Grade 2-4 Homework Assignment 1.

6
12/6/2020 The Bahá’í Faith—Review

Teacher: Cindy Van Kley 630-4504 cindyvankley@gmail.com

If you need help understanding your homework, please call or email me!

Remember: What is the Bahá’í Faith?

The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to unite all the races and peoples of the planet in one
universal cause, one common faith. Bahá’ís are followers of Bahá’u’lláh, Who we believe is the Promised
One of all Ages. Bahá’ís know that there is only one God, the Creator of everything, and that God has sent
different Messengers in each Age to teach humanity what they need to know to improve themselves and
their society for that new time. Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings will help humanity to build a new, more unified and
peaceful world. The Bahá’í Faith stresses three main points of unity: The Oneness of God, the Oneness of
Religions, and the Oneness of Mankind.

Memory Verse: Practice every day. Say it in class next time.

"That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and
mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of
all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith.”
Bahá’u’lláh

Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 255

What is the Bahá’í Faith?

We will be playing a game in class based on questions seekers might ask about the
Bahá’í Faith. Read the handout. Circle or highlight information you think would be interesting to
your friends or anyone else who might ask about the Faith. You will use this information!
This week for homework, you will write at least FIVE questions (based on the info you circled in the
handout) that someone else might have about the Bahá’í Faith, and give the answers. Don’t forget to look
up definitions for the 9 highlighted vocabulary words in the handout!

Write your 5 (or more!) questions and answers in your Journal. Write each question on a
separate page and write the correct answer on the back of the page. Draw a picture or diagram on the
question page that gives a hint or clue to the answer (without giving it away completely).
EXAMPLE: Do Baha’is have priests or pastors or clergy to give sermons, visit the sick and see to the
needs of their community of believers? No, every Bahá’í tries to care for his or her fellow believers and
their other neighbors, studies to learn how to live from the Holy Writings, and shares with others. Print
clearly with a dark ink pen if possible. We will take turns holding our question page up to the
camera for the rest of the class to try to answer.

PARENTS please initial each day the student practices and works on homework
questions:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

What is the Bahá’í Faith?
From the website www.bahai.org

O ye children of men! 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…Whatsoever is raised on this
foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will
the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure.
— Bahá’u’lláh

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 endeavors, 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.

Baha’u’llah’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.

I. The Human Soul »

Every human being possesses an immortal, rational soul that passes through this world for
a brief time and continues for eternity to advance towards God. Our life’s purpose is to
progress spiritually by serving our fellow human
beings. In doing so, we acquire the divine qualities
we will need in the life to come.

II. Devotion »
Acts of devotion such as prayer, meditation, fasting,
pilgrimage, and service to others are inherent to
religious life. Through them, individuals and
communities are able to continually reinforce the
unique bond that exists between God and humanity.

III. A Life of Generous Giving »

Just as a candle’s purpose is to provide light, the human soul was created to give
generously. We fulfil our highest purpose in a life of service in which, with humility and
detachment, we offer our time, energy, knowledge, and financial resources.
 IV. Character and Conduct »
The cultivation of spiritual qualities in this world is inseparable from an ongoing
refinement of our conduct in which our actions increasingly come to reflect the nobility and
integrity with which every human being is endowed. Such spiritual qualities are not
acquired through focusing on the self; they are developed in service to others.

The Bahá’í Writings explain that the reality of God is beyond the understanding of
any mortal mind, though we may find expressions of His attributes in every created
thing. Throughout the ages, He has sent a succession of Divine Messengers,
known as Manifestations of God, to educate and guide humanity, awakening in
whole populations capacities to contribute to the advancement of civilization to an
extent never before possible.

I. 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, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh—
humanity’s spiritual, intellectual and moral capacities have been cultivated.

II. Nature »
The beauty, richness and diversity of the natural world are all expressions of the attributes
of God. This inspires in us deep respect for nature. Humanity has the capacity to emancipate
itself from the world of nature and, as steward of the planet’s vast resources, it is
responsible for using the earth’s raw materials in a way that preserves harmony and
contributes to the advancement of civilization.

III. An Ever-Advancing Civilization »

Humanity, having passed through the ages of infancy and childhood, now stands at the
threshold of its collective maturity, the hallmark of which will be the unification of the
human race in a global civilization. The emergence of this civilization, prosperous in both its
spiritual and material dimensions, implies that the spiritual and practical aspects of life are
to advance harmoniously together.

Realization of the principle of the oneness of humanity is at once the goal and
operating principle of Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation. Bahá’u’lláh compared the world of
humanity to the human body. Within this organism, millions of cells, diverse in form
and function, play their part in maintaining a healthy system. Similarly, harmonious
relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions serve to sustain
society and allow for the advancement of civilization.

