Balthazzar
N. Germanic Descent
Truth is truth no matter where it comes from or what it pertains to. Truth matters. An honest spirit matters. The spirit of truth is the only way we can truly know what truth is. Discernment matters, also.
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Is rebirth good or a bad thing ?
- Thread starter chinu
- Start date
Truth is truth no matter where it comes from or what it pertains to. Truth matters. An honest spirit matters. The spirit of truth is the only way we can truly know what truth is. Discernment matters, also.
It is an inevitability. No morality attached.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
As I think you already know, I do not believe that the spirit of truth is the indwelt holy spirit, but rather I believe it is a title for the person who brought the Holy Spirit in the latter days, who I believe was Baha'u'llah. That aside, it is a Baha'i belief that the Holy Spirit which was brought by Jesus and Baha'u'llah and released into the world, is the way we can truly know what truth is.
“But the bounty of the Holy Spirit gives the true method of comprehension which is infallible and indubitable. This is through the help of the Holy Spirit which comes to man, and this is the condition in which certainty can alone be attained.”
Bahá'í Reference Library - Some Answered Questions, Pages 297-299
reference.bahai.org
However, an important question then arises: How can anyone know that they are being 'guided' by the Holy Spirit? Of course they can believe that, but I don't think they can know that. If all Christians who claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit are truly guided, why do they have differing truth claims?
This is because Bahais don't have a current guide/leader who is the holy spirit. Otherwise, Quran and hadiths are clear the Imam is with all and in all.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
The Holy Spirit is the bounty of God. No guide/leader is the Holy Spirit.
Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah was guided by the Holy Spirit and He released it into the world.
Baha'is have what Baha'u'llah wrote, and that is our guide.
The guide's spirit (not body) is the holy spirit per Quran and hadiths. Adam (a) was the image of God and that spirit of God was breathed into him as well. And God makes the spirit he inspired to Mohammad (s) and thereafter was in Imams (a) one after the other, the light by which he guides by who he wishes.
Jibrael (a) is also an instance of the spirit. So is Michael (a) who's name means "like God".
The spirit contains all blessings from God in a limited form. It is the face of God which remains after everything else perishes.
The leader is the light by which he illuminates the heart of believers per hadiths. The true authority of God reigns through the Imam.
This to me is one of many big differences between Quran and your scripture. You guys emphasize on writing as the guidance while Quran emphasizes on the chosen channels of scripture more then scripture itself. That is more of Quran is emphasizing on the personality of the guides (which most were Prophets) and taking guidance from them in current time, then relying on scripture.
The Quran is reminding of a reality that reminds of God. The reminder is said to be Mohammad (s) and so is the proof as well as it said to be contained in the Quran. The family of reminder means family of the Quran and Mohammadiya light.
The body of the Imam in public has never been a guarantee of guidance. Rather, they were killed one by one. However, the light of the Imam is something that never goes away. God wants people to realize the light of the leadership he bestows his chosen.
Inwardly, that is inside us. The Imam lives inside us and believers are guided through his light.
Moreover, more of Quran emphasizes on miracles as signs then verses of Quran as signs. Quran is a miracle, but the Quran doesn't call the Torah one of the nine manifest signs sent to Pharaoh nor the words of Musa (a) as one of those signs.
Miracles are needed in real time. There is a guide who can perform such things in every time. The Quran was not available to all of humanity when Mohammad (s) was alive, but Quran says that Mohammad (s) was a guide. It means, guidance is not only not just Quran, but takes place without Quran as well. That is believers in other lands who yet to hear the Quran can still be guided by the light of Mohammad (s) and his leadership in the unseen realms. And Imams (a) can teleport anywhere and so Mohammad (s) was able to show miracles to any human by God's permission. However, Quran was not revealed everywhere for sure.
So "for every people is a guide", means the warner Mohammad (s) is such a guide while can only warn disbelievers with such signs, is in fact, a guide to all people and all that is needed be guided is to turn to God often. Ali (a) then is the guide for people after, and so Imam Mahdi (a) is the guide right now.
Also, Bahai writing and Quran both of them, you have to derive from them application to real time. But real time events are not explained explicitly, rather, we have to make analogies with events of our time with events of that time and also tell the differences, so we don't misapply.
Not everyone will be guided in that respect. Quran contains a guidance, but per hadiths, what it guides to is the Imam of time. The Imam of time on the other hand will not only guide you about current events, but reveal hidden secrets of the plan of devils from humans and Jinn, and will assign what a person needs to know and what they can contribute. God's plans are secret, top secret, revealed to Imam Mahdi (a) every Night of Qadr, and Imam Mahdi (a) assigns who what to do.
Joining God's plan and being part of it, is important. Because if you are not part of it, you might think you do something good but are really opposing the plan. Plus, the plan, takes account what everyone must do and what Satan and his forces are planning as well. Being out of the loop would mean we can't contribute significantly in the battle between good and evil.
Depends on who or what you get reborn as!!!
Balthazzar
N. Germanic Descent
I was under the impression that it's a truthful spirit and one that helps us discern truths from falsehoods. This seems more practical and attainable than viewing it as anything else, including some concepts of being indwelled by.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
I agree that it's a truthful spirit and one that helps us discern truths from falsehoods, if we listen to it.
The problem as I see it is knowing when it is the spirit we are hearing or our own selves.
Spice
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One's intuition is that truthful spirit and it takes discipline and practice to trust it. A novel series that works this non-fiction practice into the storyline in a way that makes it a fun learning experience is _The Celestine Prophecy_, by James Redfield.
Balthazzar
N. Germanic Descent
I view myself as part of my personal navigation system, designed specifically according to my reality. Beyond my subjective truth is more objective truth's that I must also consider, so with this stated I am obliged to consider both myself and everything else as honest and truthfully as I'm able.
I find at John (14:17; 15:26; 16:13) speaking about the spirit of the truth in reference to the Scriptures, so it is no wonder that Jesus made reference at John 17:17 that the Scriptures are truth, thus 'Jesus did discern matters' from what was already recorded in the OT
Yes, an honest spirit matters - Hebrews 13:18. Honesty in all things as we can read at Zechariah 8:16-17
Honesty and truth do go hand in hand
Balthazzar
N. Germanic Descent
I'll suggest he was speaking about going away and that he would leave them with a truthful and comforting spirit to be with them always.
Yes, and a good reason why pray to God for His spirit - Luke 11:13 B
chinu
chinu
Lets say.. reborn as to fulfill incomplete desires ?
