About the Reform Bahai Faith
Reform Bahai Faith
The Reform Bahai Faith affirms the universal spiritual and moral
principles taught in all of the great religious traditions. Similar to
Mahayana Buddhism, Reform Bahais believe the Example set by Abdul-Baha
during his travels to Europe and the United States in the early 20th
century, an Example of universal love and brotherhood, was perhaps his
greatest Teaching.
As Abdul-Baha often suggested, far from having the exclusive truth and
the fanaticism to which that notion has so often led, Reform Bahais look
to what is universal in the world's religious experience, and include
prayers and meditations from other religions in their private and
community worship, listen to and learn from God's other religions�all of
which is to say the Reform Bahai Faith has moved on from its historical
and cultural roots, as all living religions have and do.
The Reform Bahai Faith, known during Abdul-Baha's time as the Bahai
Movement or Cause, is not an organization, but a way of life.
Reform Bahais believe Abdul-Baha's Interpretation of His Father's
Teachings, as the Center of His Covenant, is much more profound than the
prevailing conception of religion in modern society.
Speaking in Europe and North America from 1911 to 1913, Abdul-Baha
stated on a number of occasions that the Bahai Faith could not be
organized, and yet often spoke paradoxically of the growth of the Bahai
community throughout the world.
More "Protestant" along the lines, in some ways, of Unitarian
Universalism or other similarly liberal denominations, Reform Bahais
believe it's largely the responsibility of the individual to read the
Bahai Writings and prayerfully decide how to follow the Teachings of
Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Bahai Faith, and those of Abdul-Baha, the
Interpreter of Baha'u'llah's Covenant, striving for spiritual
development and service to humankind.
It is the individual soul that God has created to develop in the
integrity and freedom of his or her own search for spiritual maturity
and conscience, through prayer and meditation, transforming the
community and the world one soul at a time, achieving the timeless goal
of self-sacrificing love, compassion, and service to humanity.
In practice, there are individual Reform Bahais who follow all or many
of the usual Bahai forms and teachings observed by other Baha'i
denominations because they themselves believe they should or want to;
not because they're pressured into them. There are other Reform Bahais
who don't feel comfortable with one thing or another, believing perhaps
the time is not right for themselves and others, or the particular
teaching may be more culturally bound to the past than the more
universal principles of Baha'u'llah.
While emphasizing what is universal in humanity�s religious experience,
Baha�u�llah taught the changing, evolutionary, and progressive nature of
religious truth, demonstrating it by his own example and teaching which
evolved away from much of his forerunner the Bab. Similarly, Abdu�l-Baha
demonstrated essentially a re-Interpretation of Baha�u�llah�s teachings
for the modern world. Reform Bahais do not regard the Bahai Teachings as
a rigid set of unchanging and inflexible doctrines and forumulas. Nor is
the universality of the Teachings frozen in a form subservient to the
exclusivism of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic cultural heritage of the
Bahai Faith. The universal, global Teachings of Baha'u'llah transcend
the limitations of all past Dispensations, inspire a new spiritual
worldview and civilization.
Baha�u�llah and Abdu�l-Baha taught that it is the Spirit that is
important, not form, doctrine, or organization. Accordingly, God is
interested in the human heart, sincere worship, communion, and prayer,
the individual cultivating the virtues of the spirit in selfless service
to humanity, in practice and deed, not merely doctrine and theory, in
every walk of life, respecting the unique cultures of the earth, even
while revering what�s universal or held in common by humankind.
Abdul-Baha envisioned the Bahai House of Worship as open to the faithful
of all religions and traditions, as a place of universal prayer and
meditation, not exclusively Bahai. Consequently, Reform Bahais honor the
spirit wherever it is found and expressed in the writings and oral
traditions of wisdom and belief.
Following Abdul-Baha, Reform Bahais elect Spiritual Assemblies, with
nine members, for community consultation and guidance. Largely
"congregational" in structure, local communities are independent
grass-root associations, though they will ultimately elect national and
an international unit with non-binding advisory and coordinating duties
and responsibilities. While Abdul-Baha stated he had not "appointed"
anyone, he did not mean that the local assembly could not appoint people
to serve in any position necessary, "to engage in service of the
Kingdom." At every level, the independence of the individual is preserved.
Reform Bahais believe Baha'u'llah taught that the separation of church
and state is the Will of God and distance themselves from any
interpretations of an eventual Bahai theocracy, following Abdul-Baha's
vision of a global spiritual democracy.
Reform Bahais are free to express, write, and publish, without any type
of "review" or censorship. The Reform Bahai Faith does not teach or
practice shunning, nor any form of excommunication, following
Abdu�l-Baha�s teaching that "The conscience of man is sacred and to be
respected."
Bahai regards,
Reform Bahai Faith
Rochester, Michigan USA
www.ReformBahai.org
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Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship
Chicago Tribune. Baha'i rift. Baha'is upset with Orthodox Baha'i Faith
May 18, 2009
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/may/18/local/chi-bahai-18-may18
All my comments posted to The Chicago Tribune Forum on one page:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/Chicago_Tribune.html
Yahoo Group - ReformBahai
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReformBahai