Baha'i growth!!!

The increased intensity with which programmes of growth around the world are being pursued tells an impressive story of its own. In this five-year span, we had called for growth to be accelerated in every one of the 5,000 clusters where it had begun. This imperative became the impetus for earnest endeavour throughout the world. As a result, the number of intensive programmes of growth more than doubled and now stands at approximately 4,000. Difficulties involved in opening up new villages and neighbourhoods to the Faith in the midst of a global health crisis, or expanding activities that were at an early stage when the pandemic began, prevented an even higher total from being reached during the Plan’s final year. However, there is more to tell than this. At the outset of the Plan, we had expressed the hope that the number of clusters where the friends had passed the third milestone along a continuum of growth, as a consequence of learning how to welcome large numbers into the embrace of their activities, would grow by hundreds more. That total then stood at around 200, spread across some 40 countries. Five years on, this number has risen to an astonishing 1,000 in nearly 100 countries—a quarter of all the intensive programmes of growth in the world and an achievement far surpassing our expectations. And yet even these figures do not reveal the loftiest heights to which the community has soared. There are over 30 clusters where the number of core activities being sustained exceeds 1,000; in places, the total is several thousand, involving the participation of more than 20,000 people in a single cluster. A growing number of Local Spiritual Assemblies now oversee the unfoldment of educational programmes that cater to practically all the children and junior youth in a village; the same reality is beginning to emerge within a few urban neighbourhoods. Engagement with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh has, in notable instances, transcended individuals, families and extended kinships—what is being witnessed is the movement of populations towards a common centre. At times, age-old hostilities between opposing groups are being left behind, and certain social structures and dynamics are being transformed in the light of the divine teachings.

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/uhj/uhj_nine-year_plan_2022.pdf

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Why there are few ex-Baha'is and why more and more people are leaving the Baha'i cult?

In my experience the vast majority of Baha'is know next to nothing about the Faith, and have no interest in the Faith theologically, so even those who leave the Faith tend to not have very strong opinions about it. This makes it more difficult for people who have strong objections to the Faith's theology/history, nobody knows or cares about it!

There are hardly any ex-Baha'is to be found I think because the Baha'i community is so irrelevantly small it has essentially no actual presence in the world (so the "ex" community is likewise incredibly tiny).

I think perhaps the ex community will grow in the coming years and we may see things like "ex-Baha'i" support groups because the Faith has lurched hard into cult-like behavior with how the Institute Process is practiced and it's increased meddling in the lives of youth (e.g. ISGP). Pre the year 2000 the Faith was content to just sign people up, and as such it made very little demands of most of its adherents, but with the Institute Process and the UHJ showing its hand in endorsing it as a surefire way to get entry by troops has made the community incredibly toxic. No longer is it a vaguely New Age social club, it's an aggressively proselytizing organisation which press-gangs young people into door-knocking campaigns with incredible pressure put on people to turn around an abject failure of a teaching technique. (tl;dr, pre-Institute Process it was pretty hard for people to get disillusioned by the Faith unless they studied it deeply which I don't think was ever really encouraged outside of curated materials. Post-institute process there are some very explicit claims and instructions that are constantly being shown to be total BS, so disillusionment is a foregone conclusion in my mind).

Adding onto the above, I think it is becoming easier to have positive relationships with Baha'i friends/family from "outside" the Faith, because while most Baha'is have no awareness and certainly no interest in theological/historical objections, I think most if not all Baha'is have basically realised the UHJ is far from infallible and it's easier to adopt a live and let live mindset as a result.

https://old.reddit.com/r/exbahai/comments/1cs7t70/firstgen_iranian_diaspora_on_the_verge_of_leaving/l44r7lg/

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the entire planet would be Baha’i in only 10 years!

Another question often raised concerns the ‘methods’ of teaching that are advocated by the National Spiritual Assembly.

The answer to that question, simply, is that all forms of teaching are acceptable, so long as the dignity and principles of the Faith are upheld.

“Teaching by example,” “fireside teaching,” “door-to-door teaching,” “mass teaching,” “public proclamation,” “indirect teaching,” “direct teaching” —though we describe it in many ways, it is all teaching. In fact, the terms are quite irrelevant.

It isn’t important what we call it, or what “method” we choose; what is important is that we do it, and do it continually.

Each Baha'i must assess his or her own abilities, and then arise wholeheartedly to support the teaching work, locally and nationally.

