What if we accepted each other's religion?

[blue taylor]

As a Baha'i I find accepting others religions to be not only workable but creates unity and friendship and peace between us. We accept the Prophet, Messenger or Messiah and His Holy Book and all humanity as a family and it works.

We accept everything except the man made dogmas and interpretations - only the religion in its purest form. Those who want peace will find in this message a great hope for humanity.

This is a call to peace and love and unity!

The Baha'i religion is an offshoot of Islam. It is exactly the same as any created religion. If you do not believe that Bahá'u'lláh is a messenger of god then you can't be a follower. Unfortunately Baha'i is also full of man-made dogmas and interpretations. No man is any holier than any other.

 

[spirit_of_dawn]

There is no superior race, religion or nation.

Let me double check that with some Baha'i scripture...

Oh look Baha'is are much much more superior to non-Baha'is. According to Baha'u'llah:

“My friends are the pearls of [this] order and all others are earthly pebbles . . . a single one of these (Baha’is) is more precious than a million others (non-Baha’is).” (Abd al-Hamid Ishraq Khawari, Ma’idiy-i asimani, vol. 4, pp. 353)
​

Deniers of Baha'ism should double check with their that they are ******** and will be returned to hell:

“Whoever denies this apparent exalted luminous grace (meaning Baha’ism), it is worthy that he asks his state from his mother and he will soon be returned to the bottom of hell,” `Abd al-Hamid Ishraq Khawari, Ma’idiy-i asimani, vol. 4, pp. 355
​

They are also fathered by satan:

“Whoever has the enmity of this servant (meaning Baha’u’llah) in his heart, certainly Satan has entered their mother’s bed,” `Abd al-Hamid Ishraq Khawari, Ganj-i shaygan, p. 79.​

And last but not least they are considered animals:

“O group of polytheists (deniers of Baha’ism), if you take pride in your name remaining amongst the animals or being mentioned amongst the livestock, then take pride in that for you are worthy of it,” Baha’u’llah, Athar-i Qalam-i A`la, vol. 2, no. 81, p. 452​

 

[blue taylor]

As a Baha'i I find accepting others religions to be not only workable but creates unity and friendship and peace between us. We accept the Prophet, Messenger or Messiah and His Holy Book and all humanity as a family and it works.

We accept everything except the man made dogmas and interpretations - only the religion in its purest form. Those who want peace will find in this message a great hope for humanity.

This is a call to peace and love and unity!

Peace, love and unity have nothing to do with any religion. In fact, the opposite is true. Baha'i has had it's share of violence and intolerance.

 

[spirit_of_dawn]

Baha'i has had it's share of violence and intolerance.

Their founder Baha'u'llah was a very violent man. In fact this is what his own sister said about him:

"They gathered a group of hooligans from different provinces of Iran and from the same places fugitives who had never believed in any religion and had no faith in any prophet and had no work but manslaughter and had no occupation but stealing peoples’ property. Even though they claimed they were following [the customs] of Husayn (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who was ruthlessly murdered by Shimr on the orders of Yazid) they summoned a group of Shimr-like people around themselves. The breath of any soul who uttered anything but what they were satisfied with was suffocated. They beat any head which made the slightest sound other than accepting their guardianship. They cut every throat which showed other than humbleness towards them. They pierced every heart which had love towards other than them. The first group whose names we previously mentioned fled to Karbala, Najaf and elsewhere fearing those bloodthirsty headsmen. They beheaded Sayyid Isma`il Isfahani, they ripped Mirza Ahmad Kashi’s guts, they killed Agha Abul-Qasim Kashi and threw his body in the Tigris river, they finished Sayyid Ahmad with a gun, they scattered Mirza Ridha’s brain with rocks, they cut Mirza `Ali’s body from the sides and pushed him unto the path of demise. Other than these, they killed others in the darkness of night and threw their bodies in the Tigris river; yet others were killed in the Bazaar in daylight and cut to pieces with daggers and machetes . . ." (Izziye Khanum (Khanum Buzurg), Tanbih al-na’imin, pp. 11–12)
​

His successor Abdu'l-BAha was also violent and notorious for slapping people he disliked in the face. He even threw one dude down from a building:
http://www.bahaibahai.com/eng/index.php/articles?id=88

 

[blue taylor]

Their founder Baha'u'llah was a very violent man. In fact this is what his own sister said about him:

