Baha'I and Catholicism

Connor O’Neill

Mrs. Mortell

Comparative Religions B

17 October 2014

The Baha’i Faith through a Catholic Lens

In the first half of the 19th century, a young Persian man, calling himself the “Bab” or “Gate” in Arabic, announced the coming of a final prophet of God, one who would cap the teachings of all previous religious leaders. However, when the Bab began attracting followers, Muslim authorities felt threatened, and so captured and executed him. While the Bab was still alive, his teachings resonated with Persian aristocrat Mirza Hoseyn Ali Nuri, who would later change his name to “Baha’u’llah”, “The Glory of God” (Baha’i Founders, Momen). However, after the execution of the Bab, waves of violence ordered by Muslim leaders engulfed his followers. This led to the torture and imprisonment of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad. There he had a heavenly vision and announced himself as the final messenger the Bab had predicted (Baha’u’llah-Founder of the Baha’i Faith, info.bahai.org). Such a claim did not end his imprisonment, which continued in other locations for years. Baha’u’llah did not waste this time—while in prison he wrote the teachings and holy volumes of the Baha’i faith. After his release, Baha’u’llah was exiled across the Mideast, gaining followers wherever he went. Finally, before dying he appointed his son, Abdul-Baha, to continue the mission. His tours of around the world helped spread the Baha’i message, helping create its status as a worldwide faith. With this status, Baha’i can be compared to another world religion: Catholicism.

Baha’i is deeply based in its religious texts, which are both different and similar to Catholic writings. The foundation of these texts is the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the book of laws and scriptures written by the Baha’u’llah, inspired by the teachings of the Bab and other faiths, along with his own vision (Do the Baha’i Have a Holy Book?, bahai.org). The Kitab-i-Aqdas covers many subjects, including codes of conduct, social...