The Bahia Garden in Haifa is incredible. This garden is the second holiest place on earth for the Baha’i faith, the first in Akko (start a religion Israel is your ticket). This religion sounds like a liberal’s dream come true – at first. From what I gather from a fairly brief look at their official website (http://www.bahai.org/), the Baha’i Faith believes that there are prophets for each age, and their prophet is for our age.
“Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad were all divine Messengers; the Báb and Bahá’u'lláh are the most recent” – website
Baha’u'llah centers his prophecy on all the right stuff - We are one, just as God is one – thus we must eliminate poverty, inequality and oppression of all kind, in order to reflect the truth of God’s Unity.
One thing they forgot to eliminate is homophobia. “Bahá’í law limits permissible sexual relations to those between a man and a woman in marriage” This is an answer to a question inquiring about the Baha’i perspective on homosexuality( http://www.bahai.org/faq/practices/sexuality).
Thus, it seams that the prophet was just as revolutionary as the best progressive thinking of his time. A visionary can only see so far – this after all is at the heart of the faith that forgets to apply the same principle to itself.
Thus my Judaism ( I say “my” because I have no menopoly on the word Judaism) shares the recognition that there is no singular “word of God” for all times and all places, perhaps there is a common motif, but no such perfect word. If such a perfect word was to exist then we would indeed spent our lives striving to go back in time – to Sinai, to the Temple, to Jesus, to Mohamed.., to Baha’u'lluh. ( Judaism pushes the envelope on no-perfect word-of-God, by suggested that the word” does not come from God at all, but from human ingenuity – think Oral Law, but more on that later)
Now back to striving for prophecy – this infact is the official line of many – especially in Israel, where people flock to the west’s holiest spots – the wall of the temple build by an illegitimate convert – King Herod, and the places where Jesus, Mohammad and Baha’u'llah died. However, the Kotel is a tomb as well – the burial place of Temple Judaism.
Fortunately, the very existence of Rabbinical Judaism, allows for a different party-line. Judaism is the religion that was changed to save it by instituting a process by which Judaism can be saved again and again - the legal process of Halacha. (Prophets need not apply)
Thus, inherent in keeping Halacha, is changing Halacha (which of course does not have to end up looking like Judaism lite, even though it does in almost every case I’ve personally encountered which of course pisses me of to no end.)
“One thing they forgot to eliminate is homophobia.”
Although the present Baha’i policy is to not endorse same sex relationships, it is categorically false to call this stance “homophobic”. As a Baha’i individual myself, I can tell you that I am not homophobic, neither is my community and more importantly, neither is the Baha’i Faith. The Baha’i texts explicitly state that we are to love all and not to discriminate based on sexual orientation.
There may be some Baha’is who bring personal biases and refuse to implement this Baha’i teaching. However, this is a short coming from them and in no way reflects on the true stance of the Baha’i Faith.
Just wanted to set the record straight
Please see:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-bahai-anti-gay-discrimination
To state that the stance of the Baha’i World Faith is not homophobic is disingenuous at best: it is indeed a profoundly homophobic religion and to claim otherwise is simply an attempt at misdirection. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is rife within most (if not all) Baha’i communities. Gays and lesbians can be effectively excommunicated from the Faith if they refuse to accept the requirement to live a life of abstention from same-sex behavior.
Some Baha’is who bring personal biases? Not some Baha’is, but the Universal House of Justice, the head of the Faith. Think Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and you’ll have some idea of how most Baha’i communities treat gays.
I have been a Baha’i for well over 40 years and have seldom observed homophobic behavior in the Baha’i community. Yes, your administrative rights can be withdrawn for, among other things, blatant disregard of the Baha’i Law regarding sexual relationships outside marriage. Whether these relations are homosexual or heterosexual has nothing to do with it.
In fact, I know quite a few gay Baha’is who choose to respect the law. For all I know, they may be having sex on the side but they don’t advertise it. And nobody is interested.
At present, some elements of western society encourage individuals, as a matter of principle, to flaunt all their proclivities. This is discouraged in the Baha’i Faith and applies equally to any behavior identified by Baha’i law as both forbidden by God and harmful to the community.
Of course, people sometimes disagree and calling oneself a Baha’i does place some limits on one’s freedom to express that disagreement. A problem arises if you believe in Baha’u'llah and disagree with His teachings. That is a conundrum only you can resolve. Meanwhile, you may have to avoid being too strident in your opposition if you wish to remain a Baha’i in good standing. It is human nature to, at times, want the world to change to conform to our wishes. Unfortunately, it sometimes declines to oblige.
The comment above is text-book homophobia, which makes it claim of not being homophobia that more ironic. Queer lover and queer sex is a “proclivity” – aka sin, aka abomination. The fact that it is not the only “proclivity” does not say anything about there not being homophobia, but suggests that there are other prejudices as well, like the prejudice against sex outside patriarchal marriage…and let me tell you any society that provides marriage as the only outlet of sexual expression is automatically setting up patriarchal marriage.
“In fact, I know quite a few gay Baha’is who choose to respect the law. For all I know, they may be having sex on the side but they don’t advertise it. And nobody is interested.”
Ok, so I am a gay (albeit inactive) Bahai. If I had a partner and we decided to adopt some children and raise a beautiful family. then what? Would you then be interested? Would you then remove my voting rights, tell my children that their father is sinning before God and not worthy of equal treatment, that they should be raised by a woman and a man instead? What? I’m amazed you could write such homophobic dribble and then start out by saying you’ve never seen any homophobia in teh Bahai community. Kay- just look in the mirror! YOU and the majority of the Bahais is the reason why this 5 generation persian Bahai will never set foot inside the homophobic Bahai community again!