What are the reasons you have for being a Bahai and not a member of any other religion like Christianity, Jehovah's Witnesses or Hinduism?

I’ve been in a 2 year relationship, and have mentioned to my partner that I’m not okay with him viewing pornography. For him it’s a very normal thing and he always says it has nothing to do with his attraction to me and that all men simply do it. But the past year he’s been lying about watching porn and I just can’t get over all the lies. He just now addmited after me begging for months that he’s been on and off viewing porn the past year. His family and mine are telling me it’s normal and that every man does it, but I was raised that this is not a true bahai marriage. I’m at lost because everything else in the relationship was great besides this one aspect. We were supposed to get married soon as well. I’m not sure if this can be worked out.. he’s not a strong believer in God but is a bahai and believes in the teachings. He’s saying he’s trying to stop for me but struggles.

Edit: he has admitted to his addiction and says he’s trying to fix it. Idk how I can help him.

Many are in despair and disillusionment as the to the state of the world, and have been for quite a while.

The Baha'i Faith is the ONLY source of hope to the world! Creating spiritually based communities, focusing on helping each other, learning how to serve, serving others in our community, creating intimate friendships with those around us, those are the things that will change the world for the better.

As the recent NSA of the US letter, the 9 Year Plan and America's Destiny says, (my phrasing), trying to solve one ill over all the other ills of the world, distracts Baha'is from our God given purpose and goals of community building. And we know as Baha'is it's impossible to solve material problems without spiritual solutions behind them. Right now, many good intentioned people are playing wack-a-mole, trying to solve homelessness or poverty, racism or health disparities, as 100 other ills are continuing, It's impossible and useless. Even past religions have no solutions as to the state of the world today. All they can give is the same worn theology as 1,000 or 3,000 years ago.

People are desperately longing for solutions to the problems of the world and the vision of Baha'u'llah is the source of that hope and its solutions.

Today, for some of us, applying detachment from all save God may mean something like, detachment from politics and alternatively, holding anxious concern for the needs of our time.

Politics may represent the needs of our time but are not the needs themselves.

Examples of real needs of our time could be Unity, Love, Service, Protection, Understanding, Knowledge Sharing, Reconciliation, Justice, etc. (feel free to add more in the comments)

If we are anxious about the political climate where we live, we can ask ourselves, "What needs does the political climate represent and what is one act of kindness or service I can do today to address those needs?"

I think this represents the distinction between political action and personal action, between faith in political ideologies and faith in the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh.

I'd love to hear your thoughts for or against the proposition: Politics may represent the needs of our time but are not the needs themselves.

There are certain things I like doing that feel connect me more to God and bring me into a spiritual mood. Some are inspired by Islam, like doing a prostration after saying the Short Obligatory Prayer. Others are inspired by the Faith itself, like the verses to be said during Ablutions for the Medium Obligatory Prayer even if I then intend to speak the Short one.

Now I wondered, is this disrespectful to Bahá’u’lláh's revelations? Is there any guidance on this subject? (I don't alter the Obligatory Prayer itself in any way)

I am still confused about our Faith's relationship to politics.

8 yrs ago when "someone" was elected (and before my Declaration), my Unitarian church sponsored a gathering so we could politely unload with each other.

At a recent Feast, there was a (brief) discussion about our proper level of involvement (or lack thereof) in politics. Besides the fact that we could vote, I understood little of it.

This morning, I asked an LSA member how to deal with today's news. I did not receive an answer. I emailed my Unitarian church, and in fact just returned from a Mr. T 2.0 gathering.

I tried reading material from UHJ? but the style of writing was difficult to read. In any case, if I dont' peacefully express myself publicly, I am complicit in evil.

Spkg for myself only, I voted, I worked for the local vote center, I donated to a party, I wrote postcards, and I made phone calls. That defintiely is appropriate, constructive "involvement" to me, and I hope that was all OK, but I somehow doubt it..

Thoughts??

