Bahai Faith

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Just wondering if any of you guys know much about the Bahai faith. A good friend of mine is a member, they are great people who spend alot of time doing good works. They seem to preach that Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed etc are all sent from God and are relevant to each time and place to which they were sent. They say they believe in Jesus but I don’t know if they believe he is God. I think they are meant to bethe fastest growing modern religion.

From my basic knowledge of the different religions I cannot see how they can all be from the same God - did Mohammed not say that Jesus was just a prophet - not the son of God?

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has had much to do with them. I’m thinking about going to one of their meetings sometime - probably next year as I’m going away soon. Could be good if I could explain in a sound way why I believe they are practicing a false religion from a Catholic perspective. It seems obvious to me, but not sure of the best way to explain it to them without insulting them.

Thanks - God bless
 
I think the Baha’is refer to Moses, Buddha, Jesus, etc., as “reflections” of God. So Baha’is would interpret the New Testament statements equating Jesus with God, as statements actually describing how Jesus perfectly reflects God.

I don’t know why you would start off by calling the religion “false”. You might think it’s false, but saying that upfront would just get you nowhere fast. How about simply asking them how they reconcile what Jesus did and said (regarding his being the unique Son of God) with what they teach regarding Jesus as being just one of many reflections of God?
 
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mjg116:
Just wondering if any of you guys know much about the Bahai faith. A good friend of mine is a member, they are great people who spend alot of time doing good works. They seem to preach that Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed etc are all sent from God and are relevant to each time and place to which they were sent. They say they believe in Jesus but I don’t know if they believe he is God. I think they are meant to bethe fastest growing modern religion.

From my basic knowledge of the different religions I cannot see how they can all be from the same God - did Mohammed not say that Jesus was just a prophet - not the son of God?

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has had much to do with them. I’m thinking about going to one of their meetings sometime - probably next year as I’m going away soon. Could be good if I could explain in a sound way why I believe they are practicing a false religion from a Catholic perspective. It seems obvious to me, but not sure of the best way to explain it to them without insulting them.

Thanks - God bless
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I used to post a lot on a Delphi forum sponsored by Baha’is. They are wonderfully nice people but don’t believe greatly in the (name removed by moderator)siration of any of the world Scriptures though they honor nearly all world religions as havng been led by prophets of various dispensations. The last and greatest of these, they believe, was Baha’u’llah. They basically define other faiths by their lowest-common-denominators of similarities and affiities, glossing over the very deep differences and divisions amng them. Rather than try to summarise their beliefs–I will get things wrong–here is a link to their main website:

bahai.org/

Here’s a link to an organization which has phone-in programs on Sunday nights on various topics of interest to Baha’is and ‘investigators’ of the Baha’i Faith:

bahai.org/

And here’s the Delphi forum known as PlanetBaha’i, where folks could post to ask further questions:

forums.delphiforums.com/planetbahai/start

I don’t think the Baha’i Faith is growing very rapidly in the West any longer. It was in vogue in the 1960’s and 1970’s but has since sort of lost it’s cachet. Baha’i’s, on balance, are more liberal than conservative in social mores, though very conservative with respect to sexual morality.
 
Well i myself also prob wouldn’t give the best explanation. but i’ll try. basically wat u’ve all got so far is correct.
baha’is believe that there is only one god, and all religions are indeed “reflections” of this one god. god has communicated to us through his Divine Messengers or Manifestations (Jesus was a messenger of God as was say Muhammed or Buddha. all these messenger are considered equal in status.)
So really we believe that all religions fundamentally are the same, the only differences being man made or as a result of the cultures in which they developed in. (jesus was born a jew and buddha was born a hindu).
basically to be a bahai, is to just believe that Baha’u’llah is the messenger of god to help us in this age. also because all the major religions of today were started by this messngers of god, all religions are accepted as fully acceptable paths to god. Baha’is just consider themselves to be following the most recent word from God (via Baha’u’llah). which is basically abt the unity of mankind especially.
for decent information just go to:
bahai.org/features/intro
hope i’ve helped, nathan.

“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”
  • Baha’u’llah 👍
*Pronounced: Buh-high. Buh-hah-oo-lah
 
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Ahimsa:
I think the Baha’is refer to Moses, Buddha, Jesus, etc., as “reflections” of God. So Baha’is would interpret the New Testament statements equating Jesus with God, as statements actually describing how Jesus perfectly reflects God.