The Individual and Society »

We are living today in a unique period in history. As humanity emerges from childhood and
approaches its collective maturity, the need for a new understanding of the relationships
between the individual, the community, and the institutions of society becomes ever more
pressing.
 One Human Family »
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 the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh
revolve…”

The Bahá’í Administrative Order »

The affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered through a system of institutions, each
with its defined sphere of action. The origins of this system, known as the Administrative
Order, as well as the principles that guide its operation are found in the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh.

Universal Peace
The teachings of Baha’u’llah are vast in their
scope, exploring as they do such themes as
the nature and purpose of Revelation, the inherent
nobility of the human being, the cultivation of
spiritual qualities, and humanity’s interactions with
the natural world. The Bahá’í Writings are also
replete with references to universal peace—“the supreme goal of all mankind”—as well as
explanations of the social principles with which this peace is associated.
Among these principles are the independent search after truth; the oneness of the entire
human race, which is the pivotal principle of the Bahá’í Faith; the abolition of all forms of
prejudice; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men
and women, the two wings on which the bird of humankind is able to soar; the introduction
of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of
the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of
disputes between nations; and the confirmation of justice as the ruling principle in human
affairs. Bahá’ís do not view these principles as mere statements of vague aspiration—they
are understood as matters of immediate and practical concern
for individuals, communities, and institutions alike.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH’S global scope is mirrored in the composition of its

membership. Bahá’ís come from virtually every nation, ethnic group, culture, profession,
and social or economic class. More than 2,100 different ethnic and tribal groups are
represented.

Since it also forms a single community, free of schism or factions, the Bahá’í Faith
comprises what is very likely the most diverse and widespread organized body of people on
earth.
 People of virtually every background, in
every nation, have become Bahá’ís. Shown
here is a gathering of Bahá’ís from the
Cochabamba region in Bolivia. Many are
members of the Aymara and Quechua
indigenous groups.

The Faith’s Founder was Bahá’u’lláh, a Persian nobleman from Tehran who, in the mid-
nineteenth century, left a life of princely comfort and security and, in the face of intense
persecution and deprivation, brought to humanity a stirring new message of peace and unity.
Bahá’u’lláh claimed to be nothing less than a new and independent Messenger from
God. His life, work, and influence parallel that of Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster,
Buddha, Christ, and Muhammad. Bahá’ís view Bahá’u’lláh as the most recent in this
succession of divine Messengers.
The essential message of Bahá’u’lláh is that of unity. He taught that there is only one
God, that there is only one human race, and that all the world’s religions represent stages in
the revelation of God’s will and purpose for humanity. In this day, Bahá’u’lláh said, humanity
has collectively come of age. As foretold in all of the world’s scriptures, the time has arrived
for the uniting of all peoples into a peaceful and integrated global society. “The earth is but
one country, and mankind its citizens,” He wrote.
The youngest of the world’s independent religions, the Faith founded by Bahá’u’lláh
stands out from other religions in a number of ways. It has a unique system of global
administration, with freely elected governing councils in nearly 10,000 localities.
It takes a distinctive approach to contemporary social problems. The Faith’s scriptures
and the multifarious activities of its membership address virtually every important trend in
the world today, from new thinking about cultural diversity and environmental conservation
to the decentralization of decision making; from a renewed commitment to family life and
moral values to the call for social and economic justice in a world that is rapidly becoming a
global neighborhood.
The Faith’s most distinctive accomplishment by far, however, is its unity. Unlike every
other religion — not to mention most social and political movements — the Bahá’í
community has successfully resisted the perennial impulse to divide into sects and
subgroups. It has maintained its unity despite a history as turbulent as that of any religion of
antiquity.
In the years since Bahá’u’lláh lived, the process of global unification for which He called
has become well-advanced. Through historical processes, the traditional barriers of race,
class, creed, and nation have steadily broken down. The forces at work, Bahá’u’lláh predicted,
will eventually give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the
peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and assist in the
creation of this new world.
 For a global society to flourish, Bahá’u’lláh said, it must be based on certain
fundamental principles: They include the elimination of all forms of prejudice; full
equality between the sexes; recognition of the essential oneness of the world’s great religions;
the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth; universal education; the harmony of
science and religion; a sustainable balance between nature and technology; and the
establishment of a world federal system, based on collective security and the oneness of
humanity.
Bahá’ís around the world express their commitment to these principles chiefly through
individual and community transformation, including the large number of small-scale,
grassroots-based social and economic development projects that Bahá’í communities have
launched in recent years.
In building a unified network of local, national, and international governing councils,
Bahá’u’lláh’s followers have created a far-flung and diverse worldwide community — marked
by a distinctive pattern of life and activity — which offers an encouraging model of
cooperation, harmony, and social action. In a world so divided in its loyalties, this is in itself
a singular achievement

The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion based on the

teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. He taught there is one
God and one human family, and that the great
religions of the world represent successive stages
in the spiritual evolution of human society.