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My 29 year old daughter came to visit me today. While we have kept in touch with phone calls/texts/emails/skype, we hadn't seen each other for 10 years.
We had a wonderful visit. Chit-chatting the whole day. She knows I'm Catholic and the conversation turned to Christianity.
I know she's not Christian. I have no issue with that. She DOES believe in God, and told me about a faith called "Baha'i." I never heard of it before, so I did a little research.
It sounds interesting, but it's also pretty new.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it, and what it entails.
My 29 year old daughter came to visit me today. While we have kept in touch with phone calls/texts/emails/skype, we hadn't seen each other for 10 years.
We had a wonderful visit. Chit-chatting the whole day. She knows I'm Catholic and the conversation turned to Christianity.
I know she's not Christian. I have no issue with that. She DOES believe in God, and told me about a faith called "Baha'i." I never heard of it before, so I did a little research.
It sounds interesting, but it's also pretty new.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it, and what it entails.
Many thanks in advance!
I read about it because I had heard of it. It is interesting.
My 29 year old daughter came to visit me today. While we have kept in touch with phone calls/texts/emails/skype, we hadn't seen each other for 10 years.
We had a wonderful visit. Chit-chatting the whole day. She knows I'm Catholic and the conversation turned to Christianity.
I know she's not Christian. I have no issue with that. She DOES believe in God, and told me about a faith called "Baha'i." I never heard of it before, so I did a little research.
It sounds interesting, but it's also pretty new.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it, and what it entails.
Many thanks in advance!
I can't answer your question, but I can tell you a story about a time I made myself look totally dumb.
One day one of our ESOL teachers asked me if it was true that I was a Buddhist. I said I was moving in that direction (at the time). The conversation continued for a bit, and because of her interest I ask, "Are you interested in Buddhism?" "No", she said, "I'm Baha'i". Thinking of Bnai Brith I said, "Oh, I didn't know you were Jewish". She burst out laughing and I did feel rather dumb...although I am sure I was not alone in not knowing about that particular faith.
My 29 year old daughter came to visit me today. While we have kept in touch with phone calls/texts/emails/skype, we hadn't seen each other for 10 years.
We had a wonderful visit. Chit-chatting the whole day. She knows I'm Catholic and the conversation turned to Christianity.
I know she's not Christian. I have no issue with that. She DOES believe in God, and told me about a faith called "Baha'i." I never heard of it before, so I did a little research.
It sounds interesting, but it's also pretty new.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it, and what it entails.
Many thanks in advance!
I have spent much time with Bahais in more than one country.
They seem to me, as a progressive religion in the Abrahamic line, i.e, Judaism -> Christianity -> Islam -> Bahai.
They regard their founder Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892) , as the latest manifestation of God, the previous one being Moses, Jesus & Muhammed. They also include Krishna & Buddha, which are not from the Abrahamic line.
They believe that the next manifestation will be in the future, not sure how far though, but not in our lifetimes.
A favourite phrase I have seen Bahais use is 'unity in diversity'.
ETA Hopefully a Bahai will be able to answer you more thoroughly
Last edited by JaiSea; 10-14-2022 at 04:40 AM..
Reason: Added last sentence
i can't answer your question, but i can tell you a story about a time i made myself look totally dumb.
One day one of our esol teachers asked me if it was true that i was a buddhist. I said i was moving in that direction (at the time). The conversation continued for a bit, and because of her interest i ask, "are you interested in buddhism?" "no", she said, "i'm baha'i". Thinking of bnai brith i said, "oh, i didn't know you were jewish". She burst out laughing and i did feel rather dumb...although i am sure i was not alone in not knowing about that particular faith.
From what I can tell the main criticisms of the Bahai faith is its fairly conservative attitude towards marriage and human sexuality and certain other social matters. They have some controlling aspects such as a requirement for anything a Bahai writes touching on faith to be approved by the clergy before it can be published. Basically it is the tension between the ideal that god is one and we are all united in our humanity, with the need to maintain unity within the faith itself. For example when Bahai sects have arisen, people involved in those are shunned. This has kept the faith "unified" and attempts at divergence have been self-limiting.
The ideals and principles espoused by Bahai adherents strike me as above average and I regard them as one of the less problematic belief systems overall. They are of course from the perspective of Christian orthodoxy, heretical. Jesus is a mere prophet to them, and they have their own sacred writings, to name just two problems Christians would have with them.
I also spent much time with a Bahai...WHAT a sweet, gentle, kind person he was and
had the 'book' of Baha'u'llah's writings open in his hands often...talking to me.
Ha, that was 1972!
Online information.
"Bahá'ís accept the divine nature of the missions of Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, the Buddha, Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad.
They believe each one was a further stage in the revelation of God. Other prophets and Manifestations are also accepted.''
Since they believe in Jesus Christ as a core part of their faith and beliefs , I don’t know whether they could be classified as “Non-Christian”.
Certainly not from the definitions here.
Yeah sure, fundamentalists would reject them instantly as not part of the Christian family, and would go for the “even the Demons believe in Jesus Christ” quote straight away. (I’ve read enough of their arguments and debates to know their key, and “go to” biblical passages!)
Obviously they are Non-Trinitarian as well, another instant disqualification from so-called Biblical Christianity.
They have been accused of having some cult-like and controlling practices, as pointed out by mordant, but then again so have many other Christian groups.
I’ve not attended a Baha’i faith worship service, but they do invite anyone to attend, so would be keen to do so and check it out.
I can't answer your question, but I can tell you a story about a time I made myself look totally dumb.
One day one of our ESOL teachers asked me if it was true that I was a Buddhist. I said I was moving in that direction (at the time). The conversation continued for a bit, and because of her interest I ask, "Are you interested in Buddhism?" "No", she said, "I'm Baha'i". Thinking of Bnai Brith I said, "Oh, I didn't know you were Jewish". She burst out laughing and I did feel rather dumb...although I am sure I was not alone in not knowing about that particular faith.
I'm laughing because I know what Bnai Brith is, AND that I did something similar, phet! My 64 year old ears heard "Bali Hai", from the musical South Pacific. I immediately *flashed* on my daughter, on some Polynesian island, wearing a hula skirt, and offering baskets of fruit to a giant stone god!
Luckily, she straightened me out.
I've only read the Wikipedia page about it so far, but it sounds fascinating.
From what I can tell the main criticisms of the Bahai faith is its fairly conservative attitude towards marriage and human sexuality and certain other social matters. They have some controlling aspects such as a requirement for anything a Bahai writes touching on faith to be approved by the clergy before it can be published. Basically it is the tension between the ideal that god is one and we are all united in our humanity, with the need to maintain unity within the faith itself. For example when Bahai sects have arisen, people involved in those are shunned. This has kept the faith "unified" and attempts at divergence have been self-limiting.
The ideals and principles espoused by Bahai adherents strike me as above average and I regard them as one of the less problematic belief systems overall. They are of course from the perspective of Christian orthodoxy, heretical. Jesus is a mere prophet to them, and they have their own sacred writings, to name just two problems Christians would have with them.
While we didn't talk about it a whole lot, my daughter DID mention the concept of "unity."
After reading about their own sacred writings, I'm curious as to what they are. Hopefully my research on this will prove to be fruitful.
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I'm laughing because I know what Bnai Brith is, AND that I did something similar, phet! My 64 year old ears heard "Bali Hai", from the musical South Pacific. I immediately *flashed* on my daughter, on some Polynesian island, wearing a hula skirt, and offering baskets of fruit to a giant stone god! 