If the Baha'is in this country today were to fulfill the duty given to us by ‘Abdu'l-Baha (to bring one soul into the Faith each year), in only 10 years the Faith would expand in such a manner that the entire planet would be Baha’i in only 10 years!

“There are innumerable ways of teaching the Cause. You can choose the one that suits best your nature and capacity.”

-Shoghi Effendi

The American Bahá’í, April, 1981

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Diffusing the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation ever more widely

A greater expression of the society-building power of the Faith requires, first and foremost, still further advances in the process of entry by troops in every part of the world. The essentially spiritual undertakings of diffusing the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation ever more widely and extending the roots of His Faith ever more deeply into the soil of society have measurable outcomes: the number of clusters where a programme of growth has been initiated and the degree of intensity that each has reached. The means now exist for a swift advance in relation to both measures. The goal that the community of the Greatest Name must aspire to fulfil during the current series of global Plans is to establish intensive programmes of growth in all the clusters in the world. This formidable objective implies a broadening and intensification of activity on a scale never witnessed. Rapid progress towards this goal must be achieved in the course of the Nine Year Plan.

(Message of the Universal House of Justice, 30-12-2021)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20211230_001/1

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Two pillars upon which Shoghi Effendi's Baha'i narratives were constructed.

The late nineteenth-century writings on Persia of British author George Nathaniel Curzon were especially chosen to aid this project. Gesturing to the Aryan-Persianism explored earlier in the century by John Malcolm, Henry Rawlinson, Arthur Gobineau, Ernest Renan, and latterly Edward Granville Browne, Curzon suited Shoghi Effendi’s preference for authors who stressed the self-evident irreversibility of Persia and Islam’s decline. To this he added a component that operated as a binary opposite: the huge assertion of an exclusive agency of redemption in the form of a unitary Babi-Bahai revelation. These were the two pillars upon which Shoghi Effendi’s Bahai narratives were constructed, and vital to them both was the input Western orientalists provided, some of whom had mentioned Bahaism as possibly replacing Islam as Persia’s established religion. Probably because they were considered “modern” these writers also inflated the number of Bahais there (e.g., Curzon 1892, vol. 1, p. 499), perhaps on the assumption that if they took over the country, they would be friendly to Britain. Not potentially rebellious as the Muslims of the Empire were thought to be, as a small quietist group in Palestine, and like other heterodox Muslim sects scattered through the Empire such as the Ismailis and Ahmadiyya, they not only posed no threat, but positively exuded declarations of loyalty.

(What Is Bahai Orientalism? by Geoffrey Nash)

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/10/1/2

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"think of ways of imparting the message to prominent people"

Abdu'l Baha exhorted the believers to "think of ways of imparting the message to prominent people, for once such persons have given their allegiance to the Faith, they will cause the people to be led, troop after troop, to the wellspring of unfailing guidance."

(Compilation - Teaching Prominent People (London 1990), p. 1.)

(Loyalty to the Covenant and Critical Thought by Udo Schaefer)

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Sen McGlinn about the US Baha'i community

Baha'i scholar Sen McGlinn states that he and Moojan Momen agrees that "there has been a marked ‘change of culture’ in the Baha’i community over the past 10–15 years, associated with the introduction of ‘Ruhi method’ catechism classes. Over the same period, there has been a marked fall in enrollments and an increase in formally notified withdrawals and expulsions in the US Baha’i community, as well as the development of a ‘penumbra’ of unenrolled Baha’is around the enrolled community. A report written by the National Spiritual Assembly of the USA in 2007 observes that there has been a 50 percent drop in enrollments since 1997, and that ‘this year’ (2006) ‘withdrawals (369) from Baha’i membership have risen 30 percent.’ This is a phenomenon worth study. It appears analogous to the general growth in unchurched religion, but it is more rapid by far. A proper study, using questionnaires and interviews, would be required to reveal how many of these people are exiting the religion and how many are only ending their administrative enrollment, and their reasons for doing so. My experience in the Baha’i community leads me to think that one significant factor is the policy-driven ‘change in culture’ for which Momen has been a leading theorist and apologist. Other contributing factors that show up in the exit narratives are feeling burdened by excessive administrative and missionary work, long-unfulfilled expectations of ‘entry by troops’ and the achievement of the unity of nations by the year 2000, and the usual range of interpersonal conflicts and personal motivations for disaffiliation from any religious community. I doubt that the few vocal opponents operating primarily through the Internet are a significant part of this story."

