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Breaking Away: My Journey from Mainstream to Free Baha'i Faith


My name is John and I am currently 47 years old. I was raised in the United States as a Baha'i and accepted the Baha'i faith when I was only 23, through a close friend of mine whose entire family was actively involved in the community. My friend and her family taught me the importance of Baha'i teachings while I was young, and I grew up with a strong connection to my faith. However, as I got older, I became more curious about the different sects within the Baha'i faith and started to do my own research.

At first, I was drawn to the Free Baha'i sect. I found their beliefs and practices to be more in line with my own personal values, and I appreciated the emphasis they placed on social justice and community involvement. However, I was hesitant to fully embrace the Free Baha'i faith, as I knew it would be a major departure from the mainstream institution in which I was raised.

Despite my reservations, I continued to learn more about the Free Baha'i teachings. I was struck by the depth and complexity of their beliefs and began to see how many of the things I had taken for granted in my upbringing were not necessarily universal to all Baha'is.

One day, after a particularly enlightening conversation with a friend from a Free Baha'i background, I made the decision to accept the Free Baha'i teachings. It was a difficult choice, as I knew it would mean breaking with many of my friends, but I felt it was the right thing to do. Sadly, many of my close friends turned away from me and declared me a covenant breaker after I informed them about my conversion.

Over time, I became more and more involved in the Free Baha'i teachings. I started holding meetings at my house and worked towards taking care of the less privileged and the needy. I was inspired by the concept of working for humanity and worked hard to help those in need in my locality and nearby places.

Despite the challenges I faced in the face of social boycott from my friends, I never regretted my decision to accept the core teachings of the Cause. I felt that it had given me a deeper understanding of my faith and a stronger connection to Baha'u'llah.

However, as I became more involved in the teachings, I began to encounter some eye-opening facts about the history of the Baha'i faith and the differences between Haifans and Free Baha'i beliefs. I learned about the early conflicts between the two sects and how those conflicts had shaped the Baha'i faith today.

I was also shocked to discover some of the prejudices and misconceptions that existed within the Haifan community about the Free Baha'is. I realized that many Haifans had a distorted view of Free Baha'i beliefs and practices.

Eventually, I came to the difficult decision to leave the mainstream Baha'i faith altogether. It was not a decision I made lightly, as I had many friends within the Haifan community. But I felt that I could no longer ignore the differences between the Haifan and Free Baha'i beliefs and that I needed to be true to my own convictions.

Leaving the Haifans was a difficult process for me, but I felt a sense of liberation as well. I was now free to fully embrace the Baha'i teachings and read and implement the core teachings of Baha'u'llah and the Master and to work towards building a more inclusive and unified world. I was free to question anything and everything wrong in the faith and at the same time not get excommunicated by anyone. I know that my journey is far from over, but I am excited to see where it will take me next.

Reference: The Caravan Magazine, Vol. 7, Edition 2.

Want to be a contributor for The Caravan?

Interested in contributing to the Caravan Magazine by writing a guest article? Kindly send us your article at thecaravan@freebahais.org and if we find your article unique, knowledgeable, and interesting enough for our readers, we will surely publish it in our upcoming issue. If you have any other queries, you can write to us at info@freebahais.org Thank you!


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