How do you run your society? Don't you have laws?
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How are these Great Beings explained?
- Thread starter loverofhumanity
- Start date
How do you run your society? Don't you have laws?
We have a lot of maturing to do and a lot to learn. At present we have a vision but people can't make their minds up on a vision and words. People need to see on a large scale if we are what we say or if we are just another failed experiment.
So far no holy wars or violence but I think it's a more wait and see situation. Anyway we are told that it will take centuries for substantial progress.
CogentPhilosopher
Philosophy Student
People who actually proved things about the natural world or created methods to do so.
How is a warlord greater than Socrates?
Warlord? I don't know of any warlords.
Yes we have laws, but it's not about reward/punishment. The laws are to protect us form stupid people.
Now that's far more realistic than making claims that one day Baha'i will rule the world and all other people will worship the great and infallible Baha'u'llah, his son, and grandson.
Are you saying that passing on the power to your own son isn't a human limitation? Sounds very human to me, much like a will, and passing on money.
Yes I understand and agree with you. I'm not saying my spiritual experience was infallible. I'm saying that through it I was able to come to understand Who Baha'u'llah is, His Station.
It's like I took off a blindfold and could see the sun.
As to final infallible culmination. We are not that. We are only the 'next stage' in the evolution of humanity in this planet. After us will come more Teachers. We believe other Teachers will come and the Baha'i teachings will eventually give way to a more advanced Gospel.
We are not final or exclusive or superior. We don't have any concepts of 'infidel' or such. I am supposed to consider you are higher and better than me and I am lower than you and be humble.
Don't Baha'is consider them to be better than all other traditions in this day and age?
You had a mystical experience of God or a mystical experience of infallibility of Bahai scriptures?
Baha'u'llah is not God so we don't worship Him and are forbidden to do so. So a future world civilisation will likely have the best of each religion and culture working together.
Next,
I just meant that all the people of the planet, all 1 billion Christians, 1 billion Muslims, 3 billion no religions, and 1 billion Hindus, by then will all come over the the light of the Bahai ways, right?
I came to understand the truth of His claims.
The wouldn't say better as there are many wonderful people better than us. I would say our 'teachings' are relevant for this age that's all but as people we are nothing special.
We are taught to try and see others as higher and better than us and ourselves as lower and to consider mixing with other religionists a blessing.whuch is why I consider it an honour and blessing that you even speak with me because in my religion you are special.
You follow Peace and truth and ahimsa and we belive in ahimsa very much ourselves.
But as you can see I am not perfect and often lack wisdom but I'm learning thanks to everyone here.
From what I understand Peace will come in two stages - gradually. First will be a political unification of the world that will not involve the Baha'is. It will be the abolishment of war but not true peace. Prejudices and hostilities will still be there but just better controlled so they don't lead to war.
Over many, many centuries we are told a Baha'i super state will emerge, whose head will be the Universal House of Justice. In case I am mistaken I'm quoting because I don't want to make a mistake here.
“the Lesser Peace will come about through the political efforts of the states and nations of the world, and independently of any direct Bahá’í plan or effort, and the Most Great Peace established through the instrumentality of the believers, and by the direct operation of the laws and principles revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and the functioning of the Universal House of Justice as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í super-state”
Excerpt From: Hornby. “Lights of Guidance.” iBooks.
I'm sure this is all very helpful for anyone looking into Baha'i'. Thanks.
In Hinduism it is commonly considered that every human being has the divine self, the ground of Being within - and thus all our discourse here is a discussion among aspects of the divinity aimed at fleshing out the proper means to cultivate its outward growth. Thus I view you, and everyone as being inherent possessor of infinite potency for creative growth and expression and love.
Regarding the discussion, you have yourself states that the words of Baha'u'llah span thousands of volumes. Even if we assume a conservative estimate of one Truth claim per paragraph, that would still imply hundreds of thousands of truth claims made by your founder. Are you claiming that you gained both the information of all these truth claims and sure knowledge of the infallible truth of each one of them through your mystical experience? Or, are you making the more modest claim that aspects regarding the unity of God and His nature was revealed to you and proved consistent with the general description given by Bahaiullah in his teachings?
There is some support for this concept in the Baha'i writings:
O SON OF SPIRIT! I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith 7 dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.
Christianity talks about how we are all created in the image of God.
However the Manifestations of God are the most perfect and greatest reflections of the Divine.
Your description in the first paragraph is beautiful and I couldn't agree more. We are told there is the higher self and the lower self so I think that the higher self is the godly self and the lower self is the base instincts.
I think the difference is that Baha'u'llah describes it as ....
The Self of God standing within Him with laws. (Seven Valleys)
“Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.”
I think I am saying that when reading the Writings of Bahaullah alone, with detachment I discovered God speaking through Him. That every Word of His was not from Him but from God.
His Words imparted to me an indescribable joy and bliss, a state of heaven, nirvana, enlightenment. I felt I had finally come home. To a Hindu 'no more comings and goings'. I had found what every mystic has searched for for ages.
But I can't give this to anyone because each must search for Himself and depending on the fervency of his search he will be rewarded.
I can only say that there is a Hidden Gift of immeasurable proportions within the Words of Baha'u'llah.
In a prayer He asks God to enable people to find it.
“Inspire then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous remembrance, that I may glorify Thy name. Number me not with them who read Thy words and fail to find Thy hidden gift which, as decreed by Thee, is contained therein,”
Excerpt From: Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, 'Abdu'l-Bahá. “Bahá’í
It is there for all.
No money was passed on only spiritual authority so that the Baha'i Faith did not split into sects.
CG Didymus
Veteran Member
To bad God didn't tell Moses and Paul all this: "why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith 7 dost thou abase thyself?" Moses said that God cursed Adam and kicked him out of Eden. Then Moses said that God wished he had never created man and drowned almost all of them in the Flood. And Paul, forget about it. He thinks man's righteousness is like filthy rags.
Working on the premise that there are other civilisations throughout the universe, we are likely the most backward of them all because in our recent recorded history we have continually chosen conflict above peace and the animal kingdom has often been superior to us.
God would be quite disappointed in that we continually make choices that cause us more suffering and deprive us of true happiness which is spiritual happiness.
There are likely other civilisations in the universe that have no interest in war and treat each other far better than we do.