#baháʼí faith

[glimblshanks]

Someone come explain monotheism to me, I don't GET it

[tower-of-hana]

I hope you find god.

"What are you, a Christian trying to convert me?"

No I'm a Baha'i, that was a death threat

[lunarian-anarchist]

Why is it that even today when you look up "three major religions" Judaism is in the top three on most of the search results?

Seriously y'all....why? Hinduism and Buddhism outnumber us by the hundreds of millions.

Hell even if you counted monotheistic faiths, we're still not top 3. Sikhism also outnumbers us.

We're 0.2% of the global population and 2.4% of the USA's population.

The only way this makes sense is if you're talking about the three major "Abrahamic" religions. But if that's the case maybe specifying that is important?

Btw there's also Bábism, Druzism, Samaritanism (Jewish kin), and the Baháʼí for "Abrahamic" religions.

[chelledoggo]

there's too much animosity towards queer people who want to practice their faith/spirituality, both within their respective religions and within the LGBTQIA+ community.

we need to protect and lift up our queer siblings of faith.

our queer Christians.

our queer Jews.

our queer Muslims.

our queer Hindus.

our queer Buddhists.

our queer Sikhs.

our queer Baháʼís.

our queer Wiccans/Pagans.

our queer Shintos.

our queer siblings of indigenous/folk faiths.

our queer SBNR siblings.

our queer siblings of whatever religion/spiritual systems they observe.

you're all beautiful and valid and loved and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 💖

[ed-recoverry]

Happy pride to religious LGBTQ+ folks.

It never doesn’t hurt to see religious people, especially possibly from your own religion, hate you for just existing. Staying true to yourself and keeping your faith while doing so is something to have pride about🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Muslims.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Jews.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Christians.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Hindus.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Buddhists.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Sikhs.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Shintoists.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Taoists.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Vodouists.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Spiritualists.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Shamanists.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Confucians.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Jains.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Baháʼís.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ Zoroastrians.

Happy pride to all LGBTQ+ religious folks.

[perrysoup]

As an arab who has lived in Israel, everyone's accusations that they are some kind of apartheid state? I don't understand where you get these ideas from? I think you conflate that idea with the things you Americans learned from your racist history of white and black people and your past of segregation and with the history of South Africa's past as well. I have never been othered or harassed as a Lebanese woman by my coworkers, bosses, or friends. I can read everything here becuase we have access to everything here, I cant read hebrew well, but I can read the arabic around the country. I'm not forbidden from places for being arab. I have had uncomfortable experiences in some areas, but never at the hands of a Israeli, but by men who assumed i was Israeli/ a jew and thought I couldn't understand what they would say about me/ my female family or friends with me.

I was gonna write out a different full response but frankly I don't believe you. You are asking as an anonymous person so you could very well be one of the Zionists who keeps complaining I don't have sympathy for the PTSD coming from MURDERING PEOPLE AND LAUGHING ABOUT IT! Or you may be telling the truth but the slew of go fund me scams claiming to be people that are really sets the bar high for someone being anonymous.

I have seen orthodox Jews on the streets of Israel beaten to an inch of their life for trying to stop a Palestinian from being harassed by police.

I have seen the videos about the Israeli government beat back protestors for wanting aid through.

I have seen rallies where people in Israel screamed "Death to all Muslim"

I have see a fucking girl torn to shreds and shoved on rebar like meat by the IOF so politely don't fucking tell me how YOUR experience defines the entire group currently being genocided and tortured.

Do you really expect me to think that just cause things were okay for YOU that the murders I saw with my own eyes aren't real?

Side note: Everyone in the Middle East is Arab, that's a regional cultural identity, not a religion or even a descriptor of which country they were born in. Jews in Palestine are Arab and Muslims in Israel are Arab.

"Arab identity (Arabic: الهوية العربية) is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as an Arab and as relating to being Arab. Like other cultural identities, it relies on a common culture, a traditional lineage, the common land in history, shared experiences including underlying conflicts and confrontations. These commonalities are regional and in historical contexts, tribal. Arab identity is defined independently of religious identity, and pre-dates the spread of Islam and before spread of Judaism and Christianity, with historically attested Arab Muslim tribes and Arab Christian tribes and Arab Jewish tribes. Arabs are a diverse group in terms of religious affiliations and practices. Most Arabs are Muslim, with a minority adhering to other faiths, largely Christianity,[1] but also Druze and Baháʼí.[2][3]"

Edit: to add an item on this, I’ll trust South Africa on if Israel is an segregation/apartheid state over you

[jezabatlovesbats]

Happy Disability Pride to all disabled religious folks.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Hindus.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Buddhists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Sikhs.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Jains.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Muslims.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Jews.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Christians.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Satanists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Wiccans.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Taoists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Confucians.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Shintoists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Voodouists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Shamanists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Baháʼís.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Zoroastrians.

