How are these Great Beings explained?

[loverofhumanity]

So Baha'is offer another interpretation. One that makes the things believed by the majority of the religion... False.

That’s the only way to have unity in diversity by reconciling our differences and agreeing upon what we have in common and agreeing to disagree on what we don’t.

All religions we see as part of one process or a chapter of the same book. We are only one chapter in this book after which many unwritten chapters have yet to come.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

If Moses were alive in front of you what does he have that you dont given you two worship the same god?

Moses is of the Holy Spirit of God.

We are a result of the Holy Spirit manifesting itself in this creation. We are a result of the Message given by the Great Beings.

Baha'u'llah has explained this in many ways;

This explanation is one;

"...The one true God hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly continue to exist. His creation, likewise, hath had no beginning, and will have no end. All that is created, however, is preceded by a cause. This fact, in itself, establisheth, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the unity of the Creator." Baha'u'llah : Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

So we are preceded by the Cause, created through Gods Word, the Messengers, the Great Beings. Said in this way;

"..Every thing must needs have an origin and every building a builder. Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world -- a world which is adorned with the splendours of the Ancient of Days, yet is being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is the God of Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure.
Look at the world and ponder a while upon it. It unveileth the book of its own self before thine eyes and revealeth that which the Pen of thy Lord, the Fashioner, the All-Informed, hath inscribed therein. It will acquaint thee with that which is within it and upon it and will give thee such clear explanations as to make thee independent of every eloquent expounder." Baha'u'llah : Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas

He concludes with this thought;

"..The world of existence is contingent, inasmuch as it is preceded by a cause, while essential preexistence hath ever been, and shall remain, confined to God, magnified be His glory." Baha'u'llah : The Tabernacle of Unity

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

No. He was all out proselytizing Christianity, just as the Baha'i here rarely ask about other faiths, wishing to stick to the Baha'i agenda. But he was far worse, in my view, and I'm sure he got reported from other threads where people are more likely to report. I was watching, popcorn in hand, for his and Tony's interaction.

I was hoping it would continue, who knows what I could have learned about myself?

Regards Tony

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Moses is of the Holy Spirit of God.

We are a result of the Holy Spirit manifesting itself in this creation. We are a result of the Message given by the Great Beings.

Baha'u'llah has explained this in many ways;

This explanation is one;

"...The one true God hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly continue to exist. His creation, likewise, hath had no beginning, and will have no end. All that is created, however, is preceded by a cause. This fact, in itself, establisheth, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the unity of the Creator." Baha'u'llah : Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

So we are preceded by the Cause, created through Gods Word, the Messengers, the Great Beings. Said in this way;

"..Every thing must needs have an origin and every building a builder. Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world -- a world which is adorned with the splendours of the Ancient of Days, yet is being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is the God of Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure.
Look at the world and ponder a while upon it. It unveileth the book of its own self before thine eyes and revealeth that which the Pen of thy Lord, the Fashioner, the All-Informed, hath inscribed therein. It will acquaint thee with that which is within it and upon it and will give thee such clear explanations as to make thee independent of every eloquent expounder." Baha'u'llah : Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas

He concludes with this thought;

"..The world of existence is contingent, inasmuch as it is preceded by a cause, while essential preexistence hath ever been, and shall remain, confined to God, magnified be His glory." Baha'u'llah : The Tabernacle of Unity

Regards Tony

I know. I was asking if you two met in person today and both of you are human (moses sinned just as abraham) how can I tell you apart from Moses in attributes?

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I know. I was asking if you two met in person today and both of you are human (moses sinned just as abraham) how can I tell you apart from Moses in attributes?

I can not answer that Carlita. I can not even say that if I had lived in the time of Baha'u'llah that I could have seen what other people saw. This is a story that shows this concept;

The story of how Nabil-i-Akbar

Nabil-i-Akbar [who was later named by the Guardian as one of the 19 Apostles of Baha’u’llah] was acknowledged as one of the most outstanding men of learning in Persia. His fame had spread throughout the country to such an extent that once, when he spoke incognito to a number of divines in far-off [city of] Kirman, his listeners were lost in admiration of his superb discourse and some were heard to say that the only person in the whole country who could rival such a man in the field of learning and knowledge would be the famous Mulla Muhammad-i-Qa'ini (that is, Nabil-i-Akbar himself).

