Reform Bahai Faith
2010-03-16 14:04:15 UTC
About the Reform Bahai Faith
http://www.reformbahai.org/about.html
The Reform Bahai Faith affirms the universal spiritual and moral principles taught in all of the
great religious traditions. Similar to Mahayana Buddhism, Reform Bahais believe the Example set by
Abdul-Baha during his travels to Europe and the United States in the early 20th century, an Example
of universal love and brotherhood, was perhaps his greatest Teaching.
As Abdul-Baha often suggested, far from having the exclusive truth and the fanaticism to which that
notion has so often led, Reform Bahais look to what is universal and non-creedal in the world's
religious experience, and include prayers and meditations from other religions in their private and
community worship, listen to and learn from God's other religions—all of which is to say the Reform
Bahai Faith has moved on from its historical and cultural roots, as all living religions have and
do, and is now a global, universal faith.
The Reform Bahai Faith, known during Abdul-Baha's time as the Bahai Movement or Cause, is not an
organization, but a way of life. Abdul-Baha taught that the Bahai Movement was a way for people of
all religious persuasions to come together in neutral territory and worship the Divine Being in a
mutually respectful atmosphere of peace and harmony. "You can be a Bahai-Christian, a
Bahai-Freemason, a Bahai-Jew, a Bahai-Muhammadan."
Reform Bahais believe Abdul-Baha's Interpretation of his Father's Teachings, as the Center of His
Covenant, is much more profound than the prevailing conception of religion in modern society.
Speaking in Europe and North America from 1911 to 1913, Abdul-Baha stated on a number of occasions
that he was a man just like anyone else and that the Bahai Faith could not be organized, yet often
spoke paradoxically of the growth of the Bahai community throughout the world, grounded in
democratic pluralism.
More "Protestant" along the lines, in some ways, of Unitarian Universalism or other similarly
liberal denominations, Reform Bahais believe it's largely the responsibility of the individual to
read the Bahai Writings and prayerfully decide, prayerfully discern, how to follow the Teachings of
Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Bahai Faith, and those of Abdul-Baha, the Interpreter of Baha'u'llah's
Covenant, striving for spiritual development and service to humankind.
It is the individual soul that God has created to develop in the integrity and freedom of his or her
own search for spiritual maturity and conscience, through prayer and meditation, transforming the
community and the world one soul at a time, achieving the timeless goal of self-sacrificing love,
compassion, and service to humanity.
In practice, there are individual Reform Bahais who follow all or many commonly shared Bahai forms
and teachings observed by other Baha'i denominations because they themselves believe they should or
want to; not because they're pressured into them. There are other Reform Bahais who don't feel
comfortable with one thing or another, believing perhaps the time is not right for themselves and
others, or the particular teaching may be more culturally bound to the past than the more universal
principles of Baha'u'llah. Reform Bahais follow Abdul-Baha's 1912 Authentic Covenant, which he
delivered publicly in New York City, a broad, open, loving vision of God's relation to humanity.
While emphasizing what is universal in humanity’s religious experience, Baha’u’llah taught the
changing, evolutionary, and progressive nature of religious truth, demonstrating it by his own
example and teaching which evolved away from much of his forerunner the Bab. Similarly, Abdul-Baha
demonstrated essentially a re-Interpretation of Baha’u’llah’s teachings for the modern world. Reform
Bahais do not regard the Bahai Teachings as a rigid set of unchanging and inflexible doctrines and
forumulas. Nor is the universality of the Teachings frozen in a form subservient to the exclusivism
of the Judeo-Christian or Islamic and Sufi cultural heritage of the Bahai Faith. The universal,
global Teachings of Baha'u'llah transcend the limitations of all past Dispensations, inspire and
envision a new spiritual worldview and civilization.
