Bahai Festivals

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Bahai Festivals

• Birth of The Bab
• Birth of Bahaullah

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Questions!
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THE BAB

• Born in Persia 1819
• Died 1850
• Thousands of followers (Babis)
• Bab means Gate.
• Someone greater than himself would continue his
  teachings

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BAHAULLAH

• Born in Persia 1817
• Died Palestine 1892
• Imprisoned most of his life
• Wrote thousands of tablets

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• The Shrine of the Bab
• Haifa, Israel

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• The Shrine of Bahaullah
• Acca, Israel

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Bahaullah

• Writings
• O Son of Being! With the hands of power I made
  thee and with the fingers of strength I created
  thee and within thee have I placed the essence
  of My light. Be thou content with it and seek
  naught else, for My work is perfect and My
  command is binding. Question it not, nor have a
  doubt thereof.

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Bahaullah

• Teachings
• The Oneness of religion
• The Oneness of Humanity

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The Oneness of religion

• All religions worship the same one, true God
• Bahá'ís perceive the founders of the worlds
  great religions as being equal
• If thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes,
  thou wilt behold Them all abiding in the same
  tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated
  upon the same throne, uttering the same speech
  and proclaiming the same Faith.

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The Oneness of religion

• Progressive revelation
• HINDU 2,000BC
• JEWISH 1300BC
• ZOROASTIAN 600BC
• BUDDHIST 560BC
• CHRISTIAN AD1
• ISLAM 622
• BAHAI 1863

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The Oneness of religion

• The Source of infinite grace, hath caused those
  luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the
  realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the
  human temple, and be manifest unto all men, that
  they may impart unto the world the mysteries of
  the unchangeable Being, and tell of the
  subtleties of His imperishable Essence.

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The Oneness of religion

• The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of
  God and His Religion is to safeguard the
  interests and promote the unity of the human
  race, and to foster the spirit of love and
  fellowship amongst men

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The Oneness Humanity

• Almost 150 years ago, Bahaullah was urging
  people to recognise the oneness of the human race
• The earth is but one country and mankind its
  citizens
• Concentrate your thoughts on Love and Unity.
  When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a
  stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred
  must be destroyed by a stronger more powerful
  thought of love.

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The Oneness Humanity

• Humanity is reaching maturity
• But still going through the pain of adolescence
• Optimistic future
• World peace is not only possible ,but inevitable

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THE FESTIVALS

• Prayers, readings, socialising, food
• Entertainment, dance, food
• Meet in each others homes or hire a hall
• The Baha'i Temples

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THE FESTIVALS

• Baha'i temple in India

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Any Questions?

• Leaflets/display
• Web sites www.bahai.org