He embraced the Bábí Faith about the year 1853. Some six years later [about 1859], while in Baghdad, he went to visit Bahá'u'lláh. [this is before Baha’u’llah’s Declaration in the Garden of Ridvan in 1863] There he was warmly received by Him, and was accorded the honour of staying in the outer apartments of His house, normally reserved for the reception of visitors. Mirza Aqa Jan [Baha’u’llah’s amanuensis] was instructed by Bahá'u'lláh to act as host to him. The following is an extract from the spoken chronicle of Nabil-i-Akbar relating the events of those few days that he spent in the house of Bahá'u'lláh:

“One afternoon I was seated in the room talking with Mulla Muhammad-Sadiq-i-Khurasani, known as Muqaddas. He was a learned man of great dignity and stature. As we were talking together, Bahá'u'lláh, Who had just returned from the town, arrived in the outer apartment accompanied by Prince Mulk-Ara whose hand He was holding. Mulla Sadiq, who was the embodiment of dignity and solemnity, immediately rose to his feet and prostrated himself at the feet of Bahá'u'lláh. This action did not please Bahá'u'lláh Who angrily rebuked Mulla Sadiq and ordered him to rise immediately, after which He went out of the room followed by the Prince.

I was amazed and bewildered at such behaviour on the part of Mulla Sadiq as I had never expected such an important person to act in this manner. Having witnessed Bahá'u'lláh's reaction also, I expressed my disapproval of Mulla Sadiq's behaviour and admonished him for it, saying: 'You are a man who occupies an exalted position in the realm of knowledge and learning and, above all else, you had the honour of attaining the presence of the Báb Himself. Your rank is next to the Letters of the Living and you are one of the Witnesses[The Báb nominated certain believers as 'Witnesses' to the Bayan -- the Mother Book of the Bábí Dispensation -- to testify to its validity and authenticity as the Word of God, until the appearance of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' (i.e. Bahá'u'lláh) when their functions as 'Witnesses' would come to an end.] of the Dispensation of the Báb. It is true that Bahá'u'lláh is an eminent person Who belongs to the nobility and His ancestors have occupied high positions in the government. It is also true that He has suffered persecution and imprisonment as a result of embracing the Cause of God, that all His possessions have been confiscated and that He has finally been exiled to this land. Yet, your behaviour towards Him this afternoon was like that of an unworthy servant towards his glorious Lord.’

Mulla Sadiq refrained from answering me. He was in a state of spiritual intoxication, his face beaming with joy; he merely said to me, 'I beseech God to tear asunder the veil for thee and shower His bounties upon thy person through His abundant grace.'

After this incident, I decided in my heart to investigate and began to observe the person of Bahá'u'lláh and His actions very carefully. The more I observed the less I discovered any sign which could point to His claiming a station. On the contrary, I observed in Him nothing, either in word or deed, except humility, self-effacement, servitude and utter nothingness. As a result, I was led into grievous error, believing that I was in every way superior to Bahá'u'lláh, and preferred my own self to Him.

It was through my vain imagining that in the gatherings of the friends I always used to occupy the seat of honour, assume the function of the speaker and would not give an opportunity to Bahá'u'lláh or anyone else to say anything. One afternoon, Bahá'u'lláh arranged a meeting in His house and a number of friends had gathered, as usual, in the same large room, a room around which, according to the Pen of the Most High, circle in adoration the people of Baha. Again, I occupied the seat of honour. Bahá'u'lláh sat in the midst of the friends and was serving tea with His own hands.

In the course of the meeting, a certain question was asked. Having satisfied myself that no one in the room was capable of tackling the problem, I began to speak. All the friends were attentively listening and were absolutely silent, except Bahá'u'lláh Who occasionally, while agreeing with my exposition, made a few comments on the subject. Gradually He took over and I became silent. His explanations were so profound and the ocean of His utterance surged with such a power that my whole being was overtaken with awe and fear. Spellbound by His words, I was plunged into a state of dazed bewilderment. After a few minutes of listening to His words -- words of unparalleled wonder and majesty -- I became dumbfounded. I could no longer hear His voice. Only by the movement of His lips did I know that He was still speaking. I felt deeply ashamed and troubled that I was occupying the seat of honour in that meeting. I waited impatiently until I saw that His lips were no longer moving when I knew that He had finished talking. Like a helpless bird which is freed from the claws of a mighty falcon I rose to my feet and went out. There three times I hit my head hard against the wall and rebuked myself for my spiritual blindness.”

