{"id":64278,"date":"2018-08-27T23:53:44","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T05:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=64278"},"modified":"2018-09-05T09:52:44","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T15:52:44","slug":"a-preliminary-note-on-the-bahai-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2018\/08\/a-preliminary-note-on-the-bahai-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"A preliminary note on the Bah\u00e1’\u00ed Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Wilmette,<\/a>
The Bah\u00e1\u2019i House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois
(Photo by Purpy Pupple, Wikimedia CC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the book on Islam that I\u2019m intending to publish for a Latter-day Saint audience, I also plan to include a few words about the Druze and the\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed Faith, both of which (historically speaking) represent offshoots of Islam. \u00a0Here\u2019s a first, hasty draft of the beginnings of the latter discussion:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed Faith, which was founded by Bah\u00e1\u2019u\u2019ll\u00e1h in Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1863, emerged out of Shi\u2018ite Islam, but quickly diverged so far from mainstream Shi\u2018ism that it is no long considered a form of Islam but, rather, an independent monotheistic religion in its own right. \u00a0(Accordingly, its adherents have been harshly persecuted as apostates under the theocratic rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Its followers, who number somewhere between five million and seven million worldwide \u2014 they\u2019re known as\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00eds \u2014 believe in the fundamental truth of all of the world\u2019s religions, as well as in the unity and equality of the entire human race. \u00a0The\u00a0Buddha,\u00a0Moses,\u00a0Jesus, and\u00a0Muhammad\u00a0\u2014 as founders of major world religions \u2014 are all reverenced as \u201cManifestations of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Bahai<\/a>
A view of today\u2019s downtown Haifa and the Baha\u2019i Gardens
(Photograph by Danny Lyulyev, Wikimedia CC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The headquarters of the\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed Faith are located in Haifa, which is now \u2014 but, obviously, before 1948 was not \u2014 located within the borders of the State of Israel.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is much to be admired in\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019ism, including its rejection of racism, extreme nationalism, and sexism, and its dream of a peaceful and unified world.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shoghi Effendi, who led the Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed community between 1921 and 1957, summarized the fundamental principles of Bah\u00e1\u2019u\u2019ll\u00e1h\u2019s teachings as follows:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The independent search after truth, unfettered by\u00a0superstition\u00a0or tradition; the oneness of the entire\u00a0human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of\u00a0prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and\u00a0science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a\u00a0universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a\u00a0world tribunal\u00a0for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of\u00a0worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and\u00a0universal peace\u00a0as the supreme goal of all mankind\u2014these stand out as the essential elements.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The so-called \"Lotus Temple\"<\/a>
Delhi\u2019s spectacular Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed \u201cLotus Temple\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)
Buildings such as this one remind me why, when I was much younger, I dreamed of being an architect. The only thing that prevented me from going in that direction was a complete lack of talent. Maybe I should have proceeded anyway. After all, utter lack of talent hasn\u2019t hindered several architects from achieving lucrative careers and winning major prizes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the aspects of\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019ism that I personally most enjoy is its architecture. \u00a0Some Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed buildings are, to me at least, breathtakingly beautiful. \u00a0Alas, though, the only Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed temple or \u201chouse of worship\u201d that I\u2019ve personally visited is the one located in Wilmette, Illinois, immediately north of Evanston, which is immediately north of Chicago. \u00a0It\u2019s gorgeous. \u00a0Someday I hope to see the\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed \u201cLotus Temple\u201d in Delhi, India.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Posted from Seaside, Oregon<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 In the book on Islam that I\u2019m intending to publish for a Latter-day Saint audience, I also plan to include a few words about the Druze and the\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed Faith, both of which (historically speaking) represent offshoots of Islam. \u00a0Here\u2019s a first, hasty draft of the beginnings of the latter discussion: \u00a0 The\u00a0Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed Faith, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1739,2226,2229,66],"class_list":["post-64278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-architecture","tag-bahaism","tag-bahais","tag-islam"],"yoast_head":"\nA preliminary note on the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    In the book on Islam that I'm intending to publish for a Latter-day Saint audience, I 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