Since Tony will not address my posts directly, I will try to summarize our discussion thus far.
At this point in the discussion we have the Baha’i claiming that progressive revelation is much like a child in school who learns 2+2=4, and then goes on to college to learn E=mc2.
For this analogy to work, the Baha’i would have to assume that Christianity taught the truth (2+2=4), just not all of the truth because we were not able to grasp it. Now that Baha’u’llah has come we are in a different age or dispensation and there are greater truths to be revealed. We can now understand E=mc2.
In reality they believe that we were taught that 2+2=3. The central doctrine of Christianity; Jesus is God (our 2+2=4) is said to be false, and not true at all.
So this is not a matter of progressive revelation. It is simply replacing the truth given to the world by Jesus Christ with a false doctrine offered by a false prophet who constructs his doctrine so that everything points to himself. Who, do you imagine, might want the world to stop believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ?
Christ himself warned us about false prophets and false messiahs that would come in the future. Now, the fact that the Baha’i faith has had little to no influence in our world may make it seem rather innocuous to most, but every soul is important to God. He desires that none be lost. There are very few people who ever get bitten by a rattle snake, but when it happens it can be deadly.
Ok so, let us tackle this reality termed “progressive revelation”
I personally am not a fan of the “2+2=4 and now we are learning E=mc2” analogy simply because it results in responses such as yours above Steve. Also Truth is Truth and has always been given and has always existed and is unchanging.
THAT WE CAN AGREE WITH!
Baha’u’llah states emphatically:
"This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future"
(
reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/PB/pb-63.html)
What does this mean?
Here is my humble perspective for all your consideration:
Starting from the dawn of time God has found means in which to communicate to His beloved creation. The Truth is contained in its entirety in Catholicism, (it’s a changeless Faith of God remember?) HOWEVER, how we comprehend that Truth and apply it to our lives so that the Word of God becomes the “LIVING” Word of God in action in our lives evolves as our capacity to understand evolves.
It is for this very reason that Baha’is can very easily argue the “Jesus is not God” and the “Jesus was not physically resurrected” arguments through statements made in the Bible.
ALL the Truth is contained in the Bible and the Holy Spirit has guided the Church to apply it in a way that advanced a wayward generation towards a strong and healthy relationship with God. The knowledge thus gained was indeed the Truth.
Why do you think the Prophet Daniel professed:
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.”***
(Daniel 12:4)
and Jesus Himself professed:
“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father”
(John 16:25)
These matters must be considered…
Now, when you state:
The analogy that Nick makes:…
fails in that they do not accept the most basic dogmas and doctrines of Christianity as ever being true.
you are again being antagonistic for the sake of antagonism, rather than trully seeking to understand the truth. Baha’is accept ALL the dogmas and doctrines of the Church as being true and valid for the entirety of the Christian Dispensation. They are no longer true today.
I ask you again, why do you think St. Paul called the Law as “the Law of death”, why did he remove the most important law of circumcision. Was it EVER true to be circumcised?
Of course it was, but Jesus came, and the Truth was APPLIED DIFFERENTLY, “Circumcision was for this and this and that, but now we baptize with water…this is Truth”
Why was adultery the sexual intercourse between a married person and another, and then when Jesus came it was the “thinking” of sexual intercourse between a married person and another? Was the truth about circumcision/adultery not always there in Jewish Scripture? Could Jesus not use the Oral and Written Traditions of Judaism to prove this new Truth?
Of course He could! He was frequently pointing out new truths to the Pharisees by using the Traditions of Judaism, and so was Paul. The Truth was ALWAYS there, its just that the Jews were, as Paul put it, dead or asleep when Jesus came.
The call for awakening and resurrection has been made. The trumpet blasts have been sounded.
Awaken and arise from your slumber, O people!
.