The eyes of Nabil-i-Akbar were at last opened. He attended another meeting, this time in Kazimayn in the house of a certain Haji Abdu'l-Majid-i-Shirazi. Bahá'u'lláh was present at this meeting. He spoke about the mysteries and origin of creation. Here a new world, full of fresh significances, dawned upon Nabil-i-Akbar who considered every word of Bahá'u'lláh's to be like a priceless gem. All that Nabil-i-Akbar had heard and studied during his life appeared to him to be but the talk of children.

At this point he decided to find out directly from Bahá'u'lláh Himself what His station was and wrote a letter to Him which he begged 'Abdu'l-Bahá to deliver. The next day he received a Tablet in which Bahá'u'lláh alluded to His lofty station. This was the end of Nabil-i-Akbar's search for truth, for he wrote a second letter to Bahá'u'lláh, this time humbly acknowledging Him as the Supreme Manifestation of God and begging Him to guide his steps in His service. Bahá'u'lláh instructed him to return to Persia and teach the Cause of God there.

Nabil-i-Akbar dedicated his whole life to the service of the Cause, suffering much persecution from the enemies of the Faith. He rose to such heights of service and dedication that few among the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh have been able to rival his attainments.

He died in 1892 soon after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and was buried in the city of Bukhara. 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked that a delegation of nine believers visit his grave on His behalf and there chant a Tablet of visitation which He had written especially for him. A few years later He instructed the nephew of Nabil-i-Akbar to transfer his remains from Bukhara to Ishqabad -- a move which proved providential as the graveyard was demolished soon after by the authorities. (Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, vol. 1, pp. 92-94)

Regards Tony

 

[loverofhumanity]

I'm only anti-Abrahamic to deceitful conversion tactics and other harmful to humanity practices, but yes there are lots of those to be anti about. I just posted a nice story in the food and beverage forum about a Catholic monk though. So I see lots of positives too, but the proselytizing is my main beef. That I will stand against forever.

Like I said, about Hindus, it's more the Indian culture, and the fear of poverty that makes them so keen on education, as education is often the only way out. Some second generation kids have managed to see through it with their kids, now the third generation. In India itself it remains quite extreme. The kids lose much of their childhood, but it;s the same within all faiths in India. Christians and Muslims there are just as adamant regarding education.

Yes the story about the snake farm and the broken bus. I found that story quite disturbing.

I think it would be good if humanity can agree not to go to war or hate over our differences but just peacefully agree to disagree and accept everyone for who they are.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I can not answer that Carlita. I can not even say that if I had lived in the time of Baha'u'llah that I could have seen what other people saw. This is a story that shows this concept;

The story of how Nabil-i-Akbar

Nabil-i-Akbar [who was later named by the Guardian as one of the 19 Apostles of Baha’u’llah] was acknowledged as one of the most outstanding men of learning in Persia. His fame had spread throughout the country to such an extent that once, when he spoke incognito to a number of divines in far-off [city of] Kirman, his listeners were lost in admiration of his superb discourse and some were heard to say that the only person in the whole country who could rival such a man in the field of learning and knowledge would be the famous Mulla Muhammad-i-Qa'ini (that is, Nabil-i-Akbar himself).

He embraced the Bábí Faith about the year 1853. Some six years later [about 1859], while in Baghdad, he went to visit Bahá'u'lláh. [this is before Baha’u’llah’s Declaration in the Garden of Ridvan in 1863] There he was warmly received by Him, and was accorded the honour of staying in the outer apartments of His house, normally reserved for the reception of visitors. Mirza Aqa Jan [Baha’u’llah’s amanuensis] was instructed by Bahá'u'lláh to act as host to him. The following is an extract from the spoken chronicle of Nabil-i-Akbar relating the events of those few days that he spent in the house of Bahá'u'lláh:

“One afternoon I was seated in the room talking with Mulla Muhammad-Sadiq-i-Khurasani, known as Muqaddas. He was a learned man of great dignity and stature. As we were talking together, Bahá'u'lláh, Who had just returned from the town, arrived in the outer apartment accompanied by Prince Mulk-Ara whose hand He was holding. Mulla Sadiq, who was the embodiment of dignity and solemnity, immediately rose to his feet and prostrated himself at the feet of Bahá'u'lláh. This action did not please Bahá'u'lláh Who angrily rebuked Mulla Sadiq and ordered him to rise immediately, after which He went out of the room followed by the Prince.

