I just looked through the Baha'i center website in Chicago. I was very surprised, actually. I've lived in the Midwest for most of my life and knew nothing about it. I really liked how the components of Baha'i faith were incorporated into every aspect of design. There are 9 sides to the temple; nine is the highest single digit number, and represents completeness/fulfillment in the Baha'i faith. Like old Christian churches, the temple is intentionally built to be very tall so it will be closer to God. In the auditorium of the temple, the famous Baha'i inscription reads (in Arabic): "O Glory of all Glory's." There are however, other religious symbols incorporated into the architecture: the cross, the star of David, the crescent moon, and the wheel. This is to represent unity, but the fact that the Baha'i inscription is the largest and most noticeable, there is still the implication that Baha'i faith has the truth/prophet. In the video, however, the narrator side-stepped this issue, saying that all prophets are from God but that Baha'ullah is the most recent and closer to truth.
When I first saw the gardens, I assumed that they were modeled after the Garden of Ridvan. However, when talking about the garden, the narrator only said that the garden was supposed to represent unity. Apparently, Baha'ullah likened people to flowers; there could be unity when they were together. I also learned that there is no priesthood or clergy in the faith. Services are short and consist of prayer, music, and readings of great world religion texts.
I found all of this fascinating. However, what I'm really wondering about is how the Baha'i faith spread from the Middle East. It astonishes me that, since it is an off-shoot of Islam (a religion that is greatly stereotyped by Westerners), it spread so quickly to new places. Did the Baha'i faith send out missionaries? How did that happen? Baha'i faith is the second most widespread faith, and I'm sure there is a reason that could explain it.
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I am also curious as to how this faith got to the Americas, did Abdul al baha go to America? I feel like maybe I read somewhere that that was the case. Maybe not, I could be wrong. But it is fascinating the spread of religion. Since the Baha'i is the second most widespread, it would be interesting to map out how it got to the places it did.
ReplyDelete, but the fact that the Baha'i inscription is the largest and most noticeable, there is still the implication that Baha'i faith has the truth/prophet.
ReplyDeleteI went into some detail about this on Abby's blog. But to comment briefly, you are mistaken that the implication is that the Baha'i Faith has the truth. You presuppose that truth is singular. Also you start your post surprised to learn there are Baha'is near to you. Aught we not make it alittle more clear that we are perhaps something you've not heard of before by making the symbol alittle bigger? Is that so harsh?
However, what I'm really wondering about is how the Baha'i faith spread from the Middle East. It astonishes me that, since it is an off-shoot of Islam (a religion that is greatly stereotyped by Westerners), it spread so quickly to new places. Did the Baha'i faith send out missionaries? How did that happen? Baha'i faith is the second most widespread faith, and I'm sure there is a reason that could explain it.
Baha'is do have a sort of missionary though we find the particular word somewhat incorrect and misleading. Missionaries go some place, promulgate the religion and leave when they've done their time of service. The word Baha'is use is pioneer. Pioneering implies living there and fitting in and promulgating the religion. Many pioneers live out there lives "over there". Here's a collection of memorials.
Here's a starting point on reviewing how the religion spread.