Welcome
The Bahá’í family in Springfield, Illinois comprises people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Inspired by belief in the oneness of humanity, the oneness of religion and the oneness of God. Bahá’ís come together for devotional, community, and humanitarian activities. Together we are striving to build a community that demonstrates practical solutions to the challenges of modern society. We believe that our experience is a source of optimism for all who share our vision of humanity as one global family, and the earth as one homeland.
We are Bahá'ís -- members of the Bahá'í Faith, the second most widespread of the world's independent religions, established in 235 countries and territories throughout the world. We come from over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups and number some 6 million worldwide. For more than a century, Bahá'í communities around the globe have been working to break down barriers of prejudice between peoples and have collaborated with other like-minded groups to promote the model of a global society. At the heart of our belief is the conviction that humanity is a single people with a common destiny.
We invite you to learn more about the Bahá'í Faith, its perspective of the past, its understanding of the present, and its vision of the future.
You are Invited to attend and be a part of our ...
Some Baha'i Teachings
Oneness of Mankind
The principle of the oneness of humankind is the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve. Acceptance of the oneness of humanity demands that prejudice; whether racial, religious, or gender related must be totally eliminated. He says, "Ye are all leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch."
Oneness of Religion
The Baha’i teachings view all religions as part of a single system – one unified and continuous series of Divinely-inspired teachers who all revealed the spiritual and mystical knowledge humanity needed at the time they appeared. In short, Baha’is believe in the essential oneness of all of the world’s great Faiths.
Independent Investigation of Truth
The first Baha’i principle is the independent investigation of reality. Baha’is believe that no soul should follow ancestral or traditional beliefs without first questioning and examining their own inner landscape. Instead, each individual has the right and the duty to investigate and decide what they believe on their own.
Equality of Men and Women
The world of humanity has two wings – one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained.
Harmony Between Science & Religion
The harmony of science and religion is one of the fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith, which teaches that religion, without science, soon degenerates into superstition and fanaticism, while science without religion becomes merely the instrument of crude materialism.
An International Auxiliary Language
The world should adopt an international auxiliary language, which people would use in addition to their mother tongue. The aim is to improve communication and foster unity among nations. However, it should not suppress existing natural languages, and the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to preserve cultural distinctions..
What Bahá’ís Believe
|
In thousands of locations around the world, the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith inspire |
|||
 |
|||
|
Bahá’í beliefs address such essential themes as the oneness of God and religion, the oneness of humanity Baha’is accept the validity of each of the founders and prophets of the major world religions, and believe in progressive revelation, the unique Baha’i principle that views every great Faith as a link in a single spiritual system |