What if we accepted each others Religion?

[loverofhumanity]

So what you're saying here is that Baha'i accept Vaishnavism but reject Shaivism, Vedanta, and other denominations of Hinduism?

Shaivism doesn’t believe in Avatars and we believe in them.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Shaivism doesn’t believe in Avatars and we believe in them.

It was a yes or no question, so I'll take that as a yes.

So in uniting humanity, Baha'i choose to exclude select religions or denominations/sects of select religions and all atheists. Seems a bit counterproductive to the mission, doesn't it?

 

[LuisDantas]

I can appreciate that -- I'm very big on the virtues. But while religions usually have an element of ethics and virtue (there are exceptions to this) we also have non-religious philosophies that do this too, such as Confucianism.

And that is an entirely arbitrary distinction.

 

[LuisDantas]

People. If you want to change the world or make it better then you need to a lot of people on board and billions have a deep religious conviction. Unity I believe is essential if we are to have peace but unity in diversity. No one group alone has the ability to bring unity.

And you believe that promoting Abrahamic expectations will help in that?

You are very optimistic.

 

[loverofhumanity]

It was a yes or no question, so I'll take that as a yes.

So in uniting humanity, Baha'i choose to exclude select religions or denominations/sects of select religions and all atheists. Seems a bit counterproductive to the mission, doesn't it

There is truth in all religions and sects. They all teach good.

There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. (Baha’u’llah)

 

[loverofhumanity]

And you believe that promoting Abrahamic expectations will help in that?

You are very optimistic.

Everyone. All people are needed to make a difference no matter which religion or no religion. Whats that saying when good people are silent evil arises?

 

[LuisDantas]

Everyone. All people are needed to make a difference no matter which religion or no religion. Whats that saying when good people are silent evil arises?

Sorry, but this is a non-sequitur.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Sorry, but this is a non-sequitur

So like the Muslim principle of zakat?

Isn’t zakat a tax? No that is more a social law.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Isn’t zakat a tax?

Mandatory charitable giving.

No that is more a social law.

How would it being a "social law" make it not a "thing that focuses on developing a virtuous character"?

 

[Audie]

There is truth in all religions and sects. They all teach good.

There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. (Baha’u’llah)

There may be good somewhere in islam.
Or your religion. Or christianity.
Its incomplete/misleadimg past the
point of falsehood to say they teach good.

 

[ChieftheCef]

No. What I’m saying are the spiritual things like virtues which we can all accept. There’s no need to join any other religion at all.

So I hate to pop your idealism bubble BUT that would be really hard to get to stick and even harder to keep. Like I mean it's really hard to get people to agree with themselves. You're probably not the guy who gonna get that change made. That would presumably be priests and rabbbis and monks and imams and such, among others. But probably not you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. You'd be in one of those categories.

Why not just be the change you want to be in the world and accept other religions as most people do?

 

[ChieftheCef]

There is truth in all religions and sects. They all teach good.

The truth is much more complicated then that.

The meaning to that recurring lymric is they all have varying truth value. There are some things that are true to keep it floating. Some is downright dog poop.

There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. (Baha’u’llah)

The one god is just one of three ways to look at it: monotheist god, polythiest supreme god, and the animating force.

 

[ChieftheCef]

I am sorry. Part of accepting other religions is that You do not get to decide what is true and what is man made.

Says who?

 

[Audie]

Says who?

Reality

 

[ChieftheCef]

Reality

WHy do you presuppose you have to agree with everything anything says? EVen science is wrong sometimes.

 

[ppp]

WHy do you presuppose you have to agree with everything anything says? EVen science is wrong sometimes.

No one claims that scientific findings are never wrong. No one claims that scientific findings are an inerrant doctrine.

 

[McBell]

Shaivism doesn’t believe in Avatars and we believe in them.

It is my opinion that you really should update your song and dance to reflect the reality of the Baha'i.


You do not accept Christianity.
You accept Catholicism.

You do not accept Hinduism
You accept Vaishnavism

So how does this apply to the other major religions you claim to "accept"?

 

[CG Didymus]

Well since recorded history we accept Krishna, Buddha, Moses, Christ, Zoroaster, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah.
As to sects with Hinduism it would be Vashnavism which believes in Krishna and the Bhagavad-Gita. With Buddhism there are many aspects of Theravada, Mayahana and the Pure Land sect which Baha’is believe. Zoroaster I’m not sure. Islam we believe that Shiah was the correct sect. Christianity - Catholicism.

Before recorded history there were always Manifestations but we have no record. Some ancient Writings may have been revealed by a Manifestation but His Name lost. So when we come across writings which agree with the Manifestations it is highly likely there was a Manifestation but lost in time.

Thus there have been many holy Manifestations of God. One thousand years ago, two hundred thousand years ago, one million years ago the bounty of God was flowing, the radiance of God was shining, the dominion of God was existing. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 108)

That's not exactly what I was asking... The way they practice their religion today. And what they believe and teach as true today. I don't think the Baha'is can say any of them have the truth, practice the truth, and teach the truth, that is, by what Baha'is believe as being true. All of them are off on somethings.

And even those Hindus that believe in Krishna, believe he is an Avatar, which I think that means he's an incarnation of a God. And some, I think, worship him as a God. Then there is how many Gods do they believe in? Just Vishnu? Or do they believe in some of the other Gods? Then there is reincarnation. And no, the Baha'i explanation that the "qualities" of a person are "born" into another person.

So, lots of things that don't match up with the teachings of the Baha'i Faith.

Bahá’ís do not believe in reincarnation. We have several references in the Bahá’í Writings which state that the concept of reincarnation is based on an incorrect view of the progress of the soul and life after death. For example,​

Reincarnation is a "man-made doctrine". "No Revelation from God has ever taught reincarnation". Bahá’u’lláh would have mentioned it in His Teachings if it had any importance or reality.​

​

The Bahá’í view of life after death does not accord with the idea that the human soul can pass from one body to another. "We come on to this planet once only."​

The concept of "return" in the Holy Scriptures refers to the "return of the qualities, conditions, effects, perfections, and inner realities of the lights which recur in every dispensation.

 

[Audie]

WHy do you presuppose you have to agree with everything anything says? EVen science is wrong sometimes.

Ive no idea how you could construct all
of that, so thoroughly misconstructed, out
of one word.

 

[loverofhumanity]

That's not exactly what I was asking... The way they practice their religion today. And what they believe and teach as true today. I don't think the Baha'is can say any of them have the truth, practice the truth, and teach the truth, that is, by what Baha'is believe as being true. All of them are off on somethings.

And even those Hindus that believe in Krishna, believe he is an Avatar, which I think that means he's an incarnation of a God. And some, I think, worship him as a God. Then there is how many Gods do they believe in? Just Vishnu? Or do they believe in some of the other Gods? Then there is reincarnation. And no, the Baha'i explanation that the "qualities" of a person are "born" into another person.

So, lots of things that don't match up with the teachings of the Baha'i Faith.

Bahá’ís do not believe in reincarnation. We have several references in the Bahá’í Writings which state that the concept of reincarnation is based on an incorrect view of the progress of the soul and life after death. For example,​

The concept of "return" in the Holy Scriptures refers to the "return of the qualities, conditions, effects, perfections, and inner realities of the lights which recur in every dispensation.

We believe that the Manifestation of God decides these things not us Baha’is. There truth in all faiths . Even thos who worship idols are in reality worshipping the attribute it represents. So we cant judge

Verily this is that Most Great Beauty, foretold in the Books of the Messengers, through Whom truth shall be distinguished from error and the wisdom of every command shall be tested.