Can You Define This...

[horizon_mj1]

Quick question, I believe in celebrating all Religious Holidays, not ones from just one particular Faith. Does this make me a Baha'i Orthodox? Not only Baha'i-tic but also in Catholicism, Christianity, Islamic, etc. there are Holidays in which are celebrated in all of these Faiths in which I believe deserve some kind of observance. Thank you for your input.

 

[Wu Wei]

Do you also follow these, if so you may want to look into the Bahá'í faith more

Bahá'í laws

The laws of the Bahá'í Faith primarily come from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, written by Bahá'u'lláh. And these are just a few of the basic laws and religious observances.

1. Prayer in the Bahá'í Faith consists of obligatory prayer and devotional (general) prayer. Bahá'ís over the age of 15 must individually recite an obligatory prayer each day, using fixed words and form. In addition to the daily obligatory prayer, believers are directed to daily offer devotional prayer and to meditate and study sacred scripture. There is no set form for devotions and meditations, though the devotional prayers written by the central figures of the Bahá'í Faith and collected in prayer books are held in high esteem. Reading aloud of prayers from prayer books is a typical feature of Bahá'í gatherings.
2. Backbiting and gossip are prohibited and denounced.
3. Adult Bahá'ís in good health should observe a nineteen-day sunrise-to-sunset fast each year from March 2 through March 20.
4. Bahá'ís are forbidden to drink alcohol or to take drugs, unless prescribed by doctors.
5. Sexual intercourse is only permitted between a husband and wife, and thus premarital, extramarital and homosexual intercourse are forbidden.
6. Gambling is forbidden.
7. Fanaticism is forbidden.
8. Adherence to ritual is discouraged, with the notable exception of the obligatory prayers.
9. Abstaining from partisan politics is required.

 

[arthra]

Quick question, I believe in celebrating all Religious Holidays, not ones from just one particular Faith. Does this make me a Baha'i Orthodox? Not only Baha'i-tic but also in Catholicism, Christianity, Islamic, etc. there are Holidays in which are celebrated in all of these Faiths in which I believe deserve some kind of observance. Thank you for your input.

I suppose if you observed all the holy days and fasts of all the preceding religions it would be quite a feat!

Each dispensation has had it's own calendar.. So it's New Years Day according to the Gregorian Calender... and I think Baha'is are happy that so many will be making resolutions for this day and will be bent on improving their lives and helping other people in the process.

Abdul-Baha observed:

This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the "Resurrection Day" and now is the great "Day of Judgment." Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand. The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; while the birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 351

For Baha'is the "new year" begins on Naw-Ruz March 21st which is the first day of Spring. It was the Bab Who revealed a new calendar and Baha'u'llah made slight revisions of it.

Have a Happy New Year!

 

[horizon_mj1]

There is not a religion in which I can say I totally agree with everything, but I always find something in which I agree and if I am aware of the basic concept of a Holiday, I will fast or do some other type of tribute. I can not say that I follow each of them verbatim, but I find a way to pay some kind of respect if I feel respect is deserved. There are several Religions I come very close to agreeing with, but not one in totality as of yet anyhow And yes to all Happy New Year, this Year and All to yet Come!!!

 

[arthra]

Thanks for sharing your sentiments... I think for Baha'is we feel there are some basic spiritual truths that are shared by all..although clothed in various languages and cultural influences..that there has been only one religion of God manifested at various times and situations for mankind...

The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease 20 between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 19

There is one God; mankind is one; the foundations of religion are one. Let us worship Him, and give praise for all His great Prophets and Messengers who have manifested His brightness and glory.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 20

 

[horizon_mj1]

Thanks for sharing your sentiments... I think for Baha'is we feel there are some basic spiritual truths that are shared by all..although clothed in various languages and cultural influences..that there has been only one religion of God manifested at various times and situations for mankind...

