Eileen Rouhani grew up with not much religion at all, so it took a lot for her to convert to a faith that embraces almost all major religions.

“I'd read so much about the horrible things people did in the name of God,” Rouhani said. “I had to give it a lot of thought, because I had to accept Christianity, Islam ...”

Now, Rouhani is a member of a small but active Nevada County community of the Bahá'í faith, a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of 19th century Persian prophets. The faith also recognizes Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad and Zoroaster as prophets.

Earlier this month, the faithful met in Nevada City to celebrate the birthday of the religion's founder, Bahá'u'lláh, whom they consider God's divine messenger. A few dozen Nevada County Bahá'ís meet every Sunday for services and are part of a larger, worldwide assembly.

More than 5 million Bahá'ís are spread throughout 200 countries, making it the second most widely dispersed religion after Christianity.

The religion rose in popularity in the United States in the 1960s, and that's when local resident Barbara Campbell converted.

Campbell was raised Lutheran and attended church in the Missouri Synod, one of the most conservative subgroups in the denomination.

At 19, she heard about the Bahá'í faith. What attracted her was the religion's emphasis on multi-ethnicity and the oneness of mankind.

“Baha'is are comfortable with all religious groups,” she said.

Her family had a tough time accepting her newfound faith.

“They were not pleased,” Campbell recalled.

Campbell is now a leader in the local spiritual assembly, which governs Bahá'ís; the religion has no clergy. Every year, assemblies hold elections to choose their leadership.

Nevada County Bahá'ís incorporated in 1976, but are too small a group to maintain a building of their own. They meet in homes or other community centers.

Mutual respect

The faith bears resemblance to Islam, from which it grew. Bahá'ís are encouraged to take a pilgrimage to the religion's sacred site, the Bahá'ís World Centre in Haifa, Israel.

And similar to the Ramadan of Muslims, Baha'is have a period of fasting during the spring for 19 days. The image of founder Bahá'u'lláh is too sacred to be displayed, even in the homes of the faithful.

Bahá'ís have long faced persecution in Iran, where the religion was founded in 1844, and continue to be persecuted today. One of the major prophets in the faith, Báb, was martyred there in 1850.

Bahá'ís such as Nevada City resident Shiva Reader, who is Persian and was raised in the faith, practice with much freedom in the U.S. Reader's husband is Catholic, but she says their inter-religious marriage is quite compatible with their faith.

“We respect each other's religion,” Reader said. The Bahá'í faith “is very inclusive. Bahá'u'lláh came to unite the world, and we're supposed to respect and love people for what they are.”

For a complete list of Nevada County Bahá'í activities for all ages, call (530) 477-7017.

To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.