We're praying for America, and also we're praying for all nations. We're praying for God to send an army of His angels to cast their wings of protection over all people. We're asking God to help us become our own true best selves, and to protect our children and spouses as they go about their daily lives.
In short, we're praying for whatever the participants would like to pray for. It's free form but the purpose is to turn to God and ask His loving grace and assistance in all things. Individuals can choose to pray for whatever they wish and to ask the group to pray with them on their behalf and for whatever it is they urgently need. Also, the group as a whole can choose what to pray for. Baha'i generally pray the prayers written by the Manifestations of God and Abdu'l-Baha, however, everyone is encouraged to pray however they wish.
If you want to join others to serve the children and youth in your neighborhood, for example, you're welcome to participate in the Study Circles. The materials discussed in the Study Circles are taken from the writings of the Baha'i faith. This is necessary because the Baha'i faith sees humankind as a whole wherein if any part of the whole is not equally treasured and helped to advance the local community and society in general will suffer.
In every case, reflecting together in Study Circles on various aspects of the Baha'i writings that apply to human potential and development, for example, increases both the capacity for service and the joy that comes from selfless service. The important thing is local communities improve from Study Circles.
Firesides are informal get gatherings on Zoom. You can attend using a smartphone or with a video and or audio headset. A Baha'i will make a small presentation about the faith, some aspect of religion they're interested in, or tell how and or why they became a Baha'i. Then the room is open for questions. Whoever is there can ask questions, make comments, and receive answers. You can attend one of the Firesides listed each month, or if you prefer you can use the contact form and tell us when you're available. Then we'll arrange a private meeting or one of these firesides at your convenience. Of course, you can invite friends or family if you'd like to. Very informal and friendly. By the way, although the meetings officially go to 9 pm they often last longer because, let's face, when people get to talking you can't put a time clock on it. Again, it's informal so you never have to feel that someone is watching the clock and you won't have time to ask a few more questions.
There are eleven Holy Days in the Baha'i year. There is no clergy so each community organizes and coordinates their own observance of these Holy Days. Community members are encouraged to volunteer by, for example, choosing the prayers to be said during an observance. Others may choose to provide refreshments, or arrange for and coordinate entertainment. The community may also have a Holy Day Committee that strives to make each Holy Day memorable. The Baha'i new year starts with a celebration called Naw Ruz. The name Naw Ruz means new year. Soon after begins the Holy Days of Ridvan. The word Ridvan which is pronounced riz-wand means Paradise. See the Holy Days here.
All the Baha'i Holy Days are important, however, the Holy Days of Ridvan have a special significance because they refer to a time when Baha'u'llah gathered together the believers and in a place known as the Garden of Paradise, He revealed to some that He was the one whom the Bab proclaimed as Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest.
On each of these days an event happened that signaled the start of a new Dispensation which is why these days will be celebrated for at least one thousand years: First Day of Ridvan Ninth Day of Ridvan Twelfth Day of Ridvan
Baha’i Feast Day. The Baha'i calendar has nineteen months and every month has 19 days. Baha'is do not go to church on Sundays. Instead they pray every day for their spiritual development and every 19 days they have what is called a Feast. The Feast is a private meeting for Baha'is only. There are no rituals or secret handshakes in the Baha'i faith. During the Feast we pray, and we read letters and reports from the Universal House of Justice and from the National Spiritual Assembly of our country. We also listen to the reports of the Local Spiritual Assembly and consult about the reports. During the Feast the members of the community discuss community matters and consult together about, for example, decisions that must be made that affect the community. In short, since there is no priesthood or ministry to run the affairs of the Baha'i community, the Feast is like a spiritual business meeting that concerns all the members of the local Baha'i community. Feasts generally include prayer, reports, consultation, socializing, and refreshments provided by one or more members of the community. In very humble communities the refreshments may only be tea. The purpose of the Feast is not to eat, but to get together with other Baha'is to pray and develop a unity of vision that will enable the community to serve the faith of Baha'u'llah and establish the kingdom of God on earth bit by bit.
Zoom is a free screen sharing internet browser program. You can choose to use video and audio together, or just use the audio portion and not the video portion. Either way it works great and is safe and easy to use. Follow these steps:
Zoom is used by about 15 million people across the earth. It's safe.
