The Bahá’í s of East Tennessee
(Knox, Anderson, Blount,
Loudon, Roane & Sevier Counties)
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God and Mankind
For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and material civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are essential. Therefore, no matter how much material civilization advances, it cannot attain to perfection except through the uplift of spiritual civilization.
All the Prophets have come to promote divine bestowals, to found the spiritual civilization and teach the principles of morality. Therefore, we must strive with all our powers so that spiritual influences may gain the victory. For material forces have attacked mankind. The world of humanity is submerged in a sea of materialism. The rays of the Sun of Reality are seen but dimly and darkly through opaque glasses. The penetrative power of the divine bounty is not fully manifest.
‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace
What Bahá’ís Believe
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God's Covenant With Humanity
The Bahá’í Faith began with the mission entrusted by God to two Divine Messengers—the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Today, the distinctive unity of the Faith They founded stems from explicit instructions given by Bahá’u’lláh that have assured the continuity of guidance following His passing. This line of succession, referred to as the Covenant, went from Bahá’u’lláh to His Son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and then from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh. A Bahá’í accepts the divine authority of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and of these appointed successors.
​https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/bahaullah-covenant
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The Life of the Spirit
Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation affirms that the purpose of our lives is to know God and to attain His presence. Our true identity is our rational soul, whose free will and powers of understanding enable us to continually better ourselves and our society. Walking a path of service to God and to humanity gives life meaning and prepares us for the moment the soul separates from the body and continues on its eternal journey towards its Maker.
https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit
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God enables each of us to become the best person we can be. Our soul is the receptacle of all of God's attributes. It enables our spiritual life. "We fulfill our highest purpose in a life of service in which, with humility and detachment, we offer our time, energy, knowledge, and financial resources."
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God's Revelation
God, the Creator of the universe, is all-knowing, all-loving and all-merciful. Just as the physical sun shines on the world, so the light of God is shed upon all Creation. Through the teachings of the Manifestations of God—among them Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muḥammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh—humanity’s spiritual, intellectual and moral capacities have been cultivated."
https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation
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One Human Family24
The conviction that we belong to one human family is at the heart of the Bahá’í Faith. The principle of the oneness of humankind is “the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve”. "Acceptance of the oneness of humanity demands that prejudice—whether racial, religious, or gender related—must be totally eliminated."
hhps://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/one-human-family
Is the Bahá’í Faith for you?​
You will determine through your own spiritual investigation whether or not Bahá’u’lláh is who He says He is and if the Baha'i Faith will further your spiritual life. The Baha'i Faith is about: (1) service to God and (2) service to humanity. One of the principles of the Faith is the independent investigation of truth. Since there are no clergy in the Faith each Baha'i is responsible his or her own spiritual path and giving assistance to others who are on their own spiritual path. We use the writings of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice to guide us. You may launch your own investigation at the Bahá’í Faith's website.
What's next?
It's up to you. Bahá’ís are ready to assist you on your spiritual journey. Here are three easy ways to start or continue that journey:
(1) if you are interested in participating with others on spiritual conversations based on the Baha'i writings find "meaningful conversations" on Facebook, Evenbrite or Meetup,
(2) visit a Bahá’í devotional, or
(3) visit the official Bahá’í website.
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Racial Unity & Prejudice
"And the breeding ground of all these tragedies is prejudice: prejudice of race and nation, of religion, of political opinion; and the root cause of prejudice is blind imitation of the past—imitation in religion, in racial attitudes, in national bias, in politics. So long as this aping of the past persisteth, just so long will the foundations of the social order be blown to the four winds, just so long will humanity be continually exposed to direst peril."
'Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections From the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha
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​"Vast numbers of people continue to endure the effects of ingrained prejudices of ethnicity, gender, nation, caste and class. All the evidence indicates that such injustices will long persist as the institutions and standards that humanity is devising only slowly become empowered to construct a new order of relationships and to bring relief to the oppressed. The point, rather, is that a threshold has been crossed from which there is no credible possibility of return. Fundamental principles have been identified, articulated, accorded broad publicity and are becoming progressively incarnated in institutions capable of imposing them on public behaviour. There is no doubt that, however protracted and painful the struggle, the outcome will be to revolutionize relationships among all peoples, at the grassroots level."
Universal House of Justice, April, 2002
What Do Bahá’í s Do?
In thousands upon thousands of locations around the world, the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith inspire individuals and communities as they work to improve their own lives and contribute to the advancement of civilization. Bahá’í beliefs address such essential themes as the oneness of God and religion, the oneness of humanity and freedom from prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the progressive revelation of religious truth, the development of spiritual qualities, the integration of worship and service, the fundamental equality of the sexes, the harmony between religion and science, the centrality of justice to all human endeavours, the importance of education, and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity. Taken from: Bahai.org
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A pivotal concept in the Bahá’í teachings is that the refinement of one’s inner character and service to humanity are inseparable facets of life. Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written on his behalf, states:
We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.
In light of this, Bahá’ís have come to appreciate the operation of a two-fold purpose that is fundamental to their lives: to attend to their own spiritual and intellectual growth and to contribute to the transformation of society.
Taken from: Bahai.org
God's Unity
The Unity of God
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In the Word of God there is still another unity—the oneness of the Manifestations of God, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muḥammad, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. This is a unity divine, heavenly, radiant, merciful—the one reality appearing in its successive Manifestations.
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The Unity of Humanity
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World order can be founded only on an unshakable consciousness of the oneness of mankind, a spiritual truth which all the human sciences confirm. Anthropology, physiology, psychology, recognize only one human species, albeit infinitely varied in the secondary aspects of life. Recognition of this truth requires abandonment of prejudice—prejudice of every kind—race, class, color, creed, nation, sex, degree of material civilization, everything which enables people to consider themselves superior to others.
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The Unity of Religion
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An essential principle of Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching is that religion must be the cause of unity and love amongst men; that it is the supreme effulgence of Divinity, the stimulus of life, the source of honor and productive of eternal existence. Religion is not intended to arouse enmity and hatred nor to become the source of tyranny and injustice. Should it prove to be the cause of hostility, discord and the alienation of mankind, assuredly the absence of religion would be preferable.
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Calendar
Contacts
Baha'is near you: 800-22-UNITE
Anderson County Barbara McCord, 865-803-7914
Blount County Robert McClelland, 503-894-0187
Farragut Darrel Kohlhorst, 865-206-7751
Knox County Terry Edwards, 865-308-3889
Knoxville David Gowler, 413-535-9652
Loudon County Lee Edge, 865-660-9034
Roane County Maria Bates, 865-360-9097
Sevier County Charlie Thomas, 865-849-3979
Come Meet With Us
Knoxville Baha'i Center
1323 Hannah Ave.
Knoxville, TN
Sunday Devotional
11:00 am