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The Bahá'í Faith

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Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) issues

(Note: This is not an official Bahá'í web site)

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Quotations taken from various You Tube videos advocating gay equality:

bullet"Ye are all the leaves of one tree, and the fruits of one branch." Baha'u'llah ("glory of God") the founder of the Baha'i faith.
 
bullet"If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual." Abdu'l-Bahá, the first interpreter of Baha'i teachings.
 
bullet"If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it were better to be without it..." Abdu'l-Bahá.
 
bulletIf religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science, they are mere superstitions and imaginations; for the antithesis of knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true religion and science. If a question be found contrary to reason, faith and belief in it are impossible, and there is no outcome but wavering and vacillation. Abdu'l-Bahá. 1
 
bullet"Homosexuality according to the writings of Baha'u'llah is spiritually condemned," Shoghi Effendi, the second and final interpreter of Baha'i teaching..
 
bullet"...the Faith does not recognize homosexuality as a 'natural' or permanent phenomenon. Rather. it sees this as an aberration subject to treatment," Universal House of Justice, 1987-MAR-22.
 
bullet"LGBTI Let us live in Peace." Text of a mask worn during a protest in Kampala, Uganda, seeking and end to persecution of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transexuals, transgendered and intersex persons. Local Baha'i, Christian and Muslim leaders urged the government to arrest the protestors. 2
 
bullet"Which side of history do you want to be on?" A sign at a California demonstration in favor of same-sex marriage.

 

The Baha'i faith and GLB issues:

The Baha'i Faith teaches that homosexual behavior is unacceptable among its members. Voting rights of some of their lesbian, gay and bisexual members (LGB) who are out of the "closet" have been suspended; some memberships have been terminated.

Baha'i beliefs concerning sexual orientation are quite similar to those of the conservative wings of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other religions.

The Baha'i faith is in a unique position because it can no longer authoritatively change the interpretation of its holy texts.

Topics covered in this section:

bulletIntroduction: Baha'i beliefs. Science-religion conflict. Keeping a proper perspective
 
bulletHomosexuality in Baha'i sacred texts.  1973 statements by the House of Justice
 
bullet1982 Universal House of Justice letter.  1993 meeting of a pro-LGB group
 
bullet1995 and 1996 statements. Letter from a Baha'i counselor
 
bullet2002 letter from a physician; Current status
 
bulletBahá'í LGBTs on the Internet, agitating for full acceptance

Reference used:

  1. Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page 181.
  2. Peter Tatchell, "Ugandan gays demand freedom," Guardian newspaper, 2007-SEP-17, at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Copyright © 1996 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2009-OCT-06
Author: B.A. Robinson

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