I don’t know why you would start off by calling the religion “false”. You might think it’s false, but saying that upfront would just get you nowhere fast. How about simply asking them how they reconcile what Jesus did and said (regarding his being the unique Son of God) with what they teach regarding Jesus as being just one of many reflections of God?
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Starting by calling it a false religion is a good idea. Is the bahai faith the faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ? If it is not then it is most certainly a false religion.
 
Actually I was on this forum before but would be happy to respond to questions… You know whether we agree on all issues may be true but at least you are entitled accurate information as possible…right?

It’s true Baha’is believe in Christ as a Manifestation of God that is God is perfectly reflected in Him. We accept the virgin birth of Jesus. We would say “Son of God” is a title of Jesus. We believe He was crucified and that His resurrection was a spiritual one.

Our understanding of Jesus is probably somewhere between what most Muslims and Christains believe.

We accept the Bible as inspired and revere it as a Holy Scripture and that the Gospel has been truly set down however that the interpretations of it have varied in time.

We also have our own Writings which were revealed by the Bab and Baha’u’llah.

Baha’is believe in the Primacy of Peter.

Baha’is are widespread around the world but not that significant in terms of numbers as yet… We are in the 162 year of what we call the Baha’i Era and use a solar calendar.

The Faith began in Iran in 1844 and was persecuted from the start by the ecclesiastical and political establishment. Thousands were martyred in the first years of our Faith and we continue to be outlawed in Iran.

Baha’is are usually active in Inter-faith Councils and we enbjoy working collaboratively with Catholics and share some of the same views such as live begins at conception… Politically we are strictly non-partisan around the world and do not register in any political parties.

So I’ll end here and if there are any questions I’m sure someone can respond. But I’m not here to proselytize only to see that you have accurate information as possible.
  • Art
 
Someone mentioned to me that you had asked about the Baha’i Faith and suggested I pop over to answer any questions you might have, so here I am. 😉 I also invite you to join us in the Planet Bahai Forum if you’re so inclined. We have many knowledgeable people there who would be happy to answer questions.

The core teachings of the Baha’i Faith include the unity of God, the unity of religions, and the unity of humanity. As you correctly stated, we believe that all of the world’s major religions are based upon the teachings of divine Messengers (called Manifestations of God).

Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, glorified Jesus with great praise. One of my favorite passages from His Writings (possibly because I was raised in a Christian family myself) is this:

"Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.

"We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified.

“Leprosy may be interpreted as any veil that interveneth between man and the recognition of the Lord, his God. Whoso alloweth himself to be shut out from Him is indeed a leper, who shall not be remembered in the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We bear witness that through the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned towards Him.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 85-86)

As for trying to show Baha’is why their religion is “false”, well, I suspect that you’d probably have as much success in that as anyone would have in trying to show you that your religion is “false”. 😉 One thing about Baha’is is that, if they are approaching things correctly, they will seek points of agreement rather than creating conflicts or opening gulfs between people. You have a right to seek God in whatever way you feel is correct. We all do. This should not divide us. If we are all seeking God, we are, at least, all trying to go in the same general direction, even if we individually take some twists and turns along the way.

–Dale
 
Could be good if I could explain in a sound way why I believe they are practicing a false religion from a Catholic perspective. It seems obvious to me, but not sure of the best way to explain it to them without insulting them.
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Just keep in mind that most Baha’is in the United States and Europe are from a Christian background. Some, like me, were even raised Catholics. If you want to attend to find out more about the Baha’i Faith, you will be successful. If you want to go so you can tell them how wrong they are, I don’t think you will be able to find much to tell them that they already know.

I left the church when I was 14 because I discovered that even after seven years of CCD every Wednesday afternoon, I didn’t believe in many of the teachings of the church (Jesus = God, being the main thing I can’t agree with).
 
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clemrick:
Just keep in mind that most Baha’is in the United States and Europe are from a Christian background. Some, like me, were even raised Catholics. If you want to attend to find out more about the Baha’i Faith, you will be successful. If you want to go so you can tell them how wrong they are, I don’t think you will be able to find much to tell them that they already know.

