Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion which emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind. Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of God, that there is only one God who is the source of all creation; the unity of religion, that all major religions have the same spiritual source and come from the same God; and the unity of humanity, that all humans have been created equal, coupled with the unity in diversity, that diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance. According to the Bahá'í Faith's teachings, the human purpose is to learn to know and to love God through such methods as prayer, reflection and being of service to humanity.^[1]

According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history is seen as an evolving educational process for mankind, through God's messengers, which are termed Manifestations of God. Bahá'u'lláh is seen as the most recent, pivotal, but not final of these individuals. He claimed to be the expected redeemer and teacher prophesied in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions, and that his mission was to establish a firm basis for unity throughout the world, and inaugurate an age of peace and justice, which Bahá'ís expect will inevitably arise.^[2]

Readings

Wikipedia: Bahá'í Faith

Beliefs

God

Bahá'ís believe in a single, unknowable God.
God is the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe
God is a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty
God lets people know his will through his Manifestations
God is not a trinity

Other than the beliefs about god above, they also believe that all of the worlds major religions teach the same God.

Social beliefs

Unity of God
Unity of religion
Unity of mankind
Gender Equality
Elimination of all forms of prejudice
World peace
Harmony of religion and science
Independent investigation of truth
Universal compulsory education
Universal auxiliary language
Obedience to government and non-involvement in partisan politics
Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty

Laws

Bahá'ís over the age of 15 recite an obligatory prayer each day. There are three such prayers among which one can be chosen each day.
Backbiting and gossip are prohibited and denounced.
Adult Bahá'ís in good health observe a nineteen-day sunrise-to-sunset fast each year from March 2 through March 20.
Bahá'ís are forbidden to drink alcohol or to take drugs, unless prescribed by doctors.
Sexual relationships are permitted only between a husband and wife, and thus homosexual acts are not permitted.
Gambling is strictly forbidden.

Resources

External Links

References

↑ Wikipedia: Bahá'í Faith
↑ Esslemont, J.E. (1980). Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (5th ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431604. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/je/BNE/.

[1] Wikipedia: Bahá'í Faith

[esslemont-2] Esslemont, J.E. (1980). Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (5th ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431604. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/je/BNE/.

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