bahaibychoice

I'm trying to resign my membership from the Baha'i faith. I feel I was purposely misinformed. I made friends with a Baha'i woman she told me the Baha'i faith is just like Islam and they believe in all the same stuff, blah, blah, blah. (After I became Baha'i and the woman made some comments that revealed to me that the only reason she made friends with me and others was to try to convert them to the Baha'i Faith. I also found out later she thinks of people of other religions. "Oh, we accept all religions", but then she would say like "Christians are ignorant, Hindus are ignorant, Muslims are ignorant"...) She said Baha'i study Islam, read the Qur'an, and love Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). She was the only Baha'i I knew back then. I then went to the Baha'i meetings where I met other Baha'is. Most of them knew nothing about Prophet Muhammad or the Qur'an and had gross misconceptions about the religion. Actually, it was the first day I took off the hijab (I'm wearing it again now) and a girl made the comment "so I hear you've been liberated from the veil?" Honestly, I was offended. I loved wearing it then and the only reason I took it off was so I wouldn't confuse people. Anyways, I'm trying to withdraw now. I called up the assembly in DC and the lady on the phone said I can either contact the local Baha'i community (REALLY don't want to come into contact with them again. When I told the one lady I am not Baha'i anymore she acted like she was totally cool with it at first but then every time I hung out with her after that she kept trying to get me become Baha'i again. She told once I got away from the influence of my Pakistani Qur'an teacher (whom she hadn't even met by the way), I would come back to the Baha'i faith. She made comments like "You know those Pakistani people, they are raised to be so ignorant and intolerant. I was really offended. My Qur'an teacher is kind to everyone. She also kept trying to get me to take off the hijab and said people think I am unintelligent when I wear hijab. She also kept bashing Islam, talking about Muslims are so ignorant, but then going to back to ahadith to try to prove her religion.) or write a letter...??
I've just had a really bad experience with all this...

rushdy

I don't get this trend. For someone who wants to resign from the Baha'i, why does it sound like you want a refund for a product you purchased.

when you accepted the faith, did you accept it for your friend or your investigation led to it. Just send a letter to the LSA expressing your desires.

On another note:

I for example have a lot of Muslim friends, Both Sunnis and Shiites! I did my readings in Islam and Respect it to the extend that i want to name my child Ali after Imam Ali.

Being a Baha'i does not make you perfect! We are not an ideal society and we sure as hell don`t claim to be one. We are aiming for a universal utopia and we definetly have a long way ahead. I just want to assure you that your friend's views are nothing but her own personal opinions not those represented by the bahai teachings for that matter. (In fact, it contradicts the teachings of Baha'ullah)

Bahá'í Reference Library - Some Answered Questions, Pages 18-24

arthra

bahaibychoice,

It was just a few months ago when you:

I am afraid of the reaction of my "leaving Islam" and expect possibly even threats. Is it okay to hide your faith?

It's so very easy to "resign" from the Baha'i Faith... just wriite a letter to that effect and submit it. No one will hold it against you..

You know it sounds like you may be "backbiting" about your erstwhile friend...

bahaibychoice

Yes, it was just a few months ago. But what I said before is not why I am leaving the Baha'i faith. Some things in the Baha'i faith just don't make any sense to me and I am uncomfortable with the high amount of bureaucracy in the Baha'i faith.

This woman is not my friend. She never wanted to be true friends.

Sboyce

that sucks.
just go to the lsa and say you longer believe baha'u'llah is who he claims to be.
luck to you

MichaelAW

So that you can be officially removed from the member list, simply write a letter of your intent, signed. If you have a member card return that too, give letter and card to LSA or mail to the NSA. It would make it more official if it were noterized but that isn't required$

Eric

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. When I first met Bahá'ís they were very kind and welcoming. When I decided to declare my faith in Bahá'u'lláh they were happy for me but their attitude did not change.
Some time later I decided to resign, being an isolated 15-year old wasn't the best situation and I sended a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly and I recieved a letter that it was done. However, as far as I understand it, accepting Bahá'u'lláh is a matter between the individual and God. The declaration is ofcourse symbolic, but links the individual to the administrative order.
When I was a few years older (about 20) there was a phonecall, someone tried to contact another person of the same name as my mother (also Bahá'í). She had a business in something that interested me and I contacted her back, she invited me to a reflectionday. From that moment on I started investigating truth independently and rerolled in several months.

When I grew up I had a lot of Muslim friends. Hence my mother had been thinking about accepting Islam before she learned about the Bahá'í-faith (which she in a way did, since accepting Bahá'u'lláh without accepting Muhammad is not possible, it would be the same as a Christian who would not accept Moses).
One thing that always come to mind when I think of Islam, is that the custom of a man kneeling to a woman when asking her hand in marriage has its origin in Islamic culture, at least that is what I read. Just love it.

tonyfish58

It is just as easy to resign as it is to declare

There is no use blaming others for your decisions.

Consider this quote from the Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

How great the multitude of truths which the garment of words can never contain! How vast the number of such verities as no expression can adequately describe, whose significance can never be unfolded, and to which not even the remotest allusions can be made! How manifold are the truths which must remain unuttered until the appointed time is come! Even as it hath been said: “Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it.”

To be a Baha'i you would not say people ar igorant, you could say that they have been mislead by incorrect interpretations.

Best of luck in your future journey, just remember they are your choices and I would suggest that blaming others will not help.

Regards Tony