I was amazed and bewildered at such behaviour on the part of Mulla Sadiq as I had never expected such an important person to act in this manner. Having witnessed Bahá'u'lláh's reaction also, I expressed my disapproval of Mulla Sadiq's behaviour and admonished him for it, saying: 'You are a man who occupies an exalted position in the realm of knowledge and learning and, above all else, you had the honour of attaining the presence of the Báb Himself. Your rank is next to the Letters of the Living and you are one of the Witnesses[The Báb nominated certain believers as 'Witnesses' to the Bayan -- the Mother Book of the Bábí Dispensation -- to testify to its validity and authenticity as the Word of God, until the appearance of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' (i.e. Bahá'u'lláh) when their functions as 'Witnesses' would come to an end.] of the Dispensation of the Báb. It is true that Bahá'u'lláh is an eminent person Who belongs to the nobility and His ancestors have occupied high positions in the government. It is also true that He has suffered persecution and imprisonment as a result of embracing the Cause of God, that all His possessions have been confiscated and that He has finally been exiled to this land. Yet, your behaviour towards Him this afternoon was like that of an unworthy servant towards his glorious Lord.’

Mulla Sadiq refrained from answering me. He was in a state of spiritual intoxication, his face beaming with joy; he merely said to me, 'I beseech God to tear asunder the veil for thee and shower His bounties upon thy person through His abundant grace.'

After this incident, I decided in my heart to investigate and began to observe the person of Bahá'u'lláh and His actions very carefully. The more I observed the less I discovered any sign which could point to His claiming a station. On the contrary, I observed in Him nothing, either in word or deed, except humility, self-effacement, servitude and utter nothingness. As a result, I was led into grievous error, believing that I was in every way superior to Bahá'u'lláh, and preferred my own self to Him.

It was through my vain imagining that in the gatherings of the friends I always used to occupy the seat of honour, assume the function of the speaker and would not give an opportunity to Bahá'u'lláh or anyone else to say anything. One afternoon, Bahá'u'lláh arranged a meeting in His house and a number of friends had gathered, as usual, in the same large room, a room around which, according to the Pen of the Most High, circle in adoration the people of Baha. Again, I occupied the seat of honour. Bahá'u'lláh sat in the midst of the friends and was serving tea with His own hands.

In the course of the meeting, a certain question was asked. Having satisfied myself that no one in the room was capable of tackling the problem, I began to speak. All the friends were attentively listening and were absolutely silent, except Bahá'u'lláh Who occasionally, while agreeing with my exposition, made a few comments on the subject. Gradually He took over and I became silent. His explanations were so profound and the ocean of His utterance surged with such a power that my whole being was overtaken with awe and fear. Spellbound by His words, I was plunged into a state of dazed bewilderment. After a few minutes of listening to His words -- words of unparalleled wonder and majesty -- I became dumbfounded. I could no longer hear His voice. Only by the movement of His lips did I know that He was still speaking. I felt deeply ashamed and troubled that I was occupying the seat of honour in that meeting. I waited impatiently until I saw that His lips were no longer moving when I knew that He had finished talking. Like a helpless bird which is freed from the claws of a mighty falcon I rose to my feet and went out. There three times I hit my head hard against the wall and rebuked myself for my spiritual blindness.”

The eyes of Nabil-i-Akbar were at last opened. He attended another meeting, this time in Kazimayn in the house of a certain Haji Abdu'l-Majid-i-Shirazi. Bahá'u'lláh was present at this meeting. He spoke about the mysteries and origin of creation. Here a new world, full of fresh significances, dawned upon Nabil-i-Akbar who considered every word of Bahá'u'lláh's to be like a priceless gem. All that Nabil-i-Akbar had heard and studied during his life appeared to him to be but the talk of children.

At this point he decided to find out directly from Bahá'u'lláh Himself what His station was and wrote a letter to Him which he begged 'Abdu'l-Bahá to deliver. The next day he received a Tablet in which Bahá'u'lláh alluded to His lofty station. This was the end of Nabil-i-Akbar's search for truth, for he wrote a second letter to Bahá'u'lláh, this time humbly acknowledging Him as the Supreme Manifestation of God and begging Him to guide his steps in His service. Bahá'u'lláh instructed him to return to Persia and teach the Cause of God there.

Nabil-i-Akbar dedicated his whole life to the service of the Cause, suffering much persecution from the enemies of the Faith. He rose to such heights of service and dedication that few among the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh have been able to rival his attainments.

