the baha'is

[brainfixed]

i've decided to share this because it seems like the last chance to share anything of myself here, and i didn't share it before because i didn't want anybody to treat me like i was expected to act or speak or think or not think or not act or not speak in certain ways, but i have been interacting with the baha'is and their lives for a few months now and i am close to going all in and joining up with them. they're a very interesting lot i must say because they don't have preachers or any other ordained clergy, they can't take any donations of any sort (money or otherwise) except from actual members (if non-members give them something they say "thank you for your kind and generous heart, but we can't take this from a non-member so please pass this on to others that can use it", and then if the non-member insists then they take the gift and by their own laws they then give that gift on to another charitable organization.), they don't have "worship services", there is only one prayer they do together (the prayer for the dead) because they practice the instructions of "praying in your closet", their governing body is a group that works together in what they call "consultation" and is not appointed but is elected by all members, what they call "the manifestations" are the many originators of the many faiths in the world (krishna, moses, buddha, jesus, mohammed and many others) and those they have listed they know are not a complete list, they believe that there is no "middle man" between you and god and so they don't "preach" or "teach" but offer "consultation" if one feels the need for input from others (but they strongly discourage depending on anyone but god for guidance in your spiritual life), even though they closely follow what they consider is the current manifestation (baha'u'llah--said "ba-ha-ul-lah") they also use the writings of/about the other manifestations for guidance, as a body they don't have any "standards" or expectations from their members (of course there are those members that would push "standards" and expectations onto others, but the body continually expresses that a person's relationship with god is their own and is governed only by that person themself), and a whole lot of other things that is so far from cult practices that i feel safe among them. they do believe that every new manifestation is an addition to all the manifestations before them and i've seen this in the writings of baha'u'llah in that what he wrote is very much like reading the bible and other sacred texts, and even baha'u'llah wrote that what he put forth would not all be practical for actual use in the coming times (like how divorces and death are handled). so here's where i've come in my spiritual life. becoming a member is not a priority at all, and i'm taking it slow and reminding myself to give it time enough to show it's rear end before jumping in with both feet. i couldn't have come even to this point without the help from here, but i would have either completely rejected them or completely fell headlong into them. so thank you everybody here.

oh no! i meant to put this in "open". i'm sorry.

[brainfixed]

to help explain them better than i can

their u.s. website. and a couple of quotes from their front page

• "the essence of all the prophets of god is one and the same"
  
• "oh son of spirit my first counsel is this: possess a pure, kindly and radiat heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting."
  

[polynesian]

I DO know a cupla years back in New Zealand, one of their 'top' emissaries was viciously beaten and then murdered. I did wonder at the time why when all they do is 'good' and 'preach peace and toleration' that this guy met with such a horrible end, i mean with all the 'ying yang thingy' and 'karma' that they believe in, it really seemed to suck ?