"The teachings of the Babis which come to us ... have through
Baha'u'llah's teachings been gradually developed and now present us with the
highest and purest form of religious teaching."
-Leo Tolstoy
"A woman brought me the other day a
Book. I spell it with a capital letter because it is a glorious Book of love and
goodness, strength and beauty... [The] writings are a great cry toward peace,
reaching beyond all limits of frontiers, above all dissention about rites and
dogmas... It teaches that all hatreds, intrigues, suspicions, evil words, all
aggressive patriotism even, are outside the one essential law of God, and that
special beliefs are but surface things whereas the heart that beats with divine
love knows no tribe nor race.
"It is a wondrous Message that Baha'u'llah and his son Abdu'l-Baha have given
us. They have not set it up aggressively knowing that the germ of eternal truth
that lies at its core cannot but take root and spread...Search out their Books,
and let their glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating words and lessons sink
into your hearts as they have into mine. One's busy day may seem too full for
religion. Or one may have a religion that satisfies. But the teachings of these
gentle, wise and kindly men are compatible with all religion, and with no
religion. Seek them, and be the happier."
-Queen Marie of Rumania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria
"Many people think of religion as an activity that is carried
out in a church, a mosque, a synagogue or a temple. Apart from births,
marriages and deaths, for most people religion has no impact on any other part
of their lives or on the society in which they live.
"To understand the Baha'i Faith, however, you need to think differently about
religion. In the Baha'i scriptures there are teachings on subjects such as
social ethics, race issues, feminist issues, economics, global government and
legal matters. Indeed it could be said that there are few areas of human life,
at the individual, social or global levels, about which the Baha'i Faith does
not have something to say. It is not that there are specific policies and
detailed regulations on these areas, but rather there are general principles
upon which policies can be formulated in response to specific situations." -Dr
Moojan Momen, religious scholar and author.
"If the
ecclesiastical systems of the world are 'religion', then the [Baha'i Faith] is
not; if it is 'religion', then they really are not. It does a disservice to the
Mission of Baha'u'llah, to the World Order which He has come to establish, to
focus our public message in religious categories.
"As the Prophet of global transformation, Baha'u'llah addresses all of
humankind. The principles of His Writings, the vision of civilization He
propounds, His prescriptions for the moral reformation of society and human
nature are a universal lagacy, without conditions, without prior commitment. The
new covenant between God and man which He proclaims is not an organization or an
ideology, but a universal reality operating within every soul and between all
souls. It is readily accessible to independent investigation and discovery, ...
It is reality. Ultimately it will engage the minds and spirits of all people
because it is the nature of reality to do so." -Douglas Martin
"I began to study the Baha'i
teachings and found them very acceptable and satisfying. Slowly, very gradually,
I began to believe in God again. This came about through knowledge of a
Revelation from God. How else could man who is finite learn of God who is
infinite? I learned that God revealed Himself in former times through Krishna,
Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad, and that a little more
than 100 years ago, the same Eternal spirit of God had spoken again through
Baha'u'llah. I learned that He had given a message that enabled men to bridge
all barriers of religious, racial and national prejudice and which had
established a community of believers in all the countries of the world. These
believers came from Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian and Moslem
backgrounds, and they have the directions of Baha'u'llah in establishing a World
Order that is ushering in the kingdom of God on earth. This is the realisation
of what Christ taught us to pray for, '... Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.' Would He have taught us to pray for this if it was
never to come?"
"I was
particularly attracted to the Baha'i teaching of harmony between science and
religion. Having totally forsaken science, I now realised that I had gone to
extremes all through my life, without finding balance."
"I want to say
a word to any reader who may feel offended because I may have replaced Christ
with Baha'u'llah . Will you please try to understand that I found Christ through
Baha'u'llah? They are the same Spirit, and my loyalty to Christ had to be
expressed in my recognition of Baha'u'llah as the return of the Spirit of
Christ."
"At the picnic
two things impressed me. For one, the percentage of youth and young adults
present. I had visited several religious groups that seemed to be comfortable
havens for older ladies. That was fine, but where were the youth? ... Another
thing that impressed me was that not one person, even once, made any indication
that I should be a Baha'i. ... I was a birthright Quaker, and knew that if the
world were all Quakers there would be no wars. I still believe it after being a
Baha'i for twenty years. But in checking out what was different, I learned that
as Baha'u'llah's coming with a new revelation, He brought a new type of
administration that will make the establishment of world peace possible."
