Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get more information about the Bahá'í Faith?

There are many ways to learn more about the Bahá'í Faith. Reading material is available from numerous sources, and there are "firesides" (informal discussions) held throughout the city where one can ask questions directly. The Sunday Devotional Service at the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center is an excellent way to experience firsthand the Bahá'í attitude towards God and mankind. You can also check the Activities Page for information on children’s classes, junior youth spiritual empowerment groups, youth and adult study circles, as well as devotional programs located all over the city..

May I contribute or donate money to the Bahá'í Faith?

Contributions of money are only accepted from individuals who have registered themselves as members of the Bahá'í Faith. If money is received, it will of course be accepted with loving gratitude and will in turn be used for charitable purposes to the community at large.

What is the Worship Service like?

While no specific form is mandated, the devotional service held on Sundays at the Bahá'í Center is an effort to bring people from the surrounding community and Bahá'ís together in an atmosphere of joy and love. There are prayers, music, guest artists and speakers and there is food. Donations of money are not requested or accepted. The intention is to create a loving, peaceful, joyous environment.
In addition, Bahá’í families all over the city have opened up their homes to worship opportunities for the benefit of the larger community. Chances are you live in a neighborhood of the city not too far from a Bahá’í Devotional Program!

I don’t live in Los Angeles. How can I get in touch with the Bahá'ís where I live?

Check the white pages of your local telephone book under the heading "Bahá'í".

I’ve never heard of the Bahá'í Faith. What is it?

The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to unite all the races and peoples in one universal Cause and one common Faith. Bahá’ís are the followers of Baha’u’llah, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages. The religious traditions of almost every people include the promise of a future when peace and harmony will be established on earth and humankind will live in prosperity. We believe that the promised hour has come and that Bahá’u’lláh is the great Personage Whose Teachings will enable humanity to build a new world.
In one of His Writings, Baha’u’llah says:
“That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith.”

What are the Bahá'í teachings on morality, drugs, alcohol, etc.?

Human society can only exist and flourish if its members learn and obey the very real laws (as against manmade ordinances) that govern its existence. “Morality” is a code of conduct, which if followed by the generality of society, will allow that society to flourish, and if not, will cause it to collapse. The ethical teachings toward which the Bahá’ís reach include a high degree of moral behavior. Bahá'ís are not allowed to lie, are required to abstain from alcohol or drug use (unless prescribed by a doctor); and are instructed to lead a chaste and holy life and abstain from sex outside the bonds of matrimony.

Is there a Bahá’í clergy or ministry?

The central Teaching underpinning all the Writings in the Bahá'í Faith is the oneness, the essential unity of the human race. Out of that one principal all the others devolve: All humans have the same spiritual obligations, privileges and rights; the belief that all humans are created to know and to worship God; that women and men must have equal rights and privileges. For these reasons, as well as others, there is no clergy or priesthood in the Bahá'í Faith .

I am a devout Christian. What does Bahá'í offer that Christ doesn’t?

The healing message of Christ is a gift from God to man. As such, it is perfect, and free from error. However, the needs and abilities of the human race today are very different from those of two thousand years ago.
Abraham established the foundation for Religion by teaching that there is one God. Moses followed by telling us that God has laws that we must follow. Christ gave us essential Teachings on our own spiritual reality and taught us to love our fellow man. But He didn’t tell us everything. In the Book of St. John (16:12-13):
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come.”
Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh (a title meaning “the Glory of God”) is that Spirit of Truth, spoken of by Christ. He has given to us what our Father commands – He has shown us the things to come. In Him the Message of Christ has been fulfilled, just as Christ fulfilled the Message of Moses, and Moses, that of Abraham.
Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings are in perfect harmony with the Teachings of Christ (and, indeed, the other Messengers of God), but address the condition of humanity today. Considering the plight of humanity today; you might agree that the time is right for another Manifestation of God to have appeared.
Here is a passage from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh about the Day in which we live:
“This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness.”