Welcome to the Hawai`i Bahá'í Page
Welcome to the Hawai`i Bahá'í Page
TABLE OF CONTENTS
History of Hawai`i Bahá'í Community
The Bahá'í community in Hawai`i finds its origins in the travels of Agnes Alexander who while touring Europe at the turn of the century discovered the Bahá'í Faith and brought it back to Hawai`i. A community soon emerged making the Bahá'í community in Hawai`i among the oldest in the Western world. From these roots the community has developed a strong presence throughout the Hawaiian islands. Stay tuned... more about the history of the Bahá'í Community in Hawai`i will soon be added.
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Special Bahá'í Places of Interest in Hawai`i
Among the must visit sites in Hawai`i are the graves of Martha Root, Agnes Alexander, Dr. George Augur; Bahá'í Centers in Makawao and Puna; and the Hawai`i Bahá'í National Center off the Pali Highway in Honolulu. Stay tuned. Links will soon be added featuring links to maps offering directions to get to these special places of interest.
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International Activity of Hawai`i Bahá'í Community
The Bahá'í Community in Hawai`i has a strong reputation for supporting international activities of the worldwide Bahá'í community. It has provided strong support to communities throughout the Pacific, the Far East, Kenya, Eastern Europe and Russia (including its famous 1989 Promise of World Peace Tour to Russia). Many Bahá'ís from Hawai`i have arisen in response to calls for assistance from communities in these countries. Bahá'ís in Hawai`i have a strong consciousness of the fundamental unity of the human race and work to put their principles in action.
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Bahá'í Distribution of Hawai`i
Bahá'í Distribution of Hawai`i is a non-profit organization which distributes a wide range of Bahá'í books, CD's, tapes, and videos. Most of the materials available through the major Bahá'í publishers throughout the world are available.
BDH also distributes a wide range of materials developed in Hawai`i including the colorful
Bahá'í History Calendar.Be sure to check out these new video releases:
The Ocean of Light Conference: Kiribati, Tarawa.
Promise in the Pacific: Educational Enhancement in Majuro Atoll.
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Stories extracted from Hawai`i's official news organ - Light of the Pacific - is evolving here! Stay tuned.
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Bahá'í Youth Activity in Hawai`i
For more information on Bahá'í Youth activities, explore the Hawai`i Bahá'í Youth Page.
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If you are interested in joining the Bahá'í Community or would like more information, send a message and we'll try to help facilitate the process. Generally, this is a matter of connecting you with members in your local community.
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Bahá'í Writings
For those interested in reading more about the Bahá'í Faith, a few
references are listed below. Many of these volumes can be found at
public and university libraries. In addition, many Bahá'í communities have
lending libraries and, in varying degrees, bookstore capabilities. In Hawai`i you can contact the bookstore directly at (808) 595-3314. Many of these Writings are also accessible via FTP by linking with the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa, Israel. There is also a site under construction which provides you with a browser in the web - you can try Kalantar's Bahá'í Writings Site and see what the status is on this project. Here then are some of the Writings you may wish to explore:
General
Probably the best source to give you a quick overview of the Bahá'í Faith is The Bahá'ís, a HyperLink magazine format overview prepared by the Bahá'í International Community. This link has nice graphics too (a must see visit for those interested in learning more about the Faith).
The Writings of the Bab
The Bab was the forerunner to Baha'u'llah. He declared His mission on May 23rd, 1844 and quickly attracted many followers. Bahá'ís recognize His Movement as an independent religion. Selections from the Writings of the Bab is a compilation of many of the Bab's Writings translated into English. For a general overview of the life of the Bab see The Babi Movement (includes pictures).
The Writings of Baha'u'llah
During the course of His ministry, Baha'u'llah wrote over a hundred volumes. In addition to his larger works, he wrote a vast number of "tablets" (i.e. letters) to individuals (including the kings and rulers of the earth) and followers. Original copies of His manuscripts, written masterfully in both Persian and Arabic, are preserved and archived at the Bahá'í World Center. The heart of Baha'u'llah's ethical teachings are found in The Hidden Words, a brief compilation of aphorisms dating from the earliest days of His mission. A larger compilation of His writings is found in Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah.
The Writings of Abdul-Baha
Baha'u'llah's son, Abdul-Baha, was appointed by his father as the Center of The Covenant - the principle interpreter of His Holy Writings. Abdul-Baha's writings are vast covering a wide range of topics and provide an excellent overview of Bahá'í beliefs. Selections from the Writings of Abdul-Baha is one compilation which includes extracts from Abdul-Baha's writings. Among Abdul-Baha's other works are The Secret of Divine Civilization, an exploration of the factors conducive to the development of a more constructive society. Some Answered Questions includes answers to frequently asked questions on a wide range of topics ranging from Biblical interpretations to the existence of the soul. Two volumes provide transcripts from Abdul-Baha's speeches, Promulgation of Universal Peace includes many of the speeches he presented while traveling throughout the United States in 1912 and Paris Talks includes speeches he gave while in Paris (also in 1912).
Other Writings
Bahá'í World Faith is a complilation which include Writings from both Baha'u'llah and Abdul-Baha on a wide range of topics. For a compilation of Bahá'í teachings on education, see Compilation on Bahá'í Education. And don't miss the The Promise of World Peace a statement outlining the Bahá'í perspective on world peace and the Race Unity Statement, outlining Bahá'í beliefs of racial equality.
Other books you may want to explore include Baha'u'llah and the New Era and The Bahá'í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion - both of which provide general introductions to the Baha'i Faith. For a review of Bahá'í History, don't miss God Passes By - a summary of the first 100 years of the Bahá'í Faith; and the Dawn-Breakers (Nabil's Narrative) - a history of the earliest years of the Faith (great movie material!).
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There are a number of other Web sites you can explore for more information including the following:
The Bahá'ís - A hyperlink magazine , by the Bahá'í International Community, which provides an excellent overview of the Bahá'í Faith (with nice graphics too).
SOC.RELIGION.BAHAI - A usenet newsgroup on the Bahá'í Faith.. Please note that to access this you need to be on a server that accomodates news groups. If you are at a site that can't handle news groups, you can subscribe (and unsubscribe) to a listserve mailing list through bahai-faith-request@oneworld.wa.com. Please note that the mailing list is intended for those who can't access the news group any other way (direct access through soc.religion.Bahai is preferable). For more information on this newsgroup, see the monthly posting "Welcome to soc.religion.bahai"
Daily readings from the Bahá'í Writings - A mailing list through which subscribers receive a "quote of the day" extracted from the Bahá'í Writings. To subscribe (or unsubscribe) send mail to: bahai-readings-request@bcca.org
Other Questions?
Write us and ask:
Simply click on this address bahai@aloha.net and write us a message. We'll try to answer your question as soon as we can.
(Rev. January 21, 1996)
Copyright © 1995 - National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Hawaiian Islands