A Bahá'í Conversation: Recent Episodes
Anthony Naimi and Michael Sabet
In each episode, Anthony and Michael look at a particular dimension of the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, explore how it relates to ideas in society at large, and discuss how it can serve the needs of humanity today.
Questions, comments? We'd love to hear from you! Abahaiconversation@gmail.com
Thanks to Shahruz Moshtael (http://www.shahruzmoshtael.com/) for our theme music. Additional music comes from the talented artists at pixabay.com/music/.
This year marks the Centenary of the passing of 'Abdu''l-Bahá, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, and a Figure unique in religious history. Born on the very same night that the Bahá'í Dispensation began, His life spanned the entire Heroic Age of the Bahá'í Faith. In this episode, we share a few account from 'Abdu'l-Bahá's life, and discuss His remarkable Station, and its implications for the collective life of humanity.
Please visit https://www.bahai.org/exemplar/ to see the film about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's life and work referenced in this episode.
In this episode, we take a closer look at the Bahá'í concept of the Oneness of religion, through a dialogue between two friends. The questions we look at include:
- What does it mean to say that the great religions of the world have a single source?
- How does the Bahá'í Faith make sense of the differences between religions?
- What does a commitment to this belief imply for our behaviour and attitudes?
- Why do we need religion at all - why can't we just connect to the spirit on our own?
In this episode, we interweave history, philosophy, and personal reflection to introduce a few key Bahá'í concepts. We discuss questions such as:
- What is the nature of religion?
- How do different religions relate to each other?
- What is the station of Bahá'u'lláh?
- What is the difference between Bahá'u'lláh and a philosopher?
- Is there one central teaching of the Bahá'í Faith?
- What does the Oneness of Humanity mean?
In this episode, we move away from a conceptual discussion, and instead feature a narrative presentation about the Baha'i Faith. We hope to periodically release episodes in this vein.
Today's episode was originally recorded as part of a celebration of what Bahá'ís call the Twin Holy Days. In the presentation, Michael focuses on the life stories of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, whom Bahá'ís consider the two Messengers of God, or Manifestations of God, for today.
For the musical performance mentioned in the presentation, please visit: https://bicentenary.bahai.org/bahaullah/artistic-expressions/choir-rehearses-song-entitled-mutumibwe-munene-meaning-a-great-messenger
Questions, comments? We'd love to hear from you! Abahaiconversation@gmail.com
In this episode, we explore the relationship between spirituality and morality. We considers questions such as:
- What is the foundation of moral behaviour?
- What does a spiritual context add to our understanding of morality?
- Is materialism a sufficient basis for lasting moral behaviour?
As always, we draw on the Writings of the Bahá'í Faith to help us suggest some answers to these questions.
In this Episode, we explore the concept of prayer. We focus on a few questions that someone encountering the concept of prayer for the first time might ask, such as:
- Why should we think that anyone is listening to our prayers, let alone answering them?
- What are our goals in praying?
- What impact can prayers have on ourselves, and on the world?
As always, we draw on the Writings of the Bahá'í Faith to help us suggest some answers to these questions.