Baháʼí teachings

The Baháʼí view of God is essentially monotheistic. God is the imperishable, uncreated being who is the source of all existence.[7][9] He is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty".[10][11] Though transcendent and inaccessible directly, his image is reflected in his creation. The purpose of creation is for the created to have the capacity to know and love its creator.[12]

In Baha'i belief, although human cultures and religions differ on their conceptions of God and his nature, the different references to God nevertheless refer to one and the same Being. The differences, instead of being regarded as irreconcilable constructs of mutually exclusive cultures, are seen as purposefully reflective of the varying needs of the societies in which the divine messages were revealed.[13]

The Baháʼí teachings state that God is too great for humans to create an accurate conception of. In the Baháʼí understanding, the attributes attributed to God, such as All-Powerful and All-Loving are derived from limited human experiences of power and love. Baháʼu'lláh taught that the knowledge of God is limited to those attributes and qualities which are perceptible to us, and thus direct knowledge of God is not possible. Furthermore, Baháʼu'lláh states that knowledge of the attributes of God is revealed to humanity through his messengers.[14][15]

As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge of their qualities and not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in its essence the Divine Reality, which is unlimited? ... Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of His attributes, and not of His Reality. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned to the capacity and power of man; it is not absolute.[16][17]

While the Baháʼí writings teach of a personal god who is a being with a personality (including the capacity to reason and to feel love), they clearly state that this does not imply a human or physical form.[10] The Baháʼí teachings state that one can get closer to God through prayer, meditation, study of the holy writings, and service.[7]

Quotation from the Baháʼí writings

The Baháʼí writings teach that there is but one humanity and all people are equal in the sight of God. The Baháʼí Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class, while celebrating its diversity.[6] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá states that the unification of mankind has now become "the paramount issue and question in the religious and political conditions of the world."[7] The Baháʼí writings affirm the biological, political, and spiritual unity of mankind. Baháʼu'lláh wrote:

Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship.[18][19]

Regarding biological unity the Baháʼí writings state that differences between various races, nations, and ethnic groups are either superficial (e.g. skin colour) or the result of differences in background or education.[20] A basic Baháʼí teaching is the elimination of all forms of prejudice, which refers to not only the elimination of racial prejudice but also that of other forms of prejudice such as gender discrimination.[21]

The Baháʼí teachings state that while ethnic and cultural diversity will continue to exist, humanity's first allegiance will be with the human race rather than any subsidiary group such as race, nation, or ethnic group. There will be an end not only to war, but even to inter-group rivalry.

While the Baháʼí writings talk about the unity of the world and its peoples, unity is not equated to uniformity, but instead the Baháʼí writings affirm the value of cultural, national and individual diversity through the principle of "Unity in diversity," which states that while recognizing the unity of mankind, cultural diversity should be celebrated.[6] Unity in diversity is commonly described in the Baháʼí writings through the analogy of flowers of one garden, where the different colours of the flowers add to the beauty of the garden.[22]

It [the Faith] does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnic origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world... Its watchword is unity in diversity...[23][24]

Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion
Religions
Buddhism Hinduism Native American Zoroastrianism

The Baháʼí teachings state that there is but one religion which is progressively revealed by God, through prophets/messengers, to mankind as humanity matures and its capacity to understand also grows.[6][7] The outward differences in the religions, the Baháʼí writings state, are due to the exigencies of the time and place the religion was revealed.[7] Baháʼu'lláh claimed to be the most recent, but not the last, in a series of divine educators which include Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, and others.[6][7]

The Baháʼí writings state that the essential nature of the messengers is twofold: they are at once human and divine. They are divine in that they all come from the same god and expound his teachings, and thus they can be seen in the same light, but at the same time they are separate individuals known by different names, who fulfill definite missions and are entrusted with particular revelations.[7] Baháʼu'lláh in many places states that denying any of the messengers of God is equivalent to denying all of them, and God himself. Regarding the relationships of these educators, which Baháʼís refer to as Manifestations of God Baháʼu'lláh writes:

God hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God . . . They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.[25][26]

The earliest forms of religion are seen, in many of the Baháʼí Writings, to be like early school.[30] In this view humanity, like a child, has been maturing with a greater ability to grasp complex ideas as it grows in years and passes school. Each time a divine messenger appears, the message was given at levels appropriate to humanity's degree of maturation.[30] In this view each different religion may have had truth explained differently according to the needs of the recipients of the teaching.

Covenant in the Baháʼí Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man.[31] There is a distinction between a Greater Covenant which is made between every messenger from God and his followers concerning the next dispensation, and a Lesser Covenant that concerns successorship of authority within the religion after the messenger dies.[31]

The greater covenant refers to the covenant made between each messenger from God, which the literature of the Baháʼí Faith name Manifestations of God, and his followers regarding the coming of the next Manifestation from God.[31] According to Baháʼu'lláh God has promised that he will send a succession of messengers that will instruct humankind.[32] In Baháʼí belief, this covenant is seen to be expressed in prophecy in the religious scripture of each religion, and each Manifestation of God, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and Baháʼu'lláh, prophesied the next Manifestation. In return, the followers of each religion are seen to have a duty to investigate the claims of the following Manifestations.[31]

The lesser covenant is a covenant that concerns the recognition of the messenger, acceptance and application of his teachings and laws made regarding the successorship of authority within the religion.[31] In Baháʼí belief the manner in which the Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh was clearly put forth is seen as being a fundamental defining feature of the religion and a powerful protector of the unity of the Baháʼí Faith and its adherents.[31]

The Baháʼí Faith affirms gender equality; that men and women are equal. Baháʼu'lláh noted that there was no distinction in the spiritual stations of men and women.[35] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote that both men and women possess the same potential for virtues and intelligence, and compared the two genders and the progress of civilization to the two wings of a bird where each wing is needed to provide flight.[36] In this sense, the equality of the sexes is seen as Baháʼís as a spiritual and moral standard that is essential for the unification of the planet and the unfoldment of world order, and in the importance of implementing the principle in individual, family, and community life.

