One correct religion with the Truth (part 2)?

[eddie_too]

i still am unsure what, according to Bahaullah, is missing from the life and teachings of Jesus and his Church that are needed by human beings today?

 

[Servant19]

i still am unsure what, according to Bahaullah, is missing from the life and teachings of Jesus and his Church that are needed by human beings today?

A divinely ordained system for the just, and fair governance of the peoples of the planet, ensuring the protection of all minority populations.

Currently we are governed by man-made secular institutions who enact justice according to the whims of vain imaginations.

Gods Kingdom on earth.



.

 

[SteveVH]

Hi Steve, by world, I don’t mean a planet or something silly like that. It means a “plane of existence” (probably the best term I can think of to explain it, off the top of my head)

Yes, I realize that. But we are not speaking of a “plane of existence” when we speak of the Word of God. We are speaking of a divine Person who is God himself; God of all worlds.

I understand all you are saying here dear friend. But the “meanings” of these classic Christian sentences which are heard in all corners of the globe is what is critical. What is “fullness” of God dwelling in Him bodily? When it is said “bodily” you are referring to His human aspect, but we know that His human aspect is not almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing. He said so Himself.

What it means is that Christ gave up none of his divinity; none of his “essence” in becoming man. He is as much God in the Person of Jesus Christ as he was before the incarnation. And all of this “Godness”, if you will, dwells in the human Body of Jesus, a body which was glorified at the resurrection and is no longer corruptible.

No Baha’i has ever doubted that.

Then why do you treat Christ as one of many “manifestations”?

Even Jesus Himself puts question to this statement. Even the Catholic theology which I have quoted on numerous occasions, which no-one wishes to address fully ;(

No, it is because it is very difficult to pin point exactly what you are saying. You put your own spin on everything in the Christian Bible and everything taught by the Church. Where the Church and Sacred Scripture disagree with you, you simply give it a new meaning or ignore it all together, as if Catholic theology is somehow pointing us to Baha’u’llah and we are just too unenlightened to realize it.

Catholic: Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation to mankind, for all ages and generations.

Baha’i: Christ is not sufficient. Jesus was a Manifestation for that age only and is not the fullness of God’s revelation for all ages and generations. We require another.

Baha’u’llah is not “another”. He is Jesus. You are struggling to understand beyond physical individualities it seems…

The second coming of Christ will be the end of human history. It will be the time of judgment. Baha’u’llah is not Jesus. Jesus died once, is risen and will not suffer death again. Baha’u’llah is dead in the ground. We could dig up his body. That fact in itself without going into the various nuances of our faith traditions, is enough discern that Baha’u’llah is not the Christ. This is true in spite of your protestations that Christ did not rise bodily. You have to believe that in order for your story to come together, but it is a grave error.

Again, you are seeing the human Jesus, not the Divine Christ.

No, Servant. I am seeing the Person, Jesus. I cannot separate his humanity from his divinity any more than I can separate your body from your soul, each with their different qualities, and still call you human.

If God can assume a human form fully in one age, He can assume another body at another Age. You judge whether He is or isn’t…I pray for you in your investigations

This statement demonstrates that you have really no idea of why Christ became incarnate in the first place. Jesus became incarnate, assuming a corruptible human body, in order that he might fulfill God’s plan to save us from our sins. He had a human body in order that he might suffer and die for us so that we might live with him for eternity. That was his purpose in coming, not to keep us updated with the latest revelation from God. He, in his Person, is the fullness of God’s revelation. “Fullness” means no more is needed or necessary.

In short, Baha’u’llah can offer us nothing. Christ has already accomplished everything he came to accomplish. He died “once, for all”. When he comes again it will be to divide the wheat from the chaff, to separate the sheep from the goats. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, not a utopia created by man.

Peace

Steve

 

[SteveVH]

A divinely ordained system for the just, and fair governance of the peoples of the planet, ensuring the protection of all minority populations.

Currently we are governed by man-made secular institutions who enact justice according to the whims of vain imaginations.

Gods Kingdom on earth.



.

So God’s purpose in coming was to show us how to have a better government. Do the Baha’i ever speak of or show concern their eternal destiny apart from this world?

 

[SteveVH]

Hi Steve, I am pitifully short in my understanding of what was contained in all the “rejected” documents and books. I have no doubt that they chose the correct books for the advancement of Gods religion at the time

How is that you have “no doubt” that they chose the correct books? Are not men fallible and capable of making errors? I don’t see, from your standpoint, how you can make such a statement. You must have at least some doubt, unless you believe that the Catholic Church was guided by the Holy Spirit and infallible in its discernment. If you believe that then it logically follows that it is also infallible in its interpretation.

