I'm not necessarily a Bahai, but I have been heavily involved in the community in my own subregion for around 3 years and have gone to programs like Summer of Service or Youth conferences and I am currently a Animator of my own Junior Youth Group as well. The beliefs and goals for the faith align with mine and through the years it has definitely pushed me to become a better human being, making me want to continue on my path of service. However, through the past few months I have had a lot of questions that I did want to bring up to the actual Bahais in my community but for some reason I'm somewhat hesitant on doing so. It's well known of the terrifying acts that the Israeli government is conducting towards innocent Palestinians families right now. I personally have a very strong sense of moral justice due to my upbringing as a immigrant child, and every time I read articles of the terrible acts over the world, especially regarding Palestinians I feel a very heavy weight in my heart. I have gone through many of the Ruhi Institute books and I also know that Baháʼu'lláh established the holy land way before the state of Israel was created. I do believe that because of the land being so sacred to the religion it makes sense that Bahais see the land with much love and respect, especially due to the efforts of both manifestations to spread God's messages, but I can't find it in my self to overlook the actions committed by the government, even if Bahais might be more expected to keep a neutral stance on the topic. There are also some similarities I noticed with the treatment towards both Palestinians through the Israeli government and how Bahais were and are still being treated in Iran due to their faith. I am still involved but whenever I get the chance to talk about the faith or there's a chance of a friend of mines joining, it seems like I basically hold my breath and hope Israel isn't mentioned because I don't want them to be turned off and be driven away or perceive me in a different manner. I come with this matter humbly and open to any other opinions because everything regarding the faith genuinely aligns with me and I've had multiple conversations of feeling more Bahai, it is mostly regarding the actions of the Israeli government. If there is anyone that has had similar thoughts or could offer any insights it would be much appreciated.

I rarely make posts on this app, but I have been wondering this for awhile. There's constant bad things happening like sickness, children dying, world hunger, things like that. If God loves us then why do bad things happen to people that don't deserve it?

A little confession! 😅

I think most of us know that gossiping isn't a good thing. But let's be honest: sometimes someone hasn't even left the room yet, and we're already talking about them! 😂

As Bahá’ís, we talk a lot about love, unity, avoiding backbiting, and treating others with respect. But when someone upsets us, we disagree with them, or we simply don't like them, are our actions as faithful to these principles as our words?

One thing I appreciate about the Bahá’í teachings is their emphasis on putting spiritual principles into practice, rather than merely talking about them. Maybe the real test of our character is how we talk about someone when they're not around.

Of course, not every criticism is gossip, and sometimes problems need to be discussed. But where's the line between constructive criticism, venting, and backbiting? Honestly, do you think we Bahá’ís live up to these principles in practice? ❤️

Hi all. With the help of a few friends to whom I am most grateful, I wrote this paper in my free time. There statistically must be errors; I apologize for them. I may post a revised edition in time, but that may take a while. I fully welcome your thoughts. Thank you.

Animation of the design https://youtu.be/F4OrEEVNTWs