I feel like my connection with God is forced

I need to constantly remind myself that everything is part of Gods plan, whether something good or bad happens in my life, rather than it being a subconscious thing.

When I am grateful for something, I have to force myself to stop and thank God. But it feels like im telling myself that I'm thanking God, rather than actually thanking God. I dont know how else to explain it.

And when I pray I feel more connected to the words, rather than having a "spiritual connection."

I was born Baha'i, so maybe that explains it.

A quick Google search informed me that Bahá'ís claim that sin distances you from God. In one of the daily prayers, Bahá'ís say, 'Praise be to Thee, O Concealer of the sins of the weak and helpless! Magnified be Thy name, O Thou that forgivest the heedless ones that trespass against Thee!' So, the understanding of sin is of fundamental importance to the faith.

However, we often forget that we are sinning. We become distracted by daily things—work, family, etc.—and therefore don’t realize that we are sinning.

Is it possible to be without sin? What advice can you give me to be a person closer to God?

This is more of a casual post but my reading of early Shayki/Babi history brought about this question.

Shaykh Ahmad took the position of being in invisible communication with the Mahdi. Whatever Shaykh Ahmad said his disciples took that as the will of the Mahdi himself.

Nowadays the supreme leader of Iran claims to be the vicar of the Mahdi. He regularly claims to be acting in the name of the Mahdi, essentially suggesting that he is in communication with the Mahdi.

Isn't this a flagrant copy cat of Shaykh Ahmad?

Hi

I have read the Tabernacle of Unity and begun Paris Talks. During these times I did intermittently check the local bahai website which has online versions of all bahai books available in Swedish. I was somewhat confused to noticed that Aqdas was not among them, since I had the impression that it was the most fundamental of Baha-u-llah's writings. This seemed extra odd since I know bahais have several rites they must observe daily and I assumed these were described in the Aqdas.

Is Kitab-I-Aqdas not that important in relation to other writings? Where do Baha-u-llah describe the daily and yearly rites believers should observe?

Hey friends! If I were to create a Baha’i YouTube channel for youths in English/Spanish, what content would you like to see?

Hi,

I was wondering if there are any converts to the Bahai faith from a Jewish background.

What was your journey? How did you find and realize the divinity of Bahaullah and his Cause? How did this affect your cultural life and reactions from your family/friends?

Journeys from orthodox or conservative Jewish backgrounds would be highly appreciated.

Thank you!

Just like the title says.

Do the Bahai faithful read the Kalma to affirm their faith in Allah like the Muslims? Are they supposed to or is it a deal breaker?

"Whenever dharma declines and the purpose of life is forgotten, I manifest myself on earth. I am born in every age to protect the good, to destroy evil, and to reestablish dharma."

Bhagavad Gita 4.7-4.8

...and saying the Long version isn't possible?

In case of travel, there is guidance: "QUESTION: Concerning the holy verse: "When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot, perform ye ... a single prostration in place of each unsaid Obligatory Prayer..."

"ANSWER: This prostration is to compensate for obligatory prayer omitted in the course of travel, and by reason of insecure circumstances...This provision regarding the compensating prostration applieth both at home and on a journey."

But what if I just forget the time, for example? Is it better to still say the Short one, even if the sun has already set? Or should we still make up for it using the guidance on making up for missed prayers?

Hello everyone, as stated in the title of this post, I'm curious to see if there is anyone who was or is currently in the position I am in.

I grew up in a Punjabi (North Indian) household, and like many from that region I grew up as a Sikh. The religion itself and the teachings in the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book) are quite wonderful. Here's a little AI summary of the core beliefs of Sikhism for those that are unaware.