There was obviously no book at all that said the exact words of the Nicene Creed, or that of the gathering at Constantinople.

Correct. The Catholic faith does not derive its dogmas and doctrines from any written text. It derives them from Jesus Christ and his Apostles. This is called Sacred Tradition. Our sacred texts are that part of Sacred Tradition that were committed to writing, but they were never meant to be a complete summation of the faith.

I genuinely believe that the gatherings at Nicea and Constantinople were to “advance” and “promote” and “strengthen in unity” the ideals of Christianity, not to finalise the Truth once and for all.

Nearly all councils are held to defend the deposit of faith received from the Apostles against various heresies that have arisen at the time, in order to preserve the truth given once to the Church. The creeds are the product of just such a situation.

Even Paul, James and Peter did not see eye to eye initially when it came to the Law and breaking bread with Gentiles, circumcision etc etc.

Exactly! That is why they brought their issue to the Church, who put the issue to rest. It was the Church who had authority to decide these things, not individual men.

Canonization of a book did not settle that. It was the “gathering in His name” which settles these things, sometimes the Truth is not decided upon, but what is the “best” is decided upon and “unity” is of paramount importance for the community.

Truth can never be compromised in favor of unity. It does one no good whatsoever to be united in error.

To claim that the later Christians understood the texts very well would imply that there should have been no need to construct a Creed, or for there to be a gathering in Nicea or in Constantinople. There would have been no need to persecute those that thought otherwise.

As I have already said, we did not decide the canon in order to have a complete summation of our faith. The Scriptures were canonized to use in our liturgies. Why would we be prohibited from condensing the faith held in our Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture to a simplified Creed? We have had heretics and apostates in our Church from the beginning, many of these based simply on erroneous interpretations. The Church has a duty to say “No, that is not what we believe. This is what we believe”. It has a duty to preserve the truth once given.

The books are not clear. Daniel sealed its full meaning. There is human interpretation involved, and the parties are several, otherwise what was the point of Nicea?

Correct once again. The books are, many times not clear. That is why Christ gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. Mere men cannot accomplish this. The pronouncements of the councils were divinely protected from error.

Even today, why do the Orthodox and the Catholics have differences if the “Church” knows what the teaching is?

The differences in doctrine are negligible. Most of the issue has to do with jurisdiction and authority of the pope. The EO would disagree with the Baha’i faith as stringently as the CC.

The teachings, even though you may canonize them, does not grant you Truth in their meanings…

The structure of our Church is as follows. Christ is the Head, we are the Body and the Holy Spirit is the soul. We are divinely protected when proclaiming dogmas and doctrines. It is not a church of mere men. It is a divine institution. That is why we can rely completely that our teachings are free from error.

Peace.

Steve

 

[tonyfish58]

So God’s purpose in coming was to show us how to have a better government. Do the Baha’i ever speak of or show concern their eternal destiny apart from this world?

SteveVH - Dear friend, you could look at that way or can I suggest a more sublime outlook!

God purpose for this life to which we are given Free Will, is For Us to Know Him and Love Him! This so when we give our last breath we can ascend unto our Judgment in the knowledge we tried all we could to do what is of God.

Meanwhile we live on Earth full of Materialism! Is it not Gods Law that man has based His Laws Upon? Is it not man turning away from Gods Laws that confuses society and the direction they need to take?

The Establishment of a Just Government is Gods Law for this age so we stop slaughtering each other, so then can obtain to our purpose, that is “For Us to Know God and Love God”!

This is His Kingdom Come, this Is His Will be Done!

If all the Laws Revealled by Baha’u’llah were embraced, then the World now would be that Kingdom.

In the end Dear SteveVH - It is up to each of us to embrace, if we do not, then at least we should be able to meet all peoples in the street and know that always we will embrace each other With gods Love.

God Bless and Regards Tony

 

[SteveVH]

If all the Laws Revealled by Baha’u’llah were embraced, then the World now would be that Kingdom.

What laws did he reveal that were not already revealed by Jesus? IOW, what was lacking in Jesus’ revelation that needed to be provided by "Baha’u’llah?

Thanks.

