“His life is one of the most magnificent examples of courage which it has been the privilege of mankind to behold,” French writer A.L.M. Nicolas said of the Báb (“gate” in Arabic).

The Báb—born Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran)—announced on May 22, 1844, that He was the bearer of a Divine Revelation which would prepare humanity for the advent of the Promised One of all religions.

On the evening of May 22, Baha’is throughout the world commemorate the Declaration of the Bab, which took place in this room (pictured) in the Persian city of Shiraz in 1844. That Promised One, the Báb declared, was destined to usher in the age of justice, unity and peace promised in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and all the other world religions. Bahá’u’lláh, one of the Báb’s leading advocates, announced in April 1863 that He was the Divine Messenger the Báb had promised.

The Báb’s announcement in the middle of the 19th century came at a time when many Christians were expecting the return of Christ based on their reading of Biblical prophecy. Simultaneously, half way around the world, in the Middle East, many followers of Islam were also expecting their Promised One to appear.

It seemed as if a new spiritual age was about to begin.

Those who had met the Báb were struck by the beauty of His being and grace. His voice, particularly, when chanting the tablets and prayers He revealed, possessed a sweetness that captivated the heart.

Against the backdrop of widespread moral breakdown in Persian society, the Báb’s assertion that He was the Bringer of a new Revelation from God and His call for spiritual and social renewal aroused both hope and excitement among the masses and hostility among the religious and political leaders of His day.

He quickly attracted thousands of followers.

Soon the Báb and His followers were persecuted by the religious and political leaders. The Bab was imprisoned, exiled, beaten and finally executed. The followers, by the thousands, were tortured and martyred.

Their extraordinary moral courage in the face of persecution was noted by a number of Western observers, such as Leo Tolstoy and Sarah Bernhardt, who were deeply affected by the spiritual drama that was unfolding in what was regarded as a darkened land.

Despite the opposition, the Báb’s religion survived. Most of the Báb’s followers embraced Bahá’u’lláh’s announcement that He was the One promised by the Báb. The religion, known as the Bahá’í Faith after Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration, continued to expand although persecutions also continued.

Today, the Bahá’í Faith has more than five million followers from every part of the world, drawn from every class of society and nearly every religion. In the United States, the Bahá’í Faith now has about 160,000 adherents.

Bahá’ís celebrate the anniversary of the Báb’s declaration through prayers and programs where the story of His declaration may be retold. It is one of nine holy days in the Bahá’í calendar when Bahá’ís suspend work or school.

The website 239 Days, traces ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s travels day by day through stories of the people who came to meet Him and hear His message. You can subscribe to the site to receive a new story each day for the duration of his trip.

• Investigating truth for oneself.
• Harmony of science and religion.
• Equality of women and men.
• Universal education.
• Elimination of all prejudices.
• Service as worship.

To become a Baha’i is to respond to the call of God for this day and to join a global fellowship committed to helping humankind reach the long-promised age of global peace, justice and unity. A person becomes a Baha’i by recognizing Baha’u'llah as the Messenger of God for this age and striving to follow His laws and teachings. (To become a member of the Baha’i Faith, go to join.bahai.us. Outside of the United States, visit the international Baha’i website for contact information in your country.)

Some of the features and requirements of living a Baha’i life are:

Governance and leadership:
There is no clergy, or professional pastoral or missionary work, in the Baha’i Faith. Instead, Baha’u'llah has provided a framework for administering the affairs of the Faith through a system of elected lay councils at the local, national and international levels. The Universal House of Justice is the nine-member, elected governing body of the worldwide Baha’i community. Endowed by Baha’u'llah with the authority to legislate on matters not specifically laid down in the Baha’i scriptures, the Universal House of Justice keeps the Baha’i community unified and responsive to the needs and conditions of an evolving world. All Baha’i elections are held by secret ballot and plurality vote. There are no candidacies, nominations or campaigning. Baha’i governing bodies (assemblies) make decisions using a non-adversarial form of collective decision-making known as consultation to make decisions. Baha’is 21 and older enjoy the right to vote in Baha’i elections and serve as members of Baha’i administrative institutions. The Nineteen Day Feast serves as the basic gathering for worship, community decision-making and fellowship. On the first day of each of the 19 months in the Baha’i calendar, local Baha’i communities gather for spiritual devotions, administrative consultation and fellowship.