("Challenging apostasy: Responses to Moojan Momen's 'Marginality and Apostasy in the Baha'i Community'". Religion. 38 (4): 384–393)

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at least half of the world will become Baha'i

There is no reference in the writings stating that every single person will become Bahá’í, but at least half of them will. Rúhíyyih Khánum used to say that Shoghi Effendi was asked this question quite often by pilgrims. He would answer by saying that, in this Dispensation, the totality of the peoples of the world will not become Bahá’ís, but the majority will.

'Alí Nakhjavani, "Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen"

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Such will be the majesty of the Faith in the future.

Nevertheless, the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh is the Most Holy, the Most Sacred Shrine on the planet. And, as I stated before, the Shrine of the Báb and the World Administrative Centre are under the shadow of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. Blessed are those who are able to visit that Shrine. In this day we are permitted to enter the Shrine – what a blessing this is! Do you think, when millions and billions will become Bahá’ís, that it will be possible to enter that Shrine or the Shrine of the Báb? They will have to satisfy themselves with circumambulation, while visiting the Shrines from outside. Such will be the majesty of the Faith in the future.

(Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen, Ali Nakhjavani)

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What is unity?

In the Tablet of Ittihad, Bahá'u'lláh describes in some detail several features of unity. He states that unity in the first place is the unity of religion, meaning that people must follow the same religion which is His Faith in this day. He declares that when the majority of the people in a country embrace His Cause, then the government will be able to put into practice His teachings and commandments. He asserts that in past dispensations such a unity has always brought victory to the Cause of God.

https://bahai-library.com/rev_bahaullah_4/taherzadeh_revelation_bahaullah_4.txt

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Violent upheaval and agony because of great failure to respond to Baha'u'llah's instructions

Shoghi Effendi:

"No doubt to the degree we Baha'is the world over strive to spread the Cause and live up to its teachings, there will be some mitigation of the suffering of the peoples of the world. But it seems apparent that the great failure to respond to Baha'u'llah's instructions, appeals and warnings issued in the 19th century, has now sent the world along a path, or released forces, which must culminate in a still more violent upheaval and agony. The thing is out of hand, so to speak, and it is too late to avert catastrophic trials."

- Unfolding Destiny, p.454

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Why I left the Baha'i Faith?

I was a Baha'i for about thirty years prior to the year 2000. We were led to believe that "entry by troops" and the "lesser peace" would happen by the year 2000, meaning that there would be a political peace in the world, and many, many thousands of people would be lining up to join the Baha'i religion.... and in fact, we were encouraged to donate to the building of the Baha'i World Center buildings in Haifa, Israel, because the buildings would be needed to handle the "entry by troops" that was about to happen.

Well, the year 2000 rolled around without any sign of mass conversions, and I finally realized that the people of the world weren't likely to ever convert to Baha'i 'en masse' because it is a repressive, guilt-tripping religion with many laws most people are not interested in signing up to follow. I weaned myself off the Baha'i belief system. It took over ten years to recover from the brainwashing I'd been through.

The Baha'i religion is very paranoid and fearful about their reputation because they want people to join the religion. Unfortunately for them, the internet was invented and knowledge of their imperfection has spread. They even have a "protection" arm of the religion with people appointed to go to communities to warn them about outsiders (mainly former Baha'is) who are dangerous to the religion. Baha'is were encouraged to avoid reading anything they wrote and instructed to entirely shun them. This is only one of many aspects of "information control" - a well-known sign of cult mind control, per many websites and books that expose cult methodology.

The list of principles of the Baha'i religion is a carefully crafted marketing plan to make the religion appeal to people in western countries such as the USA and Europe. Not everything they say is realistic, good, or in line even with the statements of their founders. For example, they have the principle of the equality of men and women but have different inheritance laws for each and don't allow women on the House of Justice (governing body) ... and they say they have a principle of the unity of religions but that doesn't mean that they respect people of all religions so much as it means that people of all religions can join Baha'i, give up their own religion, and then be united as a Baha'i community.

Baha'is want to say they are "the most wide-spread religion" so they force members in the USA (not sure about other countries) to have a "community" in each and every locality even if it is only two people... for example, say there are 11 people living in a city and 9 people living just outside the city limits. The 9 people living outside the city limits have to form their own "community" and must hold their "19 Day Feast" meetings separately from the 11 people living within the city limits. This is utterly ridiculous, but this way the national Baha'i center can count that as 2 communities or localities where Baha'is reside, rather than just one.

I could go on all day... writing about stupid things about the Baha'i religion. I'm so glad I made that mental break from the religion 18 years ago!

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All the meetings must be for teaching the Cause and spreading the Message...

