Baha'i Prohibitions against Priesthood

The Baha'i Faith offers a variety goals, values, requirements, and prohibitions that influence and direct the behavior of followers. Baha'u'llah himself, a Manifestation of God whose word is considered infallible, dictated prohibitions against the following things related to the formation of a priesthood and various priest-like actions:

Priesthood

The Baha'i Faith has no priests. While a particular person may lead Baha'i gatherings or be respected as religiously knowledgeable, they hold no official position in the religion and weild no official authority over their community.

The only infallible sources within the Baha'i Faith are Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice. Beyond their writings, individual Baha'is are expected to seek out their own interpretations and understanding of religion. Thus, preists are unnecessary and even contrary to the Baha'i message.

This prohibition was influenced at least in part by the experiences of the Bab and Baha'u'llah with local Islamic leaders who objected to the injection of new religious teachings in the area. Islamic clerics pushed (and continue to still push in places like Iran) for Baha'is to be persecuted as heretics.

Read more: Baha'i and Babi Roots in Shi'a Islam
Read more: Baha'i Persecution in Iran

Asceticism And Monasticism

While Baha'is consider material desires to be hurdles to spiritual development, they are forbidden from withdrawing from the world. Service to humanity is a primary goal of the Baha'is. As such, they need to remain engaged with the world, understanding the concerns of their fellow man, providing for the less fortunate, and fostering goodwill.

Confession of Sins

The confession of sins to another mortal in the hopes of divine forgiveness implies that others are better able to act as an intermediary between yourself and God.

"To none is it permitted to seek absolution from another soul; let repentance be between yourselves and God." (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas)

Kissing of Hands

This gesture would be familiar to Baha'u'llah as a gesture primarily used toward religious leaders, which Baha'is distance themselves from.

Use of Pulpits

Like the prohibition against priesthoods and confession of sins, this prohibition is based upon equality and an emphasis on individual interpretation. If a gathering is being led or organized by a single person, they remain on the same level as all other participants.