Christianity vs Baha'i

[InvestigateTruth]

(sigh) What makes you think I think they're wrong. I think they have a different world view than I do, but right/wrong doesn't even come into the picture. That's another essential difference between dharmic and Abrahamic paradigms. The dharmic paradigm wraps a big friendly circle around all of humanity, while the Abrahamic paradigm draws a little 'we're right' box around itself, and excludes anyone else cause they're 'wrong'.

But you can't understand that because you live in that little box. Yours is called the Baha'i faith, but there are many more.

I know, but talking specifically about reincarnation, either it is a true belief or a false belief. I understand we have just different beliefs. But we don't knock on each other doors, telling each other you are wrong, I am right. So, we express our beliefs in its appropriate ways. We Let everyone choose for themselves what they want to believe.

 

[Vinayaka]

I know, but talking specifically about reincarnation, either it is a true belief or a false belief. I understand we have just different beliefs. But we don't knock on each other doors, telling each other you are wrong, I am right. So, we express our beliefs in its appropriate ways. We Let everyone choose for themselves what they want to believe.

(sigh)

 

[metis]

I want to be reincarnated as a stud, but with my luck I'd probably end up in a snow tire.

 

[Vinayaka]

I want to be reincarnated as a stud, but with my luck I'd probably end up in a snow tire.

Or a 2 by 4 stuck forever in a wall,

 

[metis]

Or a 2 by 4 stuck forever in a wall,

Well, I guess that's one way of having a woody.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Clearly, the righteousness of Christ, the Holy Spirit, was not absent in Jesus. But Jesus Christ came to die; that was his purpose. Only through death and resurrection could God's righteousness become our righteousness! The Spirit of Christ could not be sent from heaven until after Jesus Christ had been resurrected and exalted.

'For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.' [Hebrews 9:17]

Jesus Christ did not come to teach anything that was not already in the law. He came to offer HIMSELF as the fulfilment of the law, so that we might have life.

IMO, Jesus Christ wants us to live by faith in Him!

'For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them on their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.' [Hebrews 8:10-12]

There is only one way, IMO, to have the law written on your heart, and that's to have the Holy Spirit indwelling. The only way to get the Holy Spirit is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

The way i see it is, Christ Himself was doing the work of the Father who is greater then Christ. So, ultimately it is all about following the Will of the Father.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

So all those billion Hindus made mistakes? How nice of you and your Baha'i friends to correct us.

I see it is God that corrects all of us. Others may not see it that way.

I think if we look, we will find in all the scriptures that humility is requires to admit we may have got it wrong and change is needed.

History has shown that is a hard thing for people to do and would rather war than discuss how we may have got it wrong.

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

But you can't understand that because you live in that little box. Yours is called the Baha'i faith, but there are many more.

The box may very well be not looking outside one's own faith and balancing what we think we know.

Regards Tony

 

[Redemptionsong]

The way i see it is, Christ Himself was doing the work of the Father who is greater then Christ. So, ultimately it is all about following the Will of the Father.

That sounds great, but the reason that the Father sent the Son [the Messiah] was to bring the reality of God to earth. What had men failed to do, and why was it necessary to send the Son? To fulfil the law in love.

Jesus Christ not only did all that was required under the law, he took righteousness to a whole new level. By living the perfectly loving, sacrificial, life he was able to destroy death itself. The wages of sin is death, and there was no sin to be found in him.

It's hard for people to get a grasp of this, but it's all very personal. He died for you, but maybe you never realised it?

John 15:13. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'

 

[TransmutingSoul]

It's hard for people to get a grasp of this, but it's all very personal. He died for you, but maybe you never realised it?

All the Mesengers sacrafice their Lives for us, so why not acknowledge them all?

The Story of the Bab, is that of Christs, the Lamb of Christ returned as the Lamb of the Gate, that allowed the Glory of God, the Father to bring the Day of God promised to all people of all Faiths in many ways.

One fold and One shepherd is now the goal.

Regards Tony

 

[InvestigateTruth]

That sounds great, but the reason that the Father sent the Son [the Messiah] was to bring the reality of God to earth. What had men failed to do, and why was it necessary to send the Son? To fulfil the law in love.

Jesus Christ not only did all that was required under the law, he took righteousness to a whole new level. By living the perfectly loving, sacrificial, life he was able to destroy death itself. The wages of sin is death, and there was no sin to be found in him.

It's hard for people to get a grasp of this, but it's all very personal. He died for you, but maybe you never realised it?

John 15:13. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'

It all really depends on interpretation.

