Welcome
Introductions
Prayer/Music
Fireside
Questions/Comments
A person is a Baha’i if….
Next Steps
The Aim of the Bahá’í Faith
Is to Unify Humanity
The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to unite all the races and peoples in one universal Cause and one common Faith.
Bahá’ís are the followers of Bahá’u’lláh and believe He is the Promised One of all Ages.
Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God is unknowable in His Essence.
What has been created cannot understand its creator.
God is the Creator of all things and the reason behind our creation is love. Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God loved us, and we were created from this love.
God, the unknowable Creator
The Eternal Covenant
The way this love flows to us is through His Eternal Covenant.
God promised to never leaves us alone and without Guidance. When humanity moves away from God and forgets His Teachings, a Manifestation of God appears and makes God’s Will and Purpose known to us.
The Manifestations of God
Reveal the Word and Will of God
To listen to Them is to respond to the call of God
They are like perfect mirrors that reflect the Light of God in all its Splendor. And all these Mirrors reflect the same Light.
While God is beyond our reach, these perfect Beings come to us from time to time, live among us, give us guidance, and fill us with the energy we need to progress spiritually and materially.
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee.
Wherefore, do thou love Me,
that I may name thy name and
fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
The Manifestations of God
Reveal the Word and Will of God
To listen to Them is to respond to the call of God
They are like perfect mirrors that reflect the Light of God in all its Splendor. And all these Mirrors reflect the same Light.
While God is beyond our reach, these perfect Beings come to us from time to time, live among us, give us guidance, and fill us with the energy we need to progress spiritually and materially.
Bahá’u’lláh
Manifestation of God
Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817 in Tihran, the capital of Iran.
From His early childhood, He showed signs of greatness.
He received some instruction at home, but did not attend school, for He was endowed with innate knowledge from God.
Bahá’u’lláh came from a noble family. When He was a young man He was offered a high position in the court of the King, but refused it – dedicating His time instead to helping the oppressed, the sick and the poor and to champion the cause of justice.
Bahá’u’lláh ~ His Suffering & Influence
Bahá’u’lláh’s suffering began the moment He arose to proclaim the Cause of God – He lived a life of exile, imprisonment and persecution.
Bahá’u’lláh ~ His Suffering & Influence
. Put in chains in a dismal dungeon in Tehran
. Exiled four times from land to land until finally He was sent to the Prison City of Akka
. Nothing could be done to stop Bahá’u’lláh’s growing influence
. Passed away in 1892. His Shrine, which we consider the Holiest Spot on earth, is located near the city of Akka in the Holy Land.
Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. Akka, Israel
The Báb ~ Herald of the Bahá’í Faith
Several years before Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed His Mission, God sent a Manifestation of God to announce His coming.
The Báb ~ Herald of the Bahá’í Faith
For six years the Báb (The Gate) taught that the appearance of the new Manifestation of God was near & prepared the way of His coming.
He told the people that they were witnessing the dawn of a new Age, the dawn of the Promised Day of God.
His Suffering & Influence
Thousands and thousands of people accepted the Message of the Báb and began to follow His Teachings.
But in 1850, the government of Iran and powerful clergy who ruled over the masses rose against Him.
Martyrdom of the Báb
His followers were persecuted and thousands were put to death.
By orders of the government, a firing squad was assembled. At the age of 31, the Báb was martyred by a regiment of soldiers in a public square.
Shrine of the Báb. Haifa, Israel
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Eldest Son of Bahá’u’lláh.
Guided the Faith after His Father’s death.
Center of the Covenant. Passed away in 1921.
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi was named in 'Abdul-Baha's Will
as the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith.
He was the oldest grandson
of ‘Abdul-Baha. He guided the
Baha'is until he passed away
in 1957.
Then the Baha’is of the world
elected the Universal House
of Justice.
Bahá’í Administration
Bahá’ís receive guidance from:
Building where the Universal House of Justice meets.
It is supreme institution of the Faith, to which
all the Baha’is of the world now turn.
The Manifestations of God in each age bring
spiritual laws to humanity
�“Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.”
Prayer ~ Spiritual Sustenance
Short midday prayer:
“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”
-Baha’u’llah
�
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In another commandment, Bahá’u’lláh prohibits backbiting.
~ one of the greatest enemies of unity is backbiting. It acts like a poison.
�
Bahá’u’lláh prohibits the drinking of alcohol and, substance abuse. Drinking alcohol is one of the greatest social ills that exists in the world.
What Bahá’ís Do Locally
Building Strong Communities:
• Children’s classes
• Youth Spiritual
Empowerment Programs
• Study Circles
• Devotionals
Education of All Children
Classes that help children discover and strengthen their inherent spiritual qualities like kindness, patience and generosity through stories, songs, prayers and art.
Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program
Groups where �pre-teens and teens develop wisdom, compassion, decision-making skills and a mindset of service to others.
Study Circles
Where adults learn about the spiritual nature of life, develop spiritual habits and find ways to be of service.
Questions? Comments?
[Please let us know if you would like to receive free literature.]
Next steps to become a member, or if you are interested in finding about the Baha’i activities in your local community….
You are joyfully invited
to become a member of the Bahá’í Faith!
A person becomes a Bahá’í by informing the Bahá’í community of their desire to join the Bahá’í Faith, recognizing Bahá’u’lláh as the Messenger of God for this age, and confirms that they will strive to follow
His teachings.
To begin the process, you can fill out the form at https://www.bahai.us/contact/become-a-bahai/.
A representative will contact you to confirm your decision and warmly welcome you to the community!
If you simply want to know more about Baha’i activities in your local community…
Call this number and leave a message:
1-800-22-UNITE
1-800-228-6483
or Fill out this form: Bahai.us contact us
You can also use the chat in this meeting to request more information. Please share your:
Name,
Mailing address,
Preferred phone, Email,
City, State, and zip code
Send the above information in chat to the meeting organizer only.
www.bahai.us
www.bahai.org
www.bahaiteachings.org
Thank you for joining tonight!
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