The method to pick and choose is to look at all the Messengers/religions who are
likely to have a valid claim. Some can be eliminated right off the bat, if they claim to have a message from God but there is no evidence to indicate that they got any message from God...
Evidence: the available body of facts or information
indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid:
https://www.google.com/search
According to the definition of evidence, there is evidence for Messengers of God/Prophets, and some have more and better evidence to support their claim than others have...For example, the evidence that indicates that Baha’u’llah was a Messenger of God is as follows:
- What He was like as a person (His character);
- What He did during His mission on earth;
- The history of His Cause, from the time He appeared moving forward;
- The scriptures that were attributed to Him or scriptures that He wrote;
- What others have written about Him;
- The Bible prophecies that He fulfilled by His coming,
- The prophecies of other religions that He fulfilled by His coming;
- The predictions He made that have come to pass;
- The religion that He established (followers), what they have done and are doing now.
“Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 105-106
I do not really think it makes sense to look at the older Messengers such as Moses and Jesus and Muhammad because their messages were not written for this age in history and the shelf life of the message has expired. If one is to be logical, one has to ask what is in the message and if it is what is needed for the present age going forward.
The reason I do not believe Joseph Smith is because I do not believe he received a revelation from God. He might have good teachings, but I adhere to the teachings of Baha’u’llah because I am a Baha’i...
How did I come to the conclusion that the Baha’i Faith was the religion for this day? I investigated it and found it had what humanity needs... The process is as such:
“The first principle Baha’u’llah urged was the independent investigation of truth. “Each individual,” He said, “is following the faith of his ancestors who themselves are lost in the maze of tradition. Reality is steeped in dogmas and doctrines. If each investigate for himself, he will find that Reality is one; does not admit of multiplicity; is not divisible. All will find the same foundation and all will be at peace.” – Abdu’l-Baha, Star of the West, Volume 3, p. 5.
“What does it mean to investigate reality? It means that man must forget all hearsay and examine truth himself, for he does not know whether statements he hears are in accordance with reality or not. Wherever he finds truth or reality, he must hold to it, forsaking, discarding all else; for outside of reality there is naught but superstition and imagination.” – Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 62.
“The principles of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh should be carefully studied, one by one, until they are realized and understood by mind and heart—so will you become strong followers of the light, truly spiritual, heavenly soldiers of God, acquiring and spreading the true civilization in Persia, in Europe, and in the whole world.”Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 22