The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease 20 between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 19

There is one God; mankind is one; the foundations of religion are one. Let us worship Him, and give praise for all His great Prophets and Messengers who have manifested His brightness and glory.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 20

These are both beautiful quotes and I thank you as well as agree with both. One thing I never understood about war is that all it takes is a brain to come to some sort of compromise to solve differences, therefore it is a weakness of mind when one chooses to retaliate in a physical fashion. I always kind of chuckle to myself when someone says that someone or something has made them angery when in fact is it not the person having these feelings responsibility to control these feelings and their reaction to them? A person who can resolve an issue by using their mouth and brain instead of fists has proven intelligent IMO while one who chooses fists to react is weak of mind for not knowing any other way to prove themselves. Is there not enough dangers to humanity as a species already, so why must we make ourselves an enemy to ourselves as well? This to me creates a conundrum in which I neither understand nor want to understand.

 

[horizon_mj1]

Do you also follow these, if so you may want to look into the Bahá'í faith more

My beliefs are that every person is judged by circumstance. By this I mean that you may have two people doing the exact thing for two very different reasons; in most faiths The Creator is all forgiving, we as humans put limits on this not The Omnipotent One

 

[horizon_mj1]

So back to my original question, would I be considered Baha'orthodox?

 

[BruceDLimber]

So back to my original question, would I be considered Baha'orthodox?

That's a truly regrettable term--as well as very confusing to many Baha'is--because it can cause confusion with another term used by certain non-Baha'is.

I suspect you would do better simply to ask whether folks think your opinions and beliefs are or aren't compatible with Baha'i teachings.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[arthra]

So back to my original question, would I be considered Baha'orthodox?

We don't use the term "orthodox".. We're simply "Baha'is"... In response to your question though..Let me give a few examples:

If you're from a Christian background and your family wants you to have Christmas with them you can go ahead and have a Christmas with them.. If Jewish same thing.. You can have Hanukkah and so on..but among Baha'is we don't observe the Holy Days of past dispensations with each other..with other Baha'is. Also we don't say go to a church and take communion with them because we are not members of a church anylonger.. If someone wants to invite us to a church we can go..

Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith put it this way:

"As regards the celebration of the Christian Holiday by the believers; it is surely preferable and even highly advisable that the friends should in their relation to each other discontinue observing such holidays as Christmas and New Years, and to have their festival gatherings of this nature instead during the Intercalary Days and Naw-Ruz...."

From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 19, 1938

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 302)

What I'd encourage you to do is visit some Baha'is near where you live.. If you're in the US you can call toll free:

1-800-22-UNITE

And they can refer you to some of the friends who live near by..

So by actually meeting the friends you'll get an excellent idea..also there are free introductory classes called Ruhi study classes you can ask about!

The Baha'is: Contacting Bahá

 

[horizon_mj1]

We don't use the term "orthodox".. We're simply "Baha'is"... In response to your question though..Let me give a few examples:

If you're from a Christian background and your family wants you to have Christmas with them you can go ahead and have a Christmas with them.. If Jewish same thing.. You can have Hanukkah and so on..but among Baha'is we don't observe the Holy Days of past dispensations with each other..with other Baha'is. Also we don't say go to a church and take communion with them because we are not members of a church anylonger.. If someone wants to invite us to a church we can go..

Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith put it this way:

"As regards the celebration of the Christian Holiday by the believers; it is surely preferable and even highly advisable that the friends should in their relation to each other discontinue observing such holidays as Christmas and New Years, and to have their festival gatherings of this nature instead during the Intercalary Days and Naw-Ruz...."

From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 19, 1938

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 302)

What I'd encourage you to do is visit some Baha'is near where you live.. If you're in the US you can call toll free:

1-800-22-UNITE

And they can refer you to some of the friends who live near by..

So by actually meeting the friends you'll get an excellent idea..also there are free introductory classes called Ruhi study classes you can ask about!

The Baha'is: Contacting Bahá

Thank you very much, that is going to be quite helpful I am sure As soon as I have appropriate time to do so I will. Thank you again.