BAHA'I Spirituality

Grok about BAHA'I Spirituality account: @BAHAISpirit is a personal X (Twitter) account dedicated to Bahá'í spirituality. It shares reflections, quotes, and writings inspired by the Bahá'í principles of unity, peace, justice, and enlightened social action. The account explores the Bahá'í teachings on spiritual growth, global harmony, and moral living.

THE BAHA'I DEFINITION OF GOOD POLITICS AND BAD POLITICS A comment from the Baha'i International Community (paragraph 40) : « 2.1 Civic and political dialogue can be a means of engaging the creative energies and drawing out the constructive ideas of the populace, and can ultimately lead to the improvement of governance and to the betterment of society. This dialogue may include discussion, debate, criticism, and, in some cases, condemnation of laws and policies, as well as issue-based advocacy and efforts towards reform. »

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : "...everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". Certain restrictions" when necessary "for respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "for the protection of national security or of public order or of public health or morals"

WHY AND HOW TO BE A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels". From paragraph 1 of The UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms : Human rights defenders are those individuals, groups and organs of society that promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms. Human rights defenders seek the promotion and protection of civil and political rights as well as the promotion, protection and realisation of economic, social and cultural rights. Human rights defenders also promote and protect the rights of members of groups such as indigenous communities. The definition does not include those individuals or groups who commit or propagate violence. " Source : olddoc.ishr.ch/hrdo/documents…

THE HOW " TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL CHANGE " Efforts to contribute to social transformation also include participation in the public discourse on issues of concern to humanity, such as peace, the elimination of prejudices of all kinds, the spiritual and moral empowerment of youth, and the promotion of justice. These two types of activity have steadily increased over the past twenty-five years and will grow in scope and influence in the future. The organized endeavors of the Bahá’í community in these areas are reinforced by the diverse initiatives of individual believers working in various fields—as volunteers, professionals, and experts—to contribute to social change. The distinctive nature of their approach is to avoid conflict and the contest for power while striving to unite people in the search for underlying moral and spiritual principles and for practical measures that can lead to the just resolution of the problems afflicting society. Bahá’ís perceive humanity as a single body. All are inseparably bound to one another. A social order structured to meet the needs of one group at the expense of another results in injustice and oppression. Instead, the best interest of each component part is achieved by considering its needs in the context of the well-being of the whole. ~ Department of the Secretariat, Baha'i World Center

NO PRIVATE POWER OVER GOVERNMENTAL ONE The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

We cannot overlook the other aspects of the arm race. The continuing sophistication of 'conventional' weapons; the stocking of biological weapons that kill, maim or incapacitate; the development of electronic warfare, completely indiscriminate in its effects; the increasing number of chemicals used for 'ecological' warfare; the use of lasers and solar rays and even the possibilities of using hurricanes, snow and changing the weather, coming under the heading of 'meteorological' warfare, are all now part of Research and Development programmes..." ~ The NSA of the Baha'is of the United Kingdom, 1983

AMERICA'S CRISIS IS SPIRITUAL IN NATURE These same fiery tribulations will not only firmly weld the American nation to its sister nations in both hemispheres, but will through their cleansing effect, purge it thoroughly of the accumulated dross which ingrained racial prejudice, rampant materialism, widespread ungodliness and moral laxity have combined, in the course of successive generations, to produce, and which have prevented her thus far from assuming the role of world spiritual leadership forecast by `Abdu'l-Bahá's unerring pen--a role which she is bound to fulfill through travail and sorrow. - Shoghi Effendi

HUMAN RIGHTS - OUR FOCUS By the Baha'i International Community (BIC) bic.org/focus-areas/hu…

At this fateful hour in human history many, unfortunately, seem content to stand aside and wring their hands in despair or else join in the babel of shouting and protestation which loudly objects, but offers no solution to the woes and afflictions plaguing our age. - The Universal House of Justice

United for Baha'i Human Rights - VIDEO youtu.be/rf2XoASwFeA?si…

O ye governments of the world! Be ye pitiful toward mankind! O ye nations of the earth, behold ye the battlefields of slaughter and carnage; O ye sages of humanity, investigate sympathetically the conditions of the oppressed; O ye philosophers of the West, study profoundly the causes that led to this gigantic, unparalleled struggle; O ye wise leaders of the globe, reflect deeply so that ye may find an antidote for the suppression of this chronic, devastating disease; O ye individuals of humanity, find ye means for the stoppage of this wholesale murder and bloodshed. Now is the appointed tune! Now is the opportune time! Arise ye, show ye an effort, put ye forward an extraordinary power, and unfurl ye the Flag of Universal Peace and dam the irresistible fury of this raging torrent which is wreaking havoc and ruin everywhere! - Abdu'l-Baha

@jschult5 @yajnshri @grok youtu.be/pTUI5CeyoPE?si…

@yajnshri @grok What frequency is played in this video?

THE RIGHT TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS Standing up for the weak and the oppressed, regardless of their background, is the fundamental duty of God’s messengers and their followers. In accordance with the House of Justice, which draws a strict distinction between partisanship and politics—prohibiting the former and encouraging the latter—Dr. Payan Akavan poses the following question with a sense of urgency: What are we waiting for? youtube.com/watch?v=qD0ZQf… Although this call, issued by a lawyer passionately dedicated to defending the rights of all people—whoever they may be—may resonate particularly deeply with the intrepid souls who, like him, have been shaped by life’s sufferings and trials, everyone can support their cause. Above all, by understanding the meaning and purpose of their humanitarian mission—a mission that requires an understanding of the political forces and underlying issues behind the most severe forms of oppression. Concerning the Human Rights Charter, the Baha'i International Community unequivocally stated that: "Universal education, freedom of movement, access to information, and the opportunity to participate in political life are all aspects of its operation that require explicit guarantee by the international community. The same is true of freedom of thought and belief, including religious liberty, along with the right to hold opinions and express these opinions appropriately." With these reflections in mind, we may be better able to distinguish between these two elements: PARTISANSHIP VS INFORMED SOCIOPOLITICAL ACTION bahaispirituality.blogspot.com/2022/01/partis…

We derive no advantage, as Bahá'ís, from having the wrong concepts, from coloring the teachings of the Divine Educator with our limited, prejudiced, environment-produced ideas. Nothing is improved or rendered more serviceable by distortion. ~ R. K., The Priceless Pearl

BAHA'I PROMISE ON AMERICA ...feel assured that that great republic... will continue to evolve, undivided and undefeatable, until the sum total of its contributions to the birth, the rise and the fruition of that world civilization... will have been made, and its last task discharged.

Next in rank are those eminent and honorable ministers of state and representatives, who place the will of God above their own, and whose administrative skill and wisdom in the conduct of their office raises the science of government to new heights of perfection. Next in rank are those eminent and honorable ministers of state and representatives, who place the will of God above their own, and whose administrative skill and wisdom in the conduct of their office raises the science of government to new heights of perfection. ~ Abdu'l-Baha

Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the Most Great Peace. Peace is light, whereas war is darkness. Peace is life; war is death. Peace is guidance; war is error. Peace is the foundation of God; war is a satanic institution. ~ Abdu'l-Baha

America is a great instrument for the accomplishment of world unity. No other nation of the world stands in a similar position of influence and responsibility. ~ Abdu'l-Baha

It behoveth you, O Ministers of State, to keep the precepts of God, and to forsake your own laws and regulations, and to be of them who are guided aright. - ~ Baha'u'llah