So little Timmy's best friend in pre-school is Ba'hai. Through the kids, we've wound up meeting the parents a few times, and have even been over to their home once for lunch and a play date. And of course, given the thread title, their family is Ba'hai.
While I've heard of Ba'hai before, I've never known anyone who actually believed it. From what I can tell both of the parents were raised within that faith, rather than being converts.
So - while they seem like nice enough people, there's a couple of odd things about them too. But because I have no idea about Ba'hai, I don't know if it's just this couple, or something as a result of their religious faith. I tried googling, but all you can find are very pointed pro- or anti- Ba'Hai screeds.
From what little I know (I have known some Ba'hai folks, but not well) it is sort of like Muslim Lite.
I give them props for actually having a prophet named "Bob". :D (Well, a title actually - Báb).
Dude who used to play for the Cardinals was Ba'Hai. That's about as much as I know. I'd probably take similar precautions that I would take not to offend a muslim.
Or next time you're hanging out you could ask them what it's all about.
When I was a teenager I worked at a VHS rental video store and the owner was Ba'hai. Nice guy and family, also had one work colleague who was of the faith and she was smoking hot so that was a plus for the faith. I think they believe in multiple and ongoing prophets. So they believe Jesus was a prophet of God, and so was Muhammed and so was Buddha... not sure what they think of Joseph Smith though.
I've known a couple of Ba'hai individuals. They were pretty mild mannered and inoffensive. We never really talked religion or anything; IIRC the guy didn't drink because of his beliefs, but otherwise he was indistinguishable from any other dude really.
My impression is that they're a later day divergence from Abrahamic faiths, and that they take pacifism and being nice to everyone fairly seriously. I think most of the anti-Ba'hai stuff is from various hardline Muslims who consider the Ba'hai to be apostates of some flavour or other.
I understand that Ukrainian security forces have had difficulty in dislodging pro-Ba'hai militias from state buildings.
I know a few families of that faith. Nothing particularly remarkable about them except that they are always very polite. We should all have such problems.
I don' know anybody who is Ba'hai. I think Lettow is Oh'hai, though.
From my experience, the Ba'hai are rather accommodating and with much more lenient practices in most fields than other religions we could mention. Their calling is also more like a New World Order (black helicopters sold separately) than anything else. Common language, common institutions, removing obstacles to human interaction across borders. When I think of it, you may have met someone who's the EU and the UN in person. :hmm:
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 02:19:20 PM
I understand that Ukrainian security forces have had difficulty in dislodging pro-Ba'hai militias from state buildings.
:rolleyes: They're obviously outside agitators that infiltrated in from Bahailand.
I knew one person in high school but can't say he ever said that much about his religion. He was an oddball but that had nothing to do with his faith (I believe he had a breakdown at some-point / was the one person I ever was afraid might do something crazy like shooting up he place).
I also lived right near the Baha'i center when I was in SF. You wouldn't know it though apart from the sign on the outside the building.
Okay, so the weird thing I was wondering about...
Timmy met his little friend at pre-school, but now his friend doesn't go to pre-school any more. Apparently he said he didn't like going so they stopped bringing him. It just boggles my mind though. Timmy has resisted doing different activities before, but he always winds up loving them by the time we get there.
My mother (now retired teacher and vice-principal) had said she'd noticed the same thing about some Baha'i students in the past - that they were big on "expressing oneself", but as a result didn't pressure their kids to do stuff like going to school.
But I didn't know if that was actually true, or just some oddball opinion my mother picked up.
Yeah, other than being pretty bad at deadlines and timelines (we've had their kid over, and they picked him up way later than we thought they would) they seem very nice and very easygoing.
They're a vaguely hippie syncretic faith with elements of the native Iranian religions, Twlever Shi'ism and the Vedic religions. They kind of annoy me; there are some 5, Bahai and maybe 200,000 Zoroasatrians and only a few thousand Mandeans.