While the Baháʼí teachings assert the full spiritual and social equality of women to men, there are some aspects of gender distinctiveness or gender differentiation in certain areas of life.[35] Men and women are seen as having different strength and abilities that enable them to better fill different roles. Thus there are certain teachings that give preference to men in some limited circumstances and some that give preference to women. One of these aspects relate to biological fact of potential motherhood for women, and thus the Baháʼí teaching that girls should be given priority in education as they potentially would be the children's first educator.[37] In terms of Baháʼí administration, all positions except for membership on the Universal House of Justice are open to men and women. No specific reason has been given for this exception, but ʻAbdu'l-Bahá has stated that there is a wisdom for it, which would eventually become clear.[37] Regardless rates of women serving at national levels of governance in the religion exceed those in general society: in 2010 the world average for female members of parliaments was 19%,[38] while the world average of women serving on national assemblies had reached rates of 39%.[39]

The harmony of science and religion is a central tenet of the Baháʼí teachings.[40] The principle states that that truth is one, and therefore true science and true religion must be in harmony, thus rejecting the view that science and religion are in conflict.[41] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá asserted that science without religion leads to materialism, and religion without science leads to superstition;[41] he also affirmed that reasoning powers are required to understand the truths of religion.[40] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá condemned civilizations based solely on materialistic beliefs which he said would bring about moral problems.[40]

The theme of education in the Baháʼí Faith is given quite prominent emphasis. Its literature gives a principle of universal, or compulsory education.[42] The Baháʼí teachings focus on promoting a moral and spiritual education, in addition to the arts, trades, sciences and professions. Baháʼu'lláh wrote that the spiritual capacities of each individual could not be achieved without spiritual education, and thus children needed to have spiritual/religious education from an early stage. He also stressed the importance of secular education in that one's work and vocation is socially important. The Baháʼí teachings state it is the obligation of the parents to provide for the education of their children, and that special importance should be given to the education of girls.[42]

As part of the focus on the unity of humankind,[43] the Baháʼí teachings see improved communication between peoples throughout the world as a vital part of world unity and peace.[44] The Baháʼí teachings see the current multiplicity of languages as a major impediment to unity, since the existence of so many languages cuts the free flow of information and makes it difficult for the average individual to obtain a universal perspective on world events.[45]

Baháʼu'lláh taught that the lack of a common language is a major barrier to world unity since the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts toward world peace due to misunderstandings of language; he urged that humanity should choose an auxiliary language that would be taught in schools in addition to one's own native language, so that people could understand one another.[46] He stated that until an auxiliary language is adopted, complete unity between the various parts of the world would continue to be unrealized.[47]

Baháʼu'lláh stressed, however, that the auxiliary language should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to languages.[45] The Baháʼí teachings state that cultural heterogeneity is compatible with unity, and that at the present time in the history of humankind, the Baháʼí teaching of unity requires the embracing of cultural diversity since humanity is enriched by the various cultures throughout the world.[43] The Baháʼí teachings also state that having an international auxiliary language would remove the pressure from the natural aggrandizement of majority language groups and thus preserve minority languages, since each person would keep their own mother-tongue, and thus minority cultures.[45]

Baháʼu'lláh taught that each human being must acquire knowledge through their processes, and not blindly believe or follow others blindly, and he made it a fundamental obligation.[48] He stated that since Truth is one, that when a person independently investigates they lead to the same truth and help lead to the oneness of humanity.[49] Baha'is are forbidden from communicating with Covenant-breakers or reading their literature. Additionally when Baha'is published material explaining the religion, the Baha'i administration had practiced "literature review," a fact decried by some,[50] wherein Baháʼís submit their material for vetting before it is published to ensure credibility from the administration's understanding.[51]

The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith state that it is necessary to eliminate the extremes of wealth and poverty.[52] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá noted both poverty and extreme wealth disallowed for a compassionate society, as poverty demoralized people and extreme wealth overburdened people.[53] Baháʼu'lláh wrote that rich should take care of the poor, as the poor are a divine trust.[52] The Baháʼí teachings state of multiple ways of addressing the extremes of wealth and poverty including institutional means, such as Huqúqu'lláh, as well as creating a sense of mutual concern.[53]

While the Baháʼí teachings promote the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty they do not promote communism and instead legitimize individual property.[53] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá further noted that wealth by itself was not evil, and could be used for good.[52]

Key to the function of Baháʼí organization is the principle of consultation. This refers to the method of non-adversarial discussion and decision-making which is described in the Baháʼí writings, and which is used in all levels of Baháʼí administration. Consultation strives to move beyond a decision making process that accepts the majority view, to one that aims to discover truth through universal participation and disciplined cooperation.