He died in 1892 soon after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and was buried in the city of Bukhara. 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked that a delegation of nine believers visit his grave on His behalf and there chant a Tablet of visitation which He had written especially for him. A few years later He instructed the nephew of Nabil-i-Akbar to transfer his remains from Bukhara to Ishqabad -- a move which proved providential as the graveyard was demolished soon after by the authorities. (Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, vol. 1, pp. 92-94)

Regards Tony

I should have warned you months ago, the longer the post the longer the reply. I cant cover my points in sumnary cause its too much info. Id like to discuss it but we stopped short with Maxim. I have to chop it up to read it all. So, Ill go back later.

What caught my attention were the dates. My great great was born forty some odd years when (cant spell the names) Nabil-i-Akbar died. I read it in ancestry.com when looking up my geneology when my grandmother passed away. Thats "young" compared. Right around the corner. Ive met people-nuns, monks, priests, etc who are humble and have those human attributes.

But the difference is these people are worshiped. In little under 1895! I know you cant answer for yourself as said but do you understand the nature of the question and why I would be "intellectally" confused?

 

[Vinayaka]

There is much truth in all versions and sects of all religions I believe.

But our belief is that originally Their was a Founder of each Faith which all these sects originally sprung from but they all went their own way eventually.

Officially we recognize Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Muhammad, Zoroaster, Christ, the Bab and Baha’u’llah but also many truths in other sects and science.

We don’t accept or reject everything that the different sects believe in. A lot of it is truth we believe but some things we have a different view on.

Yes, this is the Baha'i belief. We know. I disagree with it.

 

[Vinayaka]

To me it started to fall apart here;

I thought it was a well thought out article, and that infallibility is the tell tale sign of fundamentalism, but I've always been wrong, in your eyes, I know. There is no room for disagreement.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Yes, this is the Baha'i belief. We know. I disagree with it.

That’s great. Then we agree to disagree and accept each other the way he is? But it doesn’t mean I can’t learn from you because you I believe know many things I don’t.

 

[Vinayaka]

I was hoping it would continue, who knows what I could have learned about myself?

Yes, I was too, as I wanted to see who would give in first. It's fun to watch fundamentalists of different versions go at each other. I can just be neutral and watch, learning more about that mindset all the time. I still don't understand it, Maybe some day.

 

[Vinayaka]

Yes the story about the snake farm and the broken bus. I found that story quite disturbing.

I think it would be good if humanity can agree not to go to war or hate over our differences but just peacefully agree to disagree and accept everyone for who they are.

I agree fully. Too bad many people don't. I accept that you need manifestations, infallibility, gender inequality and all that. God created Baha'i as a mindset just for you, and all the other Baha'i.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I agree fully. Too bad many people don't. I accept that you need manifestations, infallibility, gender inequality and all that.

Ha! Ha! I fully support your agreeing to disagree. Stories like this have convinced me that Hindus have every right to feel upset about these tactics.

 

[Vinayaka]

Ha! Ha! I fully support your agreeing to disagree. Stories like this have convinced me that Hindus have every right to feel upset about these tactics.

Yes, and Baha'is use these kinds of tactics too. So in India they are rightfully upset about that.

 

[loverofhumanity]

For those who don’t know about the Hindu story about the snake farm I post it here. You can all be the judge here........

A Catholic convent began a program of taking six-to eight-year-old Hindu children to a popular snake farm on weekends, including free snacks. About three or four buses were full each week.

On the way to the snake farm at a given signal the driver
would disengage the electrical wires and the engine would
sputter to a stop on the roadside. He would try and try to
start it, but of course could not. After some waiting, the
nuns would say, “Well, we all want to get to the snake farm.

The driver is having problems. Let’s all pray for help. Now,
how many of you worship Lord Ganesha?” Several children
would raise their hands. “Fine. Let’s pray to Lord Ganesh to
help the bus driver.” And all would pray for a few minutes.

The driver would try again, and nothing would happen.
Then the nuns would ask, “How many of you worship Lord
Murugan?” This would go on as devotees of Siva, Râma,
Krishna and others all failed.


Finally the nuns would say, “All your Gods have been
unable to help. Let’s try something new. Let’s all pray to Je-
sus Christ. Get on your knees and pray to Jesus to start the
bus.” The children prayed, the bus driver reconnected the
wiring, and the bus started. The children were told, “You
see, Jesus is more powerful than all the Hindu Gods. Aren’t
you glad we prayed to Jesus? Now we can enjoy a day at the
snake farm.

