I heard the Baha'i faith is the second biggest faith worldwide.Is that true?

[Spirit of Light]

Because if the Baha'i Faith is the religion revealed for this current historical era then it is not unreasonable to ask why the religion has so far failed to covert more than a few million at best in a world of billions and where information flows worldwide instantly.

People are free to become a Baha'i or not, there is no push from Baha'is, each person must chose them selves to become one or not.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think it’s the second most widespread in the world after Christianity.

Here’s some official statistics.

https://news.bahai.org/media-information/statistics/

Baha'i statistics are not official statistics. Portraying them as official is misleading, even deceptive. Official to Baha'i adherents, sure, but to governments, to international agencies? Just as an individual can drop out of practice, but continue to be on the rolls, so can a small community in a small country just disappear when the last remaining Baha'i dies, or moves away. When an NSA dissolves, is the total number reduced, or does it still stand?

 

[loverofhumanity]

Keeping aside that what you say is a commonly repeated statement by all Bahai's everywhere which makes it evident that they have taught you this as a typical response, and the fact that this is the age of the internet, global interaction and the world is very very very small in comparison to "thousands of years ago" which comparison is called the fallacy of anachronism. That's an invalid comparison, and is not needed in this thread.

How many muslims were there in the year 810? Just out of curiosity?

The point I was making is that early in any Faith there are only a handful of believers. And we are only 178 years old so a comparison of numerical strength needs to take into account our age.

I don’t know about Muslims but as it is a religion of God it’s spread became worldwide eventually.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Baha'i statistics are not official statistics. Portraying them as official is misleading, even deceptive. Official to Baha'i adherents, sure, but to governments, to international agencies? Just as an individual can drop out of practice, but continue to be on the rolls, so can a small community in a small country just disappear when the last remaining Baha'i dies, or moves away. When an NSA dissolves, is the total number reduced, or does it still stand?

Same goes for any religion. We never really know how many active adherents there are from those in name only or born into a faith but don’t really believe.

 

[firedragon]

The point I was making is that early in any Faith there are only a handful of believers. And we are only 178 years old so a comparison of numerical strength needs to take into account our age.

That's the exact comment I responded to. The whole explanation was on your point.

I don’t know about Muslims but as it is a religion of God it’s spread became worldwide eventually.

LOH. There is no eventuality there. It spread heavily and immediately.

The point is that the comment that every Bahai makes comparing their spread to a spread of another religion thousands of years ago is just an arbitrary comment. I explained it already but you have repeated the same comment you made. It's anachronism.

When making this kind of anachronistic analogies as Bahai's have been doing everywhere, on the internet, the Bahai websites, this forum etc, they are doing grave errors. It's illogical. A YouTube video of a song sung by a girl in Asia had gone viral and had over 230 million views. A.R Rahman from India had a challenge with millions of subscribers. In what? 20 years? Can you compare that and make some claim at all against a religion borne by God himself in the 18th century? It's an invalid comparison.

There were some 19 million Muslims are estimated to have lived in the 700's. Just FYI.

Cheers.

 

[Vinayaka]

Same goes for any religion. We never really know how many active adherents there are from those in name only or born into a faith but don’t really believe.

The methodology of counting adherents also varies from faith to faith. Some, like mine, lacking any central authority, have no way of counting. I'm also sure that lots do inflate their numbers, consciously, or otherwise. Estimating the size of a crowd, in a protest, is the same.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

There were some 19 million Muslims are estimated to have lived in the 700's. Just FYI.

The Messaage of the Bab was spreading at the same rate. Then came the persecutions of those that want power by the sword and mind dominating doctrines. Those leaders fed the masses godless rebellion against the Message of the Bab.

Thus one must wonder how many of the people that became Muslim did so because the influence of the sword? Convert or perish!

Luckily, in this age Baha'u'llah removed the influence of war as to how to spread faith and thus in this age the Message is destined to spread by influence of words and not by the sword or forced conversions.

So the number of people in this world that are already Baha'i in mind and hopes, is most likely also billions, the only difference is, they are yet to connect and see that their hopes and values are in a Message already given.

The day when this becomes realised will come and all the taunts about lack of numbers will just fade away.

The Tablet of Ahmad is the promise all can consider.

Tablet of Ahmad

Regards Tony

 

[Trailblazer]

Because if the Baha'i Faith is the religion revealed for this current historical era then it is not unreasonable to ask why the religion has so far failed to covert more than a few million at best in a world of billions and where information flows worldwide instantly.

Baha'is are not attempting to convert anyone to the Baha'i Faith. Converting people is against the teachings of the Baha'i Faith. Converting people is what Christians try to do, and to a lesser extent Muslims.

Below are seven reasons why more people have not become Baha'is yet. #4 is the primary reason. Most people in the world already have a religion.

84 percent of the world population has a faith

People who already have a religion are not looking for a 'new religion' since they are happy with their religion of choice and most believe their religion is the one true religion.

None of the reasons listed below are related to whether the Baha'i Faith is actually the religion revealed for this current historical era. They are related to people and what people are aware of and choose to believe.

1. Many people have never heard of the Baha’i Faith, so they do not know there is something to look for. It is the responsibility of the Baha’is to get the message out, so if that is not happening, the Baha’is are to blame. However, once the message has been delivered the Baha’is are not to blame if people reject the message.

2. But even after people know about the Baha’i Faith, most people are not even willing to look the evidence in order to determine if it is true or not.

3. Even if they are willing to look at the evidence, there is a lot of prejudice before even getting out the door to look at the evidence.

4. 84% of people in the world already have a religion and they are happy with their religion so they have no interest in a “new religion.”

