Philippine Bahá’í Community
Philippine Bahá’í Community
Spiritual Education of Children and Youth
The moral and spiritual education of children, the junior youth and the youth is a task of utmost importance to every Bahá’í community. To respond to the spiritual needs and aspirations of the young is among the primary concerns of the Bahá’ís and their institutions.
A responsibility that cannot be neglected
“Independent of the level of their education, parents are in a critical position to shape the spiritual development of their children. They should not ever underestimate their capacity to mold their children’s moral character. For they exercise indispensable influence through the home environment they consciously create by their love of God, their striving to adhere to His laws, their spirit of service to His Cause, their lack of fanaticism, and their freedom from the corrosive effects of backbiting.”
While parents play a key role in the education of their children, the community also has a great responsibility in nurturing their potential for them to grow up capable of making sound moral decisions. It is both the responsibility of the family and the community to nurture these young souls in order that they come to understand that they have a role in advancing civilization, by tending to their own spiritual growth and working with others in serving humanity.
In its effort to systematically provide moral education to the young in various neighbourhoods, the Philippine Bahá’í community adopts the courses developed by the Ruhi Institute that offer lessons to children aged 5–10 years old and a spiritual empowerment program to junior youths aged 11–14.
