The
Bahá'ís of Stratford-upon-Avon
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What is the Bahá'í Faith?"This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a rose-garden and a paradise." The Bahá'í Faith is an independent world religion that accepts, fulfills and embraces all the world's major religions. The main theme of the Faith is that of the unity of mankind. Founded by Bahá'u'lláh, it teaches: The Oneness of God: "There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God." (Bahá'u'lláh)There is only one God, although He has been called by many names (such as Allah, Yahweh). The Oneness of Mankind: The specific mission of Bahá'u'lláh is to bring unity to the world: "The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." (Bahá'u'lláh) The human race is one unique species. All people have God-given capacities; their physical differences have nothing to do with any supposed superiority of one ethnic group or another. Prejudice, ignorance, egotism are barriers to this fundamental truth. The Oneness of Religion: " God's purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established." (Bahá'u'lláh) The motive force behind the collective progress of humanity is revealed religion. Throughout the history of mankind God has sent, and will continue to send, Manifestations of God, who appear from time to time in order advance our civilization. They are the Founders of the major faiths - Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, and Krishna - the chief Educators of mankind. All of these religions are essentially the same; they bear the same spiritual message. However, their social teachings differ because of the varying needs of the times in which they were revealed. Bahá'ís believe that religious truth is relative, not absolute. It is continually evolving; each religion representing a stage in the development of the whole. Thus religious history is a series of revelations from God; Bahá'ís call this process Progressive Revelation. They believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent Manifestation of God, bearing teachings that are meant for this Age. "This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future." (Bahá'u'lláh) To see more of the Teachings of Baha'u'llah, click hereTo find out more, click here to contact the |