criticism of the baha'i faith

Still others encircle this garden inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same gate. [24] The religion has seen a few attempts at splintering, but they have remained extremely small and declined over time. [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. The Bahs must be distinguished from others of humanity. He teaches that God is a loving Parent who never uses threats or fear or guilt or shame in relating to Her/His children. The Bahi Faith underwent a rapid expansion beginning in the 1960s, and by the early 21st century it had more than 180 national spiritual assemblies (national governing bodies) and several thousand local spiritual assemblies. 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 individual believer should seek to do this, whether he is consulting a friend, Bah or non-Bah, or whether the friend is consulting him. Like all Bahai Houses of Worship, it welcomes everyone, and its nine entrances symbolize the many legitimate paths to the Creator. BAHA'IS AND THE NATURE OF GOD Im glad to know that you have found a better life after moving on, as have I. They also. You will overcome self, you will not even have time to think of the faults of others'. Deeds not words are what they demand, and no amount of fervor in the use of expressions of loyalty and adulation will compensate for failure to live in the spirit of the teachings.". The seat of the Universal House of Justice is in Haifa, Israel, in the immediate vicinity of the shrines of the Bb and Abd al-Bah and near the Shrine of Bah Allh at Bahj, near Akko. Thank you so much! 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. He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. Ironic, considering that many Bahais have non-Bahai parents who may even be racist, and thus object to their children marrying members of a different race. Regretfully, Dale Husband I composed that letter on my computer and mailed it in January of 2005. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The local spiritual assembly has jurisdiction over all local affairs of the Bah community. gss t ws mr lk prf tht yr prblms l lss n pltcs nd rlgn nd mre n mntal hlth sss? ", " Vicious criticism is indeed a calamity. Large-scale persecutions of his adherents, the Bbs, followed. "On no subject are the Bah teachings more emphatic than on the necessity to abstain from fault-finding and backbiting while being ever eager to discover and root out our own faults and overcome our own failings. On January 18, a court in Iran's Mazandaran province ordered that property belonging to Bahai citizen Sheida Taeed be confiscated and transferred to the "Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order," a committee controlled by . Check your email for the latest from BahaiTeachings.org. 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. 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. 3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have . On the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, the question remains: What is the reason for their persecution? ", "When we see the condition the world is in today, we must surely forget these utterly insignificant internal disturbances, and rush, unitedly, to the rescue of humanity. (Bnai Brith means children of the covenant.). | 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. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. One of the first Bah institutions in the U.S. was established in Chicago and . This is the conduct and the manner of the real Bahais (Bahs). The central figure of the religion is Baha'u'llah, and Baha'is consider him to be the latest in a series of divine messengers. I do not desire for you financial distinction. [6], The religion's rise in the Middle East and subsequent movement into the West has given rise to a body of anti-Bah polemic. When we did, I left behind at the house most of the Bahai books and other literature I had collected from my eight or nine years as a Bahai. Of course, because the Bahai teachings emphasize the oneness of all religion, Bahais believe in the Jewish prophets and revere their Faith. Baha'u'llahs writings form the foundation of the Baha'i faith. Pingback: Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Your email address will not be published. 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. John Ankerberg) have attacked its history and founders, institutions, teachings, and use of prophecy. 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. ThenI cut completely all personal ties to the Bahais in the Fort Worth area. Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc. It is the world's second-most widespread religion after Christianity, spanning the globe and working to unite it. Shoghi and the Grandsons of 'Abdu'l Baha; The Guardianship of Shoghi: Losses and Losses; Shoghi in the Will of the Master Abdu'l Baha; New History Society; Early Baha'is. Religion: Kashmir Shaivism (Trika) I've always found some issues with the main idea of the Baha'i faith, for a few different reasons. My life and Cheris together are proof that it can work! "If we profess loyalty to Bahullh, to our Beloved Master and our dear Guardian, then we must show our love by obedience to these explicit teachings. [22] Bah scholar Udo Schaefer stated that the legitimization of the death penalty in cases of murder and arson is usually met with disapproval and suspicion in Europe. On the contrary, it would make the dust to settle so thickly on the heart that the ears would hear no more, and the eyes would no longer behold the light of truth. For most Muslims, the prophet Muhammad was the last and final prophet. How very interesting,I too declared the same time but now find myself so spiritually down in the mouth, I take great objection to the anti-homosexual stance having got dear friends that are homosexual, also I actually enjoy the occasional glass of wine in the evening with my husband, the Bahai Calendar continues to baffle me and I cant get to grips with this fasting business, oh dear.Im not actually a bad person but find the faith quite difficult, I intend withdrawing from the faith as Im certainly not spiritually fulfilled, the people are nice but its not for me anymore. Being involved in interfaith work, Im constantly asked Whos your local spiritual leader, or priest, or pastor? The fact is, there isnt one. In a letter written to an individual believer on behalf of the Guardian it is stated: 'If we are better, if we show love, patience, and understanding of the weakness of others, if we seek to never criticize but rather encourage, others will do likewise, and we can really help the Cause through our example and spiritual strength. Lights of Guidance/Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc. The Baha'i Faith explained that away by claiming that while Jesus was indeed a Messenger (or Manifestation) of God, His faith had become corrupted over time and thus most Christians were not truly following him, but the doctrines of men. The year begins on the first day of spring, March 21, which is one of several holy days in the Bah calendar. One must expose the praiseworthy qualities of the souls and not their evil attributes. From my understanding, Baha'i Faith is an offshoot from Islam but still believes in Muhammad. Also, tons of conservative, orthodox, even fundamentalist traditional morality in Bahai law. In Acre in northern Israel, a former prison city of the Ottoman Empire, the barracks where Bahullh was imprisoned starting in 1868. (Dale Husband: How old are you? The Christian Bible clearly displays this concept, as it includes the Old Testament prophets Moses and Abraham, along with the New Testament prophet Jesus Christ, all of whom Bahais revere and consider divine messengers. 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. While its true that a Bahai House of Worship exists on each continent, and several local Houses of Worship are also being built, theyre all meant as places where anyone can come to pray and meditate. 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. [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. The Christian Grace Network on YouTube November 23, 2022. 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. Instead, he joined a new religious movement, started by a young Iranian, known as the Bab. I am totally convinced that the Bahai Faith is doomed to fail in its mission to bring peace, unity, and a Golden Age to humanity and I therefore resign from my past membership in the Faith. Quite controversially, the Bab claimed that his teachings were a revelation from God and predicted that a new prophetic figure, or manifestation of God, would soon appear. ', and He replied: 'I will tell you. [17], Bahu'llh's teachings on the equality of men and women, and that slavery should be banned, were controversial ideas in the nineteenth century Middle East that contributed to attempts to destroy his movement.[16]. [7][8], The Bah Faith has maintained its unity and avoided serious division, although several attempts have been made to create sects. The stupidity of that idea should be obvious. Ratings: +1,422. The Bah community is governed according to general principles proclaimed by Bah Allh and through institutions created by him that were elaborated and expanded on by Abd al-Bah. 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