Steve

 

[tonyfish58]

What laws did he reveal that were not already revealed by Jesus? IOW, what was lacking in Jesus’ revelation that needed to be provided by "Baha’u’llah?

Thanks.

Steve

SteveVH - There was nothing lacking in Christ Revelation. The Church has interpreted these following verses as being fulfilled already

Christ Said - John 16:12-13, 12"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.…

Baha’ul’llah is Saying the verse refers to His Revelation

Laws of Bahá’u’lláh - reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/

“Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight”!

A quick view of a few of the laws -

Obligations and duties

Pray daily
Fast during the Bahá'í fasting period
Practice monogamy
Make a pilgrimage to the Bahá'í Holy Places
Obey the laws of one's country
Educate all children spiritually and academically
Attend the Nineteen-Day Bahá'í Feast
Engage in a trade or profession
Make a will and testament

Prohibitions

Interpretation of the Holy Writings and Priesthood 
Backbiting and gossip
Murder
Theft
Slavery
Asceticism and Monasticism
Idleness and sloth
Begging
Confession of sins to anyone but God
Alcohol and drugs except for medicinal purposes
Gambling
Arson
Adultery
Cruelty to animals
Carrying arms unless essential
Contention and conflict
Striking or wounding a person

God Bless and Regards Tony

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

So God ordained monogamy with Christ, allowed Polygamy with Muhammad and now has ordained Monogamy once more? In the next revelation is polygamy or polyandry going to make it okay?

 

[tonyfish58]

So God ordained monogamy with Christ, allowed Polygamy with Muhammad and now has ordained Monogamy once more? In the next revelation is polygamy or polyandry going to make it okay?

Is that not left to God dear friend?

Is it not to us to live by the knowledge that God Doeth as He Willeth!

God can Change His Laws as he wishes I would say, has so in the Past!

Matthew 5:38"You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40"If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.…

God Bless and Regards Tony

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

Is that not left to God dear friend?

Is it not to us to live by the knowledge that God Doeth as He Willeth!

God can Change His Laws as he wishes I would say, has so in the Past!

Matthew 5:38"You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40"If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.…

God Bless and Regards Tony

You quote Christ but then again what do the words of Christ matter? His revelation means nothing at all. It has already been revoked by Muhammad who killed and advocated more killing than Jesus (who advocated none). Now this isn’t to suggest that when Moses was ordered to kill certain people or the israelites to kill certain people, that it was wrong, no it was right. But here is where our paths diverge,

Christians see a final goal in mind, not a fluctuation between different moralities. God tolerated Polygamy, he did not endorse it, Christ also says from the beginning he made them both man and woman to be united. We have the foundation for marriage laid in genesis. thus what is the point of this constantly shifting tide of morality? Why did God decide to suddenly allow polygamy with Muhammad? What is higher, monogamy or polygamy? It seems, judging by your answer, that neither, that it is mere arbitrary rule of God.

Now the bahai do not believe in an end, this world will go on forever or some such thing and will this always be the case? Will this be the ever present state of man. What will God, your God, experience with next? Will the next manifestation allow homosexuality? You will protest and cry no no, that’s impossible, that would never happen! (or at least some bahai have protested this.) I am not convinced this is a reasonable view of the world, a reasonable view of God.

I am convinced there must be a trajectory, a consistency in God. We see this in Christ and the Old testament. That there was a covenant enacted between God and Abraham and the people of God, Israel established. That the law was given but no one could obey the law. That Christ came to fulfill what Israel could not and still has not been able to do and pay the penalty of sins and give us freedom from the law to live in God. But in the bahai view, what happens next? We are shackled back to the harsh sharia and then to the slightly less harsh, but nonetheless harsh bahai faith, with its mandates and etc. What is the vision next? Bahai tell us their goal is a brave new world of sorts, wherein a global state is accomplished, one language and hopefully one religion. There will be peace, love and tolerance, people will live, eat and die and ascend to spiritual levels and worlds beyond description.

What is left at this point? Will this world continue to get better as the bahai proclaim? Or will this world continue to get worse as Christ and the Gospel proclaims? The initial question was asked about the one true religion. Is there such a thing? We have been told there is and it is not Christianity. Don’t cry that Christianity is true we are beyond this point of entertaining your deliberate deception on the matter. You view Christianity, that is the Christianity of the fathers, of those who succeeded the apostles as a miserable and pathetic failure. We have changed the pure faith of Christ at Nicaea and the other councils. The fathers (which bahai quote when convenient though ignore the entirety of their theology) were flawed men who introduced even greater falsehood.