1. Monotheism: Sikhs believe in one God, known as Waheguru, which means “Wonderful Lord” or “Wonderful Teacher”.
2. Cycles of Birth and Rebirth: Sikhs believe in the cycle of birth, life, and rebirth (samsara), and that the quality of each life depends on the law of Karma.
3. Karma: The law of Karma determines the quality of a life based on how well or badly a person behaved in their previous life.
4. Mukti (Liberation): The only way out of the cycle of birth and rebirth is to achieve total knowledge of and union with God through His grace.
5. Truth and Truthful Living: Truth is the highest virtue, and truthful living is essential. Sikhs believe that God cannot be understood properly by human beings, but He can be experienced through love, worship, and contemplation.
6. Universalism and Equality: Sikhs reject the notion of distinction or rank based on race, class, or gender. Universality and equality are among the most important pillars of Sikhism.
7. Service to Humanity: Sikhs are expected to serve humanity while cultivating their own spirituality. The idea is to be a sant-sipahi, a saint-soldier, who is both internally focused and contributes to the world around them.
8. Devotion to God: Sikhs believe in devoting themselves to God through daily worship, meditation, and service to others.
9. The Five Thieves: Sikhs recognize the five qualities of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust as the Five Thieves that rob a person of their ability to realize their oneness with God and creation. They work to counteract these qualities through Sikh values such as service, equality, and seeking justice for all.
10. The Three Daily Principles: Sikhs strive to live by the three daily principles of truthful living, service to humanity, and devotion to God.>

As you can see, there is quite a bit of crossover between Sikhism and the Baha'i Faith. The issues I have with Sikhism are largely due to the Punjabi culture that it is closely intertwined with. Sikhism preaches equality of everyone no matter their background, but the caste system is still a major issue in Punjabi culture. I come from one of the higher castes, and with how conservative (more like backwards) my parents were, if I were to find someone who was a doctor/lawyer but from a lower caste the marriage would be instantly rejected.

Another issue I have is with the priests, it seems like anyone can become one if they say they are devoted to Sikhi. There is no education requirement and if they are "baptized" a lot of their previous sins are forgiven and are hidden no matter how heinous they were.

Anyway, back to why I'm making this post. I haven't declared yet, but I have felt myself drawn to the Baha'i Faith for a while now. I already recite the obligatory prayers as well as reciting Allah-u-Abha 95 times daily; more than anything it is calming for me and I'm in a tough time in my life right now so it has been really helpful.

If any Sikh has converted to the Baha'i Faith, how did it go for you and how was your family's reaction? I'm estranged from my immediate family, but I have several cousins and friends that are Sikh and I'm worried about how they would take it. Some aren't that religious so I think they would be okay with it, some would probably think I've been convinced to join a cult, but I have some family & friends I would hate to lose. As much as I don't want to, the only option I see for myself right now is to hide that I'm a Baha'i if I do end up declaring. Would that be frowned upon if I do that as a Baha'i?

I do not claim to be a member of any of these indigenous groups and I do not claim to represent them in any way.

Hi

I spoke to a bahai who I've met and we talked about rules for believers. He was clear that there is no government body to "regulate" believers, it is really you yourself who best has to interpret and regulate those things for you.

But there did seem to be one exception. Never should you deny being a bahai.

Well, I happened to have heard that in some places, being a bahai comes with various levels of oppression and prejudices, and thus some have decided to hide that they are a bahai.

I am wondering if someone here knows how to harmonize these two positions, never denying being a bahai while still hiding it to avoid oppression?

Edit: as I understood it, the bahai in questioned mostly never corrected people when they assumed that he was a muslim

Hi everyone,

Bahá'u'lláh's emphasis on transparency and justice particularly stands out - like when He writes in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that trustees should be "responsible for every penny" and in the Tablet of Ishráqát about how "Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquility and security of the people."

This got me thinking about how these principles are implemented across different levels of Bahá'í administration. At local and national levels, there's clear implementation - Assemblies typically share financial reports and consult with community members about projects, following 'Abdu'l-Bahá's guidance that consultation should be "fully and frankly" carried out.

