The Baha'i Faith, Cult, Sect or Independent Religion - Part 3

This is the final installment of my series of articles, "The Baha'i Faith, Cult, Sect of Independent Religion". In the previous articles I have explored the questions of the Baha'i Faith being a cult or a sect (esp. of Islam). It is my view that it is neither of these.

A cult is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

1: formal religious veneration. 2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents 3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents 4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator 5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

While definition 1 & 2 can apply to the Baha'i Faith, they can also apply to all other religious organizations. It is my opinion that definition 3 is the one usually thought of when the word cult is used and I do not believe this applies to the Baha'i Faith.

A sect is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

1 a : a dissenting or schismatic religious body; especially : one regarded as extreme or heretical b : a religious denomination 2 archaic : sex 3 a : a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader b : party : faction

I do accept that definition 1b & 3a may be applied to the Baha'i Faith, but it is usually definition 1a that is meant when the term sect is used, and the Baha'i Faith does not fit.

The Baha'i Faith is independent of any other religion in both clergy and doctrine. In the case of clergy, the Baha'i Faith has no paid clergy. Each Baha'i is to minister to the others. To over see the overall functioning of the Baha'i Community, an administrative system is in place. This system of administration has no one individual leader at any of the levels, from the local community up to the international level. All members of the various administrative bodies are elected, and elected without any campaigning.

Another thing that point to the status of independent religion is the Baha'i Scriptures. These scriptures are uniquely Baha'i. While Baha'is encouraged to study the scriptures of other religions, it is believe that the Baha'i Writing are the latest revelation of God's Will for mankind.

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