I guess probably nobody really knows, but what sense do you have of this? I'm thinking about some things mentioned in the Ruhi thread.
I understand that from the perspective of Westerners, Baha'i (like that feminine hygiene commercial said) might not feel quite "fresh" anymore. Kind of like Spiritualism or Theosophy? Of course Western countries are only a small fraction of the total. But I can see how a lot of those third-world mass conversions might have turned out to be wishful thinking. I'm not saying they are, just that I could believe it if they were.
So honestly, where does the faith stand? Is Baha'i shrinking? If yes, does this trend look like it's going to continue? I guess there's always the chance that something else could come along and revitalize it, like the Catastrophe or a good movie version or something. Or is it all an illusion, and it's doing just fine? What do you think?
Is the Bahai faith shrinking?
.
What i think? hmm.
That your vision is not different from many people.
We may all see what you just described.
I just posted on the Ruhi tread something that may connect.
Baha'u'llah said (in Certitude) that victory or triumph or domination
do not have the same meaning a we generally think it has.
An old Baha'i quite sage, told me, when i came in, about 2 years ago:
You know Claude, if you embark on this road, be aware that
you are gonna live a long and profound solitude.
I am just starting to catch what he meant.
But in another sense, i learn to enjoy that sort of "solitude".
.
What i think? hmm.
That your vision is not different from many people.
We may all see what you just described.
I just posted on the Ruhi tread something that may connect.
Baha'u'llah said (in Certitude) that victory or triumph or domination
do not have the same meaning a we generally think it has.
An old Baha'i quite sage, told me, when i came in, about 2 years ago:
You know Claude, if you embark on this road, be aware that
you are gonna live a long and profound solitude.
I am just starting to catch what he meant.
But in another sense, i learn to enjoy that sort of "solitude".
.
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Guest
Like so many things in life, it depends on your perspective.
There have been times when I've looked at my community and I've said "Gosh, we're really not doing much, we're not growing," but then I go to another Community and I see how big and active it is.
Sometimes we can get kind of sullen because things seem to be going slowly and other times we hear of all these people becoming Bahais and all these teaching projects and we know for certain that the future is glorious.
And, we should already know that the future is glorious because we're told that in the Writings.
Personally, I believe that the Bahai Faith's growth in is going to be gradual. Each new generation brings a few more souls into the faith. People marry and sometimes their spouses become Bahais. And, of course there'll be those really special and wonderful souls who will bring in groups of people and the Faith will grow in quick spurts occassionally as well.
How many years it'll be none of us can say. It'll depend on each one of us individually and as groups in our communities and Projects and how much we love Baha'u'llah.
There have been times when I've looked at my community and I've said "Gosh, we're really not doing much, we're not growing," but then I go to another Community and I see how big and active it is.
Sometimes we can get kind of sullen because things seem to be going slowly and other times we hear of all these people becoming Bahais and all these teaching projects and we know for certain that the future is glorious.
And, we should already know that the future is glorious because we're told that in the Writings.
Personally, I believe that the Bahai Faith's growth in is going to be gradual. Each new generation brings a few more souls into the faith. People marry and sometimes their spouses become Bahais. And, of course there'll be those really special and wonderful souls who will bring in groups of people and the Faith will grow in quick spurts occassionally as well.
How many years it'll be none of us can say. It'll depend on each one of us individually and as groups in our communities and Projects and how much we love Baha'u'llah.
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British_Bahai
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am
No way! If the Bahai faith was shrinking then we wouldnt have got a message from Tony Blair!
http://www.bahai.org.uk/uk_review/prev_iss/2/p9.htm
http://www.bahai.org.uk/uk_review/prev_iss/2/p9.htm