The Bahá'í Faith is an independent world religion. Although it is relatively young, it has followers from virtually every country. At present there are over 6 million Bahá'ís, representing almost every nationality and class.
The Bahá'í Faith began in Persia in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was directly preceded by the Bábí Faith, founded in 1844 by the Báb (1819-1850), whose name means "Gate" or "Door". The Báb was also the herald of a new Prophet of God, whose coming had been anticipated throughout the world. In 1863, a distinguished Persian nobleman announced that He was not only the One promised by the Báb, but also the Promised One of all the world's religions, Who would usher in an age of peace for all humankind. His name was Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), which means "the glory of God" and He was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.
Bahá'ís for over one hundred and fifty years, have striven to bring about the unity of mankind, world peace, and a new world order. Bahá'u'lláh "proclaims the necessity and the inevitability of the unification of mankind…". The central teachings of the faith are based around this necessity and they are:
· Recognition by all of the oneness of humanity
· Abandonment of all forms of prejudice
· Accepting the equality of men and women
· Recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
· Eliminating the extremes of poverty and wealth
· Promoting universal education
· Striving for universal peace
· Each person independently investigating truth
· The establishment of a world federation
· The adoption of a universal auxiliary language
· The recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge
There is no clergy in the Bahá'í Faith. Local meetings are planned by local Bahá'í communities. Bahá'í meetings include devotional services, study classes, discussions, social events and the observance of holy days. A focus of local Bahá'í community life is a regular meeting called the "Nineteen Day Feast", which consists of a devotional section, an administrative section and a time for social interaction.
To read more information about the Bahá'í Faith you can visit the sites of:
· The Australian Bahá'í Community
· The Bahá'í International Community
If you would like to meet with the Baha'is in Kingston, please click on "Public Meetings" in the menu.