Hence you say was the need for a new prophet, a new manifestation of God, whatever a manifestation of God is. These manifestations you say are consistent with the others but in reality they are not. Tell me, is Muhammad and your prophet the same person? Do you understand the word person? As in a unique identity, one with will, thought, mind, one can act? Are all the manifestations the one and the same person or just Jesus and your prophet? Was Jesus speaking to himself when he heard the father whom you say is your prophet whom you say is Jesus?

Is there any point to a discussion of which we have the bahai, totally unwilling to engage on an intellectual level, with consistent terminology and an ever changing goal post?

 

[tonyfish58]

What is left at this point?

That dear IgnatianPhilo is easy to answer as it has always been.

We are here to offer only a different explanation and share our Love for God and Christ, you can agree or not agree!

Thus You are free to Follow your Faith and God bless your Journey!

As we have said, in the end Love is the Key. When we meet I will embrace you in the Love of God dear Friend, we are not enemies!

In the Love of Christ - God Bless and Regards Tony

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

That dear IgnatianPhilo is easy to answer as it has always been.

We are here to offer only a different explanation and share our Love for God and Christ, you can agree or not agree!

Thus You are free to Follow your Faith and God bless your Journey!

As we have said, in the end Love is the Key. When we meet I will embrace you in the Love of God dear Friend, we are not enemies!

In the Love of Christ - God Bless and Regards Tony

Love without being defined is meaningless. Whose love should I prefer, the love of God who took on human nature in it’s entirety for us who didn’t deserve it, or the ever shifting sand which is the bahai God?

I don’t think you love Christ because you don’t understand that Christ is all that is needed in the end.

 

[JamesCarr]

Matthew 24:23 - 25

…23"Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25"Behold, I have told you in advance.

Jesus has already warned us in advance about all these. Beware fellow brethren, he who has ears, let him hear!

Apart from His second coming, do not stray from the Way he has taught.

Matthew 11:27 - 29

…27"All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.…

His Teachings are simple and light. There’s no need to put additional burden upon yourselves on the pretence of being learned. Stay on course brethren!

 

[Servant19]

So God ordained monogamy with Christ, allowed Polygamy with Muhammad and now has ordained Monogamy once more? In the next revelation is polygamy or polyandry going to make it okay?

If you look at the Quran a little more closely you will actually see this is incorrect:

"But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].”—Al-Nisaa’, 4:3

Monogamy is clearly more suitable.

Why?

Because polygamy is allowed only if you can be perfectly just to all your wives. However, this is not possible:

"You will never be able to [perfectly] deal justly between wives even if it is your ardent desire, …. [4:129]

Let me also state that Muhammad did not recommend marriage for lustful reasons. Majority of the time, these marriages were enabled to give lawful reasoning to save a persons life.



.

 

[Servant19]

Yes, I realize that. But we are not speaking of a “plane of existence” when we speak of the Word of God. We are speaking of a divine Person who is God himself; God of all worlds.

Hello dear friend, please let me clarify further. All things are existant. If you exist, then you occupy a certain plane of existance. Tis is clarified in Baha’i theology, as the mineral plane, the vegetable plane, the animal plane, the human plane, the realm of the Word and the realm of God. According to you and Christianity therefore, Jesus occupies the realm of the Word AND the realm of God.

Baha’i cosmology simply separates the two.

I understand you disagree, yet I also see your disagreeance as in contradiction to many verses in Catholic Texts.

What it means is that Christ gave up none of his divinity; none of his “essence” in becoming man. He is as much God in the Person of Jesus Christ as he was before the incarnation.

I appreciate this dear friend. When He became man, He retained His station as the Word. I agree

Then why do you treat Christ as one of many “manifestations”?

Well, there are unique qualities about all of us yet we retain our humanity which binds us.
Jesus too was human, so there were many non-unique aspects to Him. He was also unique in that the Father empowered Him with the power of the Holy Spirit. He was greater than Moses and Abraham and all the OT Prophets

No, it is because it is very difficult to pin point exactly what you are saying. You put your own spin on everything in the Christian Bible and everything taught by the Church. Where the Church and Sacred Scripture disagree with you, you simply give it a new meaning or ignore it all together, as if Catholic theology is somehow pointing us to Baha’u’llah and we are just too unenlightened to realize it.

