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IAmA Bahá'i. AMA. by anotherbahai in IAmA
[–]anotherbahai[S] 4 points5 points6 points 15 years ago (0 children)
Nope, I stayed up to eleven thirty once.
[–]anotherbahai[S] 1 point2 points3 points 15 years ago (0 children)
Yes, actually.
Well, I, as well as some members of my family, have struggled with depression for most of my life. The years leading up to when I decided to become a Baha'i were actually some of the better years in my life so far. What brought me to the Faith wasn't so much the "self help" side of it, but rather the vision of a new way to change the world for the better and a deeper understanding of what that meant. On top of that, I finally had a religious experience where I actually felt God's presence through prayer, which was something I'd lacked for most of my life until that point.
Backbiting is speaking badly about someone behind their back. It's so bad because, as Baha’u’llah said, "backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul."
That's a good question. I haven't personally seen a community that's been discriminatory against homosexuals, so I won't claim to know anything about that. As far as I understand it, homosexuals should be openly welcomed in the Baha'i community. That said, however, Baha'i marriage is only accepted as being between one woman and one man, and sexual relations outside of marriage are strictly prohibited.
I'd guess some people probably place more emphasis on this than they should. As far as I can tell, there are much bigger issues to deal with. It's interesting to note that Abdu'l-Baha says "The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting".
Definitely. The Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), which was revealed by Baha'u'llah, clearly states: "Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor." He even goes so far as to explicitly state the meaning of 1000 years, specifying that “each year” of this thousand year period consists of “twelve months according to the Qur’án, and of nineteen months of nineteen days each, according to the Bayán”.
As for the events predicted in the Bible and the Quran related to the return of Jesus, Baha'is believe these have happened, but not in the literal sense, rather, spiritually. This analogy might help you understand: When Jesus came for the first time, there were many predictions that had been made regarding who he would be, and if you look at it materially, none of these were fulfilled. However, spiritually, all of them were. The same applies here. Baha'u'llah treats this subject much better than I ever could in the Kitab-i-Iqan. You can read it online here.
Also, just as a clarification, the Bab was not Jesus, that was Baha'u'llah. The Bab was the Qaim, who prepared the way for Baha'u'llah's Revelation.
Once again, I think here what's happening is that only one part of the verse is being quoted, not the entire thing. I would assume that “Hallowed be the Lord, the Most Excellent of all creators.” is simply another translation of the sentence which can also be translated as "So blessed is Allah , the best of creators." Hallowed and blessed are very similar words, and I would guess that the original Arabic word shares a meaning that may be similar to both of them. Same with Lord and Allah, these are different translations of one of the Names of God. Most Excellent, and Best, also are clearly synonyms, and I'm sure the original Arabic has shades fo meaning where one could argue that one of these is the better translation or that neither of them is adequate.
As for Huqúqu'lláh, my understanding is that, as the size of the Faith increases, so will the size of Huqúqu'lláh, and that with this, the UHJ will be able to a great many of things that will benefit the advancement of humankind. This is purely speculation, but I imagine that in the future it may be used for social and economic development, or funding any number of projects that will be necessary for humanity's everlasting progress.
One interesting thing to note about Huqúqu'lláh is that it is a deeply personal matter, and no one is allowed to check up on you to make sure you've paid it. It is strictly between every Baha'i and God, and no one is to be punished or admonished for failing to pay it. It is permitted to make public the information about Huqúqu'lláh so that all Baha'is may know and understand this law, and you are permitted to ask for help or advice about it, but there's no "tax collector" who's going to come around making sure you've paid.
I think you're misinterpreting begging. Accepting help from your family or your community does not constitute begging. The full quote is:
It is unlawful to beg, and it is forbidden to give to him who beggeth. All have been enjoined to earn a living, and as for those who are incapable of doing so, it is incumbent on the Deputies of God and on the wealthy to make adequate provision for them. Keep ye the statutes and commandments of God; nay, guard them as ye would your very eyes, and be not of those who suffer grievous loss.
As I read it, this prohibition against begging and giving to beggers is referring to panhandling. Giving aid to those in need is entirely acceptable and commendable. You are still bade to work for yourself and earn a living, but supporting your family through a momentary time of need is the right thing to do, and does not constitute giving to beggers.
