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Some questions regarding the Bahá'í religion

Sundance

Sundance

pursuing the Divine Beloved
Premium Member
Hi, everyone! I'm a seeker who is interested in learning about (and hopefully, joining) the Bahá'í faith. I do agree with its basic teachings. Though, I've got some questions:

1) Why does Baha'u'llah not include Sikhism in the list of divinely revealed faiths? Which religions comprise the list?

2) If Jesus and Krishna are considered God by their respective religions (Christianity and Hinduism), then why do Bahá'ís regard them as merely Manifestations?

3) The Buddha doesn't regard himself as a prophet or his teachings as divine, so why do Bahá'ís?

4) Why are social activism and responsible political involvement prohibited in the faith? Doesn't that lead to complacency about issues in society?

5) Do Bahá'ís accept the existence of Evil? If not, please explain.
 
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arthra

arthra

Baha'i
Dj sXe... Thanks for your post...

1) Why does Baha'u'llah not include Sikhism in the list of divinely revealed faiths? Which religions comprise the list?

Something you should understand is that while Baha'u'llah named some of the Manifestations of God.. this is not necessarily an exclusive list...in other words it's possible there were Manifestations we do not know about.. I'll provide here an essay which focuses on how we define a Manifestation... there are some Sikhs who have become Baha'is.

2) If Jesus and Krishna are considered God by their respective religions (Christianity and Hinduism), then why do Bahá'ís regard them as merely Manifestations?

Again I think the term "Manifestation" may be new to you. I'd suggest reading more about what is a Manifestation so you clearly understand it...See the reference below.

3) The Buddha doesn't regard himself as a prophet or his teachings as divine, so why do Bahá'ís?

In my view the approach of the Buddha was to avoid aligning Himself with the privileged Brahmin caste which had a priestly function. He opposed animal sacrifice as well as the caste system.. He also did not wish to be aligned with the Carvaka materialist school either. His approach I think could be best be described as apothetic or negative theology.. in the terms of the Upanishad it is close to "neti neti"

4) Why are social activism and responsible political involvement prohibited in the faith? Doesn't that lead to complacency about issues in society?

What Baha'is are opposed to is partisanship... so we do not support or join political parties as they are known today.. We can hold no partisan offices. Baha'is can serve on non-partisan bodies and offer responsible solutions to current social issues.. We support a world parliament and international court of arbitration ... reducing the extremes of wealth and poverty.. universal education.. eliminating prejudices of all kinds. We also support social development projects in various countries around the globe.

5) Do Bahá'ís accept the existence of Evil? If not, please explain.

"Evil" has no reality in and of itself... We reject a supernatural being that is at war with the Almighty... Abdul-Baha compared evil to lack of good...

I'm adding here some additional sources that may help you in understanding Baha'i teachings...

Manifestation of God - Bahaikipedia, an encyclopedia about the Bahá’í Faith

Good and Evil0

Sikhism - Bahaikipedia, an encyclopedia about the Bahá’í Faith
 
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Treks

Treks

Well-Known Member
Is there an actual prohibition against women serving in the Universal House of Justice?
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
Women do not serve on the Universal House of Justice.. The Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963... following the guidance of the Kitab-i-Aqdas revealed by Baha'u'llah and the subsequent interpretation of Abdul-Baha. This does not mean women are viewed as inferior in any way or that there is some kind of male supremacy behind it. ... It's simply based on the revealed word.

"With regard to the status of women, the important point for Bahá'ís to remember is that in the face of the categorical pronouncements in Bahá'í Scripture establishing the equality of men and women, the ineligibility of women for membership on the Universal House of Justice does not constitute evidence of the superiority of men over women. It must also be borne in mind that women are not excluded from any other international institution of the Faith. They are found among the ranks of the Hands of the Cause. They serve as members of the International Teaching Center and as Continental Counsellors. And, there is nothing in the text to preclude the participation of women in such future international bodies as the Supreme Tribunal."

From

Women on the Universal House of Justice
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
Treks wrote:

"Are there any positions which men are prohibited from holding?"

Thanks for your post.... The offices in the Baha'i community are not like clerical or priestly "positions".
The members themselves have no more "power" or authority than any other Baha'i. It is the institution that has some power or authority...granted by our Constitution.

See:

The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice - 21 April 1963 | The Universal House of Justice - An official website of the Bahá’í Faith

Preference is given to women over men in the area of education...families are urged to see that female children are educated ... They have priority.

Bahá'u'lláh prescribes identical education for women and men but stipulates that when resources are limited first priority should be given to the education of women and girls. The education of girls is particularly important because, although both parents have responsibilities for the rearing of children, it is through educated mothers that the benefits of knowledge can be most effectively diffused throughout society.

From:
Two Wings of a Bird

also see:

.Women
 
Treks

Treks

Well-Known Member
That is a very interesting point about the education of women and girls. Thank you.
 
Sundance

Sundance

pursuing the Divine Beloved
Premium Member
arthra said:
Dj sXe... Thanks for your post...

1) Why does Baha'u'llah not include Sikhism in the list of divinely revealed faiths? Which religions comprise the list?

Something you should understand is that while Baha'u'llah named some of the Manifestations of God.. this is not necessarily an exclusive list...in other words it's possible there were Manifestations we do not know about.. I'll provide here an essay which focuses on how we define a Manifestation... there are some Sikhs who have become Baha'is.

2) If Jesus and Krishna are considered God by their respective religions (Christianity and Hinduism), then why do Bahá'ís regard them as merely Manifestations?

Again I think the term "Manifestation" may be new to you. I'd suggest reading more about what is a Manifestation so you clearly understand it...See the reference below.

3) The Buddha doesn't regard himself as a prophet or his teachings as divine, so why do Bahá'ís?

In my view the approach of the Buddha was to avoid aligning Himself with the privileged Brahmin caste which had a priestly function. He opposed animal sacrifice as well as the caste system.. He also did not wish to be aligned with the Carvaka materialist school either. His approach I think could be best be described as apothetic or negative theology.. in the terms of the Upanishad it is close to "neti neti"

4) Why are social activism and responsible political involvement prohibited in the faith? Doesn't that lead to complacency about issues in society?

What Baha'is are opposed to is partisanship... so we do not support or join political parties as they are known today.. We can hold no partisan offices. Baha'is can serve on non-partisan bodies and offer responsible solutions to current social issues.. We support a world parliament and international court of arbitration ... reducing the extremes of wealth and poverty.. universal education.. eliminating prejudices of all kinds. We also support social development projects in various countries around the globe.

5) Do Bahá'ís accept the existence of Evil? If not, please explain.

"Evil" has no reality in and of itself... We reject a supernatural being that is at war with the Almighty... Abdul-Baha compared evil to lack of good...

I'm adding here some additional sources that may help you in understanding Baha'i teachings...

Manifestation of God - Bahaikipedia, an encyclopedia about the Bahá’í Faith

Good and Evil0

Sikhism - Bahaikipedia, an encyclopedia about the Bahá’í Faith
Click to expand...

Thank you immensely, arthra! I will read up on those links. Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!
 
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