History of Bahá’í—Sabra Reichardt
Sabra began her talk with a quote from Bahá’ u ‘lláh, the prophet founder of the faith: “The fundamental purpose animating the faith of God and his religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race and to foster a spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, hate or enmity.”
The faith began in 1844 when a young man they call the Báb, meaning the gate, began to teach in Persia (now Iran). He said that his task was to make the world ready for a new prophet of God, who would appear within 19 years. The Báb’s teachings stirred much controversy in the country, and systematic massacres took place. A follower of the Báb removed her veil at a meeting to symbolize one of the principles that the Báb taught: the equality between women and men. Because of the Báb’s teachings, he was imprisoned in a distant fortress. There was such interest in the faith, however, that the authorities realized they would have to execute him. The Báb was taken to the public square, where 750 riflemen raised their rifles, aimed at him, and fired. But when the smoke cleared, the Báb was nowhere to be seen! Later found conversing with his secretary, the Báb was taken to the public square a second time, and the execution was completed.
Because of the Báb’s execution and the killings and persecutions that ensued, most of his followers, known as Bábis, went underground. One of his disciples who did not go into hiding and continued to preach the message of the Báb was a young man who came from an eminent Persian family that could trace its lineage back to Abraham. This young man was soon imprisoned because of his preaching. While in prison, he saw a figure above his head, a figure that he called the “Maid of Heaven,” a symbol for the revelations of God. You can think of this, Sabra said, as something similar to the burning bush that Moses saw, or the tree that the Buddha sat under, or the dove that appeared at Jesus’s baptism, or the angel Gabriel that appeared to Muhammad. This young man took the name Bahá΄u΄lláh, which means “glory of God.” He was released from prison four months later and exiled immediately to Baghdad.
In Baghdad, Bahá΄u΄lláh found a very dispirited community of Bábis. He rejuvenated them, and they became well known in the city for their honesty and fairness, and their community grew. Many people in Baghdad came to speak with Bahá΄u΄lláh and to bask in his presence. Eventually this kind of attention became too much for the authorities of the Ottoman Empire, and Bahá΄u΄lláh was exiled yet again, this time to Constantinople. Before leaving Baghdad, he called together his followers and told them that he was the one that the Báb had foretold would come. This was in 1863, 19 years after the Báb had started to preach in 1844. Bahá΄u΄lláh’s final place of exile was Haifa, where he spent the rest of his life writing letters, tablets, and books that are part of the Bahá’í scripture. He ascended in 1892, having given specific instructions that his oldest son was the person the Bahá’ís should turn to for guidance in interpreting his words. His son’s name was `Abdu΄l-Bahá, meaning “servant of the glory.” The writings of the Báb, Bahá΄u΄lláh, and `Abdu΄l-Bahá constitute Bahá’í scripture. Sabra ended her presentation with a quote from `Abdu΄l-Bahá that stresses the unity of all peoples.
Progressive Revelation—Robin Tait
Robin led WTB in a rousing rendition of the African-American spiritual, “Wade in the Water,” calling particular attention to the words “There ain’t but one God made us all.” The theme of “oneness” permeates all Bahá’í writings. Progressive revelation is an aspect of this theme of oneness. Bahá’ís believe that God’s messengers, the prophet founders of the world’s different religions, all came from the same source and had the same light. Bahá΄u΄lláh contemplated with that inward eye the chain of successive revelations that have linked the manifestation of Adam with that of the Báb. Each one of these divine manifestations has been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, and each one has been the bearer of a specific message. We are familiar with many of these, such as the Jewish prophets, Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, and others, but even before written history there were manifestations. Bahá’ís believe that Bahá΄u΄lláh is the manifestation for our time. If there is one revelation progressively revealed to humanity, then there must be a unity of religion, each building on the past. Each manifestation befitted the age in which it was sent down.
Bahá΄u΄lláh’s purpose in sharing his revelation was two-fold: first, to liberate humans from the darkness of ignorance and guide them to true understanding; and second, to foster peace and tranquility and provide humans with the means for establishing such peace and tranquility. Bahá’ís believe that because this message is for all people, there must be a oneness of humanity; it is this oneness that is a real focal point for their activities. Bahá’ís feel called to expand their kinship to all people on earth. Some of the points of guidance aiding in the establishment of peace and tranquility are (1) gossip and backbiting are grievous errors; (2) each person has a soul and is a spiritual being; (3) women and men are equal; (4) science and religion should agree; (5) some day there should be an auxiliary language that all people will speak. These are but a few among the thousands of points of guidance that Bahá΄u΄lláh revealed and that are contained on tablets held in the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. Many other points of guidance have not been revealed yet, however, because humanity is not ready to receive them.
The Equality of Women and Men—Martha Rohani
Martha stated that the Bahá’í notion of peace and unity cannot be achieved if there is inequality between women and men or among races. Nor can it be achieved if there are gross inequalities in socioeconomic conditions. Bahá’ís strive to create a world in which women and men are given the same privileges. Bahá’í writings emphasize that we are all created in the image of God. It is the soul that is important, and as the soul moves on to the next world without a body, gender is unimportant because the soul has no gender. Our world is not functioning this way, however, so there is a struggle to gain equality. Bahá’í writings emphasize giving women opportunities for education.
The Bahá’í faith values many of the classic feminine qualities, such as caregiving, joy-creating, and helping others. While it emphasizes that men and women should reflect these qualities, the Bahá’í paradigm is redefining the characteristics that we associate with being powerful. Bahá’ís define power in terms of service to humanity, and many of the feminine characteristics are geared toward service. Martha characterizes the Bahá’í position as being a search for redefining masculinity and femininity in terms of the qualities that are favorable in God’s eyes, because “we seek to please Him rather than being tied to man-made notions of what is of value and what is not.”
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After the presentations, our panelists showed a short video of several Bahá’í houses of worship. The Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, is a gift from Bahá’ís to the continent and is always open for people to walk into and to use for reflection. Bahá’ís have no clergy. They meet together in small communities; the Syracuse community has 30 to 40 members. The Bahá’í calendar has 19 months of 19 days each. At the beginning of each month, Bahá’ís have a spiritual feast, getting together for prayers, readings, discussions and socializing. Bahá’ís believe that there will be no new revelation for 1000 years after the Báb began teaching in 1844. Bahá’í forbids the use of alcohol and strives for chastity outside of marriage. Bahá’í rules are made by the Universal House of Justice; these rules can be changed, although the basic Bahá’í scripture cannot.