"They gathered a group of hooligans from different provinces of Iran and from the same places fugitives who had never believed in any religion and had no faith in any prophet and had no work but manslaughter and had no occupation but stealing peoples’ property. Even though they claimed they were following [the customs] of Husayn (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who was ruthlessly murdered by Shimr on the orders of Yazid) they summoned a group of Shimr-like people around themselves. The breath of any soul who uttered anything but what they were satisfied with was suffocated. They beat any head which made the slightest sound other than accepting their guardianship. They cut every throat which showed other than humbleness towards them. They pierced every heart which had love towards other than them. The first group whose names we previously mentioned fled to Karbala, Najaf and elsewhere fearing those bloodthirsty headsmen. They beheaded Sayyid Isma`il Isfahani, they ripped Mirza Ahmad Kashi’s guts, they killed Agha Abul-Qasim Kashi and threw his body in the Tigris river, they finished Sayyid Ahmad with a gun, they scattered Mirza Ridha’s brain with rocks, they cut Mirza `Ali’s body from the sides and pushed him unto the path of demise. Other than these, they killed others in the darkness of night and threw their bodies in the Tigris river; yet others were killed in the Bazaar in daylight and cut to pieces with daggers and machetes . . ." (Izziye Khanum (Khanum Buzurg), Tanbih al-na’imin, pp. 11–12)
​

His successor Abdu'l-BAha was also violent and notorious for slapping people he disliked in the face. He even threw one dude down from a building:
http://www.bahaibahai.com/eng/index.php/articles?id=88

Thank you for enlightening us.

 

[loverofhumanity]

These are all lies and fabrications.

In speaking of Pharoah and His opposition to Moses the Bkessed Beauty said:

"people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the fire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flames of Divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion. Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of God’s holy will and pleasure

 

[loverofhumanity]

Their founder Baha'u'llah was a very violent man. In fact this is what his own sister said about him:

"They gathered a group of hooligans from different provinces of Iran and from the same places fugitives who had never believed in any religion and had no faith in any prophet and had no work but manslaughter and had no occupation but stealing peoples’ property. Even though they claimed they were following [the customs] of Husayn (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who was ruthlessly murdered by Shimr on the orders of Yazid) they summoned a group of Shimr-like people around themselves. The breath of any soul who uttered anything but what they were satisfied with was suffocated. They beat any head which made the slightest sound other than accepting their guardianship. They cut every throat which showed other than humbleness towards them. They pierced every heart which had love towards other than them. The first group whose names we previously mentioned fled to Karbala, Najaf and elsewhere fearing those bloodthirsty headsmen. They beheaded Sayyid Isma`il Isfahani, they ripped Mirza Ahmad Kashi’s guts, they killed Agha Abul-Qasim Kashi and threw his body in the Tigris river, they finished Sayyid Ahmad with a gun, they scattered Mirza Ridha’s brain with rocks, they cut Mirza `Ali’s body from the sides and pushed him unto the path of demise. Other than these, they killed others in the darkness of night and threw their bodies in the Tigris river; yet others were killed in the Bazaar in daylight and cut to pieces with daggers and machetes . . ." (Izziye Khanum (Khanum Buzurg), Tanbih al-na’imin, pp. 11–12)
​

His successor Abdu'l-BAha was also violent and notorious for slapping people he disliked in the face. He even threw one dude down from a building:
http://www.bahaibahai.com/eng/index.php/articles?id=88

You have answered a prayer I said. Funny how you don't know God is just using you to spread His Faith. You think you're opposing it.

Here's my prayer so do your thing. I laugh at your puny attempt to discredit Baha'u'llah. You've got to be joking. Revile and curse me please this is my prayer. You are answering Baha'u'llah's prayer!!!!!! How subservient of you to do His Bidding!!!

O my Lord and my Master! O my Desired One and my Best Beloved! O Thou who art the Beloved of all that are in the heavens and on the earth! I beseech Thee to grant, from the ocean of Thy bounty and the day-star of Thy heavenly grace, that I may be cursed, reviled and denounced a myriad times for the sake of Thy love, that these ears of mine may but once be blessed by hearing Thy sweet words: "Verily thou art of the people of Bahá".

Bahá’u’lláh

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What more specifically are you asking us to accept? Hadiths? Sacraments that were never part of the original Revelation? Please be specific so I can try and answer.^

I'm referring to the parts you call "man-made dogmas and interpretation."

Each religion has a Founder and a Holy Book and that's what the followers turn to which is what we turn to also.

There's more to a religion than just its scriptures.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I'm referring to the parts you call "man-made dogmas and interpretation."


