[1][2], The criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. The criticism and challenges it has faced vary considerably in different regions of the world. Abdo presented the following list of criticisms of the Bah Faith from a feminist perspective at an annual gathering for Bah studies in 1995: the ineligibility of women to serve on the Universal House of Justice--this is of particular interest to supporters of women priests within the Christian tradition; the intestacy laws in the Kitab-i-Aqdas; the dowry laws with particular reference to the virginity refund clause; the exemption of menstruating women from obligatory prayers and the implication of menstrual taboo; the use of androcentric language and male pronouns in texts; the emphasis on traditional morality and family values[18]. Its first leader, the Bb, was imprisoned and executed for heresy in 1850, and Bahu'llh, another central figure, was exiled from Iran and both the Ottoman and Persian Empires tried to destroy his movement. He observed only the whiteness of the teeth and overlooked entirely the deformity of the body, the dissolution of its organs and the bad odour. I understand that I can withdraw my consent at any time. He taught there is one God and one human family, and that the great religions of the world represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. 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. Velma A Good Reason to NEVER Subscribe to HBO Max! Bah Allhs peculiar function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. "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. The Baha'i Faith, the world's newest independent global belief system, teaches the oneness of God, the unity of humanity , and the essential harmony of religion. 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. I do not desire for you financial distinction. If any individual should speak ill of one who is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a spiritual and friendly manner, to stop him, and say in effect: would this detraction serve any useful purpose? Updates? Bah Allh was subsequently confined by the Ottomans in Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey) and then in Acre in Palestine (now Akko, Israel). He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. ", "Indeed the believers have not yet fully learned to draw on each other's love for strength and consolation in time of need. 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. It was during this exile that he publicly announced the establishment of the Baha'i faith. 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. [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 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. John Ankerberg) have attacked its history and founders, institutions, teachings, and use of prophecy. Required fields are marked *. In a Tablet to an American friend the Master wrote: 'The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting, more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. A third cried out: 'What a stench! All done! The Bahs must be distinguished from others of humanity. 10, on page 138, there is a record of a reply given by Abdul-Bah in a private interview in Paris in 1913. promoting the Baha'i Faith for twenty years. To put you in touch with a Bahai in your area who can answer your questions, we would like to kindly ask for a few details about yourself. December 8-10, 1995 (see list of papers from #8) The claim of the Baha'i Faith to uphold the equality of men and women as a principle attracts attention from others who would also claim to be advancing the cause of sex equality, albeit from different perspectives. The other exclaimed: 'How it is deformed!' "You also ask what one should do to 'handle depression and anger with someone' one feels 'very positively about'. "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. That looked like denial to me, so I dismissed it and threw away the letter. His most well-known book is The Hidden Words, which is composed of short poetic statements that get to the heart of his spiritual and ethical teachings. "You are quite correct in your understanding of the importance of avoiding backbiting; such conduct strikes at the very unity of the Bah community. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Later, my mother, who was always hostile to the Bahai Faith because of her Baptist convictions, took those items and discarded them all without my consent. The Baha'i Faith is a dynamic world religion with several million adherents from a variety of different religious and cultural backgrounds. If the Bahs would follow the Bah laws in voting, in electing, in serving and in abiding by Assembly decisions, all this waste of strength through criticising others could be diverted into cooperation and achieving the Plan. But if that fails or if we feel that it is hopeless to try and deal with the matter in that way, while at the same time the case is so serious that the interests of the Cause require that it should be firmly dealt with, then the proper course is to bring the matter before the Spiritual Assembly and have it frankly and fully discussed, calling such evidence as is necessary for the elucidation of the matter. 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. The ineligibility of women has caused discontent among small but vocal groups of western Bah intellectuals,[5][1] and criticism from others. In such cases, of course, the name of the person or persons involved will have to be mentioned. I have been studying AJ Millers teachings for 17 months now. This body applies the laws promulgated by Bah Allh and legislates on matters not covered in the sacred texts. Criticism of the Baha'i Faith I can only speak for myself, but I consider direct and detailed criticism of the Baha'i Faith to be an essential part of the recovery process involved in leaving it. But ere long this merciful door will be closed and such enemies will be attacked with a madness. Being involved in interfaith work, Im constantly asked Whos your local spiritual leader, or priest, or pastor? The fact is, there isnt one. People often fear and denigrate what they dont understand, and anyone who says that the Bahai Faith is a cult definitely does not understand it. The local spiritual assembly has jurisdiction over all local affairs of the Bah community. It will endeavor to present criteria for the labels "world religion" and "new religious movement," as well as explore to what extent the Bah' Faith fulfils these criteria. Bahs believe that all the founders of the world's great religions have been manifestations of God and agents of a progressive divine plan for the education of the human race. Throughout his life, Bah'u'llah penned over 100 volumes in Arabic and Persian. More recently I found that the Dalai Lama said something similar in just two paragraphs of his 10-chapter book, he says hes not an advocate of religious syncretism such as you find in Bahaism.. Backbiting, Criticism, Faultfinding, Gossip, Lies, Slander Etc. Bah's recognize the coming of Bah'u'llh as the latest expression of God's guidance . RELATED: What Happens When You Become a Bahai? In the summer and fall of 2004, I gradually came to the conviction that the Bahai Faith was no longer worthy of my allegiance. Knowing you seem similar to my mindset from a brief review of your site, I might be more inclined to try the UU route. (4) The Miller analysis of the Baha'i Faith. Also, tons of conservative, orthodox, even fundamentalist traditional morality in Bahai law. A Question About Translating the Baha'i Writings December 11, 2022. It really doesnt matter what one calls oneself, it only matters what ones relationship is to God in reality. