A question for open minded spiritual thinkers, does the Bahai' Faith make sense to you.?

Question

1)All humanity is one family. 

The Bahá’í teachings emphasize that all of us, as creations of one God, are part of one human family.

Bahá’u’lláh said, “The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.”

People of nearly every background, in every nation, have become Bahá’ís. 


 2)Women and men are equal.
 
Full equality and a firm sense of partnership between women and men are essential to human progress and the transformation of society. “Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God," said Bahá'u'lláh. 

The worldwide Bahá'í community has been at the forefront of the movement to advance the rights of women for more than a century. 


 3)All prejudice—racial, religious, national, or economic—is destructive and must be overcome.
 
Bah��’u’lláh gave special attention to the problem of prejudice. At the heart of His message is a call for mutual understanding and fellowship among nations, cultures, and peoples. 

There is, Bahá'u'lláh insists, only one human race. Prejudice—whether based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or social background—must be overcome if humanity is to create a peaceful and just global society.

4) We must investigate truth for ourselves, without preconceptions.
 
One of the main sources of conflict in the world today is the fact that many people blindly and uncritically follow various traditions, movements, and opinions. 

Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the fundamental obligation of human beings to acquire knowledge with their "own eyes and not through the eyes of others." 

5) Science and religion are in harmony.
 
The Bahá'í teachings stress the fundamental harmony of science and religion. Bahá'ís consider that it is the same unique God who is both the Author of revelation and the Creator of the reality which science investigates. 

If indeed there is only one truth (reality), it is not possible for something to be scientifically false and religiously true; contradictions are attributed to human fallibility and arrogance.

6) Our economic problems are linked to spiritual problems.
 
The Bahá'í teachings envision that economic justice and prosperity will come about only when the essential connection between the spiritual and practical aspects of life is recognized. 

A satisfactory solution to the world's present economic crisis lies in a profound change of heart and mind which only religion can produce. 

7) The family and its unity are very important.
 
Bahá'u'lláh came to bring unity to the world, and a fundamental unity is that of the family. 

Bahá’ís understand that the family is the basic unit of society and unless this all-important building block is healthy and unified, society itself cannot be healthy and unified. 

Bahá’í writings say, “If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual.” 

8) There is one God.
 
The Bahá'í belief in one God means that the universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being. 

Such designations as God, Allah, Yahweh, and Brahma all refer to the One Divine Being, Whose nature is unknowable and inaccessible to humankind. We learn about God through His Messengers, who teach and guide humanity.

9) All major religions come from God.
 
When Bahá'ís say that the various religions are one, they do not mean that all the creeds and organizations are the same. Rather, they believe God has revealed Himself through a succession of Divine Messengers, Whose purpose is to guide and educate mankind. 

They are expressions of a single unfolding Divine purpose, "the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future." 

10) World peace is the crying need of our time.

More than a century ago, Bahá'u'lláh called for the creation of a system of international governance, based on the principle of collective security, which would encompass all of the nations of the world and lay the foundations for a lasting and universal peace. 





I think I found something that is even closer to my spirituality than Deism.



What do you all think about it?  Does that make sense to you?

Is this the only religion that really offers us hope for peace?  There can be no peace when there are religions that claim to be the only way to God.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Excellent post.  I've been looking for a short summary of Bahá’í beliefs for some time, but the links that Bahá’ís on this forum have posted contained too much information for my extremely short attention span. =)

I agree with 1) and 2)

3) It's amazing how many people have been killed, tortured, discriminated against, and degraded for things which present no harm to others: skin color, religion, gender, tattoos, piercings, sexual orientation, economic class.

4) Two of my favorite quotes are:

"You are neither right nor wrong because people agree or disagree with you.  You are right because your facts are right and your reasoning is right." -Benjamin Graham

"Most people would rather die than think. Many do." -Bertrand Russell

5) "The truths of faith complement those of reason. Both are gifts of God." -Aquinas

6) I agree. The widening gap between rich and poor is a continuing problem in America. Long term, many of the rich will suffer as a weakening middle class loses the purchasing power to buy from corporations largely owned by the wealthy. A strong middle class helps preserve democracy. It's difficult to preserve any degree of political equality when 1% of the population controls say, 50% of a nation's wealth.

"Capitalism without ethics will self-destruct!" -Pope John Paul II

7) Such names all do refer to the One God.  While there are some things humans can know about the Divine Being, God is incomprehensible to humans and we will never come close to understanding Him fully. And as a Catholic, I definitely believe we learn about God through His messengers, rather than strictly through a book.

8) Even philosophers tend to accept the simpler explanation as being valid, when confronted with more than one possibility.  The concept of One God is simpler than the concept of many gods.

9) There are many good religions, but not all are created equal. God is the source from Whom all good things come.

10) I don't know that lack of peace is the #1 problem in the world, but it's definitely one of the foremost concerns.

Peace!
The Marlboro Man

Ryan H · Answer

I am a Baha'i and I wish to specifically address the homophobia accusations.  Please note that this is personal interpretation only, not authoritative.  There is considerable, if quiet, debate both within and without the religion about its views towards homosexuality.

