What is the Baha'i Faith followed by Justin Baldoni?

It's no secret that Justin Baldoni identifies primarily as Baha'i, but the actor's religion has somehow now made it's way into his ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively.

According to reports, Baldoni's religious beliefs played a part in how he acted on the set of It Ends With Us and even had an impact on the creative decisions he made as director.

According to sources who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni's Baha'i faith would result in an 'unusual' amount of physical contact with crewmembers, as well as 'asking God for guidance' before making creative decisions on the film. 

The lengthy cover story – which features a spoof illustration of Baldoni and Lively – poked fun at the way Baldoni allegedly mixed his religion with his professional duties.

In the story, it wryly notes that there is nothing in the sacred Baha'i texts 'on how to behave on a movie set' or 'how to collaborate with an A-list movie star.'

The publication also states that Lively's lawsuit does not explicitly mention the Baha'i faith by name, but claims that the actress became 'alarmed' when she found out that Baldoni had cast his 'best friend' Adam Mondschein in the movie.

Mondschein is an unknown actor who is present in the scene where Lively's character Lily Bloom gives birth and up until his role in It Ends With Us, his biggest previous credit had been for a documentary called The Gate: Dawn of the Baha'i Faith.

Back in 2020, Justin spoke about the Faith during an interview on the Today show and explained how it provides him with 'a lot of insight' and gives him a 'daily source of inner happiness.'

'Through God, we are told to not rely on the external or superficial for joy and serenity, and while no one is perfect at that, it's an incredible guiding light,' he said at the time.

The Baha'i Faith is a monotheistic religion founded in Iran in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. 

Established by Baháʼu'lláh, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception.

The people who follow it are known as Baha'is and they believe in one God who created the universe and rules it. It's thought there are between five and eight million followers worldwide.

They also believe that the founders of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Baha'i faith all follow the same God.

The various teachings of the religion include believing in universal education, in harmony of religion and science in equality of men and women, and in using the arts to build unity of thought.

Baha'is also believe in forming deep relationships and building communities, and in eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty.

Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, condemned racism, sexism, and anti-scientific interpretations of religious texts.

The official website for the faith states that 'the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith inspire individuals and communities as they work to improve their own lives and contribute to the advancement of civilization.'

It goes on to say that it is 'a community that strives to cultivate hope for the future of humanity, to foster purposeful effort, and to celebrate the endeavours of all those in the world who work to promote unity and alleviate human suffering.'

Back in 2022, Baldoni visited the the Baha'i Terraces on Mount Carmel in Haifa, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel.

The father-of-two posted a photo of himself standing in front of the Shrine of the Báb.

He captioned the post: 'Tears often speak the language the heart doesn't have words for. So grateful to be back in Haifa visiting the #bahai holy land on a three day pilgrimage.

'Praying in the Shrines of `Abdu'l-Bahá and The Báb was the spiritual cleanse I needed. Overflowing with gratitude tonight,' he continued, before sharing a quote from 'Abdu'l-Bahá. 

'"I want you to be happy...to laugh, smile and rejoice in order that others may be made happy by you,"' it read, but Baldoni turned the comments on the post off.