After using the contact form we will send you an email with a link on it that you click on - as shown in the video - to get in the room on the date and time of an event. This is easy to do because we take care of the invitations and sending out the emails. It's not as much fun as being with people in person but it's great for now. Be happy. Zoom with us.
Study Circles help the participants develop the capacity to provide the services associated with what Baha’is do. Baha’is throughout the world who wish to may participate in Study Circles. However, Baha’is alone can’t transform a local community. So everyone who is interested can join a Study Circle. For more information about Study Circles, contact us here.
“…this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behooveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.” – Baha’u’llah
The apostles asked Christ what they had to do to please God. In John 6:29 the Christ said: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” Salvation is always based on belief in the One that God has sent. Nothing else matters. Investigate.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.'”
Audio. Jesus answered and said
Baha’is worship God. Baha’u’llah is the Manifestation of God who’s spiritual station is referred to in the Bible as the Father. When you read what Baha’u’llah has written it is evident that He is the one promised to Christians. In short, Jesus was a Manifestation of God but He did not tell people to worship Him. On the contrary, in the King James Bible, Luke 18, it says that upon meeting Jesus: “… a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.”
So even though the spiritual station of Baha’u’llah is the Father and the spiritual station of Jesus is the Son, Baha’is worship God not the Manifestation of God, because the Manifestation is the reflection of God not God Himself. In the time of Jesus it was common for people to refer to others as the Son of God. In the Bible it’s clear that the exalted station of Jesus is that He is the Manifestation of God who gave His life for the redemption of humanity, the Messiah of the Jews, known as the Son; and the exalted station of Moses is that He is the Manifestation of God who was anointed by God and is known as the Lawgiver. In short, Baha’is worship God the Creator, the Being to whom Jews refer to in their services as the King of the Universe, and this is the very same Divine Being of whom Baha’u’llah says:
“To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.”
When Europeans first came to the Americas 520 years ago, linguists say there were more than 2,000 languages spoken by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Linguists also say these languages were not derivatives. They were as different from one another as German and Mandarin Chinese. How do they know this? Because today there are reportedly 654 distinct American Indian languages spoken in the Americas. In short, except for American Indians everyone and every religion is a foreigner and a foreign religion in the Americas.
The religion of Baha’u’llah is for everyone because He is the Promised One of All Ages, and His coming fulfills the expectations in every true religion. You can prove this astonishing claim for yourself if you turn to God and ask for guidance and illumination.
The Twin Manifestations of God of this unprecedented age in human history have made it very clear in their revelations that They each proclaimed new dispensations; separate and distinct from all the dispensations of the past. In other words, God directed Them to roll up the old world order and to sweep away all the old religions because they are all corrupt and are the cause of war, disunity, and are the source of all the problems that plague the earth. And instead of those old religions God commanded His anointed ones to reestablish the ancient religion of God, and thus in BIblical terms create a new heaven and a new earth.
In view of the revelation of Baha’u’llah, and His unambiguous declaration to humanity that He is the Father, the Promised One; see John 8:12 while the Pharisees are questioning Him, Jesus says He is the “light of the world” and refers to His Father who sent Him. The Pharisees doubt. But in John 8:19 of the King James Bible it says: “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”
In summary, this passage from John 8:19 must cause reflection because it says Christians may not recognize the Father because they do not admit that the station of the Son is not the station of the Father. The Lord’s Prayer Jesus says “hollowed be Thy Name” in reference to the Father’s name. Jesus makes a clear distinction between His station and the station and name of the Father.
Every soul has a divine responsibility to turn to the Manifestation of God because doing so is obedience to God, and turning away from the Manifestation is a grave error. In a prayer Baha’u’llah says in reference to the Bab, although the same would be true of turning away from away from any of the Manifestations of God: “Be thou assured that verify he who turns away from this beauty hath turned away from the Messengers of the past and showth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity.”
Therefore if you’re humble and sincerely Want to know if Baha’u’llah is the Promised One of All Ages it would be a good idea to investigate. But do this with wisdom. The Jews who went to ask the Rabbis if Jesus was the Messiah were told that Jesus was a troublemaker, and it’s true when the Manifestation of God arises and proclaims a new dispensation the old one is swept away and is replaced by a new one. In Biblical terms, it is replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. So, in most cases, if you go to your minister or priest, for example, and ask about Baha’u’llah they will mislead you because if they were true seekers and free of prejudices and the limitations imposed by the weaknesses inherent in the psychology of their own humanity, they would hear the voice of the shepherd and acknowledge the majesty and glory of Baha’u’llah – even though they may not choose to become Baha’is they would know that Baha’is believe in God and the Baha’i faith is a religion and not a cult, independent of all other religions, but associated with all true religions. Every true seeker must independently investigate truth. That’s the work that God gives each soul.