I left the church when I was 14 because I discovered that even after seven years of CCD every Wednesday afternoon, I didn’t believe in many of the teachings of the church (Jesus = God, being the main thing I can’t agree with).
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clemrick:
Just keep in mind that most Baha’is in the United States and Europe are from a Christian background. Some, like me, were even raised Catholics. If you want to attend to find out more about the Baha’i Faith, you will be successful. If you want to go so you can tell them how wrong they are, I don’t think you will be able to find much to tell them that they already know.

I left the church when I was 14 because I discovered that even after seven years of CCD every Wednesday afternoon, I didn’t believe in many of the teachings of the church (Jesus = God, being the main thing I can’t agree with).
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Which is why the Catholic faith and your faith cannot be reconciled.
 
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clemrick:
I left the church when I was 14 because I discovered that even after seven years of CCD every Wednesday afternoon, I didn’t believe in many of the teachings of the church (Jesus = God, being the main thing I can’t agree with).
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Hello Clemrick…and all the other Baha’is…nice to meet you. How does a Child of fourteen…a baby really…leave anything? Get on your bike and ride I suppose. I mean did not your parents have a role in this decision?

That just struck me as odd…as do Wednesday afternoon CCD classes…never heard of that either…although I like the idea allright. That way my Catholic children could attend wed. night services just like our protestant neighbors…Afternoons…hmmmm interesting.
 
bahai sounds like manicheism and other heresies which claim that a prophet is the greatest one because he clamied all religions are one. this is nothing new. this is like syncretism. i even think the masons belive something very similar.

anyways, i suspect they are very vague when it comes down to morality. could anyone post what they’re morals are? do they even have any or do they just accept the individual as the fundamental source of morality?
 
oat soda:
bahai sounds like manicheism and other heresies which claim that a prophet is the greatest one because he clamied all religions are one. this is nothing new. this is like syncretism. i even think the masons belive something very similar.

anyways, i suspect they are very vague when it comes down to morality. could anyone post what they’re morals are? do they even have any or do they just accept the individual as the fundamental source of morality?
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I don’t believe they are ‘vague’ about moral issues at all. They oppose gay marriage, for example, and do not consume alcohol. I believe they encourage their members to live a holy life which includes study, prayer, and fasting. I think they oppose war and the death penalty, at least in the vast majority of cases. I do NOT know what their stands are on abortion or certain other hot-button public issues. Perhaps our Baha’i friends will pop back in to cover this subject more thoroughly.
 
I picked up a book on the Baha’i faith late in my college career ('68, I think), and actually joined in '73. I bailed before my actual Christian conversion in 2/76. The two main reasons for my bailing were 1) at that time, the #1 holy book, Kitab-e-Aqdas was only in Persian. There was an English translation available, but because it had been done by a non-Baha’i, it was forbidden to Baha’is. My take on the matter was that a translation should be judged by the technical qualifications of the translator, not what religion he was. (FWIW, an English translation acceptable to the Baha’i authorities now exists, according to my MD life insurance agent, who is a Baha’i.) Also, 2) the Baha’i faith had nothing to deal with the question of sin and guilt.

DaveBj
 
Peace Be Unto You.

It is my understanding that when we (Baha’is) say “we believe in all religions” we don’t mean that we believe in all of the doctrines that are now associated with the religions. For example, I can find some very interesting examples from early Islamic history from Muslim Scholars who believed that the Bible is the word of God and was not corrupted, that St. Paul was a true Apostle of the Messiah (peace be upon Him), and other numerous facts such as a Hadith attributed to Muhammad (peace be upon Him) saying that the relationship between God and man is like a "Father and a son"

But the problem with this is that you have to dig and you have to find it buried underneath the doctrines that have replaced those original teachings. We all know nowadays it is a trend in Muslim circles to believe the Bible is corrupted, that St. Paul is a liar (God Forbid!), and that the relationship between God and man is not like a Father and a son because “God is not a male human being”

I am not using this example to pick on Muslims, but it is because Islam is my background so I have more experiences within the community than I do in other religious communities.

It is the Baha’i Belief that God does not compete against Himself, nor does He have any rivals or partners in earth or in Heaven.

