That's how you might come to think of the Bahá’í Faith.
We focus, for starters, on the eternal spiritual teachings of all God's Messengers. There is only one light...there have been many lamps. And more will come.
Through independent investigation of the truth (a key Bahá’í principle), we can reconsider doctrines, dogma, rituals and traditions which evolved over centuries of time and cultures to determine for ourselves whether they still apply today.
Finally, we become familiar with and put into practice the social teachings for our day and time as revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, the Manifestation of God for this age. All His teachings, to put it simply, are geared toward unifying humanity.
"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words."
(~ Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh)
This is the day and age, Bahá'u'lláh says, when civilization is ready for this step. It will not happen overnight. It will not happen in our lifetimes. But as a Bahá’í, you can join with us in helping set things in motion for that future day described in all the world's scriptures.
To see an overview of the many ways in which Bahá’ís are involved in social action, both nationally and globally, click here.
Bahá’ís believe that one loving, transcendent God created the universe and all that is within it. God is the ancient, eternal, animating Essence that permeates every atom of existence. Humankind, created out of love, is the pinnacle of God's creation.