The Baha'i Faith: A Brief Summary.

Introduction:

 When i was a youth, i met a concerned mother who was sadden by the fact that her daughter had entered the Baha'i Faith. Although i listened sympathetically to her,  I didn't comprehend the full story. Here is a brief summary that i could find currently about the Baha'i Faith.

 

Definition 

 Bahai people consist of those who accept the message of the Baha’u’llah. The Baha’i Faith was founded in Iran in the mid-nineteenth century by Mirza Hoseyn ‘Ali Nuri, who is known as Bahá’u’lláh (Arabic: “Glory of God”).  

Factfile —Date of origin: 1844 

Founder: Baha’u’llah. —Holy book: Writings of Bab, Baha’u’lláh, and ‘Abd ol-Baha —Number of adherents: More than 8 million.

Summary 

 The Baha’i Faith, the youngest of the world’s independent religions, is an offshoot of Shi‘ite Islam. The central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s message is that humanity is one single race which should be united in one global society. The one God progressively reveals himself to humanity. Following in the footsteps of other great religious leaders, such as Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad,

 Bahá’u’lláh 

 is God’s most recent messenger. His teachings supply the moral and spiritual stimulus our modern world needs. 

Summary of Practices 

 The Baha’i Faith has no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. But the faith is open to all who express the wish to follow the Baha’i Faith.

 

Summary of Beliefs 

 The Baha’i Faith embraces three basic principles: (i) The oneness of God. (ii) The oneness of religion. (iii) The oneness of humankind. God, Baha’u’llah said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. Baha’i communities work to break down barriers of prejudice. They are convinced that humanity is a single people with a common destiny. 

The Appeal of the Baha’i Faith

  It has been claimed that no other worldview is better suited to the tenor of our time. Leo Tolstoy described the Baha’i Faith as “the highest and purest form of religious teaching.” Arnold Toynbee predicted that it will be “the world religion of the future.” J. K. Van Baalen has stated that the Baha’i Faith “is the unifying cult par excellence.”

 

Comparison with Christianity 

  Basic Baha'i beliefs are diametrically opposed to biblical Christianity.

 The Baha'i faith rejects: —the Trinity —the deity of Christ —the virgin birth of Jesus —the bodily resurrection of Christ —Jesus’ death on the cross as an atonement for our sins —salvation by faith in Jesus alone —the final authority of the Bible —the second coming of Christ.

 In the Baha'i faith Jesus is only one of the prophets. There is very little indeed that a true Christian can have in common with the faith of Baha'i. There is simply no common ground on which to meet… 

The Baha’i faith is at its very core anti-Christian theology. Dr. Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults