bwb

What are the good things about the Baha'i Faith? I thought that I would begin a thread about this subject, so that people can contribute their own ideas and we can compile a list of the positive qualities/aspects of the Baha'i Faith.

I'll start with a few.

Being a Baha'i gives me more hope than I would have otherwise. Optimism that the world's problems can be solved, optimism that there is life after death.

Being part of the Baha'i community makes it easier to find friends who have good character qualities, friends who don't drink alcohol or do drugs or have bad sexual morals or have prejudices or are dishonest or superficial.

Having been raised as a Baha'i gives me a clear and strong sense of what's right and what's wrong.

Baha'i leaders are democratically elected 9-member assemblies, rather than self-appointed individual clergymen as happens in other religions.

arthra

I think the Faith gives us a perspective that is world wide and crosses the divides of race, sex and class... also it has a historical perspective of how mankind has developed I think.. :wink

bwb

Absolutely correct. Across the divides of religion as well! And the Baha'i perspective on human history is brilliant. It explains the role of religion as a source of civilization, it explains God's great plan at work, the progress towards mankind's unity as the being the direction of history, and it reconciles science with religion as far as the Baha'i interpretation of how the earth and the universe were created is concerned.

bwb

The Baha'i Faith gives the solution to religious prejudice, which is currently one of the biggest obstacles to world peace. And the Baha'i Faith strongly advocates religious freedom and religious tolerance.

Many religious leaders of other religions are teaching religious prejudice, and indulging in hate-mongering and slandering towards other religions, even to the point where it could provoke a world religious war. The teachings of the Baha'i Faith are a sharp contrast to that, in the way that they help to solve the problem of religious prejudice. Baha'is don't put up web sites attacking other religions. Baha'i teachings have unique perspective on Islam, in particular, that other people could learn from, because we don't believe that Muhammad was the bad guy that some people are accusing him of being. We believe that Islam was an originally pure religion that has been slandered, misunderstood, mistranslated, misinterpreted and corrupted by some people.

The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure.

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 215)

bwb

"Cancer is such a terrible scourge in the world today! But when the believers are called upon to go through such bitter ordeals they have the Faith to sustain them, the love of their Bahá'í friends to comfort them, and the glorious words of Bahá'u'lláh regarding immortality to give them confidence and courage. Blessed are we, indeed, even, in the midst of our greatest trials."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, September 5, 1949: Bahá'í News, No. 231, P. 1, May 1950)
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 289)

whine of astonsihment

Why? Is there something that is not good?:wink
Perhaps I could re-frame your question slightly to ask: What are the 'best' or the things (features perhaps?) you most love about the Baha'i Faith?

Joyfully, there are no 'wrong answers' here - not yet anyway. I see so much 'good' and 'better' and 'best' all around me when I immerse myself in these beautiful teachings that I feel like a child waking up on Christmas morning to find a beautifully decorated tree with numerous gifts beneath it, where yesterday there were only wishes - and all of them have my name on them!

But I can't bring them all to school for 'show & tell' so I'll try to pick just one from among 'My Favorite Things' even though I have more than a few, more even than Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. (but don't ever ask me to sing because that would definitely be a mistake!)

I think the most exquisitely beautiful gift Baha'u'llah has given me (us) is FREEDOM! He has freed us from blind imitation and opened our eyes, minds, and hearts to possibilities we have yet to imagine! But I'll take my cue from arthra and bwb's example and let those who say it 'best' choose my words:

From a Statement of the Universal House of Justice: (29 December 1988) To the Baha'is of the USA

"The spirit of liberty which in recent decades has swept over the planet with such tempestuous force is a manifestation of the vibrancy of the Revelation brought by Baha'u'llah. His own words confirm it. "The Ancient Beauty," He wrote in a soul-stirring commentary on His sufferings, "hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty."

Might it not be reasonably concluded, then, that "true liberty" is His gift of love to the human race? Consider what Baha'u'llah has done: He revealed laws and principles to guide the free; He established an Order to channel the actions of the free; He proclaimed a Covenant to guarantee the unity of the free.

Thus, we hold to this ultimate perspective: Baha'u'llah came to set humanity free. His Revelation is, indeed, an invitation to freedom -- freedom from want, freedom from war, freedom to unite, freedom to progress, freedom in peace and joy.

You who live in a land where freedom is so highly prized have not, then, to dispense with its fruits, but you are challenged and do have the obligation to uphold and vindicate the distinction between the license that limits your possibilities for genuine progress and the moderation that ensures the enjoyment of true liberty."

Yep .... freedom ... that's the ticket! wink

Orthodox

Good things about the bahai faith... I suppose an optimisim in an age of skepticism is a good thing, but its not completely good. I am sincerely trying to find a good thing about the bahai religion. I suppose the best thing about it is that the bahai people are generally nice people, I don't attritube this to the religion but nice people beleiving in the religion.

BruceDLimber

Then you seem to have overlooked things like this in the Baha'i scriptures, which definitely establish the standard which Baha'is then endeavor to follow:

"Beware! Beware! Lest ye offend any heart!
"Beware! Beware! Lest ye hurt any soul!
"Beware! Beware! Lest ye deal unkindly to-
ward any person!
"Beware! Beware! Lest ye be the cause of
hopelessness to any creature!
"Should any soul become the cause of grief to any
one heart or of despondency to any one soul, it
were better for him to hide himself in the lowest
strata of the Earth, than to walk upon the Earth.
Should any so ul desire the abasement of his Kind,
undoubtedly nonentity were better for him: his
nonexistence better than his existence, and his
death better than his life.
" Therefore my advice to you is: Endeavour as
much as you can to show kindness to all men, to
deal with perfect love, affection and devotion with
all the individuals of Humanity."

Peace, :-)

Bruce

arthra

I know in raisng my children as Baha'is that they have no prejudices about other races or religions.. One of the things that we did as they were growing up was visiting Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Jewish places of worship.. as well as the Mosque. The very strong principle of the Faith is the oneness of mankind..and that is something along with the global view that is a priceless legacy of the Faith.

Orthodox

None, but I trust the things i have heard about them being generally nice people.

Orthodox

Hmm the testimony of so many people doesn't make it true? Are you implying I've blindly believed this? no not at all, but in my research of bahai and the movement this often the first thing I see said or stated then they will refute or try to prove bahai. So don't assume I'm beleiving only a few for no good reason, I am believing many. That being said whine how does this not count as independant investigation?

bwb

Please stay on-topic for this thread, which is to "compile a list of the positive qualities/aspects of the Baha'i Faith." I may request the moderator to remove all off-topic posts.

InvestigateTruth

I think one of the best things is that, the Bahai Faith is not devided to branches. It has kept it's unity. Also in Baha'i faith the House of Justic is elected based on voting universally.

tonyfish58

Watching from the side for a few years :wink I would say - The amount of hard working & dedicated people working tirelessly for the Most Great Peace. Not for one moment wanting thanks, not looking for praise and not for selfish reasons.

This is all done for the love of the prophets and the revealed word of God. It is done with outstanding optimism that the human race is one, and, one day man will realize this fact.

Also the steadfastness of the people who still suffer physically for their Faith in the land of its birth

Yeshua

I would say:

1. Tolerance of other religions
2. Charitable and humanitarian efforts
3. Beautiful and poetic religious scripture (most especially 'The Hidden Words' and 'The Seven Valleys')
4. Nice, respectful people

There is much more but this is what comes to mind atm