Ex-Baháʼís or former Baháʼís are people who have been a member of the Baháʼí Faith at some time in their lives and later disassociated from it. The following is a list of notable ex-Baháʼís who have either converted to another religion or philosophy, or became non-religious. Baháʼís who are not in good standing, having lost their administrative rights for some transgression, are not considered ex-Baháʼís.
Converted to Christianity
John Ford Coley (born 1948) – American musician.[1]
Francis Spataro – Became a follower of Charles Mason Remey. In the later years of his life, he became an archbishop of the Apostolic Episcopal Church and left the Baháʼí Faith altogether.[2]
Converted to Islam
Abd al-Hosayn Ayati (1871–1953) – Also known as Avarih. He spent 18 years as a Baháʼí travelling teacher and reverted to Shia Islam in 1921.[3]
Sobhi Fazl'ollah Mohtadi (1897–1962) – Secretary of 'Abdu'l Bahá, who was expelled after opposing the leadership of Shoghi Effendi and later joined a Shia-Sufi Order.[4]
Others
Lewis S. Chanler
Denis MacEoin (1949–2022) – British academic, Baháʼí from about 1966 to 1980, he departed after disagreements with Baháʼís, mostly due to his research.[5]
Alden Penner (born 1983) – Canadian musician, left in 2013 after personal differences with other Baháʼís.[6]
Juan Cole (born 1952) – Having converted to the Baháʼí Faith in 1972, Juan Cole resigned in 1996 and became uninterested in organized religion.[5]
Ahmad Kasravi (1890–1946) – Iranian lawyer and secular reformer, converted to the Baháʼí Faith and left it after a few years.[7]
^Mottahedeh, Roy (2009). The mantle of the prophet : religion and politics in Iran. Oxford [England]: Oneworld Publications. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-85168-616-2. OCLC 245566321.
Ashraf, Ahmad (2007-04-05). "Official response of the Encyclopaedia Iranica to the Associated Press article of March 25, 2007 entitled "U.S.-funded encyclopedia revels in Iran's greatness"" (PDF). Encyclopedia Iranica. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2012.
Balyuzi, H.M. (2001). ʻAbdu'l-Bahá: The Centre of the Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh (Paperback ed.). Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. 308–309. ISBN 0-85398-043-8.
Bruce, Billy (31 August 2000). "Born-Again Rock Stars". Charisma Magazine. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
Kissel, Chris (14 January 2015). "Alden Penner: An Ex-Unicorn Goes It Alone". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
Momen, Moojan (2007). "Marginality and Apostasy in the Baháʼí Community". Religion. 37 (3): 187–2009. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2007.06.008. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
Sohrab, Mirza Ahmad (1959). My Bahai Pilgrimage. Autobiography from Childhood to Middle Age. New York: New History Foundation.
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Lists of religious converts to and from world religions