Teaching the Baha’i Faith:
Baha’is are enjoined to take individual initiative in teaching the Baha’i Faith to others. However, the Faith forbids any form of psychological pressure or material inducements to effect conversion, based on a profound belief that each person has the right and responsibility to investigate the truth for him or herself. Baha’is strive to share Baha’u'llah’s message with their family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, with the understanding that “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.” Another avenue for Baha’is to teach the Baha’i Faith is to move to another country or community as a “pioneer.” Baha’i pioneering differs from traditional missionary work in that those undertaking it are expected to pursue their own careers, be self-supporting and integrate themselves into their adopted communities.

Service:
For Baha’is, service to others gives life meaning and purpose. Any work or profession carried out in a spirit of service to humanity is considered the highest form of worship. Educating one’s children and caring for one’s family also are considered laudable forms of service and worship. In addition to these personal forms of service, the Baha’i community undertakes collective service projects in accordance with priorities and goals set by the Universal House of Justice. Such acts of service may include tutoring adult study circles, teaching children’s classes, mentoring youth groups and hosting devotional programs. Baha’is are also involved in a wide variety of social and economic development projects to uplift the material and spiritual well-being of humanity.

Giving to the Baha’i funds:
Giving to Baha’i funds is considered a sacred obligation and privilege. It is also a private, voluntary act that is restricted to Baha’is; no funds or contributions are accepted from those who are not members of the Faith. Solicitation or assessment of personal donations are not permitted. Regularity in giving and a spirit of sacrifice are emphasized over the size of the contribution.

Politics. Like it or not, it’s been with us since time immemorial and seems to be as much a part of being human as is having five fingers on each hand.

But the Baha’i Faith is indeed a religion for “the people from the future,” as more than one observer has called us, and Baha’u'llah left us with both a process and an understanding that is far beyond any known human institution when it comes to the election of administrative bodies.

What is a Baha’i election? Why do we have them? Baha’i's have elections in order to elect an administrative body, Any locality (village, town, city) that has nine or more adult members will, once a year, elect an administrative body known as a Local Spiritual Assembly that handles the nuts and bolts affairs of that community (our Assembly here in Portland always pays the rent on time and has a great eye for the occasional piece of furniture they pick out for our central building.)

Keep in mind that in the Baha’i Faith there is no clergy. None. Never has been, never will be. A Spiritual Assembly acts as an administrative body for a community. They make functional decisions for a community only as an administrative entity. As individuals, members of an Assembly have no more or less power or authority than any other member of a community. Additionally, any member or group of members in a community can approach an Assembly with questions, issues or recommendations regarding the affairs of a community.

Now here’s the good part. There’s no campaigning. There’s not even recommending. It’s prohibited in our religion. As part of our culture, we never discuss or even mention a person or persons we think might serve well on an Assembly. Each individual community member votes for nine people whom they consider to have the best capacity to serve. In an annual community meeting that centers around both open and silent prayer and reflection, we are encouraged to vote our hearts and minds as to who we think has the best capacity to serve.

We use exactly the same process once a year to elect delegates who  vote for a National Spiritual Assembly. These delegates attend a national convention where the same principles of non-discussion apply.

Once every five years, National Spiritual Assemblies use the same process to elect the Universal House of Justice.

This prohibition against campaigning extends into our secular lives as well, as Baha’i's are never allowed to run for, or accept any office that is based in partisan politics, although we are encouraged to participate as responsible members of society by exercising our right to vote in governmental elections. Baha’i's can accept governmental and judicial positions that are not determined by election and do not function at an individual party level.

How can this all be a next step in the progression of human systems? For us, it’s done several  things. Baha’u'llah repeatedly told us that the principle of establishing true unity among all peoples is our birthright, as well as our duty. He was not referring to centralized, homogenized forms of rule, but to a true recognition of the fact that the human race is one. Sharing and helping each other, recognizing each others dreams, aspirations, trials and tribulations, that kind of recognition is a good thing. Secondly, His teachings have helped us to largely negate our own egos (it’s an ongoing process, believe me.) Serving on a Spiritual Assembly is not done for the sake of self-aggrandizement, but in the spirit of service to others. Selfless service to others is one of the founding principles of all faiths, including ours.