5. The rest of the world’s population is agnostics or atheists or believers who are prejudiced against all religion.

6. Agnostics or atheists and atheists and believers who have no religion either do not believe that God communicates via Messengers or they find fault with the Messenger, Baha’u’llah.

7. Baha’u’llah brought new teachings and laws that are very different from the older religions so many people are suspicious of those teachings and/or don’t like the laws because some laws require them to give things up that they like doing.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I heard the Baha'i faith is the second biggest faith worldwide.While christianity is the first.Is this true?

You must be thinking Baha'i is the second biggest proselytized religion worldwide.

 

[firedragon]

The Messaage of the Bab was spreading at the same rate.

Show me statistics and time bound rates with a method to harmonise technological development.

Thanks.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Show me statistics and time bound rates with a method to harmonise technological development.

Thanks.

Have to wait until Iran is safe for Baha'is, then lots can be known.

Regards Tony

 

[firedragon]

Have to wait until Iran is safe for Baha'is, then lots can be known.

Regards Tony

That's a nice victim play but it's just another story used every single day by Bahai proselytisers.

 

[Aupmanyav]

7. Baha’u’llah brought new teachings and laws that are very different from the older religions so many people are suspicious of those teachings and/or don’t like the laws because some laws require them to give things up that they like doing.

tell us, what is new?

Luckily, in this age Baha'u'llah removed the influence of war as to how to spread faith and thus in this age the Message is destined to spread by influence of words and not by the sword or forced conversions.

Really? Afghan war ended recently. Russia and Ukraine are at war. China is flexing its muscles at Taiwan and India. Saudis and Houthis are at war. Shia and Sunnis are at war in Iraq. India and Pakistan are at their perpetual undeclared war. Allah alone knows who all are at war in Syria or Nigeria. What 'influence of war' did Bahaollah remove?

 

[TransmutingSoul]

That's a nice victim play but it's just another story used every single day by Bahai proselytisers.

Based in facts, provable facts and by UN resolutions.

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

tell us, what is new?Really? Afghan war ended recently. Russia and Ukraine are at war. China is flexing its muscles at Taiwan and India. Saudis and Houthis are at war. Shia and Sunnis are at war in Iraq. India and Pakistan are at their perpetual undeclared war. Allah alone knows who all are at war in Syria or Nigeria. What 'influence of war' did Bahaollah remove?

As stated "Baha'u'llah removed the influence of war as to how to spread faith", so war has been removed as a way to spread faith.

It is up to each individual to choose that path.

Many Prophecies tell of an age when this will happen, the law is now given, now we have to abide by that law. The current world is an example of what happens when we do not.

1863 was when that was recorded in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, later in 1873 this was offered as well

"O People of the World! The first Glad-Tidings which the Mother Book has, in this Most Great Revelation, imparted unto all the peoples of the world is that the law of jihād has been blotted out from the Book. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Lord of grace abounding, through Whom the door of heavenly bounty has been flung open in the face of all that are in heaven and on earth.." Baha'u'llah

Regards Tony

 

[Aupmanyav]

As stated "Baha'u'llah removed the influence of war as to how to spread faith", so war has been removed as a way to spread faith.

Are you under the influence of some drug or alcohol or not yet out of your sleep?

 

[Truthseeker]

Because if the Baha'i Faith is the religion revealed for this current historical era then it is not unreasonable to ask why the religion has so far failed to covert more than a few million at best in a world of billions and where information flows worldwide instantly.

The only way really to teach people is one-on-one, as it has always been. We can have mass proclamation, but that doesn't tell them much about the Baha'i Faith, and since we are few in number in the first place, we can't afford to pay the money for much mass proclamation.

 

[Truthseeker]

LOH. There is no eventuality there. It spread heavily and immediately.

Islam is an exception. Christianity was small after 178 years. Islam spread by conquering territory. I do understand though that those under Islam weren't forced to become Muslims. But since Islam was the religion of the conquerers it had a high profile.

 

[Truthseeker]

Thus one must wonder how many of the people that became Muslim did so because the influence of the sword? Convert or perish!

They didn't do that. That is a myth. The Muslims conquered a lot of territory, but they didn't force the population of those they conquered to be Muslims. They did have a high profile as the conquerers however, so that really helped.

 

[Truthseeker]

Baha'is are not attempting to convert anyone to the Baha'i Faith. Converting people is against the teachings of the Baha'i Faith. Converting people is what Christians try to do, and to a lesser extent Muslims.

Below are seven reasons why more people have not become Baha'is yet. #4 is the primary reason. Most people in the world already have a religion.

84 percent of the world population has a faith

People who already have a religion are not looking for a 'new religion' since they are happy with their religion of choice and most believe their religion is the one true religion.

None of the reasons listed below are related to whether the Baha'i Faith is actually the religion revealed for this current historical era. They are related to people and what people are aware of and choose to believe.

1. Many people have never heard of the Baha’i Faith, so they do not know there is something to look for. It is the responsibility of the Baha’is to get the message out, so if that is not happening, the Baha’is are to blame. However, once the message has been delivered the Baha’is are not to blame if people reject the message.

2. But even after people know about the Baha’i Faith, most people are not even willing to look the evidence in order to determine if it is true or not.

3. Even if they are willing to look at the evidence, there is a lot of prejudice before even getting out the door to look at the evidence.

4. 84% of people in the world already have a religion and they are happy with their religion so they have no interest in a “new religion.”

5. The rest of the world’s population is agnostics or atheists or believers who are prejudiced against all religion.

6. Agnostics or atheists and atheists and believers who have no religion either do not believe that God communicates via Messengers or they find fault with the Messenger, Baha’u’llah.

7. Baha’u’llah brought new teachings and laws that are very different from the older religions so many people are suspicious of those teachings and/or don’t like the laws because some laws require them to give things up that they like doing.

Not bad, but I like my answer too.