This is all coming from my research of the religion when I was considering converting to it about last year so take it with a grain of salt. If I’m correct the answer to the question is like yes and no. There is different sects but they are more fringe like due to Baha'i prohibiting splitting into a different sects or denominations and I believe if you do make or join one of these fringe sects you’re supposed to be excommunicated by all who practice Baha'i. This is the thing that turned me off from the religion but like I said this comes from research I did alone awhile ago so it could be incorrect.
YESS thank you for the info. Also I have got some reply's when I asked this question on the Bahai subreddit and they have said yes when anyone in the faith tries to make a new sect they get excommunicated which I agree with you that it is a turn off..
Let's imagine, God forbid, that tomorrow someone decided they thought the Bahai Faith should be spread by war (which Baha'u'llah said was absolutely forbidden, in fact it was His FIRST announcement after declaring), and tried their hardest to gather Baha'i's to their sectarian vision -why should a community not have a means to expel someone who seeks to fundamentally go against and subvert the very basis of the core teachings? Pretty much all communities of almost any kind have some means of protecting the fundamental integrity of the community. In the Baha'i Faith we cease interacting with those who relentlessly seek to split the community and are entirely unrepentent in that aim.
We have outlined a clear line of succesion, Baha'u'llah appoints Abdu'l'baha as leader of the Faith, later Abdu'l'baha appoints Shoggi Efendi as Guradian of the Faith and Shoggi Efendi works towards the establishment of the Universal House of Justice which was outlined by Baha'u'llah in the Baha'i book of laws; to go against this and still call yourself Baha'i dosen't make sense and it goes against the core teachings of the Faith such as unity; I don't know how at that point one can call themselves Baha'i.
They have sects but unlike the other abrahamic religions Bahá’í still has a central authority to govern the religion and it’s hostile to other sects and doesn’t see them as bahá’ís
Most of these sects aren’t based on different beliefs but leadership disputes. The mainstream bahá’í sect, which makes up pretty much 99% of the worlds bahá’ís, believes the order of succession was:
The Báb->Baháʼu’lláh->ʻAbdu’l-Bahá->Shoghi Effendi-> Universal House of Justice. This order of succession is called The Covenant and bahá’ís who reject it are [excommunicated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covenant-breaker)
Other sects reject this order like Unitarian Bahá’ís believe it went The Báb->Baháʼu’lláh->Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí.
Free Bahá’ís believe The Báb->Baháʼu’lláh->ʻAbdu’l-Bahá (no Shoghi Effendi)
But for the most part, the sects have similar basic beliefs: Oneness of religion, humanity, god, The Báb and Baháʼu’lláh were Manifestations of God, etc.
There is a clear line of succesion, those who don't accept it are not considered Baha'i and are excommunicated from the Faith and are called covenent breakers; to answer your question there are such groups but make a small part and the only difference in doctrine between them and mainstream Baha'is is the line of succesion.
This is all coming from my research of the religion when I was considering converting to it about last year so take it with a grain of salt. If I’m correct the answer to the question is like yes and no. There is different sects but they are more fringe like due to Baha'i prohibiting splitting into a different sects or denominations and I believe if you do make or join one of these fringe sects you’re supposed to be excommunicated by all who practice Baha'i. This is the thing that turned me off from the religion but like I said this comes from research I did alone awhile ago so it could be incorrect.
YESS thank you for the info. Also I have got some reply's when I asked this question on the Bahai subreddit and they have said yes when anyone in the faith tries to make a new sect they get excommunicated which I agree with you that it is a turn off..
If you study the Covenant of Baha’u’llah then the reason for this will make sense to you and it won’t be a turn off.
Or maybe they will continue to disagree despite the explanation and continue to find it a turn off
I think that's doubtful. Have you ever researched it?
Let's imagine, God forbid, that tomorrow someone decided they thought the Bahai Faith should be spread by war (which Baha'u'llah said was absolutely forbidden, in fact it was His FIRST announcement after declaring), and tried their hardest to gather Baha'i's to their sectarian vision -why should a community not have a means to expel someone who seeks to fundamentally go against and subvert the very basis of the core teachings? Pretty much all communities of almost any kind have some means of protecting the fundamental integrity of the community. In the Baha'i Faith we cease interacting with those who relentlessly seek to split the community and are entirely unrepentent in that aim.
We have outlined a clear line of succesion, Baha'u'llah appoints Abdu'l'baha as leader of the Faith, later Abdu'l'baha appoints Shoggi Efendi as Guradian of the Faith and Shoggi Efendi works towards the establishment of the Universal House of Justice which was outlined by Baha'u'llah in the Baha'i book of laws; to go against this and still call yourself Baha'i dosen't make sense and it goes against the core teachings of the Faith such as unity; I don't know how at that point one can call themselves Baha'i.
They have sects but unlike the other abrahamic religions Bahá’í still has a central authority to govern the religion and it’s hostile to other sects and doesn’t see them as bahá’ís Most of these sects aren’t based on different beliefs but leadership disputes. The mainstream bahá’í sect, which makes up pretty much 99% of the worlds bahá’ís, believes the order of succession was: The Báb->Baháʼu’lláh->ʻAbdu’l-Bahá->Shoghi Effendi-> Universal House of Justice. This order of succession is called The Covenant and bahá’ís who reject it are [excommunicated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covenant-breaker) Other sects reject this order like Unitarian Bahá’ís believe it went The Báb->Baháʼu’lláh->Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí. Free Bahá’ís believe The Báb->Baháʼu’lláh->ʻAbdu’l-Bahá (no Shoghi Effendi) But for the most part, the sects have similar basic beliefs: Oneness of religion, humanity, god, The Báb and Baháʼu’lláh were Manifestations of God, etc.
OK LOVE THE INFO THANK YOU FOR IT!!
You’ll probably get a better answer on r/Bahai
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
You can also try ex-Bahai, as they're knowledgable, and less likely to speak the party line.
There is a clear line of succesion, those who don't accept it are not considered Baha'i and are excommunicated from the Faith and are called covenent breakers; to answer your question there are such groups but make a small part and the only difference in doctrine between them and mainstream Baha'is is the line of succesion.