There's more to a religion than just its scriptures.

Yes I know that but we accept the people and their Founder and Holy Book and visit their Temples and have fellowship with them.

 

[loverofhumanity]

We have a different understanding of scriptures but everyone in the world has a different view of things

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

No matter what I say your sole aim seems to be to oppose. What's the point of having a discussion if all you want to do is oppose and condemn everything I try and explain sincerely. I'm being honest but you call me dishonest.

Because I see no evidence that you're being honest. From the start, this thread was a proselytizing attempt on your part. Even though this has been transparent, you still haven't admitted it.

I also happen to know that the Baha'i faith forbids proselytizing, so given that you were willing to throw away its tenets by starting this thread in the first place, I can't help but question whether you're representing other aspects of your faith properly.

BTW: I've brought this issue up a few times and you've always side-stepped it. you do agree that the Baha'i faith forbids proselytizing, don't you?

We're about building a world where everybody treats each other with fairness. Where religions see each other as equals and where all people are one, universal brotherhood. In an age of religious strife we need these things and if people can see the truth in each other's religions we can have peace. There is no superior race, religion or nation.

There's nothing wrong with teaching world unity to people especially when we don't have it and need it.

IOW, if everyone was Baha'i, they'd get along better? This is no different from any other religion: if everyone was Sunni, or Methodist, or Tibetan Buddhist, they'd probably get along better, too. The Baha'i faith is no different than others in this regard. You think you have the one and only truth; well, so do people of other religions.

The Baha'i faith is just another religion. It's not the fulfillment of any other religion. What you call "teaching world unity" is no different than the evangelism of other religions.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Yes I know that but we accept the people and their Founder and Holy Book and visit their Temples and have fellowship with them.

You accept a particular interpretation of their Holy Books that, in general, is not accepted by the other religions themselves.

We have a different understanding of scriptures but everyone in the world has a different view of things

Right: you have an understanding that's not in line with the understanding of the other religions.

 

[loverofhumanity]

You accept a particular interpretation of their Holy Books that, in general, is not accepted by the other religions themselves.


Right: you have an understanding that's not in line with the understanding of the other religions.

We all have diverse beliefs and understandings. Even within religions there is no true consensus wherefore the split into thousands of sects. So not in line with who? There are 32,000 sects of Christianity alone not to mention Islam , Buddhism and all the other Faiths.

To accept the Founders goes a long way to accepting what they all accept. So to accept Christ is in line with the thousands of sects that accept Christ. The basics are what people can build consensus upon.

That is the point of unity to accept the basic foundation of each religion.

 

[loverofhumanity]

You accept a particular interpretation of their Holy Books that, in general, is not accepted by the other religions themselves.


Right: you have an understanding that's not in line with the understanding of the other religions.

Understanding and interpretation are subjective not authoritative as we are all bound to think differently. So where do we draw the line between accurate or true interpretation and misleading and false interpretations?

Baha'is believe a Manifestation from God appears in each age and provides us with the authoritative and true interpretation of the Holy Books. We believe Baha'u'llah was such a Manifestation and use His interpretations only, of Holy Books like the Quran and the Bible.

So for example, no matter people may claim Buddha did not teach about God, Baha'u'llah, a Manifestation of God, tells us that all the Teachers were sent by God and taught about God but Their original teachings have been lost. Of course we go with what a Manifestation of God says as He is All Knowing.

 

[psychoslice]

The ego will never except others belief systems, it has made its mind up that it is right and all else is wrong.

 

[loverofhumanity]

The ego will never except others belief systems, it has made its mind up that it is right and all else is wrong.

There are already millions who do.

 

[psychoslice]

There are already millions who do.

Yes and that is so sad.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Yes and that is so sad.

Why? What's wrong with Universal friendship and universal peace?

 

[psychoslice]

Why? What's wrong with Universal friendship and universal peace?

Well putting it that way, yes I do agree, but religion does destroy all that..

 

[loverofhumanity]

Well putting it that way, yes I do agree, but religion does destroy all that..

This is the age about to dawn upon the world.

This is the prophecy Baha'is believe is in the process of being fulfilled.

"Justice and truth will encompass the world; enmity and hatred will disappear; all causes of division among peoples, races and nations will vanish; and the cause of union, harmony and concord will appear. The negligent will awake...War will give place to peace, enmity will be conquered by love, the causes of dispute and wrangling will be entirely removed, and true felicity will be attained." (Baha'i Prophecy)