Baha'is believe that they Christians. They also believe that they are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Zoroastrians. I was told by several members of the DC Center that one doesn't convert to Baha'i. Instead, accepting Baha'i is simply accepting the next revelation from God (That from the prophet Baha' u'llah). They accept all the revelations. They follow all the teachers.
The basic idea is as follows. God has sent messengers to humanity at various times throughout history. These messengers come with a revelation from God that humanity (and in particular that culture) is ready for at the time. Baha'is believe that more revelations yet are to come.
These beliefs were evident in several ways during my visit. One of the first things I noticed when I entered the worship area was a large shelf of books. There were, of course, several books having to do with the Baha'i faith. There were also several having to do with racial reconciliation, a theme that could be seen throughout the building. What really caught my eye was an NRSV translation of the New Testament.
I began looking for other texts and immediately saw scriptures from several religions. Even in worship, the Baha'is sang about being guided by Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, etc. It became clear in the few hours I spent with them that this belief enables them to draw on a wide variety of religious traditions, and that the Baha'is do just that.
I wondered what they thought about people who heard their message and chose to remain in their previous religious traditions. "That's fine," they told me. "Our duty is to share the message, not convert people," adding that each person is on her or her own path, and that the old revelations and traditions aren't rendered obsolete by the new one. So if someone remains Christian, that person should be a good Christian. For the Baha'i, doctrine matters, but it's secondary to loving God and loving your neighbor. Service to humanity is the highest act of worship. I found this incredibly compelling.
The strong belief in a unified humanity is another tenet of the Baha'i faith. They consider themselves unified with all people regardless of race, gender, culture, religion or political persuasion. They believe that we are one humanity and should work towards unity. We must eliminate prejudice and work towards peace and justice both locally and globally. Literature on these topics could be found throughout the house.
Finally, instead of clergy, the Baha'i have committees that make organizational decisions at various levels. These positions are temporary. Anyone can be nominated - seeking office is forbidden. I knew this attending, nevertheless, the structure of the meeting made me puzzled me. Unlike every other fellowship of any kind that I've ever visited, I was unsure who was in charge. Leaderlessness is the norm in their faith, where no one is meant to have spiritual authority over another.
A Hindu attitude towards morality permeates what it taught by the Baha'i faith. Rather than God expecting perfection, God expects growth towards more superior forms of morality and respect for other people's respective journeys. They seem to believe that growth continues in the afterlife. The exact details were unclear, but it reminded me of a cross between what C.S. Lewis portrays in The Chronicles of Narnia and the theosis of Irenaeus of Lyons.
I am happy to have met the Baha'is and hope to learn more about them in the near future.
If you enjoyed this please like, subscribe and share.
Thanks!
The basic idea is as follows. God has sent messengers to humanity at various times throughout history. These messengers come with a revelation from God that humanity (and in particular that culture) is ready for at the time. Baha'is believe that more revelations yet are to come.
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| New Revised Standard Version Bible on the right |
I began looking for other texts and immediately saw scriptures from several religions. Even in worship, the Baha'is sang about being guided by Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, etc. It became clear in the few hours I spent with them that this belief enables them to draw on a wide variety of religious traditions, and that the Baha'is do just that.
I wondered what they thought about people who heard their message and chose to remain in their previous religious traditions. "That's fine," they told me. "Our duty is to share the message, not convert people," adding that each person is on her or her own path, and that the old revelations and traditions aren't rendered obsolete by the new one. So if someone remains Christian, that person should be a good Christian. For the Baha'i, doctrine matters, but it's secondary to loving God and loving your neighbor. Service to humanity is the highest act of worship. I found this incredibly compelling.
The strong belief in a unified humanity is another tenet of the Baha'i faith. They consider themselves unified with all people regardless of race, gender, culture, religion or political persuasion. They believe that we are one humanity and should work towards unity. We must eliminate prejudice and work towards peace and justice both locally and globally. Literature on these topics could be found throughout the house.
Finally, instead of clergy, the Baha'i have committees that make organizational decisions at various levels. These positions are temporary. Anyone can be nominated - seeking office is forbidden. I knew this attending, nevertheless, the structure of the meeting made me puzzled me. Unlike every other fellowship of any kind that I've ever visited, I was unsure who was in charge. Leaderlessness is the norm in their faith, where no one is meant to have spiritual authority over another.
 |
| Statue of Krisha of Hinduism |
A Hindu attitude towards morality permeates what it taught by the Baha'i faith. Rather than God expecting perfection, God expects growth towards more superior forms of morality and respect for other people's respective journeys. They seem to believe that growth continues in the afterlife. The exact details were unclear, but it reminded me of a cross between what C.S. Lewis portrays in The Chronicles of Narnia and the theosis of Irenaeus of Lyons.
I am happy to have met the Baha'is and hope to learn more about them in the near future.
If you enjoyed this please like, subscribe and share.
Thanks!
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