Baha’u’llah and Abdul-Baha taught that it is the Spirit that is important, not form, doctrine, or
organization. Accordingly, God is interested in the human heart, sincere worship, communion, and
prayer, the individual cultivating the virtues of the spirit in selfless service to humanity, in
practice and deed, not merely doctrine and theory, in every walk of life, respecting the unique
cultures of the earth, even while revering what’s universal or held in common by humankind.
Abdul-Baha envisioned the Bahai House of Worship as open to the faithful of all religions and
traditions, as a place of universal prayer and meditation, not exclusively Bahai. Consequently,
Reform Bahais honor the spirit wherever it is found and expressed in the writings and oral
traditions of wisdom and belief.
Following Abdul-Baha, Reform Bahais elect Spiritual Assemblies, with nine members, for community
consultation and guidance. Largely "congregational" in structure, local communities are independent
grass-root associations, though they will ultimately elect national and an international unit with
non-binding advisory and coordinating duties and responsibilities. While Abdul-Baha stated he had
not "appointed" anyone, he did not mean that the local assembly could not appoint people to serve in
any position necessary, "to engage in service of the Kingdom." At every level of Bahai consultation,
the independence of the individual is preserved.
Reform Bahais believe Baha'u'llah taught that the separation of church and state is the Will of God
and distance themselves from any interpretations of an eventual Bahai theocracy, following
Abdul-Baha's vision of a global spiritual democracy.
Reform Bahais are free to express, write, and publish, without any type of "review" or censorship.
The Reform Bahai Faith does not teach or practice shunning, nor any form of excommunication,
following Abdul-Baha’s teaching that "The conscience of man is sacred and to be respected."
About the Reform Bahai Faith
http://www.reformbahai.org/about.html
Reform Bahai Faith
Rochester, Michigan USA
www.ReformBahai.org
Chicago Tribune. Baha'i rift. Baha'is upset with Orthodox Baha'i Faith May 18, 2009
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/may/18/local/chi-bahai-18-may18
Comments posted to The Chicago Tribune Forum on one page:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/Chicago_Tribune.html
Yahoo Group - ReformBahai
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReformBahai
Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship
http://www.reformbahai.org/about.html
The Reform Bahai Faith affirms the universal spiritual and moral principles taught in all of the
great religious traditions. Similar to Mahayana Buddhism, Reform Bahais believe the Example set by
Abdul-Baha during his travels to Europe and the United States in the early 20th century, an Example
of universal love and brotherhood, was perhaps his greatest Teaching.
As Abdul-Baha often suggested, far from having the exclusive truth and the fanaticism to which that
notion has so often led, Reform Bahais look to what is universal and non-creedal in the world's
religious experience, and include prayers and meditations from other religions in their private and
community worship, listen to and learn from God's other religions—all of which is to say the Reform
Bahai Faith has moved on from its historical and cultural roots, as all living religions have and
do, and is now a global, universal faith.
The Reform Bahai Faith, known during Abdul-Baha's time as the Bahai Movement or Cause, is not an
organization, but a way of life. Abdul-Baha taught that the Bahai Movement was a way for people of
all religious persuasions to come together in neutral territory and worship the Divine Being in a
mutually respectful atmosphere of peace and harmony. "You can be a Bahai-Christian, a
Bahai-Freemason, a Bahai-Jew, a Bahai-Muhammadan."
Reform Bahais believe Abdul-Baha's Interpretation of his Father's Teachings, as the Center of His
Covenant, is much more profound than the prevailing conception of religion in modern society.
Speaking in Europe and North America from 1911 to 1913, Abdul-Baha stated on a number of occasions
that he was a man just like anyone else and that the Bahai Faith could not be organized, yet often
spoke paradoxically of the growth of the Bahai community throughout the world, grounded in
democratic pluralism.
More "Protestant" along the lines, in some ways, of Unitarian Universalism or other similarly
liberal denominations, Reform Bahais believe it's largely the responsibility of the individual to
read the Bahai Writings and prayerfully decide, prayerfully discern, how to follow the Teachings of
Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Bahai Faith, and those of Abdul-Baha, the Interpreter of Baha'u'llah's
Covenant, striving for spiritual development and service to humankind.