Now this is just my opinion but I don’t think God would drastically contradict Himself by saying in one Dispensation that there are 30,000 gods and in another saying that there is only One God. It is obvious to any logical observer that this is a contradiction, and relativism, no matter how appealing it may be to solve this paradox, can not solve it. This does not mean that relativity is un-important, however. Different cultures do use different ideas to describe the Un-describable God who can only be comprehended by Himself. There is a tribe that calls God by the name “Atnatu” Brace yourself before I tell you the meaning, but then think about it some. It means “The One without an Anus”

It might sound cheeky to people and actually disrespectful to the One True God. But if we sit back and think some more, we realize that its actually giving God one of the Highest Attributes a human being could ever think of. This tribe is saying that God does not eat food, does not respond to the call of nature, essentially unique and different from all created things. Yes, the name may sound a little strange but the point is, is that this tribe has grasped the true nature of Monotheism. (in my opinion)

You are all in my prayers and I hope you mention me in your prayers as well. God Bless. Peace Be Unto You.
 
Glory be to God:
Now this is just my opinion but I don’t think God would drastically contradict Himself by saying in one Dispensation that there are 30,000 gods and in another saying that there is only One God.
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Maybe in one language “god” simply means any powerful being. Maybe in that language, the One Reality goes by a different name? So, one could have 30,000 “powerful beings,” but only One Reality?

Perhaps the differences in religions stems in part from the different ways different cultures define their terms?
 
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Ahimsa:
Maybe in one language “god” simply means any powerful being. Maybe in that language, the One Reality goes by a different name? So, one could have 30,000 “powerful beings,” but only One Reality?

Perhaps the differences in religions stems in part from the different ways different cultures define their terms?
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Yes I think there is that kind of relativism to take into account, however beliving in 30,000 powerful beings is still a contradiction in the belief that “there is no power save God”. Now, if those 30,000 beings were strengthened by God’s power then it would be different. But to say that those 30,000 beings have power in their own right and do not get them from God but have always had them, constitutes the idea that God is not the only power out there. That’s just my opinion though.

Peace Be Unto You
 
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Lillith:
How does a Child of fourteen…a baby really…leave anything? Get on your bike and ride I suppose. I mean did not your parents have a role in this decision?

That just struck me as odd…as do Wednesday afternoon CCD classes…never heard of that either…although I like the idea allright. That way my Catholic children could attend wed. night services just like our protestant neighbors…Afternoons…hmmmm interesting.
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As to being fourteen and still a baby… well I recall that my sister was only fifteen when she was Confirmed. One year to go from being a “baby” to receiving the “sacrament of Chrisitan maturity” seems to odd to me. And maybe I mis-heard when someone told me that Confirmation is now being done when children are 11 or 12.

As to Wednesday CCD classes, that was common where grew up in the 60s and 70s. Never heard of Wednesday night Mass, however.
 
Let me just respond to a few items I read on scanning over the posts and then I’ll return later to respend to more…

The Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) that was mentioned earlier I think is now fully in English translation and available to Baha’is …The noteworthy thing about this book is that it contains laws that for the most part are not enforceable at present and will need the further implementation and interp of our Universal House of Justice.

Baha’is oppose abortion of convenience that is for ecomoic or social reasons.

Baha’is around the world are to request a non-combatant status as far as military service goes.

The death penalty is of course the most extreme punishment of a legal system and today one can argue there are racial and socio-economic imbalances to this system… but by itself and in principle we Baha’is do not oppose it.

Our administration and sanctions and so on are rather different from Catholic Institutions but like you we are obedient to them.

I’ll check back to this site a little later to respond.
  • Art
 
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flameburns623:
They are wonderfully nice people but don’t believe greatly in the (name removed by moderator)siration of any of the world Scriptures though they honor nearly all world religions as havng been led by prophets of various dispensations. The last and greatest of these, they believe, was Baha’u’llah.
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Peace Be Unto You. Thank you so much for your kind words about my beloved Baha’i brothers and sisters. It’s nice to see such kindness displayed by the children of Adam towards eachother. As to your saying that we “don’t believe in the inspiration of any of the world Scriptures”, I would like to tell you that we do believe greatly in the scriptures. We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, The Qur’an the revealed word of God, and the Baha’i writings the revealed word of God likewise. The older the scriptures are, however, the less protected they were from history. But we don’t dispute with the spiritual potency of any revelation.

Baha’u’llah taught the people of Muslim Persia by quoting the Gospel numerous times. This may sound like common knowledge but the Muslims in Persia were taught to revile the Bible and to believe it was the word of false scribes, and not of God. The only true revelation that we have with us is the Qur’an, they were taught. Baha’u’llah answered by saying:

**We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also?
Code: 
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 88)**
Peace Be Unto You.
 
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