shaivism (Trika) I've always found some issues with the main idea of the Baha'i faith, for a few different reasons. "The question of dealing with those who call themselves Bahs but who act in ways which we believe to be detrimental to the interests of the Cause is a very difficult one. 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. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting were shut eternally and each one of the believers unsealed his lips in praise of others, then the teachings of His Holiness Bahullh would spread, the hearts be illumined, the spirits glorified, and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity.' Ottoman officials later moved Baha'u'llah to the prison city of Akka in Palestine. [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. 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. 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . 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. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. The Bahs use a calendar, established by the Bb and confirmed by Bah Allh, in which the year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of 4 intercalary days (5 in leap years). People often fear and denigrate what they dont understand, and anyone who says that the Bahai Faith is a cult definitely does not understand it. Get in touch with the Bahais in your community. Someone from the Bahai community will contact you shortly. Cheri came to love the freedom of thought in that church, despite still being a strong Christian, while I came to love the powerful community the church provided, despite my agnosticism. Your details have now been sent. Every attempted Bah schism has failed to attract more than a few hundred individuals and declined over time. I stayed silent about my defection from the Bahai Faith untilOctober 19, 2007, when I posted my first blog entry attacking it. Once they are ADULTS, they should be treated like adults, period. The Baha'i Faith is a scriptural religion; the current written texts are considered fully authoritative. Perhaps youll be inspired to organize a similar discussion where you live. All done! According to Bahai law, I would have needed the consent of both her mother (her father was already deceased), and my BIRTH (not adoptive) parents to be married to her. 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. Extract from Dale Husbands blog. Abstract This article will explore some of the issues involved in the sociological analysis of the status of the Bah' Faith. The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. [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. He concluded from this that the Bah' World Faith must be God's religion. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? [23], The Bah teachings emphasize the need for unity, and have an official line of succession of leadership to prevent schism. I cant remember if it was one year or two years, but it was probably closer to one year. The problem is that everything you hear in the news is about the superficiality, immorality, and degradation of Hollywood. Cults have charismatic leaders, and Bahais have no clergy or leaders at all. 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. That looked like denial to me, so I dismissed it and threw away the letter. The criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. "Abdul-Bah does not permit adverse criticism of individuals by name in discussion among the friends, even if the one criticizing believes that he is doing so to protect the interests of the Cause. [19] Abdu'l-Bah said that it would become clear in the future why the restriction was in place. Most criticism has come from Iranian enemies with a reputation for deception, Christian groups intending to smear the religion, and disaffected former Baha'is who largely criticize individuals in the administration. The other exclaimed: 'How it is deformed!' As a member of Irans nobility, Baha'u'llah was offered a government position. Dale's Declarations. While Bahais dont have traditional churches or mosques, local Bahai communities may decide to rent or buy a meeting place, usually called a Bahai Center, depending on the size of the Bahai community and their circumstances. 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. These are worded in a way to seem like crazy conspiracies. Judaism and Christianity are predecessors of Islam but criticism aimed directly at either of the two doesn't seem to directly affect Islam because of a belief in the Bible and Torah being corrupted or outdated versions of God's message. While Bah teachings assert that men and women are spiritually equal, some areas of differentiation remain. "[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. There are more than 100,000 local Baha'i communities in places as diverse as Chile, Cambodia and the United States. Assistant Professor of History and Middle East Studies, Idaho State University. In this article I will respond to these arguments as they relate to the different views held by Bah's and Christians on (1) the nature of God, (2) biblical prophecy, and (3) religious unity. ", "As regards backbiting, i.e., discussing the faults of others in their absence, the teachings are very emphatic. Membership in the Bah community is open to all who profess faith in Bah Allh and accept his teachings. ", "I desire distinction for you. Message and data rates may apply. "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. Parental consent should only be an issue if the married partners are still minors. 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). In Acre in northern Israel, a former prison city of the Ottoman Empire, the barracks where Bahullh was imprisoned starting in 1868. 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 manifestations are allowed to contradict one another, then there is no way to separate false manifestations from true ones or to discover if any of them really speak for the true and living God. BAHA'IS AND THE NATURE OF GOD They also. '", "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. Syncretic means that a religion contains nothing original, but instead is a collection of teachings culled from other religions in an attempt to fuse them. 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. If you dont recognize Bahaullah as a manifestation of God then you arent really a Bahai whether or not you happen to be part of the Bahai Administrative Order. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Babi movement called for revolutionary social changes and championed womens rights. Throughout his life, Bah'u'llah penned over 100 volumes in Arabic and Persian. promoting the Baha'i Faith for twenty years. Eventually, what started as a compromise between us grew into a case of full blown allegiance to the UU church for both of us. "As to backbiting, the House of Justice points out that learning not to concern oneself with the faults of others seems to be one of the most difficult lessons for people to master, and that failing in this is a fertile cause of disputes among Bahs as it is among men and women in general. The principal Bah tenets are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. Even if what is said against another person be true, the mentioning of his faults to others still comes under the category of backbiting, and is forbidden.". The electoral process excludes parties or factions, nominations, and campaigning for office. Selfless Service to Humanity, In fact, Bahaullah mandated that his followers involve themselves in social action when he said, Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.. The belief in fulfilled prophecies is presented by Bah' authors to demonstrate the validity of Bah'u'llh 's claim to divinity. My family, like many Wilmette residents, witnessed its decades-long construction. The Bah' Faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Bah'u'llh. ", "One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. That Baha'u'llah was the Manifestation of God for this day and be obedient to the covenant. They and other UUs are destined to do the work of peace, unity, and freedom that Bahais cannot and will never do! 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. The Baha'i faith. 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. I desire this distinction for you. He appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbn (18971957), his successor. Handwriting Analysis of the Will of Abdu'l Baha by Dr. Mitchell; Hermann . 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. Im glad to know that you have found a better life after moving on, as have I. by Jeremy Butler | Mar 25, 2010 | Baha'i, World Religions. Again, it doesnt really matter. [1] Western academics have criticized the requirement for Bahs to seek pre-publication review when publishing on the religion[3] and the exclusion of women from serving on the Universal House of Justice. | The Bahai Insider, Dale Husband: Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith Bah Censorship, Another reason to despise Michael Shermer | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, A Critical Analysis of the The Kitb-i-Aqdas, Part Three | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, A Conversion to Mormonism | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Featured in a magazine critical of the Bahai Faith | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants. ". The Christian Grace Network on YouTube November 23, 2022. Gods wisdom cannot always be seen by human eyes. 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. Check your email for the latest from BahaiTeachings.org. [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. Marrying that mentally immature woman was perhaps the biggest mistake of my life, and joining the Bahai Faith was the second biggest. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. 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. ", " Vicious criticism is indeed a calamity. Its like Scientology in trying to manage apostasy in this way. read more. 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? Thanks for the post. 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! A "Unitarian Baha'i" comes across as an idiot, again! I decided that if she wanted to marry me, she would have to leave that church, because I would never join it and she still wanted us to worship together on Sundays. 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. Soon after, early American converts began embracing the new religion. "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.". 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. 6. Only the last category could fall into the category of reliable sources (although not independent or disinterested sources ).
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criticism of the baha'i faith