What is the Bah?'? Faith and what are its negative aspects?
well I've read about some positives, they're not bad but it's a religion so yeah
well I've read about some positives, they're not bad but it's a religion so... yeah
It is a sect formed by Bah?'u'll?h, They try to form of a cocktail of different Faiths, take a piece of here and there - leaving you with no ultimate message or unity.
Not sure about the negatives. I only know a little about it myself. They teach unity. They teach that heaven and hell are allegories. They more mean a closeness or remoteness to God. Not physical places. Here's the link if you want to figure out their good and bad points.
If Unitarianism had grown out of Islam instead of out of Christianity, it would be the Baha'i Faith.
Some negative aspects would include the standard Abrahamic religion's discrimination against homosexuals and the unexplained prohibition against women serving on their highest council.
Baha'i Faith is the latest 'Set or System of Spiritual Principles' sent by God for Mankind's 19Th to 29Th century's life on this Planet. We used to call these 'Sets' or 'Systems' a 'Religion', but the term Religion has been diluted by people claiming their 'idea' is a Religion ( so, for example, many sects of Islam, or churches of Christianity, claim to be a Religion, separate from other Religions ).
Some of the anti-Baha'i and often uninformed replies to your question is a testimony to the fact that many have yet to accept this 'fact', and some are even trying to 'undo' it ( over 21000 Baha'is have been killed for their beliefs in Iran and a few Arab countries, more than 200 by the current Islamic Republic in Iran ).
The 'negative' aspect depends on your 'perspective'. If you believe in Slavery, that it is Right and should not be 'banned', then the ban on Slavery is a negative aspect!.
If you like to drink alcoholic drinks and get drunk, then the prohibition on Alcohol is another 'negative' perspective.
So are the prohibition on using Drugs ( narcotics ), engaging in Sex outside Marriage ( so, yes, all the sex-in-the-city stuff are NOT OK ! ), and getting involved in Politics can be considered 'negative' if you like to do those things.
I know many who find the last one specially problematic ( the prohibition in getting involved with political activities ) : Yes, Baha'is do not join political parties or work to get one elected over the other.
Also a 'negative' is lack of paid-clergy or 'mullah'. So many people who earn a living from being a 'man-of-cloth' would have to find employment elsewhere ( although I know many Priests and Pastors that are doing wonderful work as Teachers, Social Workers, Counselors, etc. So they have a place and a useful role, there is just no need to have someone tell you what to believe anymore )
Another 'negative' is that Baha'is are tolerant of 'insult' and 'abuse', almost to a fault. So hot-headed people find it very hard to 'chill' and let the 'nay-Sayers' have their say ! The practice of the principle that all are God's children, even the profane and the UN-informed, is very hard !!
Someone said that we do not tolerate 'homosexuals'. That is wrong and uninformed. God has said that what 'men do to boys' ( I rather not get into the detail... but you know what it is ) is such that "my [God's] pen is ashamed to mention it" !!. That is it. The sexual conduct is "shameful", so are other promiscuous behavior, although different terms have been used for those. In my opinion, the love and commitment between people of the same Sex is the most noble form of love : one that is between two souls, regardless of the physical forms they have ( fat, thin, man, woman, etc ). However, the 'sexual expression' of that love is not appropriate between people of the same sex, nor is it appropriate with your love-of-your-life pet !! It is simple as that !
So, for those who do not want to accept it, that is a 'negative'. ( BTW, no one is asking them to accept it anyway ... you do not need to be a Baha'i to go to Heaven or be saved !!! )
A big negative : There is no 'heaven-pass' or 'saved-pass' to get for being a Baha'i. All go to Heaven ( it all depends on your Conduct, your Belief and your Heart ! ) ... so a big negative is that we can not guarantee 'heaven' ... all we can guarantee is access to the latest 'Divine Operating System' for your life. What you do with it is your business, and what you get out of it depends on how you 'apply' it to your life : if you do , you get something out of it. If not, you won't ! So, yes, there are Baha'is who tell you that they got nothing out of it ( Dasha, ask them how they applied it ? ), and a few that decided to go back to their previous lives because of the perhaps the biggest 'negative' : there is no room in Baha'i faith for 'Leadership of Ego'. Many who like to have people 'follow' them, or pay their 'respect' to them ( because they have a PHD in this or that, or because they are the son of this or daughter of that ) find it very difficult to remain within the Baha'i community.
Well, that should be enough 'negatives' for now ....
my mom's a Bahia, i was somewhat raised one as well, but I'm not anymore.
you cannot drink or have sex before marriage.
and you aren't really taught much about the religion during "Sunday school" or "Bahia camps." you are taught a butt load of history about it and the teachings, but when you are kid that kind of stuff barely goes in one ear the reach the other.
the people are nice and everything, a little bit weird, but generally very nice, it's a nice community, and I've never met a radical Bahia, thank god.
(ha ha, i just read my question and found it a bit ironic i put "thank god" at the end)
What is the Bah?'? Faith and what are its negative aspects?