"I found that the Baha'i teachings
were in line with my personal beliefs. God is one...there should be no
discrimination among people ... I never really liked the any kind of rituals and
superstitions ... I believed that there should not be any kind of mediator
between me and God, except the prophets of God ...worshipping idols and rocks
and attending temples never pleased me ... women should be given the same
chances in life as men ...I began a campaign just for myself not to drink any
liquor because all my relations and neighbours were very heavy drinkers and
created lots of problems for us."
"What I found
most attractive was that most of the teachings of the Faith were very similar,
if not identical, to my own outlook on the world... Progressive revelation made
sense to me also. The evolution of life on earth, the history of man, indeed the
entire universe, shows patterns of cycles and progression. I reasoned that if
there is a God and if God has anything to do with mankind, then God's
relationship with the only beings in creation, as far as we know, who are
capable of recognising Him, would follow patterns similar to those which we have
observed in His creation. ... I attended a number of firesides that June and was
impressed with the Baha'is I met. They represented a fairly wide range of
economic and educational backgrounds, and I felt comfortable in their company."
"... the
supremely logical principles on which the Baha'i Faith is based, and the amazing
concurrence of its social teachings with my own personal feelings... the
satisfaction by the Baha'i Faith of a deep spiritual need within me...My main
difficulty with becoming a Baha'i was my concern about the reaction of my wife
... When I first told her about the Baha'i Faith she was very hostile and didn't
even want to discuss it. The minister of the church she attended at the time
told her it was a cult inspired by the devil! Gradually, however, as she
observed the positive changes that the Baha'i Faith was bringing about in my
life, her attitude changed to one of tolerance, and eventually to one of
respect..."
"I was
attracted by the claim of Baha'u'llah being the return of Christ, the principle
of the oneness of mankind, simplicity of religion and that here was a system
that could replace the two defective systems [communism and capitalism] that
exist in the world."
"I had been attending a Bible
class for young mothers for five months and was quite involved in changing my
life through the example of Jesus. In the class we learned to pray in a
communicating way - not talking all the time but listening... I heard about the
Baha'i Faith ... A dear friend babysat my two-year old daughter for the two
weeks I buried myself in Baha'i books, then after much tearful prayer - begging
to know the truth - I became a Baha'i. Bible class led me to Baha'u'llah and I
continued in that class and other Bible classes when I moved shortly after. The
friend who babysat my daughter became a Baha'i ten months later."
"I asked our
minister, Dr T, a graduate of Yale Divinity School, why we considered Muhammad
to be a black heathen. He drew in his breath and turned a little pale. 'Don't
bother your little head about Muhammad. I'm your spiritual leader and I won't
lead you astray', he said. 'Is that all you have to say, Dr T?' 'Yes', he said.
'Trust me... You'll go astray if you look into Islam.' Today, if I were to run
across Dr T, I would throw my arms around him and say: 'Thank God you did not
answer my question'. For it started me on a quest of looking into everything -
an independent investigation of truth."
"I was happy
with my church except that my husband couldn't accept so much of the Christian
dogma. He believed in God, but was wary of any church, because of his experience
in Catholic school... Since I was open for something better suited for our
family's needs, we sat in on the [Baha'i] children's class. I was intrigued by
the lesson, 'Flowers of One Garden'. I asked to know more... This was the kind
of God I knew and loved. The religion felt like home. The only thing that I was
not comfortable with was the Persian origin - I could not pronounce the names.
But, the joy was real, the Spirit was truly illuminating my heart. I recognised
the Truth. An additional thrill for me was seeing my husband embracing the Faith
as well. I hadn't had to search out the place where we could develop spiritually
together - it had come home.... The Faith has given me new purpose in life. I
can clearly see my role as an educator, both of children and parents."
"My husband was always in trouble
as a youth - he was an expert thief. He broke into people's homes and had a
warehouse for car parts. He never hurt anyone. He was just very intelligent,
bored at school, hyperactive as a child, and just did the stealing in order to
challenge himself. When we met he was eighteen and I was seventeen years old. He
was then challenging himself with something else, drugs - and we did that
together for a while.... During that time I also began to go to Baha'i
[meetings], and eventually he also began to join me. We both became attracted to
the Baha'i Faith and quit our bad habits."
"Expecting some
foolish words, I took her prayer book and opened it at the beginning. It was a
prayer for assistance. The words: "My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire.