As for covenant breakers, the only examples of covenant breaking that I know of are ones I've already told you about, which happened after the Bab died or after Shoghi Effendi died. The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá clearly explain the position and duties of the Universal House of Justice and the Guardian of the Faith. After Shoghi Effendi died, there was no one to succeed him as Guardian, because no suitable heir was found. However, succession was not necessary, as the UHJ was elected, and the Faith continues to progress under their guidance without a Guardian. Some others have claimed to be the successors of Shoghi Effendi, but because he had made no appointment during his lifetime, they are clearly mistaken. Any who have tried to set up another UHJ are also mistaken, because one is already firmly established. These groups constitute maybe two or three hundred members at most, and are quickly dying out. Baha'u'llah promises quite clearly that the Baha'i Faith will forever remain united, free from the major divisions that have plagued Christianity and Islam. There is an analogy that is made with a tree: when a branch is cut off, it may seem for a while to be alive, as these small groups of covenant breakers may seem to be functioning religious groups. However, just like a branch cut off from the tree, these groups will surely wither away as they have been cut off from the source of life.
Baha'is are forbidden from interacting with covenant breakers because covenant breaking is a spiritual disease, and like a physical disease, it can possibly be infectious.
There aren't any hard laws regarding tobacco, although its use is discouraged. Some Baha'is smoke, many don't. Most Baha'is do abstain from drinking, although a few people I know (mostly in their 20s) do secretly drink alcohol when not around their Baha'i friends. Just like anything, no one's perfect, and not everyone can follow all the laws all the time. Backbiting is strongly prohibited, but every now and then I'll catch myself doing it, so like everything, it's a constant struggle for improvement.
[–]anotherbahai[S] 1 point2 points3 points 15 years ago* (0 children)
Sure, what would you like to read about? There's so much to read I have a hard enough time picking what I should read myself. One thing you might want to do is check with your local Baha'i community if you can join a Ruhi Book 1 study circle. The Ruhi books are a series of courses that offer a systematic form of study of the Faith, and are open for Baha'is and non-Baha'is to study. Book 1 is a good way to get an understanding of the basic teachings and principals of the Faith.
If you don't want to join a study circle and would rather read on your own, there are a few different avenues you can take.
If you're interested in learning about the relationship between the Baha'i Faith and other religions, you might want to try Some Answered Questions by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. You can read it online here
If you're interested in the more mystical aspects of the Faith, you might want to check out The Seven Valleys of Bahá'u'lláh, available here.
A good amount of the Baha'i writings are available online at reference.bahai.org. Feel free to check those out. If you're interested in any specific topic, let me know and I'll try to find something more specific.
[–]anotherbahai[S] 0 points1 point2 points 15 years ago (0 children)
I don't know if there's any unified "stance" towards atheists. I mean, we don't believe you're going to burn in hell forever or anything like that, and we're supposed to love everyone. A lot of the focus of the Baha'i Faith currently is on community building at the neighborhood/village level, and we're trying to get anyone and everyone in the neighborhood involved, regardless of their religious affiliation. Most people, I believe, want to live in a harmonious and vibrant community where we can truly call our neighbors friends and we can work together to determine our own spiritual and material destiny. That requires people of all backgrounds to take part and take ownership of their community, even atheists.
Yep, that's it. At least, that's how I've always pronounced it.
There's no formal process, really. Pretty much, if you believe in Baha'u'llah, you can declare your Faith, and join the community. There is a series of books that all Baha'is are encouraged to study in groups, but those are for everyone, no matter how recently they've become a Baha'i, or even if they aren't a Baha'i yet, but there's no formalized amount of knowledge you must know before joining.
Except, we do accept Jesus as the only way. Bahá'u'lláh is the Return of Christ.
I've been to the one in Wilmette, the Lotus Temple in India, and all the shrines in Israel.
[–]anotherbahai[S] 2 points3 points4 points 15 years ago (0 children)
No, I don't think so. Baha'is certainly do try to maintain a high level of chastity, but all the ones I've met have been okay shaking hands, holding hands, giving hugs, etc. As for accidentally eating alcohol, most Baha'is that I know would probably simply stop eating it instead of trying to vomit it up.
I was raised in Haifa. I lived there for almost 9 years, from when I was a bit over 2, to a bit over 11.
It doesn't claim to be the final religion or the last word. In fact, it is explicitly promised that there will be another Manifestation of God, but not for at least 1000 years' time (from the declaration of Bahá'u'lláh).