Happy disability pride to all disabled Spiritualists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled pagans.

Happy disability pride to all disabled animists.

Happy disability pride to all disabled agnostics.

Happy disability pride to all disabled people of indigenous religions.

Happy disability pride to all disabled people of more than one religion.

Happy disability pride to all disabled religious folks. You deserve to stay true to yourself and your faith.

If I forgot your religion, please let me know.

[heavenboy09]

Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, pronounced [nowˈɾuːz]; lit. 'new day') is the Persian-language term for the day of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year. It begins on the spring equinox and marks the beginning of Farvardin, the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar (an Iranian calendar used officially in Iran and Afghanistan). The day is celebrated worldwide by various ethnolinguistic groups and falls on or around the date of 21 March on the Gregorian calendar.

The day of Nowruz has its origins in the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism and is thus rooted in the traditions of the Iranian peoples; however, it has been celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia. Presently, while it is largely a secular holiday for most celebrants and enjoyed by people of several different faiths and backgrounds, Nowruz remains a holy day for Zoroastrians, Baháʼís, and some Muslim communities.

As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The moment at which the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families traditionally gather together to observe the rituals.

While Nowruz has been celebrated since the reform of the Iranian calendar in the 11th century CE to mark the new year, the United Nations officially recognized the "International Day of Nowruz" with the adoption of Resolution 64/253 by the United Nations General Assembly in February 2010.

The first day of the Iranian calendar falls on the March equinox, the first day of spring, around 21 March. In the 11th century CE the Iranian calendar was reformed in order to fix the beginning of the calendar year, i.e. Nowruz, at the vernal equinox. Accordingly, the definition of Nowruz given by the Iranian scientist Tusi was the following: "the first day of the official New Year [Nowruz] was always the day on which the sun entered Aries before noon." Nowruz is the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar.

HAPPY NOWRUZ TO ALL OF THE 🇮🇷 PERSIAN Communities in the 🌎

#persiannewyear #nowruz

[dailyhistoryposts]

On This Day In History

May 23rd, 1844: Declaration of the Báb, Báb declares himself a Prophet and starts a faith, Bábism, that will become the forerunner to the  Baháʼí Faith.

[hebrewbyinbal]

Amidst the bustling cityscape of Haifa, the Baháʼí Terraces offer not just a breathtaking sight but also a profound symbol of the pluralism and religious freedom that enriches Israeli society.

These terraced gardens gracefully ascend Mount Carmel, representing more than just an architectural marvel; they embody the essence of the Baháʼí faith – unity and peace.

The Baháʼí faith, with its roots in the 19th-century Persia, found its spiritual and administrative home in Haifa.

The Terraces, surrounding the Shrine of the Báb, one of the faith’s central figures, is not only a place of pilgrimage but also a beacon of inclusivity and harmony.

The meticulously manicured gardens, with 19 terraces extending up the northern slope of Mount Carmel, are a visual representation of the Baháʼí teachings about the unity of humanity and the integration of nature and spirituality.

This sacred site is more than just a religious landmark; it’s a testament to the diverse fabric of Israeli society.

Israel, a land revered by many faiths, stands as a unique mosaic of cultures and beliefs.

The existence and preservation of the Baháʼí Terraces in Haifa exemplify Israel’s commitment to religious freedom and respect for different faiths.

In a region often marred by religious and cultural conflicts, the Terraces shine as a symbol of coexistence and mutual respect.

The beauty of the Terraces is not only in their stunning gardens and architectural excellence but also in their message.

They speak to the possibility of a society where different religions and cultures can coexist peacefully, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the nation.

As visitors walk through these gardens, they witness the serene power of unity and the importance of preserving such spaces that celebrate diversity and encourage dialogue.

In a world where religious freedom is not a given, the Baháʼí Terraces in Haifa stand as a proud reminder of what can be achieved when a society embraces pluralism and mutual respect.

They are not just a jewel in Israel’s crown but a beacon of hope, showing the way towards a more inclusive and harmonious world.

