What Baha’is Believe

Mecklenburg Ministries’

Food For Thought Series

Tamela Rich - April 10, 2008

Baha’i Scripture

“Religion must be the source of fellowship, the cause of unity and the nearness of God to man. If it rouses hatred and strife it is evident that absence of religion is preferable and an irreligious man better than one who professes it.”

Baha’i Faith: Statistics

• Youngest independent world religion, est 1844

• Faith has its own scripture, calendar, holy days and laws

• 5-6m believers in over 240 countries/territories in the world.

• The majority of Bahá'ís live in Asia (3.6 million), Africa (1.8 million), and Latin America (900,000).

• Estimated 400 Baha’is in Mecklenburg County

Basis of Baha’i Beliefs

• God, as known by many names or no name at all, has sent a series of Divine Revelations to humanity throughout time

• A Divine Revelation occurred in 1844

• Baha’u’llah*, Founder of the Baha’i Faith, brought a Revelation for the entire world

*“Baha’u’llah” translated into English is “The Glory of God”

Baha’u’llah’s Titles

• For Hindus, Baha’u’llah is the “Most Great Spirit” & “Tenth Avatar”

• For Zoroastrians, the “World Savior Shah-Bahram”

• For Buddhists, He is “The Fifth Buddha Maitreye” (Buddha of Universal Fellowship)

Baha’u’llah Fulfills Prophecy

• As described by Isaiah

– “Everlasting Father”

– “Prince of Peace”

– “Counselor”

• Referred to by Christ as:

– Prince of this world

– Comforter who will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

– Spirit of Truth

– Son of Man who shall come in the glory of His Father

• Muslims: “The Great Announcement”

– (Shiite) Return of the Imam Husayn

– (Sunni) descent of the “Spirit of God” or Jesus Christ

Baha’u’llah’s Teachings about Religion

• One God

• Series of divine Teachers such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Krishna, Buddha, and Zoroaster

• Social teachings of religions differ

• Spiritual essence of all faiths is the same

Baha’i Faith is Syncretic?

• Definition: Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion

• Sikhism is syncretic

• Baha’i Faith from Revelation

Baha’u’llah’s Life

• Born November 12, 1817 in Persia (now Iran)

• Mirza Husayne Ali, son of Mirza Buzurg-Nuri

• Of noble birth, became “Father of the Poor”

• Earlier follower of The Bab’s Revelation

• Endured 40 years of religious persecution by Persian and Ottoman Empires

Constantinople, 1863

In response to Baha’u’llah’s letter:

"It is as if the King of Kings were issuing his behest to the humblest vassal king and regulating his conduct."

Adrianople 1863-1868

"Day and night," an eyewitness has written, "the Divine verses were raining down in such number that it was impossible to record them." A number of secretaries working day and night were unable to keep up with all that Bahá’u’lláh dictated during this time.

Baha’u’llah Advocates Justice

Tsar Alexander II

Sultan of Turkey

Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany

Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria

Napoleon III

House of Windsor Remains

• Victoria responded "If this is of God, it will endure; if not, it can do no harm".

• Victoria’s granddaughter, Queen Marie of Rumania, accepted the Baha’i Faith in 1926

Browne of Cambridge

• 1890

• Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come.… Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind."

Tolstoy

"We spent our lives working hard to discover the mysteries of the universe and it is a Persian Prisioner, Bahá'u'lláh, in 'Akká, in the Holy Land who has the key... The teachings of Bahá'u'lláh show us, now, the highest and purest form of religious teaching.”

Baha’u’llah revealed more than 100 volumes of divinely inspired mystical writings, ethical and social teachings, and laws and ordinances designed to bring Heaven to Earth

Passed from this life while still a prisoner in exile May 29, 1892

The Covenant

• Baha’u’llah prevented sectarianism through a Covenant

• Baha’u’llah brought an Administrative Order:

– Institutions

– Laws of how humanity govern itself

Purpose of Baha’i Faith

• Usher in and establish a new age of humanity characterized by peace, harmony and progress (both material and spiritual)

• Baha’is work to bring to fruition what is envisioned in the Christian prayer, “On Earth as it is in Heaven”

Purpose of Earthly Life

• Preparation for the next world

– Acquiring virtues

– Practicing faith through service

– Obedience to the Covenant

• Bringing Heaven to Earth

Heaven on Earth?

• Abandonment of all forms of prejudice

• Equality between the sexes

• Recognition of the common source and essential oneness of the world's great religions

• Elimination of the extremes of poverty and wealth

• Universal compulsory education

Heaven on Earth?

• Responsibility of each individual to search independently for truth

• Establishment of a world federal system based on principles of collective security

• Recognition that religion is in harmony with reason and scientific knowledge.

• Universal auxiliary language must be chosen to facilitate international communication and understanding between the common people – not just their leaders

Further Information

• www.bahaullah.org

• http://www.bahai.org/

• http://reference.bahai.org/en/

• http://statements.bahai.org/

• http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran

• http://www.bahai.org/persecution/egypt