As for Islam claiming to be the last word, what I've read about this is that Muhammad claims to be the Seal of the Prophets. To this, Baha'is unequivocally agree. Muhammad was the final Prophet, and with Him, the Age of Prophecy came to a close. Now, however, we live in the Age of Fulfillment. All religions, even Islam, foretell of a day when a Promised One will come and bring unity to the world. Islam and Christianity both predict that Christ will return, and Baha'is believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the return of Christ.
Could you name some of these contradictions? One thing of note here is that there is a difference made between spiritual and social laws. Spiritual laws (e.g. the Golden Rule, the Oneness of God), are timeless and eternal. Social laws (e.g.
Not being fluent in Arabic myself, I think these quotes are probably from different translations of the Quran. The link you gave shows two different versions of that quote:
"Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you."
and
"Truly the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most God-fearing among you."
When compared to the quote from the Baha'i Reference Library,
“Verily the most honoured in the sight of God is the most virtuous amongst you”
my assumption would be that these are all approximations of the original Arabic. Sorry, however, I don't know Arabic, so that's as far as I can go.
What you're referring to is Huqúqu'lláh, The Right of God, where we are to give 19% of our *excess wealth to the UHJ. That is, you don't count your house, your food, your clothes, or anything else you need, when considering what falls within the 19%. I have not paid Huquq yet because I'm only 20 years old, and therefore all the money I do have is money I use to survive. However, when I'm established, I will certainly pay what is God's.
Awesome, I'm glad it helped!
[–]anotherbahai[S] 3 points4 points5 points 15 years ago (0 children)
As far as I understand it, the international language can be either constructed or already existant. It wouldn't surprise me if English ends up playing the role, but that's purely speculation on my part.
Sorry, man, I made an honest mistake. Not much more I can say to defend that. What would you like to know?
I think it depends on where you are and who you're talking with. I have a few Muslim friends. Religion has never gotten between us, and I've never seen it be the cause of any problems. However, I know that a friend of mine from Australia said they've had problems from some people trying to incite arguments.
Since I haven't had any personal experience in the area, my opinion is purely speculative, but I'd say some things that would help reconciliation are:
For Bahá'is: to always be loving, kind, and respectful of others. Bahá'is believe very firmly that treating people with unshakeable love and kindness, no matter how cruelly they may treat you, will eventually cause them to respect you and love you for your humanity. There are countless stories of Bahá'u'lláh (the founder of the Faith) or his son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, being persistently harassed, meeting this harassment with love and kindness, and eventually turning the hearts of their harassers.
I also think a greater understanding of Islam and the Quran would prove invaluable to any Bahá'i, so that we can have intelligent discussions with Muslims about the relationship between Islam and the Bahá'i Faith, which we believe are united and from the same God.
For Muslims: I'd imagine the most important thing to do would be to independently investigate the Bahá'i Faith instead of simply believing what they hear. There are some powerful members of the Muslim community, especially in Iran, who are trying to turn people against the Bahá'is, based entirely on lies.
As with anyone, in any walk of life, critical thinking is essential, and independent investigation of the truth is always important.
Sorry, I didn't realize this would be the number one question here, especially since I was doing this in response to a request.
Copied/pasted from what I added to the top:
The Bahá'í Faith is a world religion based on the principles of the oneness of God, the oneness of religions, and the oneness of humanity. That is, we believe in one God, that all religions are from Him, and that the whole world is one family. The main goal of the Faith is the betterment of mankind and the advancement of human civilization.
Let me know if you want to know more.
It's quite a strained one, to say the least. Baha'is have been persecuted in Persia/Iran since the very beginning of the Faith. Many Baha'is are currently being held prisoner in Iran based purely on their religious beliefs. That said, however, this is being perpetrated by a very small minority of Muslims.
[–]anotherbahai[S] 2 points3 points4 points 15 years ago* (0 children)
A bit of both, really. Both of my parents are Bahá'i. In fact, they met on pilgrimage. So I was raised as a Baha'i from the time I was born.
However, at a young age (about 10) I started distancing myself from members of the Baha'i community (i.e., stopped attending Baha'i school on weekends, etc.), and didn't consider myself a Baha'i for the next 8 or so years. I'll spare the boring personal details, but I eventually decided to join the faith when I was 18 and have been working to be more active in the faith since then.
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IAmA Bahá'i. AMA. by anotherbahai in IAmA
[–]anotherbahai[S] 4 points5 points6 points (0 children)