Submitted by Kathleen Norris Park
Here is a brief account of the Bah?'? teachings from our Web site, www.Bahai.org, that we hope will explain our beliefs and the principles that guide our daily lives.
Like all the foregoing chapters of religion at this early stage -- we date the beginning of our Faith at 1844 -- our numbers are relatively few. But in this day of world-wide communication and transportation, they are growing rapidly.
Bah?'? teachings focus on unity -- the oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of the human race.
A central belief is progressive revelation -- that God progressively reveals His teachings for humanity through a series of divine educators that become the founders of the world's great religions. Among these religions are the Bah?'? Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.
The founder of the Bah?'? Faith was Bah?'u'll?h, who wrote the equivalent of a hundred volumes and laid down principles for a new pattern of human society. Some of these principles are:
· The independent investigation of truth by each person,
· The elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty,
· A spiritual solution to economic problems,
· The unity of all peoples and the elimination of prejudice,
· The equality of women and men,
· The harmony of science and religion,
· Universal education,
· The establishment of a universal auxiliary language.
An integral part of the religion is its administration, which was laid down by Bah?'u'll?h and is based on elected bodies of nine individuals at the local, national and international levels. The international governing body is the Universal House of Justice.
Elections are conducted according to specific guidelines that forbid nominations and campaigning, and instead require those casting ballots to vote, with a prayerful attitude, for individuals "of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience."
The Bah?'? Faith has no clergy.
On an individual level, Bah?'?s strive to uphold the highest moral standards. Among the writings of Bah?'u'll?h are teachings that emphasize service to others, purity of motive, and work as a form of worship, and forbid drinking alcohol, gambling, abusing drugs, gossip and backbiting and participation in partisan politics.
Bah?'?s believe that each person has a soul that survives throughout eternity, independent of the earthly body. Daily prayer and, once a year, fasting for 19 days from sunup to sundown are part of the spiritual life of each Bah?'?.
At the local level, Bah?'?s meet regularly at the Nineteen Day Feast (the term refers to a spiritual "feast" of prayers, consultation and fellowship). Some localities have a Bah?'? meeting center, but in many towns, Bah?'?s gather in members' homes. Bah?'?s observe nine holy days on which work should be suspended. These include anniversaries of the births and deaths of Bah?'u'll?h and the B?b, anniversaries of the declaration of their missions, and commemoration of the new year March 21.
In Norman, we have regular meetings at the Bah?'? Center, 526 Iowa St. (www.BahaisofNorman.org), and study groups in various homes. We welcome everyone to learn more about the Bah?'? Faith.