The Spiritual Assembly in Portland can even help you find out more about how this all works. Since our religion is based on serving all peoples, not just members of the Baha’i religion, you can contact them at any time with questions, issues, or even recommendations!

"Material things that we want or desire are not usually a path to happiness," says Tierney Sutton in the liner notes to her album, "Desire." Tierney Sutton, whose previous two albums each won Grammy nominations, says she has wanted for years to do a record challenging the modern tendency to exalt material wealth and self-gratification over humanity’s higher, spiritual nature.

Tierney Sutton, a Baha’i and a five-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist will be performing in Portland on April 30, 2012:

PDX Jazz, the presenting organization of the Portland Jazz Festival, in partnership with Jimmy Mak’s, announces five-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton as part of their ongoing series, PDX Jazz @ Jimmy Mak’s. The revered vocalist and her band will make their Portland debut, and perform songs from their most recent Grammy nominated album, American Road.

The Tierney Sutton Band consists of Sutton, Christian Jacob (piano), Ray Brinker (drums), and bassists Kevin Axt and Trey Henry. They have been performing together for over 19 years and have released nine critically acclaimed albums, with American Road being Sutton’s fourth consecutive Grammy nominated album as “Best Vocal Jazz Album”. It contains songs from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sonheim’s musical, West Side Story, as well as transcending versions of traditional songs like “Wayfaring Stranger” and “Oh Shenandoah”.

Please don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy one of the world’s preeminent jazz vocalists. Find out more at Tierneysutton.com.

PDX Jazz @ Jimmy Mak’s presents:
Tierney Sutton
five-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist
Monday, April 30th
Two shows: 7:00pm and 9:00pm
Advanced Tickets:
$22 Reserved Seating/ $18 General Admission
Available at www.ticketsoregon.com

Up to this point, Baha’u’llah, who was born into a noble Persian family in 1817, had dedicated His life to improving the world and helping others. He became one of the foremost followers of the Bab, for which He was imprisoned, tortured and banished from His native land.

After spending 10 years in exile in Baghdad, Baha’u’llah was ordered to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) for another period of exile. Before leaving Baghdad, He spent 12 days in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River. The garden later was named Ridvan, meaning “Paradise” or “good pleasure” in Arabic.

As His followers gathered around Him, Baha’u’llah announced that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions — “Him Whom God shall make manifest.” His declaration marks the beginning of the Baha’i Faith.

“Surely there could be no greater bliss than to stand in this spot, at this Hour, with the Promised One of God!” author, Druzelle Cederquist, writes on her Luminous Realities blog.

Baha’is suspend work on the holiest days of Ridvan – the first (April 21), ninth (April 29) and twelfth (May 2). These mark the day of Baha’u’llah’s arrival in the garden, the arrival of His family and the group’s departure for Constantinople.

Throughout Ridvan, Baha’is gather for devotions and attend social gatherings. It is also during this time that elections take place for Baha’i governing bodies.

This year, Baha’is in the Portland Metro area are celebrating Naw Ruz in a big way with a metro-wide event full of music, dance and entertainment. Come and join us for an evening of joyous celebration.

Naw Ruz Gala
Saturday, March 24, 2012
6:45 pm
Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA)
11375 SW Center St
Beaverton,OR 97005

Guided by principles laid down in the writings of Baha’u'llah, Baha’is have established a distinctive system of global self-governance that both protects personal freedom and safeguards the prerogatives of the community as a whole, striking a singular balance between individual initiative and the common good.

This dynamic arrangement is in many ways far more “democratic” than the methods by which most parliaments or other representational systems operate. And yet, because of its distinctive procedures and principles, it avoids the processes of manipulation, factionalism, and partisanship that have become features of other systems of governance worldwide.

Baha’i elections exclude any form of electioneering or nomination. Yet they offer every individual elector the widest possible choice of candidates. At the age of 21 Baha’is become eligible to serve on elected institutions of the Baha’i administrative order. These elected bodies are vested by the Baha’i sacred writings with legislative, judicial, and executive functions.

The appointed branch of the Baha’i administrative order is entrusted with propagating and protecting the Faith. It is the responsibility of individuals serving in an appointed capacity to counsel, stimulate and encourage individual Baha’is and elected institutions.