The religion was founded by Bahá’u’lláh, a Persian nobleman who sacrificed a life of privilege, know¬ing he would face persecution, imprisonment and exile for proclaiming his faith. He underwent great suffering to bring a message of peace and unity to the world. He claimed to be the promised Messenger of God for this age, continuing the progressive revelation of God taught by Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ, and Muhammad.

The central message of Bahá’u’lláh is unity. He said there is only one God, only one human race, and that all the world’s religions (in their essential core) represent stages in the growth of one common faith. He said humanity is in its adolescence, on the verge of spiritual maturity. The time has now arrived when the uniting of humanity into a peaceful, integrated global society is not only possible, but inevitable (as the Will of God.) “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens,” he wrote.

The Bahá’í Faith is innovative in many ways. It has a new system of global administration, with freely elected governing councils in nearly 10,000 localities. There are no clergy and no rituals. Women and men have an equal voice.

The Bahá’í scriptures provide guidance for contemporary social problems, a deep commitment to family and community life, and renewed moral values. The faith calls for social justice, and a rich spiritual life for each individual and community. Bahá’u’lláh’s mystical writings are deeply profound. His social teachings are wide in scope and fundamentally practical.

He said the God-given purpose of mankind is “to carry forward an ever advancing civilization.” For a global society to flourish, he said, it must be based on spiritual principles. They include elimina¬tion of prejudice; equality of sexes; recognition of the essential oneness of the world’s great religions; elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth; universal education; harmony of science and religion; a sustainable balance between nature and technology; and the establishment of a world federal sys¬tem, based on collective security and the oneness of humanity.

Inspired by this vision of a better world, Bahá’í s are committed to an ongoing process of personal and social transformation. They endeavor to share this vision without proselytizing. They welcome people of all faiths to their community gatherings, which include interfaith devotional services, mor¬al education for children, “fireside” discussions of spiritual topics and neighborhood “study circles.” At these gatherings, there is no soliciting of funds, and no pressure to “convert.”