It is the individual soul that God has created to develop in the integrity and freedom of his or her
own search for spiritual maturity and conscience, through prayer and meditation, transforming the
community and the world one soul at a time, achieving the timeless goal of self-sacrificing love,
compassion, and service to humanity.
In practice, there are individual Reform Bahais who follow all or many commonly shared Bahai forms
and teachings observed by other Baha'i denominations because they themselves believe they should or
want to; not because they're pressured into them. There are other Reform Bahais who don't feel
comfortable with one thing or another, believing perhaps the time is not right for themselves and
others, or the particular teaching may be more culturally bound to the past than the more universal
principles of Baha'u'llah. Reform Bahais follow Abdul-Baha's 1912 Authentic Covenant, which he
delivered publicly in New York City, a broad, open, loving vision of God's relation to humanity.
While emphasizing what is universal in humanity’s religious experience, Baha’u’llah taught the
changing, evolutionary, and progressive nature of religious truth, demonstrating it by his own
example and teaching which evolved away from much of his forerunner the Bab. Similarly, Abdul-Baha
demonstrated essentially a re-Interpretation of Baha’u’llah’s teachings for the modern world. Reform
Bahais do not regard the Bahai Teachings as a rigid set of unchanging and inflexible doctrines and
forumulas. Nor is the universality of the Teachings frozen in a form subservient to the exclusivism
of the Judeo-Christian or Islamic and Sufi cultural heritage of the Bahai Faith. The universal,
global Teachings of Baha'u'llah transcend the limitations of all past Dispensations, inspire and
envision a new spiritual worldview and civilization.
Baha’u’llah and Abdul-Baha taught that it is the Spirit that is important, not form, doctrine, or
organization. Accordingly, God is interested in the human heart, sincere worship, communion, and
prayer, the individual cultivating the virtues of the spirit in selfless service to humanity, in
practice and deed, not merely doctrine and theory, in every walk of life, respecting the unique
cultures of the earth, even while revering what’s universal or held in common by humankind.
Abdul-Baha envisioned the Bahai House of Worship as open to the faithful of all religions and
traditions, as a place of universal prayer and meditation, not exclusively Bahai. Consequently,
Reform Bahais honor the spirit wherever it is found and expressed in the writings and oral
traditions of wisdom and belief.
Following Abdul-Baha, Reform Bahais elect Spiritual Assemblies, with nine members, for community
consultation and guidance. Largely "congregational" in structure, local communities are independent
grass-root associations, though they will ultimately elect national and an international unit with
non-binding advisory and coordinating duties and responsibilities. While Abdul-Baha stated he had
not "appointed" anyone, he did not mean that the local assembly could not appoint people to serve in
any position necessary, "to engage in service of the Kingdom." At every level of Bahai consultation,
the independence of the individual is preserved.
Reform Bahais believe Baha'u'llah taught that the separation of church and state is the Will of God
and distance themselves from any interpretations of an eventual Bahai theocracy, following
Abdul-Baha's vision of a global spiritual democracy.
Reform Bahais are free to express, write, and publish, without any type of "review" or censorship.
The Reform Bahai Faith does not teach or practice shunning, nor any form of excommunication,
following Abdul-Baha’s teaching that "The conscience of man is sacred and to be respected."
About the Reform Bahai Faith
http://www.reformbahai.org/about.html
Reform Bahai Faith
Rochester, Michigan USA
www.ReformBahai.org
Chicago Tribune. Baha'i rift. Baha'is upset with Orthodox Baha'i Faith May 18, 2009
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/may/18/local/chi-bahai-18-may18
Comments posted to The Chicago Tribune Forum on one page:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/Chicago_Tribune.html
Yahoo Group - ReformBahai
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReformBahai
Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship