I understand and appreciate very much your concern. My understanding is that it’s mostly religious leaders which have caused strife and mischief throughout the ages not the Buddha or Founders of religions like Christ, Moses or Baha’u’llah.
Firstly Jesus isn't known to exist, and certainly didn't start Christianity. It was followers of stories about a character named Jesus who did, and they are mostly unknown. And Moses is considered a fictional character, yet the Hebrews existed well before that person was to have existed. Both Siddartha and Baha'u'llah were flawed people who had some level of wisdom. You treat Baha'u'llah as God, and that is your error. Maybe it's an error you adopted with the beliefs, I'm not sure. But you keep referring to God as an absolute truth when there is at least reasonable doubt that Baha'u'llah was a genuine prophet. Critical thinkers have serious doubts about any goids existing and we often admit that our level of evidence is for an actual God to appear and demonstrate itself.
So no wonder religious leaders have caused strife, there is no actual God keeping any of them in line. Good leaders will act in good faith, and bad will cause harm, because that is how power corrupts the human mind. I observe the Bahai on the forum as basically good people but have become more and more insistance and assertive that their beliefs and dogma is true. I see some signs of humility, but not where it counts. I actually had a pretty good opinion of Bahai until recently. This often happens as believers engage in debate and then find themselves defending the darker sides of their dogma. It brings out the darker side of the believer, and the believer doesn't see it. This is why I get concerned about any dogma that can't survive tests in reality.
My life now is so enriched because I turn to all the scriptures for guidance. For example because we are taught that Buddha taught truth I regularly read His Words and the same with the Gita and other Holy Books. They all teach virtuous character and that helps me have inner peace and contentment. I’m much happier now that I accept all truth and not just bits and pieces of one religion.
Sure, you have decided that the religion you picked is truth, yet it doesn't survive tests in reality. So seriously, what is deficient in your existence that you believed needed a religion to fill in the emptiness? Could it be self-confidence, pride, ego? This is a pattern common with many theists. They lack meaning in their lives through their own efforts, so attach themselves to an established "truth" that meaning is withdrawn from. It's meaning from association. So it is quite fragile as you do little to accomplish much at all exept obedience. You are likley aware that your morals are compromised because you have aligned yourself to a dogma that is prejudical. So I would not be surprised that this realization has caused a deep level of stress for you, and other Bahai trapped between dogma and a moral sense. I'm sympathetic, but to my mind it is like seeing a person deliberately hit their foot with a hammer. They feel geniune pain, but it is self-caused. My Sympathy is limited.
It brings joy to be at peace with all. It’s spiritually liberating to accept Krishna, Buddha, Moses, Muhammad and Baha’u’llah all as my Teachers and mix with all their followers. It’s so uplifting. It’s such a wonderful experience to celebrate all the religions. It’s a good way to be and I think humanity has a lot to gain from accepting all faiths not just one.
Yet all this uplifing you feel and not a single word to condemn what Baha'u'llah said about gays, nor acknowledge that this prejudice has caused harm againt innocent people.
How can you feel uplifted in any way knowing your prophet was immoral?
