Bahaism

A religion that arose out of the Persian Islamic sect Babi in the 1860s. It was founded by Bahaullah who claimed to be the prophet foretold by Ali Mohammed Shirazi, the founder of the Babi sect. Bahaism emphasizes both social goals and spritual truths: the oneness of God, the unity of all faiths, the harmony of all people, universal education, obedience to government, the importance of personal conscience, and the inevitable unification of humankind. Because of this belief in the oneness of faith and humankind, all prejudice is unacceptable and cultural diversity is welcome. Followers are encouraged to seek religious truth for themselves; because of this, scientific discoveries are not considered incompatible with faith in Bahaism. Bahai goals include a search for a world government that would erase extremes of poverty and wealth; this goal would be assisted by a universal auxiliary language. Bahaullah stated that God is unknowable as himself but had manifested himself as Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, the Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and the Bab, with Bahaullah as the culminating manifestation. There are no sacraments, ministers, or initiation rituals in Bahaism. Worship consists of daily prayers and scripture reading; Bahai houses of worship have proliferated throughout the world, especially in the Third World, and are typically centered around a school, hospital, orphanage, or similar institution. The governing body, called the Universal House of Justice, meets every five years and is based in Haifa, Israel.