I disagree, as my God and gods don't match the description of the Abrahamic God.
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Bahai is correct about God in my opinion
- Thread starter Starlight
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Starlight
Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
It is possible for God to be abrahamic and universal at the same time
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, @Windwalker .
While I find a certain elegance in the elephant metaphor, I don't agree with it. Why assume there is only one elephant in the first place? That's a very monotheist, or monist, assumption. Why not assume two? Or three? Or four? There isn't any particular reason to assume one over the other, when you get right down to it. The monotheists can tell the story how they want, yeah, but when there's insistence on that being the only way to tell the story - that there's just one elephant and if you disagree you're just wrong or mistaken - is annoying. I can play those head games too and allege the worshipers of the one-god are "actually" worshiping many gods they mistake as one. I don't do that, because unlike the monotheists, polytheists don't have a habit of proselytizing.
While I find a certain elegance in the elephant metaphor, I don't agree with it. Why assume there is only one elephant in the first place? That's a very monotheist, or monist, assumption. Why not assume two? Or three? Or four? There isn't any particular reason to assume one over the other, when you get right down to it. The monotheists can tell the story how they want, yeah, but when there's insistence on that being the only way to tell the story - that there's just one elephant and if you disagree you're just wrong or mistaken - is annoying. I can play those head games too and allege the worshipers of the one-god are "actually" worshiping many gods they mistake as one. I don't do that, because unlike the monotheists, polytheists don't have a habit of proselytizing.
Starlight
Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
God is behind all religions. That is why I wrote God has no specific religion
Starlight
Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
It is possible for God to be abrahamic and universal at the same time. I believe God is behind all religions. That is why I wrote God has no specific religion
syncretism make sense in my opinion
What the religions share of belief:
Belief in a higher power who is God, forgiverness, kindness, morality laws, prophets or holy souls of God, prayers to God, heaven/hell/reincarnation and that the most important is to serve God and loving each other
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How do you know, and why should I accept your experiences over my own in this matter?
Starlight
Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
I do not know. I only believe.
I can respect that.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
Put more correctly, Baha'is do not believe that Odin or Xenu are gods because we believe that there is only one true God.
It's possible, as a subset of all the conceptions of God. A Toyota is a car, but not all cars are Toyotas. Challenges arise when folks claim Toyota is the only real car.
I disagree,is there a historical proof of Abraham and isn’t “God of Abraham” specific and not universal.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
My point was that all the religions were right initially, before the truth of that religion became obscured by human misinterpretations and misunderstandings.
“It is an indisputable fact that religions have always changed in the course of their long history. Religion, unless it has become a faith of the ‘dead letter’, is a living thing, and to be living means to assimilate, to absorb and incorporate foreign matter. All religions have done this, and the clear source of revelation has become a broad stream made up of many tributaries. In the course of their history all religions have incorporated beliefs and practices alien to them in essence and have thereby departed from their source, the revelation. The religious heritage has been constantly increased, while the revelation has been obscured by human misinterpretations and misunderstandings.”
(Udo Schaefer,The Light Shineth in Darkness: Studies in revelation after Christ, pl. 80)
The first part of the Religion of God which refers to spiritual truth is the same in every religion. The second part of the Religion of God which refers to material things is different in each religion. It changes in each prophetic cycle to accommodate the needs of the times.
In the following passage, the Law of God refers to the divinely revealed religion of God. The spiritual message (spiritual virtues and divine qualities) are the same in all the great world religions:
“the Law of God is divided into two parts. One is the fundamental basis which comprises all spiritual things—that is to say, it refers to the spiritual virtues and divine qualities; this does not change nor alter: it is the Holy of Holies, which is the essence of the Law of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh, and which lasts and is established in all the prophetic cycles. It will never be abrogated, for it is spiritual and not material truth; it is faith, knowledge, certitude, justice, piety, righteousness, trustworthiness, love of God, benevolence, purity, detachment, humility, meekness, patience and constancy. It shows mercy to the poor, defends the oppressed, gives to the wretched and uplifts the fallen......
These divine qualities, these eternal commandments, will never be abolished; nay, they will last and remain established for ever and ever. These virtues of humanity will be renewed in each of the different cycles; for at the end of every cycle the spiritual Law of God—that is to say, the human virtues—disappears, and only the form subsists.
Some Answered Questions, pp. 47-48
CG Didymus
Veteran Member
Odin is a widely revered god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and depicts him as the husband of the goddess Frigg.
Xenu also called Xemu, is a figure in the Church of Scientology's secret "Advanced Technology",[4] a sacred and esoteric teaching.[5] According to the "Technology", Xenu was the extraterrestrial ruler of a "Galactic Confederacy" who brought billions[6][7] of his people to Earth (then known as "Teegeeack") in DC-8-like spacecraft 75 million years ago, stacked them around volcanoes, and killed them with hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology scriptures hold that the thetans (immortal spirits) of these aliens adhere to humans, causing spiritual harm.[1][8]
Xenu also called Xemu, is a figure in the Church of Scientology's secret "Advanced Technology",[4] a sacred and esoteric teaching.[5] According to the "Technology", Xenu was the extraterrestrial ruler of a "Galactic Confederacy" who brought billions[6][7] of his people to Earth (then known as "Teegeeack") in DC-8-like spacecraft 75 million years ago, stacked them around volcanoes, and killed them with hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology scriptures hold that the thetans (immortal spirits) of these aliens adhere to humans, causing spiritual harm.[1][8]
Why can't it just be mythology? Including Abraham and his God?
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding.
Baha'is believe the God of Abraham is the universal God, but that universal God is not only the God of Abraham, He is the God of all the religions.
CG Didymus
Veteran Member
I agree. The "original" teachings? That is assuming a lot. I wonder what were the original teachings of Jesus that got lost?
CG Didymus
Veteran Member
And you'd think that would be important. The different religions describe their Gods and Goddesses very differently. Some Gods are wrathful, vengeful and lead their people into battle. In some ways, that is how the God of Abraham sounds like. I'm fine with people continually redefining who they think God is. Why set it in stone and say, "This is what God is like, and this is who he is"?
CG Didymus
Veteran Member
But there were false gods and false religions in the Bible. The true and living God was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Ancient Egypt had more than 40 false gods, although none are mentioned by name in the Bible. They included Re, creator sun god; Isis, goddess of magic; Osiris, lord of the afterlife; Thoth, god of wisdom and the moon; and Horus, god of the sun.
But I asked if there is any historical proof of Abraham,I don’t think there is so if there is no proof of a Abraham then what does that say about his God,Abrahmic religions state that they are the “one true religion” yet there’s no proof of even a guy who was willing to sacrifice his son.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
The lack of historical proof is not proof that Abraham did not exist, since proof is not what makes anything exist.
Is there historical proof of all the Prophets mentioned in the Bible?
If we are not willing to believe in what has no historical proof we might as well chalk off most of the Bible.
Is it possible we make of One God, a God of our own image and understanding?
Regards Tony
Regards Tony