In any case, good luck to you and God Bless. He was asked 'How shall I overcome seeing the faults of othersrecognizing the wrong in others? When Criticism and Harsh Words Arise "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. Required fields are marked *. ThenI cut completely all personal ties to the Bahais in the Fort Worth area. 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. I hope that all the believers will attain to this lofty station. [25] Jason Boyett wrote in 12 Major World Religions that, "The [Bah] condemnation of covenant-breakers is immediate, absolute, andin a religion promoting love and acceptanceprofoundly disconcerting. When not convened as a body, each member has no autonomous authority. I, too, am considering resigning my membership. 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. 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. The belief in fulfilled prophecies is presented by Bah' authors to demonstrate the validity of Bah'u'llh 's claim to divinity. Only the last category could fall into the category of reliable sources (although not independent or disinterested sources ). 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. [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. ", "The worst enemies of the Cause are in the Cause and mention the Name of God. [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". 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. Its interesting how much confusion this lack of a fixed building in many Bahai communities can create for members of other Faiths who feel connected to their places of worship. Ottoman officials later moved Baha'u'llah to the prison city of Akka in Palestine. A Unitarian Bahai comes across as an idiot, again! 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. 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. Does it really matter? Every attempted Bah schism has failed to attract more than a few hundred individuals and declined over time. "Thou hast written regarding aims. 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. 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. (2) The absence of personal requirements (Baha'i demands) for the Manifestations. 2,070. But even if these are not taken from the records it still does not make them either true or false. If that has changed recently Id like to see the reference. 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. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. The government released Baha'u'llah in 1853, and exiled him to Baghdad, then part of the Ottoman Empire. Do this whenever you are tried through the words or deeds of others. The letters or contact of why you are withdrawing are also another reason why not to do so. According to Bah' belief, there have been individuals throughout history who were Manifestations of God, who founded major world religions and had certain supernatural powers, such as the ability to prophesy. For most Muslims, the prophet Muhammad was the last and final prophet. In the end (undefined in conventional thinking) all knees will bow before the King of all Kings, Jesus Christ. The religion began with considerable controversy. They and other UUs are destined to do the work of peace, unity, and freedom that Bahais cannot and will never do! [4][5] These issues may be only marginal to the numerically dominant Bah community outside of Europe and North America. If capable, those between the ages of 15 and 70 are required to fast 19 days a year, going without food or drink from sunrise to sunset. In fact, the first school for girls in Iran was established by the Baha'is. The religion began with considerable controversy. Cults separate, and the Bahai Faith unites. 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. Zackery M. Heern does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. '", "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. Hi, exmuslim atheist here. 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. Conservatives among Unitarian Universalists Still Feel Like Victims. For many, the Baha'i faith is one of the most universal religions. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Pingback: Why I Abandoned the (Haifan) Bahai Faith? Thanks for the post. How white they are!' Bahu'llh's claim of divine revelation is in direct conflict with this common interpretation of Islam. In Iran and other parts of the Middle East, Bahs continue to be criticized for breaking with Islam and accused of conspiring with western powers, resulting in intense persecution and the loss of civil rights. The Bb was arrested and, after several years of incarceration, was executed in 1850. [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. [19] Abdu'l-Bah said that it would become clear in the future why the restriction was in place. Its like Scientology in trying to manage apostasy in this way. 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. The Baha'i Faith is a scriptural religion; the current written texts are considered fully authoritative. 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. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting could be shut eternally and each one of the believers of God unsealed his tongue in the praise of the other, then the teachings of His Holiness Baha'o'llah (Bahullh) would be spread, the hearts illuminated, the spirits glorified and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity. The great bulk of Bah teachings is concerned with social ethics. ", "As regards backbiting, i.e., discussing the faults of others in their absence, the teachings are very emphatic. One of them said: 'How putrid has this animal become!' 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. In 1850, the Bab was charged by Shi'i religious officials with heresy and was put to death by firing squad. The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith. Goodbye. Baha'u'llah's writings form the foundation of the Baha'i faith. You know nothing about why my marriage failed and it had nothing to do with lack of parental consent. Perhaps youll be inspired to organize a similar discussion where you live. 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. 10, on page 138, there is a record of a reply given by Abdul-Bah in a private interview in Paris in 1913. Since the Bahai Faith is a relatively young religion founded by Bahaullah in the middle of the 19th century not everyone knows a great deal about it, and some people have incorrect information. 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. promoting the Baha'i Faith for twenty years. 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 criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. Yes, intermittent fasting has become pretty trendy, for this physical fast is a symbol of the spir, At the beginning of the 20th century, what did a P, One must see in every human being only that which, Every tender heart wonders What can I do to hel, Act in such a way that your heart may be free from, While sorrow and suffering seem to be inescapable, What is the Best Way to Worship? [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]. opinion. (Quoted in Star of West, Vol. I cant remember if it was one year or two years, but it was probably closer to one year. 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. 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