The Baha'i Faith does not condone a homosexual relationship, in much the same way that it does not condone premarital or extramarital sex.  No extra emphasis or attention is placed on the "weight" of the sin of homosexuality.  Gays are not singled out for particular punishment, castigation, or condemnation.  Unlike many contemporary religions, the Baha'is as an institution do not hold a political position on the ongoing gay movement in the USA and other parts of the world.  Individual Baha'is hold a wide spectrum of personal belief on the issue.  For example, I strongly support gay rights, equal marriage under the law, etc.  Other Baha'is who may be older or from more rigid cultures may not feel the same way.

If a gay person wishes to become a Baha'i, they are expected to follow the rules of the Faith--that is to say, to lead a chaste life.  And yes, there ARE gay Baha'is.  Their position is understandably exceedingly difficult and I cannot even begin to speak for them.  

Although it is true that homosexuals can be involuntarily removed from participation in the religion, in practice it is an extremely difficult and rare occurence.  

A key distinction is that the Baha'i Faith explicitly avoids efforts to impose its rules upon those who do not choose to follow the religion. This is in stark contrast to followers of other popular religions who use religious pretext to influence the laws of the land.

Finally, I invite you to view some of the efforts undertaken by Baha'is regarding this issue at the following website: http://www.bnasaa.org . I'm not promising you'll like everything you see there, but I can promise that it shows the Baha'i Faith is making an active effort to address this issue in an intelligent, reasoned, and loving way while not compromising our own laws. 

I think the crux of what I wanted to say is that there is a difference between "disagreeing with homosexuality" and "homophobia". The Baha'i Faith, in my opinion, clearly falls into the first category.

Charlie H. · Answer

Okay, I would like to say that I am also a Baha'i and this faith does not include homophobia. We do not shun any body who is a homosexual, or treat them any differently than any other person. However, being a homosexual is not permitted in our Faith. Once again, we treat everyone equally and without any prejudices. 

Now I'm not an expert on the matter but please visit the following site if you have any further questions on the matter:

http://www.bahai.org/faq/practices/sexuality

The above will explain a lot, I promise.

Anonymous · Answer

I haven't studied the Baha'i' faith as much as I want to ( and I will study more ). But what I have read was very enlightening. In some ancient texts it is said that Jesus studied it. I don't know if it is true or not. But there are great similarities in some of Jesus teachings and the Baha'i' faith. 

While I am and will remain a Christian I will say that the world would be a better place if more people took their sayings to heart (instead of thinking they do, like most Christians today). Whether it be Jesus or Baha'i'.

Anonymous · Answer

Freethought "Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that beliefs should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or any other dogma. The cognitive application of freethought is known as freethinking, and practitioners of freethought are known as freethinkers." The wonderful Wikipedia Open minded "ready to entertain new ideas; "an open-minded curiosity"; "open-minded impartiality" wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn I think one would need a wonderfully opened mind to be classed as such. Imagine thinking with logic, reason and ignoring dogma. ((Hugs back)) Peace and love to you too Charles Edit: Some have said they know freethinkers with their own dogma? Dogma:An authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true regardless of evidence, or without evidence to support it. A doctrine (or set of doctrines) relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth authoritatively by a religious organization or leader. Does this not contradict the definition of free thinker? Also being open minded is just entertaining ideas not learning from them or even accepting them at face value. I can listen to a terrorist, dictator, paedophile etc. the fact I have listened shows I am willing to consider their point of view with an open mind. Whether or not I accept has little to do with having an open mind. I can not accept if their position is not reasonable/logical or I would not be a free thinker.. The label one gives themselves has very little to do with the definitions. I can label myself a Muslim or a Christian but if I do not follow their beliefs and in fact believe in Judaism I do change what a Muslim or Christian is defined by. Unless I actively try to start out a new denomination or branch of the religion.

Jon Owen (AKA Milarepa) · Answer

No cuz it is association with an idea. That is what is preventing peace in the world: everybody is clinging to their ideas about the way things are and the way they should be.

Nobody is stopping anybody from believing these things but why does there need to be a creed?

Spirituality can be secular ya know.

? · Answer

I guess closed minded thinkers don't have a right to answer, so I better shut the **** up.

Cheryl E · Answer

Not too bad, but I reject the idea of one god, and I don't follow any one person's ideas about religion. Who is this Baha u llah person? Get started following a person and you end up not thinking for yourself.

⌡Machine Head⌠ · Answer

I try to be open minded but sometimes the knee-jerk sets in and I lost interest in Bahai when "Seals and Croft" got all preachy with their song "Unborn Child".  I am acting in a shallow way, I know.

Anonymous · Answer

it sounded good until the homophobia was shown in the link provided by Caboose
it's hypocritical they claim to fight prejudice whilst being OK with homophobia

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A question for open minded spiritual thinkers, does the Bahai' Faith make sense to you.?

18 Answers