What does the Bahá'í Faith teach?
In these times of change and unrest, humanity stands in need of a unifying vision of society and human nature. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, who claimed to be a Manifestation of God, the latest Divine Teacher for the age of human maturity. The Bahá’í Faith is founded on His teachings. Religion, Bahá’u’lláh teaches, is the most powerful force for the transformation of human conduct, human relationships, and the structure of society. He also teaches three fundamental core onenesses: the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humankind.
Oneness of Religion
There is but one religion which is progressively revealed by God, through prophets/messengers, as humanity matures and its capacity to understand grows. Differences in the religions, the Bahá’í writings state, are due to the exigencies of the time and place the religion was revealed. Bahá’u’lláh claimed to be the most recent, but not the last, in a series of divine educators which include Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna and others.
Oneness of God
The Bahá’í view of God is monotheistic. God is the imperishable, uncreated being who is the source of all existence. He is described as “a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty”. God’s image is reflected in His creation. The purpose of creation is for the created to have the capacity to know and love its creator.
Oneness of Humanity
There is one humanity and all people are equal in the sight of God. The Bahá’í Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class, while celebrating its diversity. `Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’u’lláh’s son and successor, states that the unification of mankind has now become “the paramount issue and question in the religious and political conditions of the world.”
Who is Bahá'u'lláh?
In the middle of the 19th century, God summoned Bahá’u’lláh—meaning the “Glory of God”—to deliver a new Revelation to humanity. For four decades thousands of verses, letters and books flowed from His pen. He outlined a framework for the development of a global civilization which takes into account both the spiritual and material dimensions of human life.
Bahá’u’lláh—as the latest in the series of divinely inspired moral educators who have guided humanity from age to age—has proclaimed that humanity is now approaching its long-awaited stage of maturity: unity at the global level of social organization. He provides a vision of the oneness of humanity, a moral framework, and teachings that, founded on the harmony of science and religion, directly address today’s problems. He points the way to the next stage of human social evolution. He offers to the peoples of the world a unifying story consistent with our scientific understanding of reality.
What does the Bahá'í Faith teach about Racism?
The Oneness of Humanity is one of the central core teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, as such, the elimination of all forms of prejudice is one of the main principles of the Faith. In the Sacred Writings of the Faith we find the practical and spiritual blueprint for addressing this issue, which in the United States, is considered the Most Vital and Challenging Issue faced by our community in present times. To learn more, please follow this link…
