Evolution of the Baha'i Faith in the United States since 1960

"The 1960s were a heaven for new religious movements proposing a spiritual refuge as a solution to unsolved identity problems offering new behaviour attitudes towards social and political issues which were difficult to face. Literature touching on spiritual and mystical aspects of life abounded, thus answering a deeply felt need.

The Baha'i Faith seems to offer a vision of the world, a set of teachings and principles in accordance with the aspiration of 20th century man. It asserts the oneness of the human race and advocates total elimination of all types of prejudice whether racial, religious, class or nationalistic. It insists on the equality of rights and privileges of all members of society...

The Baha'i Faith is interesting in the sense that it presents us with a movement which has known a worldwide expansion in a relatively short time. Its universality is one of its striking features...

Its growth and development in the United States during the 20th century and especially during the last 30 years proves that the tenants of the Baha'i Faith offer answers and open new perspectives to questions as fundamental as: the superiority of races, white against black, emancipation of women, nationalism and worldmindedness, science and religion, questions of specific importance in the 1960s--l970s where a profound dissatisfaction with the establishment swept across the country.