[veronicaleighauthor]

Banned Books Week 2024

Yes, it’s that time of year again, when we remember the books that have been banned throughout history. Is it just me that when I hear of a book banned or censored, I immediately go look into it? Kind of defeats the purpose of keeping it from the public. What am I going to focus on this year? The Holy Bible! Yes, that’s right, the Good Book itself has been banned. Let’s dive in and find out why!

Description:

The Bible is a collection of religious texts or scriptures, some, all, or a variant of which are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and other Abrahamic religions. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. The texts include instructions, stories, poetry, prophecies, and other genres. The collection of materials that are accepted as part of the Bible by a particular religious tradition or community is called a biblical canon. Believers in the Bible generally consider it to be a product of divine inspiration, but the way they understand what that means and interpret the text varies.

Author:

Well, if you’re an evangelical Christian, such as myself, you believe it was divinely inspired/written by God. It’s His #1 Best Seller. However, the accepted answer is that it was written by numerous authors over thousands of years. Well, whoever authored it, you have to admit, there are countless passages, pieces of poetry, and teachings that are breath-takingly beautiful. The Bible has left a cultural impact on the world.

Why It was Banned:

The reasons it is banned are incredibly complicated and on-going, but I’ll try to briefly answer it. From the start, the Bible has been challenged. The Roman Empire despised the Jewish people, who faithfully adhered to the Torah and went as far to destroy their culture, The Temple, Scriptures…And eventually the Roman Empire despised the Christians who adhered to both the Torah and the teachings of Christ. As the disciples and followers penned the books of the New Testament, they experienced persecution, which included opposition to what they believed and wrote. As time went on, sixty-six books (we know them as the Old and New Testaments) were compiled and generally accepted as what know as the Holy Bible. Eventually, the Roman Catholic Church came to power and more or less kept the Bible out of the hands of the people, to maintain control of the populace. Ironically, when the Protestant Church came into being, they accepted only certain books of the Bible, and wanted to purge it of less desirable ones. Martin Luther, I’m looking at you for your hatred of The Book of Esther. Various Islamic and Communist countries have banned or censored the Bible. The Puritans only accepted the Geneva Bible, rejecting the King James Version as corrupted by the Catholic Church. In the early 19th century, the good ol’ US of A fashioned a Bible especially for slaves, to encourage them to remain in bondage and not rebel or escape. In Nazi Germany, the Bible was rewritten, to strip it of its Jewish identity and Jesus was turned into an Aryan god. In 2008 or 2009, conservatives considered editing the Bible to remove certain teachings of Jesus because those teachings promoted socialism. As of late, the Bible has been removed from school libraries on the pretense that if you remove other books like “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” or “To Kill A Mockingbird,” for being too graphic, controversial, or filled with offensive passages, you have to remove the Bible too.

My Thoughts:

I love the Bible; I’ve read it since I was a kid and for me, it inspires me every day. I turn to it for faith, guidance, hope, and to remind myself of Christ’s love. As a Christian, I obviously don’t want it to be banned. As a bibliophile, I’m against banning books. But I do think there is logic in the argument, that if you want to purge school and public libraries of books with “questionable content”, you’d have to remove the Bible too. Because the Bible does depict violence, sex, rape and incest, cannibalism, murder, prejudice, persecution, the questioning of authorities/governments…We can’t use the argument that the Bible could never be banned or censored in America, because that’s happened before. If we’re not careful, it could happen again. I feel the best remedy would be to cease book banning and censorship altogether and let the people decide for themselves how to think, believe, and what they want to read.

If you’d like to read the Bible, you can head over to Amazon.com and buy a copy. Or you can read it for free at BibleGateway.com

What banned book have you read this year?

[swiftsnowmane]

"This report, Outsiders: Multifaceted Violence Against Baháʼís in the Islamic Republic of Iran, jointly produced by Abdorahhman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran and Eleos Justice (Faculty of Law, Monash University), examines the persecution of Bahá’ís through two frameworks: Johan Galtung’s theory of violence — direct, structural, and cultural — and international criminal law. Drawing on diverse sources, including over 50 interviews with Baháʼís, the report provides unprecedented insight into the mechanisms of persecution and calls for international awareness and accountability.

The Bahá’í faith, established in 1844, has faced continuous and intense persecution in Iran, marked by violence, discrimination, and a systematic denial of rights. Initially, Bahá’ís experienced mob violence and various forms of state-sanctioned oppression, which worsened after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The new regime viewed the Bahá’í community as a theological and ideological threat, reinforcing exclusionary policies under the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih, which left no room for religious diversity.