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 02:44:57 PM
They're a vaguely hippie syncretic faith with elements of the native Iranian religions, Twlever Shi'ism and the Vedic religions. They kind of annoy me; there are some 5, Bahai and maybe 200,000 Zoroasatrians and only a few thousand Mandeans.
You? Either in love with, or annoyed, by a group of people on the other side of the world?
Colour me shocked.
I had the religious and ethnic groups beat in my second year at journalism school writing for the school paper The Ryersonian. I did a story on them. I think the school had three or four Bahai' members. Their prophet was named Bahaulla or somthing, not Bob. :D A lot of their religion is based on equality amongst gender, which is what makes it unusual for religion. In any case they didn't like the story I wrote on them and sent a letter to my prof. My prof told me to be proud. It would be the first of many I'd get in my career.
I don't think they prosletyze much, if that's your concern, Beeb.
Quote from: Josephus on April 14, 2014, 02:48:45 PM
I don't think they prosletyze much, if that's your concern, Beeb.
:lol: Not really. But my wife did ask them a bunch of questions once. Afterwards I told her "honey, I support you on any spiritual discovery you wish to go through, but I am *not* going to become a baha'i".
I was born a snake-handler, and I'll die a snake-handler. -_-
Quote from: Barrister on April 14, 2014, 02:48:33 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 02:44:57 PM
They're a vaguely hippie syncretic faith with elements of the native Iranian religions, Twlever Shi'ism and the Vedic religions. They kind of annoy me; there are some 5, Bahai and maybe 200,000 Zoroasatrians and only a few thousand Mandeans.
You? Either in love with, or annoyed, by a group of people on the other side of the world?
Colour me shocked.
:lol:
Quote from: Barrister on April 14, 2014, 02:51:59 PM
I was born a snake-handler, and I'll die a snake-handler. -_-
Especially if you handle snakes of the venomous variety.
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 14, 2014, 03:01:40 PM
Quote from: Barrister on April 14, 2014, 02:51:59 PM
I was born a snake-handler, and I'll die a snake-handler. -_-
Especially if you handle snakes of the venomous variety.
His faith will protect him. :)
They were evangelizing, in a low-key way, fairly constantly during my first couple of years of undergrad. Emphasis was on the harmony of all world religions, and on peacefulness generally. And having the answers to the most pressing questions of life/the world, of course.
Quote from: Barrister on April 14, 2014, 02:48:33 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 02:44:57 PM
They're a vaguely hippie syncretic faith with elements of the native Iranian religions, Twlever Shi'ism and the Vedic religions. They kind of annoy me; there are some 5, Bahai and maybe 200,000 Zoroasatrians and only a few thousand Mandeans.
You? Either in love with, or annoyed, by a group of people on the other side of the world?
Colour me shocked.
There's a Baha'i Temple in Wilmette and I grew up with some in High and Middle School.
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 03:47:30 PM
Quote from: Barrister on April 14, 2014, 02:48:33 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 02:44:57 PM
They're a vaguely hippie syncretic faith with elements of the native Iranian religions, Twlever Shi'ism and the Vedic religions. They kind of annoy me; there are some 5, Bahai and maybe 200,000 Zoroasatrians and only a few thousand Mandeans.
You? Either in love with, or annoyed, by a group of people on the other side of the world?
Colour me shocked.
There's a Baha'i Temple in Wilmette and I grew up with some in High and Middle School.
So is it the Wilmette tample that annoys you? Or the ones you grew up with?
Or is it the mere fact that Baha'i seems to have modestly flourished, while zoroastrianism has not.
Options #2 and #3.
*fetches new bottle of Calvados*
Bottle has been put on Spellus alert.
How are Baha'i chicks with putting out?
The dingo ate your Zarathustra.
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 04:06:54 PM
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
If that is what keeps you up at night, I suggest switching reading material.
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 04:06:54 PM
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
Who isnt?
The Mandaeans moved to Sweden so until the Slargosian militias start driving out all the immigrants that should be fine.