What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee" froze my heart. I was in shock and
remember thinking that the one who wrote that was true and honest. These were
words of pure love. I was caught and transfixed... I then met some local Baha'is
and started meeting them regularly. I wanted to become a Baha'i within days, but
being young and from a Catholic family, the local Baha'is suggested that I
should wait, mostly fearing the fanatical reaction of the town."
"It was due to
the influence of the books I read and the people I met complete with the utter
logic of the basic Baha'i principles that within a few months I elected to
become a Baha'i. And to the extent that I became involved in so glorious a
Revelation, to that extent my life has been enriched.... By accepting the tenet
of Baha'u'llah that the earth is one country and mankind its citizens, I have
found that one's outlook in any given situation can be a lot more constructive
by having no need to harbour any type of prejudicial outlook. I feel most
privileged to say that amongst my friends, Baha'i and non-Baha'i, throughout the
world, I have known and loved people of every nationality and creed, of every
colour and educational background, of the rich and the poor, of the eloquent and
the inarticulate, of the fit and the handicapped. It takes so very little
spiritual adjustment to grant so vast a vista. I sincerely and warmly invite you
to partake of the same experience...."
"Then there's
the story of the man who learned about the Baha'i Faith and considered the
principles so admirable that... he made a substantial donation, only to have it
returned to him with a note saying that only Baha'is may contribute to the
Baha'i funds. So, he became a Baha'i!"
"On signing the
[registration] card I became the recipient of many handshakes and embraces, and
of many friends devoted and true, friends who not only dared to dream and
visualise a better world, but also to work for these dreams to materialise."
"My Baha�i beliefs give me a
positive outlook even when faced with obstacles that at times seem
insurmountable. Having faith in a higher power reassures me that I am never
alone and that someone is looking after me even when I make mistakes. Growing up
as a Baha'i has provided me with an attitude of service. How can I be of service
to others? How can I utilise my talents to make this world a better place?"
"I feel that
that the Baha'i Faith has changed my life for the better in countless ways. I
now have a considerably more positive outlook toward life. I am more
self-confident and am more able to relate to people and make friends more
easily. This change in perspective has greatly helped my career and personal
life ..."
"Being a Baha�i
helped me to keep things in perspective. The Baha'i practice of calling oneself
to account at the end of each day helps me to focus on what I need to do to
become the kind of person I want to be and to achieve the things I want to
achieve. Perhaps the greatest personal gain from learning about the teachings of
Baha'u'llah has been a feeling of empowerment and liberation from constant
distress about the state of the world. The teachings contain practical guidance
on what we can do to address the suffering in this world and clear, logical
solutions to the many woes afflicting humanity. I feel that I now know what I
need to do in my work and in my personal life to leave this world a better place
than I found it."
"I'm a Baha'i
and that�s the most important part of my life. It's a faith for this day and
age. It aims to eradicate old modes of thought and old prejudices so things like
equality of the sexes and unity of all races are very important. On a day-to-day
level, I feel being a follower of the Baha�i Faith gives me a centre. I am able
to approach all aspects of life - work, study, social and family commitment -
with a heightened sense of purpose. It allows me to constantly re-align my
priorities in a world that offers many distractions from actions that lead to
the betterment of the community."
"My philosophy
for action is based on the Baha�i teaching that people are inherently noble. I
see people's virtues, not their faults, as the common uniting factor, regardless
of race, creed and religion. Every person can play a part in building a peaceful
and prosperous community, no matter what their background is, no matter how
meagre their means are and no matter how limited their capacities are. Being a
Baha'i, to me, simply means consciously finding avenues to help others to better
themselves and to acquire heavenly virtues; striving to put noble thoughts into
action and to walk in the spiritual realm with practical feet; endeavouring to
carry forward an ever advancing civilisation and to achieve material and
spiritual advancements in daily undertakings."
"Being a member
of the Baha�i Faith greatly influences my professional life. My faith has always
taught me that people come before profits and by following this principle, the
profits come anyway. This faith also helps me not to be afraid to speak out on
unjust matters even though it may sometimes jeopardise my income. In my
day-to-day life my faith gives me a clear purpose. It has taught me to bring
myself to account at the end of each day by reflecting on my thoughts, words and
actions and to examine the repercussions they have on both me and other people.
I have a vision of the future and that there is a purpose for all things, and
that challenges are opportunities for spiritual growth."
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