We are doing things a bit different today.
Rather than focus on the absurdities found in different religious persuations, and how to avoid them, we are going to look at the good some belief systems can generate.
I first learned about the Bahá’í Community from a friend of mine back in the late 60's. (This was shortly after I had a rude religious awakening from L. Ron Hubbard and his henchmen at the Toronto 'Church' of Scientology. Searching for some religious enlightenment I was instead disgusted by the antics of these 'Scientologists,' and this left a bad taste in my mouth ever since!)
It's too bad really, because this friend told be about the Bahá’í Community shortly after my revelation that Hubbard was a common huckster and con man. Otherwise I might have been in a better frame of mind to explore what they were all about!
Bahá’í is a distant offshoot of Islam, (Although Muslims are keeping true to their faith by persecuting and discriminating against the Bahá’í) and preaches universal love and peace for all humankind.
I have a condensed version of the Bahá'í beliefs taken from Wikipedia that you might find interesting and then I will tell you why I put this here today!
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.
In the Bahá'í Faith, religious history is seen to have unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and the capacity of the people.
These messengers have included Abraham, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and others, and most recently the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. In Bahá'í belief, each consecutive messenger prophesied of messengers to follow, and Bahá'u'lláh's life and teachings fulfilled the end-time promises of previous scriptures.In my spiritual quest I have basic problems with Islam, and through fundamentalists and extremists actions they are proving the true nature of the faith. Islam was born in violence, spread through violence and maintained by violence!
Humanity is understood to be in a process of collective evolution, and the need of the present time is for the gradual establishment of peace, justice and unity on a global scale.
Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humankind.
From these postulates stems the belief that God periodically reveals his will through divine messengers, whose purpose is to transform the character of humankind and develop, within those who respond, moral and spiritual qualities.
Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation, with a will and purpose that is expressed through messengers termed Manifestations of God.
Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the world's religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God.
Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.
Specific religious social teachings (e.g., the direction of prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established.
Conversely, certain general principles (e.g. neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent.
The Bahá'í writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's station and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through His messengers, and to conform to their teachings.
The Bahá'í writings emphasize the essential equality of human beings, and the abolition of prejudice. Humanity is seen as essentially one, though highly varied; its diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance.
Doctrines of racism, nationalism, caste, social class and gender-based hierarchy are seen as artificial impediments to unity.
The Bahá'í teachings state that the unification of humankind is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.
The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of humankind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind—these stand out as the essential elements of Bahá'í.
Christianity is more to my liking as far as the concept itself goes, but they have as much blood on their hands as the Muslims and even if that weren't the case I have major problems with the 'Trinity' and the 'Resurrection!'
The Eastern Religions are probably closest to the mark, but because of my Western upbringing I have a hard time getting my head around it! They also have too many lives! This one is hard enogh!
Judaism is ruled by an angry God..... and besides that, I got picked on and bullied enough when I was a kid, I don't want that happening now in adulthood just because I'm a Jew!
As far as Native religions go, Totemism and Animism hold no attraction for me, and besides, who wants to live in a tent or a hut!
No, my friends, I think that if I was going to get religion, and throw away these Agnostic's clothes, it would have to be Bahá’í.
BUT DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH!
If you are unfamiliar with the Toronto Bahá’í Community, it might be helpful to know that it is a lot like Toronto itself: made up of women, men and children from all over the world, including Toronto, and from all walks of life.
What the Bahá’í Community has in common is a commitment to unifying the human race and establishing global justice.
The community enthusiastically invites you to participate in one or more of the many events and activities that are taking place regularly in every part of the city, including your neighborhood.
Should you have any questions regarding events, our community, or the Bahá’í Faith, please don't hesitate to click on 'contact us'.
Once again, welcome! And as a final note, the information on this site will be updated frequently so you might want to bookmark it.
http://www.bahaitoronto.org/
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