People in all cultures have wondered how to please God. The apostles asked Christ what they had to do to please God. In John 6:29 the Christ said: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” Christians love John 6:29 and they should because it applies to every Manifestation of God and it requires humanity to “believe on Him whom He hath sent.” This is a great challenge because each time a new Manifestation comes, the Manifestation inevitably comes with a new name and new dispensation. In the case of Christians, they want Christ to return, but Isaiah 62:2 says, “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”
True. Jesus was different from Moses and Moses was different from Abraham. And you’re probably different from your next door neighbor because, in fact, most people are unique and different from everyone else.
The Bab was different from Baha’u’llah. They each had different missions. The mission of Jesus was different from the mission of Moses. The mission of your sixth grade teacher was different from the mission of your tenth grade teacher otherwise your tenth grade teacher would just keep teaching you the same things you were taught in the third grade and the sixth grade.
Each of the divine Manifestations of God had different names and had a separate and distinct personality and a separate and distinct mission. However, they all have one thing in common. They each share the station of being anointed and chosen to be a Manifestation of God, which means they each share that same exalted station and none is better than he others, however, the most recent is the Manifestation of God for the current Age.
“I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me. Can any one speak forth of his own accord that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened.”
No. Cults are generally offshoots of long established religions. Many cults turn into a sect or division of an established religion.
Reportedly there are some 2,000 Christian sects in America because anyone with an idea about how to operate a church or interpret the Bible can start their own separate church or Christian sect.
Cults are often started by a charismatic figure. For example, there are many Christian cults based around a charismatic figure who claims to be the return of Christ like the Branch Davidians and people who followed Jim Jones. Those are cults.
Not all sects are cults. The Amish, the Mennonites, the Mormons, Christian Scientists, and so on, are not cults. They are simply sects or divisions of Christianity.
There are also many Buddhist and Muslim cults. Terrorist groups often spring from cultish figures who preach murder and mayhem in the name of God or for political gain.
Go to the Resources page on this website. That will lead you to a lot of Authoritative information and sites about the Baha’i faith. Start here.
Each of the Manifestations of God makes a covenant with humanity. Covenant breakers break the covenant or agreement made between God – through His Manifestation – and humanity. For example, Jesus said, “Upon this rock I shall build my church.” He said this in reference to the faith of Peter, and He thus made it clear to the apostles that Peter was His successor and they should follow his guidance for the protection and propagation of the faith that Jesus established.
However, when Paul – who was born Saul of Tarsus, an educated and charismatic Roman citizen who spoke Greek and Hebrew – came along he usurped the position of Peter and made himself the leader of the Christians.
In short, Paul broke the covenant and through his bad example forever weakened Christianity and destined it to failure.
Similarly, the covenant was broken at the deathbed of the Prophet Muhammad. He declared that Ali, His teenage cousin and brother-in-law was to be His successor. But Abu Bakr, an older and powerful tribal leader and the father-in-law of Muhammad, who was also at the deathbed of the Prophet Muhammad said that the prophet had a fever and was delirious, and that He had meant that Abu Bakr was to be His successor. Ali deferred to Abu Bakr and thus the covenant was broken, and Islam was mortally weakened and thereby destined to failure.
The Baha’i faith has also had a few covenant breakers who have attempted to seize power and establish themselves as the leaders of the Baha’i faith. However, they have been unable to do so because a unique aspect of the Baha’i faith is that Baha’u’llah wrote out His covenant with humanity with His own Hand and titled it the Book of the Covenant. And in His written covenant with humanity, He named Abdu’l-Baha as His successor, and, furthermore, made him the Exemplar and Interpreter of His Word.
That means that anything that Abdu’l-Baha said or wrote was to be accepted as if Baha’u’llah Himself has said it. This has enormous implications for the well-being and protection of humanity for one thousand years; because, furthermore, in the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha he named as his successor his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and made him the Guardian of the Baha’i faith. In turn, the work and Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi set the stage for the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, a divine institution that Baha’u’llah Himself provides for in His Book of Laws. Taken together these successive protections have prevented and will continue to prevent the usurping of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah.
