Bahá’ís recognize that there is only one God, and that throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series of divine Messengers. These Messengers - or Manifestations of God – bring us teachings which guide and educate us and provide the basis for the advancement of human civilization. Manifestations of God Who have come to guide humanity over the ages have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’ís believe that the religions which they founded came from the same Source and are, in essence, successive chapters of one religion from God.

Bahá’u’lláh, the latest of these Messengers, has brought spiritual and social teachings for our time. His message covers essential themes such as the oneness of God and religion and the oneness of the human family. In His Writings, Bahá’u’lláh outlined fundamental principles upon which a new world civilization should be founded. “The earth” He proclaimed, “is but one country and mankind its citizens”.

Some of the principles of the Bahá’í Faith upon which a new world civilization should be founded include:

Recognition of the essential oneness of the world's great religions, which we believe are all Divine in origin and are progressive expressions of God’s Revelation for humanity.

Responsibility of each individual to investigate truth for him or herself, without bias or pre-conceptions.

Elimination of all forms of prejudice; whether racial, religious, national, or economic.

Bahá'ís believe that, until the reality of gender equality is fully established, and until women receive the same rights, privileges and opportunities as men, the highest social and spiritual development of humankind will not be possible.

The need for provision of education to all of humanity.

Recognition of the essential harmony between science and religion.

The elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth. Efforts to address the economic problems of our world will only succeed when moral and spiritual values are made an essential part of the solution.

The family and its unity as a central component to the building of a healthy society.

Bahá'ís believe that “World peace is not only possible, but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet”. An important step in this process will be the establishment of an international commonwealth of nations to uphold world peace.

A life of service to humanity contributes to the betterment of society, and by serving others, each individual has a unique and important contribution to make to their community. The Bahá'í Writings elevate work, performed in the spirit of service to humanity, to the rank of worship.