is baha'i hegelian?

[nathanielfirst]

like hegelianism in that 'the idea', 'universal mind', progressively reveals itself in matter more and more, better and better, as time goes on , validating both matter and positivism, , evolutionism, teleology, developement forward (not repeating time cycles like eastern religions, nor antimatprogressivismeriality like christianity).

I sup[pose that it is different if only that in hegelianism the idea actually is growing ITSELF, in matter, whearas in baha'i the idea, God is a seperate entity who created the unioverse and is watching subordinate matter, tweaking it.

 

[Boethiah]

I suppose, in a sense. But, we also believe God to be omnipotent, so capable of anything. Anything is possible then.

 

[arthra]

like hegelianism in that 'the idea', 'universal mind', progressively reveals itself in matter more and more, better and better, as time goes on , validating both matter and positivism, , evolutionism, teleology, developement forward (not repeating time cycles like eastern religions, nor antimatprogressivismeriality like christianity).

I sup[pose that it is different if only that in hegelianism the idea actually is growing ITSELF, in matter, whearas in baha'i the idea, God is a seperate entity who created the unioverse and is watching subordinate matter, tweaking it.

Usually we Baha'is don't see our Faith in philosophical terms.. It's best I think to set down your philosophic glasses a moment and simply see what is in the Writings..

There is though what I would call a Platonic or Neoplatonic influence which you see both in Islam and Christian thinking sometimes..

Baha'u'llah revealed a philosophic Tablet called the Lawh-i-Hikmat which has reference to Pythagoras, Plato and Appolonius:

Bahá'í Reference Library - Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Pages 137-152

He calls them divine philosophers..who were in their turn influence by the Prophets..

Here is an excerpt:

Although it is recognized that the contemporary men of learning are highly qualified in philosophy, arts and crafts, yet were anyone to observe with a discriminating eye he would readily comprehend that most of this knowledge hath been acquired from the sages of the past, for it is they who have laid the foundation of philosophy, reared its structure and reinforced its pillars. Thus doth thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, inform thee. The sages aforetime acquired their knowledge from the Prophets, inasmuch as the latter were the Exponents of divine philosophy and the Revealers of heavenly mysteries. Men quaffed the crystal, living waters of Their utterance, while others satisfied themselves with the dregs. Everyone receiveth a portion according to his measure. Verily He is the Equitable, the Wise.

 

[nathanielfirst]

I've been playing with the idea that lots of western idealist philosophy is simply rehashed ideas stolen from non-christian (nonfamiliar to audience) religions and given a different spin, tho more educated than theosophy does... myself i just like hegel and am gearing up to read his stuff with commentaries so that's the hegel question... would you guys/gals say that God's omnipotence allows him to interact with humans in their lives in some way similar to miracles or karma, or to 'guide', not control a person's life, in certain ways?

what do Baha'is think of marxism? an ideology thats deivatives takes over 1/3 of the earth cannot be an accident devoid of the influence of God, no? not that God is a marxist, but only say God used marxism to express something in some of it's fazes, or as an experiment? me Im not a marxist.. but I like hegel

 

[arthra]

would you guys/gals say that God's omnipotence allows him to interact with humans in their lives in some way similar to miracles or karma, or to 'guide', not control a person's life, in certain ways?

Response:

The interaction between God and man is an ongoing relationship through what we call the Covenant .. We believe God will never leave humanity alone without Divine Guidance..and man is free to accept or reject it.

Abdul-Baha does make some remarks about freewill:

Some things are subject to the free will of man, such as justice, equity, tyranny and injustice, in other words, good and evil actions; it is evident and clear that these actions are, for the most part, left to the will of man. But there are certain things to which man is forced and compelled, such as sleep, death, sickness, decline of power, injuries and misfortunes; these are not subject to the will of man, and he is not responsible for them, for he is compelled to endure them. But in the choice of good and bad actions he is free, and he commits them according to his own will.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 247)


what do Baha'is think of marxism? an ideology thats deivatives takes over 1/3 of the earth cannot be an accident devoid of the influence of God, no?

not that God is a marxist, but only say God used marxism to express something in some of it's fazes, or as an experiment? me Im not a marxist.. but I like hegel

Response:

Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Baha'i faith has written extensively about fascism, communism, racism and war and so on ...One of his statements:

The chief idols in the desecrated temple of mankind are none other than the triple gods of Nationalism, Racialism and Communism, at whose altars governments and peoples, whether democratic or totalitarian, at peace or at war, of the East or of the West, Christian or Islamic, are, in various forms and in different degrees, now worshiping.

(Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 113)

So Baha'is do not think much of Communism.. Our first House of Worship in Ishqabad today in Turkministan was completed by the Baha'is in 1919 was later seized by the Communists under Stalin.. Baha'is were either exiled to Siberia or sent to Iran where they could also be persecuted. The fate of Baha'is in Nazi Germany was not much better.. The Faith was outlawed for being too internationalist and some Baha'is were imprisoned.

Baha'is have always been non-partisan .. that is we do not join political parties or support partisan candidates..

 

[nathanielfirst]

that's amazing! how intense is the Baha'i commitment to not voting to a party? a suggestion, a tradition, or a rule? and I thought you were all about democracy... a commitment to not voting for a party does limit you to the few places around that vote by lists of individuals only.

 

[Boethiah]

Baha'is are not partisan. Many Baha'is do their civic duty to vote for which ever candidate they think would do the best job in their country, but they don't take an active role in the politics. Baha'is don't necessarily align themselves with a political party.

 

[arthra]

that's amazing! how intense is the Baha'i commitment to not voting to a party? a suggestion, a tradition, or a rule? and I thought you were all about democracy... a commitment to not voting for a party does limit you to the few places around that vote by lists of individuals only.

We are about democracy and civic duty just not about partisan politics... so we register non-partisan and vote as we please.. In some states that means in a primary we simply vote for propositiions and non-partisan posts.. In the General Elections we vote as we please using a non-partisan ballot.

Baha'is also don't run for partisan offices.. or accept any partisan posts. Some Baha'is have been elected to judgeships which are non-partisan. We can also serve on appointed non-partisan commissions.