The mission of the Bab was to end the Ages of Promise, and to begin the age of the fulfillment of all the promises made by God in previous dispensations. During the Ages of Promise each of the Manifestations made promises to humanity. One may have promised enlightenment, another the promise of heaven on earth. And the Bab “announced” that He was preparing the way for Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest, someone greater than Him who would establish God’s government on earth and produce a reign of peace, or heaven on earth.
In a meeting arranged by authorities in Persia who were plotting to kill the Bab and call for the execution of all His tens of thousands of followers, the Bab was asked who He claimed to be and the Bab said:
“I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendour can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade.
“I am the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared.
“Verily I am the One Who is hailed in the Mother Book as the ‘Great Announcement’.
“I am, I am, I am, the promised One! I am the One whose name you have for a thousand years invoked, at whose mention you have risen, whose advent you have longed to witness, and the hour of whose Revelation you have prayed God to hasten. Verily I say, it is incumbent upon the peoples of both the East and the West to obey My word and to pledge allegiance to My person.
“I Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest.”
Years later after the Bab was executed by the corrupt clergy and officials of Persia, in a place known as the Garden of Ridvan, Baha’u’llah disclosed to some of His companions that He was “Him Whom God shall make manifest” and on that day in the Garden of Paradise He revealed three statements to His companions:
The first was that He forbid them to use the sword to propagate His faith.
The second is that no other Manifestation would appear before at least one thousand years.
The third is that from that moment on all the names and attributes of God were manifested within all created things signifying the advent of a new Dispensation.
Baha’is believe because they heard the call of Baha’u’llah and were compelled to investigate and discover the truth for themselves. Now, some people are exceedingly pure-hearted and immediately recognize the Manifestation of God just by hearing a few things about Him and His message to humanity. However, in this age God does not require blind faith. God is asking humanity to be mature and independently investigate the claims of Baha’u’llah.
Interestingly, most people who humbly investigate can’t help but believe because His writings prove that He is the promised one. In the time of Jesus very few people believed and that’s why when given the choice between freeing Barabbas, a known murderer and thief, or freeing Jesus whom some called the Son of God, the crowd chose to crucify Jesus, and instead of seeking to know the truth, they freed the murderer and thief.
In summary, the reason Baha’is believe is because when they learn about Baha’u’llah, it can metaphorically be said that they “hear the voice” of the shepherd and answer the call of God.
Baha’u’llah revealed a mystical book called the Seven Valleys. It tells the seven stages that a seeker may traverse to find the object of His quest. And He says that sometimes the seeker will swift at the blink of an eye reach his objective.
Here is what Abdu’l-Baha says about the first principle of Baha’u’llah which is search for truth.
In short, the seeker has to be persistent because, in most cases, being an earnest true seeker isn’t easy to do because we all carry a lot of baggage from our culture, our training, our education, our religion, our friends and family, and most of this baggage is pretty heavy and won’t help us find truth.
The truth is Baha’u’llah lived for forty years in exile and as a prisoner, and what He experienced convinced Him of the plight of humanity; a burden we all share, and that means we have to be diligent and earnest in our quest for truth:
“… the people are wandering in the paths of delusion, bereft of discernment to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with their own ears. Thus have We found them, as thou also dost witness.
“Thus have their superstitions become veils between them and their own hearts and kept them from the path of God, the Exalted, the Great.”
“O people, if ye deny these verses, by what proof have ye believed in God?”
There is only One God the Creator of Heaven and Earth. None of the manifestations or prophets are God.
The human race is one family. All people are equal in the sight of God. Slavery, war, and cruelty are forbidden.
Baha’u’llah is the only messenger, prophet, or Manifestation of God to state men and women are equal.
Science without religion becomes destructive and religion without science produces ignorance and superstition.
Prejudice is a disease. It produces people who don’t think for themselves and default to their weaknesses.
Humanity cannot advance without universal education because education of boys and girls advances civilization.
Politics divides people and disobedience to government leads to anarchy, destruction, and oppression.
People prize freedom over oppression but it can never be achieved without independent investigation of truth.
Given universal education and striving for world peace will inspire the rich to share more wealth of their own volition.