Baha'i religious concepts promote noble and altruistic goals. They have a concept of religious unity, international government, and planetary interdependence. This religious groups wants to unify mankind into one religious kingdom. The group is attempting to be a watershed of all faiths in oneness of God, but it won't work. Bahaism, by 1990, had attracted nearly five million followers in more than 160 countries, including about 110,000 in America.
This religion began in Persia over 100 years ago. A 24-year-old businessman, Mirza Ali Muhammad (1819-1850), announced in 1844 that he was the Bab (Gate) who would be the forerunner of the "Promised One" who would be a manifestation of God. The dominate Muslim clergy didn't take too kindly to the message of The Bab, with swift and cruel persecution following his announcement. He was imprisoned on July 9, 1850. He was killed, and one of his followers, Mirza Husayn Ali, known now as Baha'u'llah (the glory of God), came to believe he was the one prophesied by Mirza Ali Muhammad. Baha'u'llah spent most his life in prison for plotting against the Shah. In 1863, in Baghad, he declared that he was the promised Madhi (Messiah), a progressive revelation of God onward from Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad. This Baha'u'llah (1817-1892) is credited as being the founder of the Baha'i faith. His son, Abdu'l-Baha, brought the message of Bahaism to the United States in 1912. He spent eight months spreading the faith to Americans and laid the cornerstone at the $2.5 million Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, Illinois. Upon his death, leadership of the group passed to his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, who died in 1953. Since then, the group has been ruled by the hands of a National Spiritual Assembly.
"The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." Beneath this statement of faith are twelve principles: The independent search for truth, the oneness of the human race, the unity of all religions, the elimination of prejudice, the harmony of science and religion, the equality of men and women, universal education, a universal language, abolition of extreme wealth and poverty, world court, work as worship, and justice with universal peace. As Baha'is see it, humankind is currently heading toward a socioeconomic collapse. Out of this, a "golden age" will dawn, and Baha'is will be the ones prepared to rule in this new world order. Isn't that the way most of these cults are? We are the only religion and no one can tell us any different? Guess what? that isn't do? Any group proclaiming the traditional Jesus Christ knows the verse Acts 4:12, which tells us: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
The religious practices of Baha'ism are similar tro Islam, with a modified western twist, though they represent separate religious systems. Central to every Baha'i community is an elected nine-member spiritual assembly. They hold weekly gatherings, a yearly fast, and they follow a specialized calendar with New Year's Day officially occurring on March 21. They have no professional clergy, and leaders are forbidden to reveal exact membership figures to the public. They pray at certain times of the day, like Muslims, and are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, which for them is near Haifa, Israel. Baha'is teachings are know to be exclusive, claiming that Bahaism is the ultimate fulfillment of Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Christianity. Bahaism says these faiths must now give in to the supremacy of God's fulfilled revelation in Baha'u'llah. You won't find any biblical Christians uniting with Bahaism who believe that "all fullness of the Godhead bodily" dwell in Jesus Christ. (Colossians 2:9). We would have to demote Jesus as our Savior to one of only nine manifestations of God, when the Bible teachings that God, in Jesus Christ, gave the full revelation of himself, ushering in the age of grace. Bahaism would deny the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ and ignores the distinctions of other world religions. They believe that all major world religions should hold to essentially the same truths.
Furthermore, Bahais teach man cannot know God directly, but onyl through his messengers. They take away completely Christ's incarnate deity, spoken of in John 1:1-18. They do this by placing Jesus Christ, the "only begotten Son of God," (John 3:16), on the same level as other religious teachers. He is given a position lower than that of Baha'u'llah. Bahaim denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the inerrancy of the Bible, eternal punishment, a literal hell, or the blood atonement of the cross of Christ. Anyway, these folks definitely are wrong. Before looking into this religion, seek answers in the Bible. Read the book and allow god to speak to you through it. If you have questions seek out a Christian or a Christian pastor and they will be able to help you out.
Information comes from Larson's New Book of Cults, by Bob Larson, published in 1989 by Tyndale House Publishers; and Texe Marrs Book of New Age Cults & Religions, by Texe Marrs published in 1990, by Living Truth Publishers.
