Reform Bahai Faith Blog

Frederick Glaysher, Introduction to the Reform Bahai Faith. A Talk Presented to the Troy Interfaith Group, Troy, Michigan. March 5, 2012. 26 minutes.

NOTE: Mr. Glaysher misspoke in terms of the date in which Dr. C. Ainsworth Mitchell judged the purported will and testament of Abdul-Baha fraudulent. The correct date was in 1929. Dr. C. (Charles) Ainsworth Mitchell’s “Report on the Writing Shown on the Photographs of the Alleged Will of Abdul-Baha,” may be found at the following link: http://www.reformbahai.org/CAMitchell_Report.html

More than thirty-four people of all religious persuasions in attendance.

“To be a Bahai simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.” –Abdul-Baha

“O people of the world, ye are all the fruit of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” –Baha’u'llah

“Consort ye, O people, with the followers of all religions with joy and fragrance.” –Baha’u'llah

“‘Glory is not his who loves his native land; but glory is his who loves his kind.’ By these exalted Words He taught the birds of souls a new flight and effaced restriction and blind imitation from the Book.” –Abdul-Baha quoting Baha’u'llah

“The Bahai Movement is not an organization. You cannot organize the Bahai Movement. The Bahai Movement is the spirit of the age. It is the essence of all the highest ideals of this century. The Bahai Cause is an inclusive movement. The teachings of all religions and societies are found here.” –Abdul-Baha

“This movement is not an organization—it is the realization of a new spirit. The foundation of that spirit is the love of God; and its method, the love and service of mankind. Many who have never heard of this revelation teach its laws and spiritual truths.” –Abdul-Baha

“It is the wish of Abdul-Baha that the friends may establish general unity and not a particular meeting of unity. You must have great consideration for this fact, for during the past cycles though such events (founding of particular, i. e., exclusive unity meetings) were, in the beginning, a means for harmony, they became in the end the cause of trouble.” –Abdul-Baha

“There are no officers in this Cause. I do not and have not ‘Appointed’ anyone to perform any special service, but I encourage everyone to engage in the service of the Kingdom. The foundation of this Cause is pure spiritual democracy and not a theocracy.” –Abdul-Baha

“People think religion is confined in an edifice, to be worshiped at an altar. In reality it is an attitude toward divinity which is reflected through life.” –Abdul-Baha

“You can be a Bahai-Christian, a Bahai-Freemason, a Bahai-Jew, a Bahai-Muhammadan.” –Abdul-Baha

“These are effectual and sufficient proofs that the conscience of man is sacred and to be respected; and that liberty thereof produces widening of ideas, amendment of morals, improvement of conduct, disclosure of the secrets of creation, and manifestation of the hidden verities of the contingent world.” –Abdul-Baha

1893, “Treatise on Leadership,” Abdul-Baha. Separation of church and state.
1912, “Address Upon the Covenant,” Abdul-Baha. Facsimile at http://reformbahai.org/Covenant.html

Early Reform Bahais:

Ruth White, author of several books.
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Abdul-Baha’s secretary for eight years, author of several books.
Julia Chandler, Bahai from a prominent American family.
Jenabe Fazel Mazandarani, Bahai scholar on universal religion.
Dr. C. Ainsworth Mitchell, in 1929, a British Museum document expert, judges the will and testament of 1921 fraudulent.

Reform Bahai Faith
Rochester, MI 48308-1842 USA
http://www.ReformBahai.org