State violence against Bahá’ís has ranged from executions, enforced disappearances, torture, and physical abuse, to the destruction of property, including homes, businesses, and cemeteries. Hundreds of Bahá’í properties have been confiscated, leaving families without recourse and with lingering trauma.

Apart from physical violence, Bahá’ís in Iran suffer structural and cultural discrimination. The constitution excludes Bahá’ís from recognized religious minorities, denying them basic rights to education, employment, and property. A 1991 memorandum further formalized policies aimed at limiting Bahá’í socioeconomic progress. Recently, Bahá’ís have been denied marriage registration, complicating legal matters around family and inheritance.

Culturally, the State perpetuates anti-Bahá’í sentiment through propaganda and misinformation, portraying Bahá’ís as foreign agents or morally corrupt. This narrative permeates educational materials, fostering discrimination among students and teachers. However, there is growing resistance among Iranians, with some expressing support for the Bahá’í community.

Under international law, these systematic actions against Bahá’ís constitute crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution, though they fall short of the legal definition of genocide. Despite Iran’s non-participation in the Rome Statute, the principle of universal jurisdiction allows for potential prosecution by other nations, marking an ongoing international concern for the Bahá’ís’ plight in Iran.

Read the full report in PDF format."

[tower-of-hana]

Is the Parable of the Lovers a thing Muslims talk about often or is it a niche Muslim thing and a really common Baha'i thing?

[theupfish]

The Baha'i faith teaches unity of all the world's religions

Founded in 19th Century Iran, the Baha'i faith built off of the previous three Abrahamic religions. The Baha'i believe that all of the world's major religions have been revealed by the same God.

From Wikipedia's article on the Baha'i faith:

According to Baháʼí teachings, religion is revealed in an orderly and progressive way by a single God through Manifestations of God, who are the founders of major world religions throughout human history; Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are cited as the most recent of these Manifestations of God before the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh.

Despite their religion's inclusive and progressive nature, the Baha'i people have faced ongoing persecution, particularly in their home nation under the Islamic Republic of Iran. But despite attempts to suppress it, the Baha'i faith is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, as well as one of the most widespread around the globe.

The Baha'i people have an elected leadership for their entire religion, comparable to the Vatican for Catholicism. It's called the Universal House of Justice, and is located in Haifa, Israel; also in Haifa are the Shrine of the Báb, and its famous gardens, also known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa.

The main symbol of the Baha'i faith is the nine-point star. Others include the five-point star, the Greatest Name, and the Ringstone Symbol. (Link)

[lauralot89]

Abrahamic Faiths

Because I thought there were only three but it turns out there are more.

Abrahamic faiths are religions that worship the God of Abraham.

Judaism: Characterized by belief in the God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and other prophets, and by living in covenant with God according to scripture and tradition

Christianity: Characterized by the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and the Incarnation of God

Islam: Characterized by following the teachings of Muhammad, who is viewed as the last prophet sent by God

Baháʼí Faith: Characterized by the belief that Manifestations of God have founded various world religions throughout history, with the most recent being the religion's founder, Baháʼu'lláh.

Druzism: Characterized by following the teachings of Hamza ibn ‘Alī ibn Aḥmad and by belief in reincarnation.

Gnosticism: Characterized by the belief that the world was created and governed by a lesser deity, while Jesus was a messenger of the supreme deity and enabled human redemption.

Mandaeism: Characterized by a lack of set doctrines and creeds and by revering John the Baptist as a major prophet.

Rastafari: Characterized by the belief that God partially resides in every person and by the reverence toward the Ethopian emperor Haile Selassie.

Samaritanism: Characterized by the belief that the Samaritan Pentateuch is the only true, unchanged version of the Torah.

[ed-recoverry]

Shoutout to religious people struggling with mental illness.

Shoutout to all Christian mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Jewish mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Muslim mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Hindu mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Buddhist mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Sikh mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Shintoist mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Taoist mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Zoroastrian mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Shaman mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Confucian mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Baháʼí mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Jain mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Cheondoist mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Caodaist mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Druze mentally ill folks.

Shoutout to all Sarnaist mentally ill folks

Struggling internally and still keeping your faith is something to be proud of. It’s okay to question, waver, and change your mind. Any healthy coping mechanism is a win.

This is not meant to invalidate non-religious mentally ill folks as well! You are also just as valid and loved and worthy.