Two approaches towards reforming Islam: the Bahai Faith and Ahmadiyya Islam.

[LuisDantas]

My experience with Bahais in my previous place of residence was fairly positive. I was turned away by the expectation of monotheism and the insistence in subsumming religions that they had only a tenuous and questionable grasp of. But they seemed to be nice enough people.

 

[Aupmanyav]

If we look back at the list of claimants to be the Jewish Messiah there is only One (Jesus of Nazareth) who has distinguished Himself and stood the test of time.

The list of Mahdi claimants is finite and if it be true and He has come the two movements listed in the OP appear to be the two most significant contenders. Time will tell.

Not really. You are forgetting Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Rastafarians.

 

[Jim]

But they seemed to be nice enough people.

Sometimes we’re a lot nicer to other people than we are to each other.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. it was suggested that the other 1 990 000 people would lie about it because of the fear of Hindu persecution.

You have been to India. Is India the kind of country where Hindus persecute other beliefs? Are not people of various faiths living here in peace, even those who have cut-throat interaction in other countries (the Sunnis and Shias). Bahais got 10.5 hectares of prime land practically free of cost.
"92000 Square Metres of land in Delhi was purchased merely for Rupees 140,289."
https://www.quora.com/The-Lotus-Temple-in-Delhi-belongs-to-which-religion-or-faith
i.e., Rupee 1.5/Sq. mts or USD 0.002/Sq. mts in the heart of Delhi, where the land price is not less than Rs. 15,000/Sq. Ft. It is practically a scam.
Rupee 1,500,000,000 land given for Rs. 140,000 by the Congress government.
Land worth 1.5 billion rupees given for 140,000 rupees. (Land worth 21.5 million USD given for 2,000 USD)

If even then, Bahais claim to be persecuted in in India, it is quite ungrateful of them.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Not really. You are forgetting Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Rastafarians.

Why would Christians make claim to Islamic prophecy?

 

[Dawnofhope]

Sometimes we’re a lot nicer to other people than we are to each other.

Was it Abdu’l-Bahá who said the greatest test for Baha’is would be other Baha’is?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Hindus are not monotheistic (except for fringes) and are not number hunters. We are satisfied with our one billion.

 

[Ellen Brown]

My experience with Bahais in my previous place of residence was fairly positive. I was turned away by the expectation of monotheism and the insistence in subsumming religions that they had only a tenuous and questionable grasp of. But they seemed to be nice enough people.

LOL, I love it when what someone has written sends me to the Dictionary. Just talking here. I think that when it is all said and done, there will be only one religion. Yahweh, was pretty clear that HE was the ONE GOD. After that, there may be more freedom than we fear. Right now we have seen what God said to Moses, but at times there seems to be other forces at work. Is that our "sin nature", or satan, or what? Is God vying for us with another force?

At the end of civilization on this Earth, we will know the truth. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". 1 Cor 13:12

I am convinced that we can refer to almost any book where we find the truth. It is why I use the Bible and Quran as a reference. I don't know much about the rest but am learning in the time remaining.

 

[Katzpur]

If we look back at the list of claimants to be the Jewish Messiah there is only One (Jesus of Nazareth) who has distinguished Himself and stood the test of time.

Not really. You are forgetting Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Rastafarians.

Huh? Who do you think the Mormon Messiah is?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Why would Christians make claim to Islamic prophecy?

In the same way, why should you claim the four monotheistic religions (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam; to which Abdul Baha added Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism too). Bahaullah never mentioned them.

Huh? Who do you think the Mormon Messiah is?

Mormons have a saint, Jospeh Smith, and no messiah other than Jesus, as far as I know.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Hindus are not monotheistic (except for fringes) and are not number hunters. We are satisfied with our one billion.

You’re right in that it’s about quality and not quantity. Better to have one Hindu or Christian that reflects the best teachings of their faith than a thousand hypocrites. But it’s useful to know about changing worldwide trends in religious affiliations. With all the talk about modernity, I wouldn’t have expected Islam to become the largest religion in the next 50 years.

 

[LuisDantas]

Sometimes we’re a lot nicer to other people than we are to each other.

Can't we all say that?

 

[LuisDantas]

Was it Abdu’l-Bahá who said the greatest test for Baha’is would be other Baha’is?

I could tell you as much, albeit with the benefit of hindsight. Abdul-Baha left you a significant doctrinary knot to untie, arguably an insolvable one even.

It is a very serene challenge when compared to Islaam's, but still certain to put your fraternity to the test constantly.

I would envy you, if you were not so insistently monotheistic.

 

[LuisDantas]

LOL, I love it when what someone has written sends me to the Dictionary.

Have I mentioned that I am insufferable?

 

[Jim]

Can't we all say that?

I don’t know. Can we? I haven’t been a member of any other religious community, to know, except for the Christian Church I went to in my teens. I don’t remember anything about the members of my church being nicer to other people than to each other.

 

[Dawnofhope]

In the same way, why should you claim the four monotheistic religions (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam; to which Abdul Baha added Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism too). Bahaullah never mentioned them.

It is true that Baha’u’llah mostly associated with Muslims so had little to say about Buddhism and Hinduism. His son Abdu’l-Bahá became the leader of the Baha’i Faith in 1892 after His Father passed away and so later traveled to Europe and North America. In that way our Faith was established in the Christian West. Abdul-Bahá who Bahá’u’lláh authorised to be the interpreter of His writings was clear that both Buddha and Krishna were also Manifestations of God. That presents a challenge to compare the Teachings of Buddha and Krishna with Christ and Muhammad. Perhaps the first principle is that God is an Unknowable Essence. In a sense it almost borders on atheism.

 

[Ellen Brown]

Have I mentioned that I am insufferable?

Lol, but I know that now.

I'm a bit short of OC when it comes to doing research. Growing up, I read a lot, a lot, and it was typical of me to have my book and a dictionary by its side.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Huh? Who do you think the Mormon Messiah is?

It’s hard to make sense of our banter for sure. @Aupmanyav thinks Joseph Smith might be the Qa’im in Islam. I don’t think so. My understanding is he claims to be a prophet like Moses or Elijah. Correct me if I’m wrong as I don’t know too much about the church of the LDS.

 

[Ellen Brown]

It’s hard to make sense of our banter for sure. @Aupmanyav thinks Joseph Smith might be the Qa’im in Islam. I don’t think so. My understanding is he claims to be a prophet like Moses or Elijah. Correct me if I’m wrong as I don’t know too much about the church of the LDS.

The LDS see Joseph Smith as a prophet, as is every one of the subsequent presidents. They see their President as a living prophet. Joseph Smith also claims to have seen various of the previous prophets before him.

Their Temple in Kirtland, Ohio contains some surprising Engineering innovations in it.

 

[kiwimac]

Fortunately God is not the author of confusion so Christians can always take solace from the words written by Paul.

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1 Corinthians 14:33-35

A specific command to a specific church congregation does not make a universal rule binding on all Christians for eternity. In this case Paul was simply wrong.