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. Christian and Islamic authors (e.g. He was released in 1853 and exiled to Baghdad, where his leadership revived the Bb community. Pingback: Why I Rejected the Bahai Faith, 4th Edition | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants, Your email address will not be published. Selfless Service to Humanity, In fact, Bahaullah mandated that his followers involve themselves in social action when he said, Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.. How white they are!' In Acre in northern Israel, a former prison city of the Ottoman Empire, the barracks where Bahullh was imprisoned starting in 1868. Extract from Dale Husbands blog. I hope that you may become confirmed therein, because the worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting; more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. Whenever you recognize the fault of another, think of yourself! The Bab and Bah'u'llh are believed to have been messengers from God and they told people that God has had many prophets and that God has had many names, but there is only one God. My life and Cheris together are proof that it can work! Baha'is have also been discriminated against in Yemen and in Egypt. I was recently invited to participate on an interfaith panel where we all responded to this question: What are the truths and misconceptions about your Faith? [23], The Bah teachings emphasize the need for unity, and have an official line of succession of leadership to prevent schism. "This is the attribute of the children of the Kingdom. [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. Handwriting Analysis of the Will of Abdu'l Baha by Dr. Mitchell; Hermann . But its root is lack of faith in the system of Bahullh, i.e., the Administrative Orderand lack of obedience to Himfor He has forbidden it! 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. If manifestations are allowed to contradict one another, then there is no way to separate false manifestations from true ones or to discover if any of them really speak for the true and living God. Historical context. | 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. Its first leader, the Bb, was imprisoned and executed for heresy in 1850, and Bahu'llh, another central figure, was exiled from Iran and both the Ottoman and Persian Empires tried to destroy his movement. 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. Cults separate, and the Bahai Faith unites. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This must be the point of distinction among you. Though new, these beliefs originated in Twelver Shii Islam, which asserts a belief in the forthcoming return of the 12th imam (successor of Muhammad), who will renew religion and guide the faithful. In this article I will respond to these arguments as they relate to the different views held by Bah's and Christians on (1) the nature of God, (2) biblical prophecy, and (3) religious unity. No, never! [16] Thus, authorities in the Muslim world have rejected the Bah Faith and regard Bahs as apostates if they had been Muslims before conversion. Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate far. [1] Western academics have criticized the requirement for Bahs to seek pre-publication review when publishing on the religion[3] and the exclusion of women from serving on the Universal House of Justice. The continental counselors are appointed by the Universal House of Justice. 6. In fact, the first school for girls in Iran was established by the Baha'is. In Iran, where the religion was founded, universities refuse to admit Baha'i students, Baha'i cemeteries have been destroyed and the countrys Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has confiscated properties from Baha'i families. 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. Im lazy. Baha'is were nonetheless subjected to persecution, as some Muslim clerics perceived their faith to be a heresy. The Universal House of Justice suggests that you call to mind the admonitions found in our Writings on the need to overlook the shortcomings of others, to forgive and conceal their misdeeds, not to expose their bad qualities, but to search for and affirm their praiseworthy ones, and endeavour to be always forbearing, patient, and merciful. Hi, exmuslim atheist here. Ottoman officials later moved Baha'u'llah to the prison city of Akka in Palestine. In any case, good luck to you and God Bless. And actually the Bahais are far more interested in growing their numbers than spending time and money on charitable work. [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]. Bahs believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. As part of its crackdown on the followers of the Bab, the Iranian government incarcerated Baha'u'llah. There also exist in the Bah Faith appointive institutions, such as the Hands of the Cause of God and the continental counselors. ", "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. In this two-part article we will briefly examine: (1) the Baha'i approach to other religions; (2) the absence of the personal requirements Baha'i demands for the Manifestations; (3) anachronistic Baha'i scriptures; (4) the Miller analysis of the Baha'i faith; (5) moral concerns; (6) some Baha'i errors; and (7) failed prophecy and Baha'i misuse of In 'Star of the West', Volume 8, No. It is one of the functions of the older and the more mature Bahs to help the weaker ones to iron out their difficulties and learn to really function and live like true believers!". Author Lil Abdo says that the Bah understanding of sexual equality is different from that of secular feminists. 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criticism of the baha'i faith