A few months after I married my college sweetheart, the Okie, in 1972, she decided to become a Baha’i. She said that I ought not to have been surprised, since she had been thinking about it for seven years. This I did know.
In Persia, modern-day Iran, there was a guy named The Báb (1819-1850), who was a John the Baptist-like herald of the faith. “In the middle of the 19th century, He announced that He was the bearer of a message destined to transform humanity’s spiritual life.” That second messenger was Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892), the “Glory of God”, “the Promised One foretold by the Báb and all of the Divine Messengers of the past. Bahá’u’lláh delivered a new Revelation from God to humanity.”
Indeed, I was intrigued with the notion of “progressive revelation,” among them Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh, who were Manifestations of God” for different times.
“In His will, Bahá’u’lláh appointed His oldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844-1921), as the authorized interpreter of His teachings and Head of the Faith. Throughout the East and West, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá became known as an ambassador of peace, an exemplary human being, and the leading exponent of a new Faith.
“Appointed Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957), spent 36 years systematically nurturing the development, deepening the understanding, and strengthening the unity of the Bahá’í community, as it increasingly grew to reflect the diversity of the entire human race.”
The most famous Baha’is you might have heard of was the singing duo Seals and Crofts, who the Okie and I saw perform on November 12, 1971 – Bahá’u’lláh’s birthday! – in New York City, with the then-unknown group Boz Scaggs opening for them.
Seals & Crofts put out several albums, with many of their songs – notably Year of Sunday [LISTEN] mentioning the Baha’i teachings. Interestingly, proselytizing was antithetical to Baha’i beliefs, but the duo had found a way to both make popular music and share their faith.
Well, until they released the song Unborn Child, which was both commercially toxic and, though the faith discouraged abortion, was chastened by some Baha’i body – the Universal House of Justice, perhaps – since this song was too preachy; the faith allows for abortion in VERY limited circumstances.
Ultimately, I never became a Baha’i, primarily because the Okie was proselytizing to ME. As an isolated member of the faith, she’d missed that lesson. I MIGHT have spent more time looking at this iteration of faith. Instead, I moved to an even more agnostic state of mind.
Hey, I had “new believers syndrome”. I grew out of it. Today, with what I have learned in my coach training, I would have known to listen to my intuitive voice, which could clearly feel the “wrongness” of how I was behaving, done some self management around my own stuff, and left you alone. It’s somewhat like walking along the top of a fence, checking your balance second by second, and sometimes you fall off onto the wrong side of the fence. Takes what we call “emotional intelligence” nowadays.
‘Faith’ comes in much dimensions, probably as much there are people on this planet or even bejond…
I think that is doesn’t matter wich faith one has,,,,as long as they practice love to all things, living or dead, around him.
Have a nice abc-day/-week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ <abc-w-team)
Very interesting, I’ve heard about Bahaj, but in our little German town they aren’t (the territory of former GDR is very materialistic and unspiritual until today), but I have a wonderful CD with Bahaj-songs, I like them.
Greetings from Germany
I was brought up to believe that anything outside our particular faith was wrong (sinful), but now I consider myself to be more of a pluralist, believing that all religious groups should be accepted and respected within society. My faith has not only confirmed my own belief system, but also that it, too, has its faults. I believe, also, that “religion” has a cultural background and each culture has the right to believe in whatever they want. The only caveat is that no one should shove their own religion down someone else’s throat, which is one reason why I don’t “attend” anymore even though my personal faith survives.
Leslie
abcw team
Teetering on the edge of agnosticism….
I know very little about the Baha’i faith but it does sound intriguing!
Always learn something new here ~ Thanks ~ Roger, fascinating post for B
Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^
Interesting information.
I was brought up in a cult that I left behind and what/who I believe in is very important to me now.
That whole conversion experience is interesting, Roger. My ex tried to get me solidly away from my Christian upbringing and into The New Age, which I really tried for a long while. Hell, I even did the est training – yes, all lower-case letters, that Werner Erhardt deal. Anyway, the pressure was horrible. Ironically, he did not try to convert me to the Judaism of his birth, but I suspect that was because he was so disaffected by the institution.
And now, happy as a Christian Leftie, married to a pastor! Go figure.
I decided to write a poem after reading one of your posts. Did post at ABC Wednesday, because of your psychic help!! Yay!! Love you, friend. Amy
There is a Bahá’í temple in New Delhi(India) popularly known as the lotus temple. The best part is that people of any religion can visit it sit and pray as they wish. Just that no instruments or sermons are allowed inside.
Informative post, once again! 🙂
Brand new stuff for me. Great read!
Happy ABCW!
I again learned something new ! I had never heard of this religion or faith. I have to say that besides the Catholics and a buddhist community there is nothing else here in Belgium to my knowledge (muslims too of course)
What puzzles me is this: if Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and so on are manifestations of the same God, why do they have to have mutually exclusive religions?
SP- historically, that was the limits of travel. But as Jesus spoke to the city-states, and Mohammad spoke to the nation-state, Baha’ullah spoke to the world -state.
Religion is a subject that causes a lot of problems and a struggle for power and sometimes oppression of other believers, who have different ideas in their relation to God.
There is not one single truth in life. It is absolutely nonsence to believe that your believe is the only true faith. For instance I cannot serve my God with a gun in my hand ready to kill, but others can.
Wil, ABCWTeam
Oh, boy… I don’t know where to begin.
So many thoughts and opinions…
There are quite a number of Baha’i groups in the UK, there is a stone commemorating something in a town near to me, I will have to look at it next time to see what it is.
I knew a few kids back then (1971/72) who embraced Baha’i. I had no idea what it was, but figured it kept them positively centered.
amazing Bahai,
lovely imaginations.
I am not that familiar with Baha’i, so I found your post fascinating. Although I am very strong in my Christian faith, I love learning of correlations between religions. Blessings, my friend!
Not supposed to proselytize? There was a Bahai girl in my grade in public school from late elementary school through 9th grade. I actually remember her name, Wendy Suhm (pronounced Soom.) Her parents were some sort of Bahai stalwarts, and they and Wendy had lived in North Africa awhile doing Bahai work. I was invited to and attended a couple of what I was told were discussion sessions at her house with a bunch of other kids from my grade. It was actually a kind of introduction to Bahai, a low key kind of proselytizing but undoubtedly proselytizing, which I didn’t realize until much later. So… I wonder what the deal was with that.