To become a Bahá’í is to respond to the call of God for this day and to join a global fellowship committed to helping humankind reach the long-promised age of global peace, justice and unity. A person becomes a Bahá’í by recognizing Bahá’u’lláh as the Messenger of God for this age and striving to follow His laws and teachings. (If you’d like to become a member of the Bahá’í Faith, join us here.)
The principle of the oneness of humankind is the pivot around which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve. Bahá’u’lláh taught that humanity is at last reaching a stage of maturity in which unity in a global and just society finally can be established. To this end, the Bahá’í Faith prescribes laws of personal morality and behavior, as well as social laws and principles, to establish the oneness of humanity. Individuals are not expected to obey all the laws perfectly upon becoming a Bahá’í, but rather to be committed to working toward this standard. Bahá’u’lláh tells us that His laws are “the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures.”
Bahá’ís believe:
• the purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization
• all humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race
• work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship
Bahá’ís practice:
• independent investigation of truth
• daily prayer and communion with God
• a life dedicated to the service of humanity
• fellowship with the followers of all religions
• high moral principles, including trustworthiness, chastity and honesty
• avoidance of materialism, partisan politics, backbiting, alcohol, drugs and gambling
Social principles include:
• equality of women and men
• the elimination of prejudice
• a spiritual solution to the economic problem
• the abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth
• the establishment of a world commonwealth of nations
• recognition of the common origin and fundamental unity of purpose of all religions
• the harmony of science and religion as two complementary systems of knowledge and practice
• the adoption of a world auxiliary language, as well as a universal script, currency, and system of weights and measures
There is no clergy in the Bahá’í Faith. Instead, the affairs of the Faith are administered through a system of elected lay councils determined by secret ballot and plurality vote. There are no candidacies, nominations or campaigning. A non-adversarial form of collective decision-making known as consultation is used by these bodies to make decisions. Because of its distinctive procedures and principles, these “spiritual assemblies” avoid the processes of manipulation, factionalism, and partisanship that have become features of other systems of governance worldwide.