Frequently Asked Questions

Do Baha'is believe in the Bible?

Absolutely yes! The Baha'i teachings refer to both the Old and New Testaments as "the Word of God" and state that the "divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized" as a central principle of the Faith of Baha'u'llah.

What do Baha'is believe about Jesus Christ?

There is only one Christ.  The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory...as of the only begotten of the Father" (John 1:1-14).  It calls Christ that life-giving or "quickening spirit" (I Cor. 15:45) through whom "all things were made" (John 1:3) and "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).  These Bible verses refer to the Presence of God that became manifest in the human temple of Jesus.  The names "Christ" and "Messiah" both mean "the Anointed One" (in Greek and Hebrew, respectively).  Jesus was "anointed" with the Divine Presence.  That is why He is called "the Word made flesh".

Do Baha'is regard Christ as the Son of God?

Absolutely!  Baha'i sacred writings state that Jesus called Himself God's Son because He "found existence through the Spirit of God".  This refers in one sense to the miracle of the Virgin Birth, which Baha'u'llah unmistakably affirms.  But Christ also is the "only begotten of the Father" in an even deeper and more important sense: Paul calls Him "the firstborn of every creature (Col. 1:15), showing that he was the Son of God from all eternity.  This implies that that "quickening spirit" the Bible calls Christ emanates directly from God, and that, as such, Christ has always existed and "upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3).

Excerpted from Christianity and the Baha'i Faith, available from Stonehaven Press

What do Baha'is believe God wants for us?

All of the world's religions indicate that the human soul is made in the image of God -- that we are given Godlike qualities called virtues.  These virtues do not make us God, but they do make us like little mirrors, reflecting just a glimmer of the glory of God.  What God wants is for us to reflect these virtues more clearly, with greater brilliance.  When we do that, we become wealthy, happy and heavenly, for who could be richer than one blessed with gems of virtue?  Who could be happier than one who radiates the love of God, and who could be closer to heaven than one who carries the light of God within his heart?

What do Baha'is think about prayer?

Prayer is actually one of the deepest eternal mysteries.  If you think of yourself as a mirror reflecting the light of God's virtues, your soul is the silver backing of the mirror, your ego is the glass in front.  Your body is the machine that moves the mirror but your free will is what chooses whether you point towards the spiritual sun of God, or the material world below.  When you pray, every part of your being is drawn into alignment with God.  For example, when you pray "Create in me a pure heart, O my God..."  your body stops its material pursuits and speaks the words of God.  You tell your soul "this is what I want you to reflect -- purity," and your soul responds with a longing for that pure light.

This information is excerpted from The Power of Prayer: Turning the Mirror of Your Soul to Reflect the Divine, available from Special Ideas.

How can science and religion exist in harmony?

If science is discovered truth and religion is revealed truth, they cannot be contradictory.  Conflict between advocates of science and those of religion has been largely due to incomplete understanding.  Religion and science need to be in harmony in order for humanity to progress.  Religion should guide science ethically.  "Humanity cannot fly with one wing alone.  If it tries to fly with the wing of religion alone it will land in the quagmire of superstition, and if it tries to fly with the wing of science alone it will end in the despairing slough of materialism."

This information is excerpted from the pamphlet Religion and Science published by the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Warwick, UK.  Quotation is from the Baha'i Writings.

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