Baháʼí Faith
Let an agent describe the Bahai Faith neutrally from its own sources and academic scholarship, explain its beliefs, institutions and practice with attribution, relay information on rights and persecution from human rights bodies, and avoid advocacy or polemic.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent describe the Bahai Faith neutrally from its own sources and academic scholarship, explain its beliefs, institutions and practice with attribution, relay information on rights and persecution from human rights bodies, and avoid advocacy or polemic.
A monotheistic religion founded in nineteenth-century Persia by Bahaullah, whose followers believe in the unity of God, the unity of religion through successive divine messengers, and the unity of humanity; organised through elected local, national and international institutions with its world centre in Haifa and Acre, and present in most countries, with a history of persecution in Iran.
What it is for: Not applicable; a religion.
It can be explain beliefs, texts and institutions with attribution; explain practice and calendar; relay human rights information on persecution; distinguish the main community from splinter groups.
Distinguishing features
Belief in progressive revelation through successive messengers
No clergy; elected institutions at three levels
World centre in Haifa and Acre
Persecution in Iran documented by UN bodies
What it looks like
Not visible; seen in houses of worship, community gatherings and the nine-pointed star symbol.
Physical character
adherents: several million people - estimates vary by source
How it is recognised
Founded by Bahaullah, preceded by the Bab
Elected assemblies rather than clergy
Babism is the predecessor movement; small splinter groups exist and are separate matters
Related models
is a kind of - as classified by many scholars
was founded by - the founder
is preceded by - the predecessor movement
is protected by - international human rights law
In practice
Families and kinds
the worldwide Bahai community under the Universal House of Justice
historical predecessor Babism
small dissident groups, which the main community does not recognise
Standards and regulation
ICCPR Article 18 on freedom of religion
UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly resolutions on the situation in Iran
National law on religious organisations
Failure modes and hazards
Persecution and discrimination, especially in Iran
Misdescription of beliefs
Presenting splinter groups as the community
Polemic in either direction
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Beliefs What the faith teaches.
From its own sources.
Teachings
Core teachings.
Teachings
Teachings.
- What are the central beliefs, and what do the writings of Bahaullah and later leaders say, with attribution? provenance
- Is the presentation attributed to the tradition and to scholarship? boundary
Texts
Scripture.
Texts
Texts.
- Which texts are authoritative, and how are they published and translated? provenance
- Which entry fits a specific text? action
Community Organisation and practice.
Institutions and life.
Institutions
Elected institutions.
Institutions
Institutions.
- How are local, national and international institutions elected and what do they do? definition
- Which entry fits the Universal House of Justice? action
Practice
Practice and calendar.
Practice
Practice.
- What do prayer, fasting, feasts, holy days and the calendar involve? provenance
- Is the presentation respectful and neutral? boundary
History Origins and spread.
History.
Origins
Origins.
Origins
Origins.
- How did the faith emerge from Babism in nineteenth-century Persia and spread worldwide? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Rights
Persecution and rights.
Rights
Rights.
- What do UN bodies and human rights organisations report about persecution of Bahais? provenance
- Which entry fits freedom of religion? action
Handle Handling and data.
Care with data.
Data
Religious data.
Data
Data.
- What rules apply to processing data about religious belief? provenance
- Which entry fits data protection? action
Dialogue
Interfaith and study.
Dialogue
Dialogue.
- How do religious studies and interfaith bodies describe the faith? provenance
- Is the user asking for religious guidance, which the community itself provides? boundary
What the second pass must settle
- Should institutions and texts be separate entries?
- How should the community own sources and scholarship be cited together?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming dissident groups; should they be split off?