However, I've noticed something interesting: while the Universal House of Justice manages significant global resources and projects (like construction at the World Center, global teaching campaigns, etc.), it doesn't seem to provide detailed financial reporting or project breakdowns to the worldwide community. This appears to differ from both:

-The practice of lower administrative levels -The strong emphasis on trustworthiness and accountability in Bahá'í writings -Modern organizational best practices that align with Bahá'í principles

I understand there's divine guidance involved, but the Writings also emphasize the importance of concrete accountability - Shoghi Effendi even wrote about the necessity of "careful and full discussion of facts and situations."

So I'm genuinely curious: How do Bahá'ís reconcile these elements? Simply saying "we trust the institution" seems to sidestep the deeper question of how these foundational principles apply consistently across all levels of administration.

I'm asking because I want to understand how these powerful principles of transparency and accountability, so clearly stated in the Writings, are understood to operate differently at different levels. What's the wisdom behind this structural difference?

Thanks in advance for any thoughtful perspectives on this.

Edit: Looking for responses that go beyond just "trust" to explore how these principles are understood to work in practice.

Hey there, im sure this has been asked many times before but always like to get new peoples perspectives on this.

What do the Bahais say about the contradictions between religions if they are all from the same source? Like the Buddha and Hindus talk about reincarnation, certain ways of seeing the divine, and other differences? Would love to hear your thoughts, thank you!

I know the birthday of Baha’u’llah was changed from November 12 to November 2 to agree with the Badi Calendar and the Bab’s is now November 1. However I’m wondering when the real birthdays are. Were they really one day apart? Will they ever be changed again?

I'm wondering what the status is for the Pilgrimage? Is it closed down for the duration of this "war"? 🤔

I have noticed that when people recite the Hidden Words in the original Persian, it is always preceded by به نام گوینده توانا ("bah nam guyandeh tavana"), which is in the preamble, translated to English as "In the Name of the Lord of Utterance, the Mighty."

My logic says that this is done to reinforce the fact that it is indeed God who is speaking to us, making it clear that it is not us speaking to God, as is the case with prayer.

Is this standard practice in Persian? Was it intended to be recited that way? Did the central figures or certain prominent Bahá'ís use this practice?

For those who are Arabic speakers, is there a similar practice when reciting in Arabic?

Is there a specific reason that it isn't done or encouraged when reciting the translated versions?

Hello,
I am looking for quotes from the Central Figures to help me understand something.

It appears as though dispensations aren't necessarily globally effective or binding as it were (Zoroastrianism and Judaism was both going at the same time) but in different locations.

Is there quotes to be found that help understand the nuance of this?
Judaism taught the One God, but did not require all peoples to become Jews.
Jesus teaches that Christians are to go into all the world and convince everyone they can to His truth.
Islam makes allowance for Christians (in some parts of the Quran, less so in others) but also has societal pressures to end them in Muslim areas (Pact of Umar as an example).

So, which dispensations ended when?
Which ones were binding on the world, or just their local area?

Thanks in advance to all you wonderful people for any help you can give me in this!

I'm so glad to have the opportunity to have a weekly online study circle and I've really enjoyed reflecting on the sacred writings in Ruhi Book 1: Reflections on the Life of the Spirit.

I'm curious if anyone had any great moments of clarity or understanding while interacting with this book.

For me it was about how our acts of service done in the memory of a loved one who's passed on can help them in the next world.

Because of that I'm working on starting a service organization where we do community projects starting with prayers for our dearly departed. Please pray for the success of this project.

Please share your Ruhi insights and how the institute process has inspired you.

Thanks in advance!

Allah'u'Abha! 🙏

My 14 year old is struggling with school. Meaning she gets anxious. She's not being bullied. I believe it's just the setting. It's been going on for a while. Many missed school days. We've had meetings with the school and they were gracious with their help and suggestions. We are currently looking for a therapist. I am considering removing her from school and educating her at home as I feel she doesn't need that kind of struggle just to learn. There are alternatives. I understand the importance of education and I know as a Bahai that spiritual education is very important as well. I am wondering if I should focus more on spiritual rather than academic. Work on life skills over History etc. Are there any Bahai homeschoolers who could offer guidance?