Everyone say with me, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’” The
innocent children, only six or seven years old, did enjoy the
day and were deeply impressed with the apparent helpless-
ness of their Hindu Gods. These are two examples of what
we were told by reliable elders. (How to become a Hindu)

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Yes, I was too, as I wanted to see who would give in first. It's fun to watch fundamentalists of different versions go at each other. I can just be neutral and watch, learning more about that mindset all the time. I still don't understand it, Maybe some day.

Dont try. Really. I practiced Buddhism before christianity and never by nature had a wrong/right view given Im for Equality and all. When I became Catholic all that changed. Not negative experience but unhealthy ways to spread the daith. Im not evangelistic. Now I have fresh air with my practice now. Buddhist has political issues but some reason I dont care. Personal growth.

I noticed your persona changed throuvh fustration. Stay where you at. This thread is nothing compared to being in a community witb the same mindset.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Yes, and Baha'is use these kinds of tactics too. So in India they are rightfully upset about that.

If they are breaking the law then they should be reported to both the authorities and the Universal House of Justice. We are forbidden to use these kinds of tactics so if Baha’is are engaging in these things it needs to be reported.

Baha’is doing the wrong thing are never supported by the House of Justice. National Spiritual Assemblies make mistakes too so they sometimes have to be counseled by the House of Justice.

Bahá’í World Centre • P.O. Box 155 • 3100101 Haifa, Israel
Tel: 972 (4) 835 8358 • Fax: 972 (4) 835 8280 • Email: [email protected]

 

[Dawnofhope]

I was only going by the first sentence, the one I quoted. Yes, Baha'i is not in it. Baha'i isn't mentioned in a lot of articles because its too small, and not considered a religion by many writers. I see 'fundamentalism' as an individual thing, so I see some Baha'is on here as more fundamentalist than others. Certainly there are elements of it, mainly the 'us versus them' exclusivism, and the 'I'm right and you're wrong' unrelenting approach in some, but not all. I'm surprised that the more liberal Baha'i's don't call out the others on it.

I am by no means alone in this assessment.

The Baha'i Faith: A Case Study in Fundamentalism

Its good that you can share these links for me (or anyone else here) to comment on. The author (anonymous) became a Baha'i and although he no longer considers himself a Baha'i is still very much attached emotionally to the Baha'i Faith. The main issue appears to be that of 'infallability' and 'inerrancy'. This is an issue we have discussed previously. It clearly has been an problem for some Baha'is I have come across and it is only natural that you would see it as being a major problem. As previously explained I avoid the use of both words in an interfaith setting because what we are really talking about is the relationship we have with God through His Manifestation (The Covenant). That has both metaphysical and mystical connotations. For a Baha'i the Covenant should be a source of inspiration, guidance, and strength. I would never use it as debating tool or weapon. It is simply a Baha'i belief. As you believe in Moksha, reincarnation and that all creation is emanated from God, so Baha'is have beliefs about the spiritual nature of man and His Manifestations.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I should have warned you months ago, the longer the post the longer the reply. I cant cover my points in summary cause its too much info. Id like to discuss it but we stopped short with Maxim. I have to chop it up to read it all. So, Ill go back later.

What caught my attention were the dates. My great great was born forty some odd years when (cant spell the names) Nabil-i-Akbar died. I read it in ancestry.com when looking up my geneology when my grandmother passed away. Thats "young" compared. Right around the corner. Ive met people-nuns, monks, priests, etc who are humble and have those human attributes.

But the difference is these people are worshiped. In little under 1895! I know you cant answer for yourself as said but do you understand the nature of the question and why I would be "intellectally" confused?

The story is that it is our acquired knowledge and own self that will veil us from a greater knowledge and it is only within our own self we will find that our knowledge is nothing, unless it is sourced from the greater knowledge..

We will be "intellectally" challenged if we compare our learning to their learning. It is not until we let go of what we think we know, that the Learning of the Great Beings can have meaning for us.

It is a submission.

Regards Tony

 

[CG Didymus]

Did Whitestone offer passages that only referred to Christianity? A debatable point.

Thus posting them in a Debate Forum as the Only way to God in a subject about all the Great Beings, is in itself allowing for the offering of alternate views, that one may not have yet considered.

Regards Tony

So is the purpose to find points of unity or to show how all the other religions are wrong?