While Baha'i is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world, its representation at Hopkins is very small. There are an estimated eight or nine practicing Baha'is between all of the affiliated Hopkins campuses.
If not for the presence of practicing Baha'is in the surrounding Baltimore community, there would be virtually no representation of the Baha'i faith on campus.
Though Baha'i is growing worldwide, the "local spiritual assembly" of Baha'is in Baltimore only includes approximately 75 people. However, Baha'i includes all races and peoples.
Pete McGraw, a recent convert to Baha'i, noted, "Wherever the Baha'i seem to be present, there seems to be a very diverse following body."
The Baha'i faith is relatively new to the world. It was founded in the mid-1800s in what is now Iran by a nobleman named Bahá'u'lláh. Baha'is believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the last in a string of prophets from God. These prophets include Jesus Christ and Mohammed. In many ways, Baha'i builds upon Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
However, the main focus of the Baha'i faith is unity between all people, races and faiths. To Baha'is, God is the only God, and all humans are his people.
Baha'i is unique in that there are no weekly services and no ministers. The closest things that approximate any regular service are the 19-Day Feasts and the weekly class meetings that are held here on campus. 19-Day Feasts are a unique part of the Baha'i faith. Every 19 days, according to the Baha'i calendar, the Baha'i community gathers for prayer, feasting, socializing and administrative activity. These feasts are designed to increase the unity among members of the community. The more regular meetings are learning classes.
On Sundays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Schaffer Hall, a portion of the Baltimore Baha'i community gathers on campus to discuss and learn about their faith. Classes begin with the community joined in prayer and spiritual songs.
The members then split up into a number of small classes: two classes of young children aged three to 10 who focus on learning the basis of the Baha'i faith, and two classes of adults who are focused on discussing and understanding the Baha'i holy texts. The adult classes are very casual and encourage open discussion and questioning; The absence of ministers in the Baha'i faith means that no higher authority can tell Baha'is what of the holy texts to believe.
The members of Baha'i are often well-versed in the Koran and the Bible in order to compare and contrast the teachings of God in the different religious texts.
According to the members of the meeting, finding truth in Baha'i happens when an individual's soul recognizes the truth from God and from his prophet Bahá'u'lláh. Individuals find and accept Baha'i alone; There is no conversion ceremony - members merely choose to follow the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
In the Baha'i faith, the acceptance of all humans as one whole body serves to eradicate many existing prejudices. The class on Sunday included African Americans, Caucasians and people of Middle Eastern descent.
Unfortunately, there is no religious center in Baltimore; The recent 19-Day Feast, which was held on Sept. 27, was held at the Waldorf School in Coldspring, Md. The Baha'i community in Baltimore may stop meeting at Hopkins after first semester; The members of the faith hope to move out into the neighborhoods of Baltimore in order to have a more positive impact in the community.
