How to Attend a Baha'i Meeting

The Baha'i faith centers upon the oneness of humanity. It began in Iran in the mid-nineteenth century and is now one of the world's fastest growing religions with millions of members around the world. When you attend a Baha'i meeting, you learn about the religion's founder, Baha'ullah, whom the faith declares to be a prophet. Other prophets studied by members of the Baha'i faith are Adam, Jesus and Muhammad. Read on to learn how to attend a Baha'i meeting.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Review the elements of the Baha'i faith, what they call "social principles," to get an idea of what to expect when you attend a Baha'i meeting. The principles include, but are not limited to, the oneness of the human race, the equality of men and women, a call to ending prejudice and the need to do away with extreme poverty and extreme wealth.
2. Experience a Baha'i meeting at what the faith refers to as a Baha'i Center, rather than a church, synagogue or chapel. If a community hasn't yet purchased its own building, devotional meetings move to the homes of members.
3. Participate as a visitor to a Baha'i meeting to the degree that's comfortable for you. Gatherings usually consist of group singing of simple songs and discussions about teachings and writings of Bahá'u'lláh, a founder of the Baha'i faith, and other religious texts. There are no preachers and few rituals at a Baha'i meeting.
4. Enjoy an atmosphere of diversity, tolerance and unity when you attend a Baha'i meeting where visitors receive warm greetings. Membership in the faith is open to anyone who desires to join the community after engaging in research and education. Members of the Baha'i community refer to this as "independent investigation of the truth."