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 14, 2014, 04:27:42 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 04:06:54 PM
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
Who isnt?
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fboomer.1019thewolf.com%2Ffiles%2F2013%2F11%2FThisGuy-300x249.gif&hash=a0978a0e64ee0b5e30b12a89a612db696ac104cd)
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 14, 2014, 04:27:42 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 04:06:54 PM
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
Who isnt?
Not me. It's too de-mandaean.
Quote from: Jacob on April 14, 2014, 04:53:43 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 14, 2014, 04:27:42 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 04:06:54 PM
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
Who isnt?
Not me. It's too de-mandaean.
:frusty: :frusty:
That one's a double facepalm.
Quote from: Jacob on April 14, 2014, 04:53:43 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 14, 2014, 04:27:42 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on April 14, 2014, 04:06:54 PM
Quote from: Valmy on April 14, 2014, 04:04:56 PM
The problem with Zoroastrianism is they have no babies....which is a weird problem to have in India.
They are incredibly wealthy and don't accept converts. I'm actually more worried about the Mandaeans.
Who isnt?
Not me. It's too de-mandaean.
Thats just because you lack sufficient understandaean.
Oh Mandaean,
oh you kissed me and stopped me from shaking,
and I need you today.
I'm frankly shocked you'd expose your son to a heathen religion. If I found out one of these types were in the same school as my daughter I'd conduct a raid on their home and burn it to the ground with them inside of it. Other religions have no place in Western society.
Reasonable reaction. DUI Easter at the vonBismarks'?
Quote from: Jacob on April 14, 2014, 02:16:34 PM
My impression is that they're a later day divergence from Abrahamic faiths, and that they take pacifism and being nice to everyone fairly seriously. I think most of the anti-Ba'hai stuff is from various hardline Muslims who consider the Ba'hai to be apostates of some flavour or other.
Yeah they're horribly oppressed in Iran. I think there's a big population of emigres in Israel.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 02:20:37 PM
I don' know anybody who is Ba'hai. I think Lettow is Oh'hai, though.
Oh, come on, that was hilarious. You assholes.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 06:09:09 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 02:20:37 PM
I don' know anybody who is Ba'hai. I think Lettow is Oh'hai, though.
Oh, come on, that was hilarious. You assholes.
You need help. :hug: :console:
I LOLed. :)
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 06:09:09 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 02:20:37 PM
I don' know anybody who is Ba'hai. I think Lettow is Oh'hai, though.
Oh, come on, that was hilarious. You assholes.
We have pretty 'hai standards.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 14, 2014, 06:50:49 PM
:ultra:
Okay, I can't 'hai-de it; I really did like your joke :hug:
:rolleyes: Time for you to go BA'BAI.
'Hai-dey ho, neighborinos!
Ba'hai five.
The Ba'hai are a little to relaxed for me. I like the Ba'hellos far better.
Quote from: PDH on April 14, 2014, 09:07:25 PM
The Ba'hai are a little to relaxed for me. I like the Ba'hellos far better.
Don't say that to their faces though; they'll get you for it one way or the other. You can run, but you can't ba'hide.
The what now?
Quote from: Caliga on April 14, 2014, 07:05:18 PM
:rolleyes: Time for you to go BA'BAI.
We need an action movie with some Ba'Hai bent on conquering the world under the auspices of the UN so this one-liner can be used and abused :yes:
Yes, a 1000 times, yes. Terminator 4: The Ba'hai say hai.
But is there beer and bacon?
Quote from: Norgy on April 15, 2014, 04:06:44 AM
Yes, a 1000 times, yes. Terminator 4: The Ba'hai say hai.
BA'HAI'LL BE BACK
Quote from: Caliga on April 15, 2014, 04:56:24 AM
Quote from: Norgy on April 15, 2014, 04:06:44 AM
Yes, a 1000 times, yes. Terminator 4: The Ba'hai say hai.
BA'HAI'LL BE BACK
:lol:
Title track: Ba'hailando