Another Interesting Curiosity of the Baha'i religion

[Buddha Dharma]

As much as I admire Baha'is in some senses for believing in world unity and peace- I think personally there are some significant issues with their theology.

The religion teaches that every world religion was revealed to a time and place, so might seem different. I find that a somewhat curious and problematic position. Especially relating to any kind of truth value.

I was thinking about another just now...

Baha'is believe that Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, and the like were all Messengers of God that reflected the one same reality.

I find that view problematic because these figures didn't have alike personalities. Krishna, Buddha, and arguably Jesus were for the most part peaceful and thought deeply about human relations on a global scale.

Moses and Muhammad by comparison appear not so peaceful and more tribalistic. Their personalities appear so radically different to figures like Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus- I find it hard to swallow any notion of their reflecting the same universal collective.

The Buddha and Jesus both taught ways to treat your enemies that conflict very deeply with some of the things Moses and Muhammad said are permissible.

We even see in the gospels that Jesus took some issue with Moses, because he said: the law says such a thing, but I tell you something different. Love your enemies, and so on...

How can such a seeming divide between these figures, their teachings, and their personalities really be reconciled and explained as reflecting one same God?

 

[Sunstone]

Religions naturally claim to value truth and to speak only the truth, but truth is far, far less important in most religions than is creating some kind or sense of meaning to life. The Baha'i religion gives life a largely pacific meaning. That's doing pretty good for a religion, don't you think?

 

[Buddha Dharma]

The Baha'i religion gives life a largely pacific meaning. That's doing pretty good for a religion, don't you think?

I acknowledged the things I admire about the Baha'i religion in my OP. At the very beginning, matter of fact.

I just think that this is a problematic aspect of their theology that requires some hard explaining. I don't see the Buddha as being like Muhammad or Moses, because he never would have killed anyone.

Jesus never killed anyone according to the gospels, and didn't allow his disciples to fight the Jewish authorities for him. This is in stark contrast to Moses and Muhammad having battles and commanding their followers, is it not?

 

[sayak83]

As much as I admire Baha'is in some senses for believing in world unity and peace- I think personally there are some significant issues with their theology.

The religion teaches that every world religion was revealed to a time and place, so might seem different. I find that a somewhat curious and problematic position. Especially relating to any kind of truth value.

I was thinking about another just now...

Baha'is believe that Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, and the like were all Messengers of God that reflected the one same reality.

I find that view problematic because these figures didn't have alike personalities. Krishna, Buddha, and arguably Jesus were for the most part peaceful and thought deeply about human relations on a global scale.

Moses and Muhammad by comparison appear not so peaceful and more tribalistic. Their personalities appear so radically different to figures like Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus- I find it hard to swallow any notion of their reflecting the same universal collective.

The Buddha and Jesus both taught ways to treat your enemies that conflict very deeply with some of the things Moses and Muhammad said are permissible.

We even see in the gospels that Jesus took some issue with Moses, because he said: the law says such a thing, but I tell you something different. Love your enemies, and so on...

How can such a seeming divide between these figures, their teachings, and their personalities really be reconciled and explained as reflecting one same God?

The only thing I find problematic is all their "ye, thou, thine and shalt"

 

[ajay0]

I am not sure about Krishna being entirely peaceful. He inspired a timid and wavering Arjuna to fight the mahabharatha war, and the Bhagavad Gita is based on this sermon.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

I am not sure about Krishna being entirely peaceful. He inspired a timid and wavering Arjuna to fight the mahabharatha war, and the Bhagavad Gita is based on this sermon.

Yes, arguably in self-defense. I know what you're referring to, but I don't see Krishna as a warmonger. Most Hindus don't approach Krishna like he's a warmonger, I wouldn't think. They talk about the Lord's universal love and such.

 

[Sunstone]

I acknowledged the things I admire about the Baha'i religion in my OP. At the very beginning, matter of fact.

Yes, I know. I wasn't trying to create the impression that I thought you were being unfair to them. Instead, I was referring specifically to your statement, "Especially relating to any kind of truth value."

I just think that this is a problematic aspect of their theology that requires some hard explaining. I don't see the Buddha as being like Muhammad or Moses, because he never would have killed anyone.

