Baha'i marriage...

[arthra]

I was asked on another form recently whether Baha'is can marry non-Baha'is and my response was that yes Baha'is can marry non-Baha'is and not only that but non-Baha'is can have a Baha'i marriage ceremony... but there are a few requirements that may not be so well known.

One is that the living parents of the couple must approve the marriage and give their consent. Another is that as far as the Baha'i ceremony goes each party in the marriage must testify in front of two witnesses approved by an Assembly that they will abide by the will of God.

Sometimes one parent may not approve the marriage of their child to the prospective suitor, in which case this could be a "test" for the couple or one party for whatever reason may refuse to say they will abide by the will of God.

There is no charge for a Baha'i marriage and other than two people reciting a pledge to abide by God's will in front of witnesses there is really no intricate ritual or ceremony as such... The couple can add music or additional prayers if they wish. They can have the marriage in an expensive venue or in a place that charges nothing.

There are also no clergy in the Baha'i Faith.

 

[Aussie Thoughts]

Another is that as far as the Baha'i ceremony goes each party in the marriage must testify in front of two witnesses approved by an Assembly that they will abide by the will of God.

How is God's will defined in the Baha'i faith?

There are also no clergy in the Baha'i Faith.

I think I like that idea.

 

[arthra]

How is God's will defined in the Baha'i faith?

For Baha'is.. the will of God has been defined for us in this day through His Manifestation... Baha'u'llah. So Baha'u'llah revealed what was required in this time... for us in the form of His Writings. Probably the most succinct collection revealed would be found in the Kitab-i-Aqdas ("The Most Holy Book") but there are other places in the revealed Writings where the will of God is revealed.

We recognize of course that for others the will of God could have different meanings but for purposes of a marriage which for us is an essential institution it means being faithful to one another and chaste as well as assuming the responsibilities of raising a family.

 

[Aussie Thoughts]

We recognize of course that for others the will of God could have different meanings but for purposes of a marriage which for us is an essential institution it means being faithful to one another and chaste as well as assuming the responsibilities of raising a family.

Upholding basic principles like that is quite commendable. Especially nowadays. Is raising a family, that is, having children essential to your faith?

 

[arthra]

Upholding basic principles like that is quite commendable. Especially nowadays. Is raising a family, that is, having children essential to your faith?

Well in my view if you marry one of the expectations is to have a family...of course some of us can have "spiritual children" if for some reason we can't have them biologically. In my case we adopted a child before our own natural children were born...in any case it's a blessing.

The family is an essential unit to society and Abdul-Baha stressed it's importance and the value of love and agreement::

If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual; but if enmity and hatred exist within it destruction and dispersion are inevitable. This is likewise true of a city. If those who dwell within it manifest a spirit of accord and fellowship it will progress steadily and human conditions become brighter whereas through enmity and strife it will be degraded and its inhabitants scattered. In the same way the people of a nation develop and advance toward civilization and enlightenment through love and accord, and are disintegrated by war and strife. Finally, this is true of humanity itself in the aggregate.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 19)

 

[Aussie Thoughts]

Quite sound thinking I'd say. A mate of mine never had children of his own, but he was instrumental in the upbringing of his widowed sister-in-law's brood. I know for a fact what a positive impact that had on their lives as well as his.