The Bahá'í Faith is indeed an organized religion. They not only elect their representatives (see ximenez's w/u), but also have a lot of structure, although they don't have priests of any kind. Local Communities in every town (or even every district of a larger City) have meetings at least every 19 days, called 19-days-fiest.

Since nine is the holy number of the Bahá'ís, this is also the number of people needed to form a spiritual assembly, which takes up the organizational duties of the local community, and elects people to take duties (such as secretary or treasurer). They further also meet with other spiritual assemblys from their province and nominate delegates for the election of the national spiritual assembly, which also constists of 9 people.

There also are national Conventions called "Summer-School" or "Winter-School" that are held more or less seasonal, featuring lecturers and communal prayers as well as musical performances and lots of fun stuff. They usually take place in a nice hotel, and there even are children-groups where the little ones are taught about Bahá'u'lláh and Shoghi Effendi.

A normal meeting of followers of Bahá'u'lláh usually begins with prayers, than there is some discussion, until finally everyone goes to raid the buffet. Free Food is usually the best way to attract new followers to any religion.

In spite of their liberal appearance, Bahá'u'lláh set strict laws for correct behaviour a Bahá'í should follow, or he may even be expelled. Some of them are different to what our liberal society is used to:

  • The Bahá'í Faith forbids premarital sex
  • No alcohol, because alcohol is evil evil evil *
  • Gambling is evil too
  • Nitpicking about someone behind his back is just plain bad
  • Hash and other drugs are bad (but he says nothing about smoking, though)

All together they're a simple man's religion with exact laws and traditions but a fairly liberal point of view.

* "It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason, should consume that which stealeth it"
- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 62