Who Was Baha’u’llah, and How Can We Evaluate His Claims?

[samtonga43]

It is something I believe.

But some of your beliefs (eg that God exists) you say that you know. How do you decide what you can say with certainty that you 'know', in contrast with what you believe?

 

[CG Didymus]

You have no objective evidence Jesus said anything.

Was objective evidence needed 2000 years ago? Gods, demons, prophets and God/men seem to be what so many cultures believed in and expected their people to believe in.

With Jesus, who knows what he really said and did? Was he virgin born and walked on water and rose from the dead, or were those just the myths and legends that people made up to make him into a God/man? I think there is a good chance that the whole thing was invented by religious leaders to get people to follow along with the religious rules, so that some day, when they die, they'll get to go to a heavenly paradise. But... if they don't, then its hellfire and damnation for them.

But this is not 2000 years ago. Can religious claims of Gods and God/men still convince people? Especially people that do have enough smarts to check out the validity of the claims and evaluate them?

 

[samtonga43]

No, He did not say that directly

Thank you. I thought not.

but He did say the Representative of God among men is the authority, and since Baha'u'llah was the Representative of God among men, that means He had the authority to interpret those records.

The words in bold are an assumption. You are assuming that your belief that MrB was the Representative of God among men is justified true belief.

It's really not, is it? And so your conclusion ("that means He had the authority to interpret those records") is illiogical.

 

[Trailblazer]

But some of your beliefs (eg that God exists) you say that you know. How do you decide what you can say with certainty that you 'know', in contrast with what you believe?

It would depend upon my level of certitude and how much faith I have. Some things I know, other things I only believe.

Belief: an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=what+is+belief

Faith: complete trust or confidence in someone or something
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=what+is+faith

 

[Trailblazer]

The words in bold are an assumption. You are assuming that your belief that MrB was the Representative of God among men is justified true belief.

It's really not, is it? And so your conclusion ("that means He had the authority to interpret those records") is illiogical.

No, I do not assume anything, I believe it. A belief is not exactly the same as an assumption.

Correction:
Trailblazer said: but He did say the Representative of God among men is the authority, and since I believe that Baha'u'llah was the Representative of God among men, that means I believe that He had the authority to interpret those records.

None of this has anything to do with logic as beliefs are neither logical or illogical, they just are.

 

[samtonga43]

I never said they should be.

I did not say you did. I was responding to this:

"The reason that we see religionists complaining about their beliefs being criticized is because they are the ones being criticized by atheists. If believers criticized atheists the way atheists criticized believers then atheists would be putting believers on ignore."

Do try to read in context, Tb.

 

[samtonga43]

Atheists do not have a Holy Book.

I was responding to your:
"Also, most believers are not willing to bend and try to see the atheist side of things."

The object of that sentence is 'most believers', not 'atheists'. Maybe read more carefully?

And my response was:
"Why not just do what you said you wanted to do and burn their Holy book?"

Are you denying that you would like to burn the Christian Scriptures (and who knows what other Scriptures )

 

[CG Didymus]

I was responding to your:
"Also, most believers are not willing to bend and try to see the atheist side of things."

The object of that sentence is 'most believers', not 'atheists'. Maybe read more carefully?

And my response was:
"Why not just do what you said you wanted to do and burn their Holy book?"

Are you denying that you would like to burn the Christian Scriptures (and who knows what other Scriptures )

I don't know why other Baha'is don't want to just burn all the Scriptures of all the other religions. That way we could all just have one true Scripture, The Baha'i writings. That would be so much more honest then pretending they believe in the other ones.

 

[samtonga43]

I don't know why other Baha'is don't want to just burn all the Scriptures of all the other religions. That way we could all just have one true Scripture, The Baha'i writings. That would be so much more honest then pretending they believe in the other ones.

Yes, I agree. But perhaps other Baha'is would like to burn other Scriptures. Maybe Tb is the only one on this forum willing to admit it.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yes, I agree. But perhaps other Baha'is would like to burn other Scriptures. Maybe Tb is the only one on this forum willing to admit it.

Why would anyone burn a religious scripture from an other religion? That is the biggest disrespect possible to a believer.

 

[samtonga43]

Why would anyone burn a religious scripture from an other religion? That is the biggest disrespect possible to a believer.

Why? You would have to ask Tb that question.

 

[samtonga43]

Why? You would have to ask Tb that question.

Have you asked her yet?