Abdul Baha :

All the meetings must be for teaching the Cause and spreading the Message, and suffering the souls to enter in the Kingdom of Baha’u’llah. Look at me. All my thoughts are centered around the proclamation of the Kingdom. I have a Lamp in my hand searching through the lands and seas to find souls who can become heralds of the Cause. Day and night I am engaged in this work. Any other deliberations in the meetings are futile and fruitless. Convey the Message! Attract the hearts! Sow the seeds! Teach the Cause to those who do not know.

http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/compilations/bahai-meetings/bahai-meetings.docx?a817b671

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UHJ asking funds from Baha'is

It is impossible at this stage to give an accurate estimate of the cost of these projects. All that we can now say is that in the immediate future two objectives have to be met: to accumulate rapidly a reserve of fifty million dollars on which plans for the construction can realistically begin to be implemented, and to provide an income of between twenty and twenty-five million dollars for the Bahá’í International Fund for each of the next ten years. As the work proceeds, contracts are signed and costs can be accurately determined, further information will be announced.

The great work of constructing the terraces, landscaping their surroundings, and erecting the remaining buildings of the Arc will bring into being a vastly augmented World Center structure which will be capable of meeting the challenges of coming centuries and of the tremendous growth of the Bahá’í community which the beloved Guardian has told us to expect.

(THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE, 31 August 1987)

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/19870831_001/1#842030855

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Training Institutes has the capacity to sustain the process of entry by troops.

We are greatly heartened by the news reaching us of the enthusiastic response of the friends to the Four Year Plan. Particularly encouraging are the efforts of National Spiritual Assemblies everywhere to establish training institutes and to systematically address the development of human resources. The number of national and regional institutes is rapidly increasing, and indications are that there may be more than one hundred operating in the world by the close of the first year of the Plan. We cherish the hope that from each of these centers of learning will issue forth ever-growing contingents of believers capable of carrying out a wide array of services to the Cause, creating thus in every country the capacity to sustain the process of entry by troops.

http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/19960806_001/19960806_001.pdf

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Entry by troops will remain the focus of the global Plans

On July 27, 2000, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter "to the Friends Gathered at the Youth Congress in the Dominican Republic" wherein it is stated "advancing the process of entry by troops will remain the focus of the global Plans that will carry the Bahá’í community to the end of the first century of the Formative Age."

http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20000727_001/20000727_001.pdf

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‘Abdu’l-Bahá's 'Divine Plan"

‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote the Tablets of the Divine Plan—His “grand design for the spiritual conquest of the planet.”1 This Plan, “divine in origin,”2 “the mightiest Plan ever generated through the creative power of the Most Great Name,” holds within it “the seeds of the world’s spiritual revival and ultimate redemption.”3

The Divine Plan, “impelled by forces beyond our power to predict or appraise,”4 is sweeping across the “five continents of the globe,” gathering “within the field of its operations nation after nation.”5 The implementation of this Plan will lead to the “enlargement of the limits of the Faith and the multiplication of its institutions over the face of the planet” and the “acceleration of the construction and completion of the administrative framework of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Order.”6

The Divine Plan will continue to unfold through “numerous crusades of successive epochs” that will reach “as far as the fringes” of the “Golden Age.”7

1 The Universal House of Justice, A Wider Horizon 49
2 Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith 7
3 Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith 62
4 Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America 101
5 Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America 97
6 Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith 7
7 Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith 21

Also check : The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet - Our Response to Plans - Melanie Smith and Paul Lample

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/s/smith_lample_spiritual_conquest.pdf

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Jews will Enter the Faith in Large Groups

"Regarding your question concerning the future of the Jews: They certainly have, as explicitly stated by the Master, a great spiritual destiny, and will gradually enter the Faith in large groups."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 13, 1937)

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Universal House of Justice and the world’s future super-state

...recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. ...will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world’s future super-state. 

- Shoghi Effendi

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/WOB/wob-3.html

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What are Baha'i Training Institutes meant for?

As the term "institute" has assumed various uses in the Bahá'í community, a word of clarification is needed. The next four years will represent an extraordinary period in the history of our Faith, a turning point of epochal magnitude. What the friends throughout the world are now being asked to do is to commit themselves, their material resources, their abilities and their time to the development of a network of training institutes on a scale never before attempted. These centres of Bahá'í learning will have as their goal one very practical outcome, namely, the raising up of large numbers of believers who are trained to foster and facilitate the process of entry by troops with efficiency and love. 

http://bahai-library.com/uhj_ridvan_1996

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