A Spiritual Path to
Unity & Social Justice
The Baha’i Faith in America
The Baha’i Faith in America
A New Take on Religion
Baha’is believe that religion is “the principal force impelling the development of consciousness. As the human race in all its diversity is a single species, so the intervention by which God cultivates the qualities of mind and heart latent in that species is a single process.”
The Baha’i Faith originated with Baha’u’llah (1817–1892), Whose title means “the Glory of God.” Baha’is regard Him as the latest in the succession of Divine Messengers Who founded the world’s major religions. In His writings, Baha’u’llah outlines a framework for the development of a global civilization which takes into account both the spiritual and material dimensions of human life. His teachings, centered around the recognition of the oneness of humanity, offer a compelling vision of an approaching world united in justice, peace and prosperity.
Baha’is consider it a duty to help humanity to come together as one family. The spiritual teachings of the Baha’i Faith inspire us to reach out across ethnic and class barriers to form deep and diverse relationships and to build communities that nurture the well-being of all people. The tools Bahá’ís and their friends and neighbors use to build this distinctive community life seem deceptively simple. They are, in reality, profound and revolutionary. There are at present four core activities, all of which have spiritual underpinnings. They create space and opportunity for people to have important, meaningful—and sometimes challenging—conversations that can lead to reconciliation and growth.
This series of video stories illustrates so ways love is being translated into action to address questions of race and culture in the United States.
Baha’is use the term “social action” to refer to a spectrum of endeavors that aim to apply spiritual insights from the teachings of Baha’u’llah to improving some aspect of the social or economic life of a population.
Fundamentally, Bahá’ís believe that every member of the human family has the right, as the noble soul that they are, to benefit from a prosperous world, and each person also has the responsibility to contribute towards the construction of such a world. The way forward is found by encouraging a growing number of people to participate in a collective learning process. Only as we approximate universal participation in this enterprise can we hope for true success.
We invite you to learn these processes and more.
Engaging in discourse: transforming society at the level of thought
Working toward unity and social justice requires changing not only individual and collective behaviors and attitudes, but also social structures and institutions. Transformation at both of these levels begins with reshaping the intellectual foundations that underpin existing behaviors and structures. In other words, society needs to change at the level of thought. This is the focus of the Baha’i community’s efforts to engage in public discourse.
Recognition of the principle of the oneness of humankind necessitates the abandonment of prejudice of every kind—race, class, color, gender, creed, nationality, age, material wealth—everything that people have used to consider themselves superior or inferior to others. From this perspective, unity is seen as the essential starting point, rather than as a distant goal that would be achieved only after battling societal ills and injustices one by one.
Baha’is and their friends engage in systematic learning involving cycles of study, consultation, action and reflection. They study moral and social principles found in the Baha’i writings, consult on and carry out action plans, reflect together on results and repeat the cycle to build a collective body of knowledge.
Explore concepts that are working to translate love into action―such actions as deliberately going out of our way to befriend all, appreciating the indispensable contributions of all, and joining hands with all in the creation of a new world
Walk Together
We invite you to learn these processes and more.
The Baha’i teachings emphasize that each person is responsible for his or her own spiritual development. While Baha’i institutions offer guidance and support, and the Baha’i community is a source of love and encouragement, the responsibility for engaging with the Word of God and for spiritual growth ultimately rests with each individual. The Baha’i institute process facilitates this study and growth.
Explore concepts that are working to translate love into action―such actions as deliberately going out of our way to befriend all, appreciating the indispensable contributions of all, and joining hands with all in the creation of a new world
Walk Together
Whether you are exploring the Bahá'í Faith or looking to become an active member, there are various ways you can connect with our community.
Please ensure that all the Required Fields* are completed before submitting.
Watch Here>