Jesus never killed anyone according to the gospels, and didn't allow his disciples to fight the Jewish authorities for him. This is in stark contrast to Moses and Muhammad having battles and commanding their followers, is it not?

Good points.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

"Especially relating to any kind of truth value."

Okay, I can try to explain this and clarify it.

What I meant by problem is the usual problem with a certain kind of universalism. That by saying all religions with conflicting claims are equally true- one is in fact saying they're all false. Since they conflict. Equally true is then what, in such a case?

 

[joe1776]

As I understand it, the Baha'i religion wants to bring about global harmony by bringing the religions of the world together. I admire their goal, but religion's main achievement in the past has been the division of humanity into thousands of quarreling sects. If global harmony is the task, religion strikes me as the wrong tool for the job.

 

[Sunstone]

I do think Krishna's rationale for urging Arjuna to fight is much more than "self-defense" though. But maybe that's just me.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

As I understand it, the Baha'i religion wants to bring about global harmony by bringing the religions of the world together. I admire their goal, but religion's main achievement in the past has been the division of humanity into thousands of quarreling sects. If Global harmony is the task, religion strikes me as the wrong tool for the job.

I don't know about that. Your post brings me to an interesting point I considered making a thread about the other day. The fact that much of the unity between ideologies and cultures in the 20th century, where it was sought in place of conflict- took place within ecumenical efforts.

I was actually going to start a thread asking: what if religion turns out to be the force that unifies humanity?

 

[Buddha Dharma]

I do think Krishna's rationale for urging Arjuna to fight is much more than "self-defense" though. But maybe that's just me.

Yeah that position also can be argued for sure. Maybe even on the grounds of Sidda.

 

[Sunstone]

I don't know about that. Your post brings me to an interesting point I considered making a thread about the other day. The fact that much of the unity between ideologies and cultures, where it has been sought in place of conflict- has taken place within ecumenical efforts.

I was actually going to start a thread asking: what if religion turns out to be the force that unifies humanity?

That would make for an interesting thread.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

That would make for an interesting thread.

It would, but I ultimately decided against it- for the time being. Someone else can start it maybe

 

[ajay0]

I would say that the Bahai religion is a sort of conciliation between the Abrahamic religions and the Dharmic religions, promoting harmony and connectivity between them, and is important in that context.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

I would say that the Bahai religion is a sort of conciliation between the Abrahamic religions and the Dharmic religions, promoting harmony and connectivity between them, and is important in that context.

That is a nice thing to consider yes. I'm just not sure it harmonizes some of the incompatibilities. I don't deny the Baha'i religion has nice things about it.

 

[joe1776]

I don't know about that. Your post brings me to an interesting point I considered making a thread about the other day. The fact that much of the unity between ideologies and cultures in the 20th century, where it was sought in place of conflict- took place within ecumenical efforts.

I was actually going to start a thread asking: what if religion turns out to be the force that unifies humanity?

You are seeing the ecumenical movement as a cause. I'm seeing it as an effect, one of several, caused by that moral intuition we call "conscience," the very same feelings that nagged our species into abolishing slavery and is now moving us toward treating women and homosexuals as equals.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

You are seeing the ecumenical movement as a cause. I'm seeing it as an effect, one of several, caused by that moral intuition we call "conscience," the very same feelings that nagged our species into abolishing slavery and is now moving us toward treating women and homosexuals as equals.

Oh I don't know that I went so far as to think about rather it is cause or effect. That may be why I didn't start a thread. It was a passing thought.

 

[joe1776]

Oh I don't know that I went so far as to think about rather it is cause or effect. That may be why I didn't start a thread. It was a passing thought.

Oh, okay. When you asked "...what if religion turns out to be the force that unifies humanity?, " I jumped to the conclusion that you saw the ecumenical movement as part of a cause-and-effect chain reverberating throughout human society.

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Oh, okay. When you asked "...what if religion turns out to be the force that unifies humanity?, " I jumped to the conclusion that you saw the ecumenical movement as part of a cause-and-effect chain reverberating throughout society.

I get busy and don't always think everything out that far.