Yes, the Son, sacrificed His life for the people. The sin causes death. And Christ was resurrected. But in our view, sin is the cause of spiritual death, not the physical body.

Christ sacrificed His life, so, through His teaching people become righteous, and be endowed with everlasting spiritual life.

The meaning of His resurrection is, His cause was raised after His martyrdom, meaning the church which represented Him was resurrected not the physical body of Jesus.

But after some centuries, His words, which was like a good Tree, became old, and then was not giving fruits anymore, so, then the Father sent down His Word again through other Menifestations to teach the same truth as Jesus said, and even tell us more the things people could not bear at the time of Jesus. Just the Bahai view

 

[CG Didymus]

Technically speaking, it came to an end around 632 AD, since that is when the next Manifestation of God appeared and the Qur’an was revealed,

And what was so great about Christianity in 632AD. What had it accomplished? But because there are so many differences in each major religion they all have continued on and keep evolving.

 

[CG Didymus]

Yeah, those stupid Hindus, they don't know much at all, all 1.2 billion of them. Good thing Baha'u'llah came along to correct them.

How come I get the feeling reincarnation was not a misinterpretation, but it very obviously meant that a soul/spirit comes back into different bodies. But even if it was clearly stated, then that portion of Scripture would have a problem with it. There's always reasons not to believe.

 

[CG Didymus]

In Iqan, Bahaullah talks about Return, and He seems to be using same terminologies as used by those who believe in reincarnation. But He gives it, a different interpretation, thereby correcting any previous misinterpretation.
Bahaullah did not talk about Hinduism much, but in one of His Tablets He confirms Hindu Prophets. If I remember correctly, it was in the proclamation of Bahaullah.

What is the terminology used in Hinduism when they describe reincarnation?

 

[CG Didymus]

The meaning of His resurrection is, His cause was raised after His martyrdom, meaning the church which represented Him was resurrected not the physical body of Jesus.

If you read the gospels, especially prior to having a Baha'i interpretation of the supposed meaning of the resurrection, would you really come to that conclusion? Call it wrong. Call it a lie. Call it a hoax, but the gospel stories are talking about Jesus coming back to life, not the "church". If Jesus didn't conquer death and rise from the dead, then there is nothing all that special about Jesus or Christianity.

And you say his "cause" was raised up? What do you think was his "cause"? So like when Christians are spreading the "gospel" or "good news"... what is it that they are saying? "We, the church, have risen!" Or is it, "Jesus has risen"?

 

[Trailblazer]

But because there are so many differences in each major religion they all have continued on and keep evolving.

They have all continued thus far and all have tried to adjust to the changing times, but all of them are outdated nevertheless.

 

[Vinayaka]

How come I get the feeling reincarnation was not a misinterpretation, but it very obviously meant that a soul/spirit comes back into different bodies. But even if it was clearly stated, then that portion of Scripture would have a problem with it. There's always reasons not to believe.

Yes, that's what Hindus believe, for the most part. With regard to the belief, I only see it as belief. Anyone is free to not believe. But I groan when someone declares it has to be either true or false. In my view, that's not how belief works.

But this entire thread is about the differences between Christianity and Baha'i interpretation of Christianity, and not Hinduism. Obviously, because Christians are Christians, and Baha'is aren't, even though I don't read the thread, it just makes so much more sense to agree with the Christians. The Hindu comparison would be fodder for another thread.

Carry on.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

What is the terminology used in Hinduism when they describe reincarnation?

Return and cycle.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

If you read the gospels, especially prior to having a Baha'i interpretation of the supposed meaning of the resurrection, would you really come to that conclusion? Call it wrong. Call it a lie. Call it a hoax, but the gospel stories are talking about Jesus coming back to life, not the "church". If Jesus didn't conquer death and rise from the dead, then there is nothing all that special about Jesus or Christianity.

And you say his "cause" was raised up? What do you think was his "cause"? So like when Christians are spreading the "gospel" or "good news"... what is it that they are saying? "We, the church, have risen!" Or is it, "Jesus has risen"?

When Christ was crucified, the apostles were troubled. They stopped to teach about Christ. But after three days, the apostles arised, and spread the teachings of Christ.

If I had not read the Bahai Scriptures, I would not know the symbolic meaning of Resurrection. But after reading the Bahai Scriptures it made sense to me, and I understood what it means really.

 

[Vinayaka]

What is the terminology used in Hinduism when they describe reincarnation?

Good you asked a Baha'i rather than a Hindu, because a Hindu wouldn't know much about Hinduism, would they? samsara