Dear friend it is not “me” that the Sacred Scripture disagrees with, I am showing you where the Sacred Scripture disagrees with Tradition and current/past Catholic teaching. All I am asking, kindly, is why?

Catholic: Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation to mankind, for all ages and generations.

Baha’i: Christ is not sufficient. Jesus was a Manifestation for that age only and is not the fullness of God’s revelation for all ages and generations. We require another.

You forget to add:

Judaism: Moses was the fullness of God’s Revelation until the Messiah comes who will rule on EARTH, not in peoples hearts…

(it becomes like a merry go round, but the validity is real)

The second coming of Christ will be the end of human history. It will be the time of judgment. Baha’u’llah is not Jesus. Jesus died once, is risen and will not suffer death again. Baha’u’llah is dead in the ground. We could dig up his body. That fact in itself without going into the various nuances of our faith traditions, is enough discern that Baha’u’llah is not the Christ. This is true in spite of your protestations that Christ did not rise bodily. You have to believe that in order for your story to come together, but it is a grave error.

I think the Second Coming of Christ can be dealt with later…

No, Servant. I am seeing the Person, Jesus. I cannot separate his humanity from his divinity any more than I can separate your body from your soul, each with their different qualities, and still call you human.

Dear friend, this contradicts a lot of things you say. Let us use reason please
Such as:

Christ had both a human will and a divine will…

How can the “one” Person, Jesus, have two wills? This does not conform with reason…

You have said on multiple occasions on this thread that the full divinity of God (including Gods essence) resides in Jesus in bodily form. Yet when asked that Jesus stated “the Father is greater than I” we hear the response that this is in reference to His human body, and yet we hear that He is God in bodily form. Does God, in bodily form, present in His essence have a “greater”??

Do you see the confusion?

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (1Cor 14:33)
(I don’t feel at peace reading these explanations, I feel confused dear friend)

This statement demonstrates that you have really no idea of why Christ became incarnate in the first place. Jesus became incarnate, assuming a corruptible human body, in order that he might fulfill God’s plan to save us from our sins. He had a human body in order that he might suffer and die for us so that we might live with him for eternity. That was his purpose in coming, not to keep us updated with the latest revelation from God. He, in his Person, is the fullness of God’s revelation. “Fullness” means no more is needed or necessary.

In short, Baha’u’llah can offer us nothing. Christ has already accomplished everything he came to accomplish. He died “once, for all”. When he comes again it will be to divide the wheat from the chaff, to separate the sheep from the goats. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, not a utopia created by man.

Peace

Steve

Fullness also means to the capacity that the cup can be filled.

Today, our collective cups are much larger than 2000 years ago…at that time we could “not bear it now”… (why would Jesus say He has more to say to us when His Revelation was the “fullness”??)

Baha’u’llah is today offering what the Jews were really looking for in their Messiah, the Kingdom of God on earth. The new heaven and the new earth has already been created, we just need to allow the Holy Spirit to work through all of us to build His Kingdom within it…



.

 

[eddie_too]

based on the posts from his followers that I have read in catholic answers as well as information gathered from other web sites, I cannot find a single reason for believing that Bahaullah was sent by the One God, the Creator of all that is.

I have asked, more than once, what Bahaullah taught was lacking in the teachings of Jesus for the people of this century, or what do the teachings of Jesus did not address for the people of this century, or what did Bahaullah add to the teachings of Jesus; and, I have had no response.

since the followers of Bahaullah are typically quite verbose in their posts here, I conclude that their silence on the above questions is related to the fact that Bahaullah added nothing to the teachings of Jesus.

that allows one to draw the conclusion that Bahaullah was a self-absorbed man who traded on the teachings and life of Jesus to glorify Bahaullah himself.

add to the above the fact that Bahaullah rejected Jesus’ Church, Bahaullah rejected apostolic succession, Bahaullah rejected the physical resurrection of Jesus, Bahaullah rejected the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Bahaullah rejected the interpretations of the Bible that had been handed down to us through the apostles and Bahaullah rejected all of the sacraments of the RCC; and, anyone should be able to understand why no believing Christian would put any credence in the life and teachings of Bahaullah.

these issues of Bahaullah’s rejection of Jesus, His teachings and His Church, as well as the questions of what was missing from the teachings of Jesus or what the teachings of Bahaullah added to the teachings of Jesus have been repeatedly raised by RCs here at catholic answers; and yet, despite their typical verbosity, the followers of Bahaullah refuse to provide simple and understandable answers to these questions.

 

[SteveVH]

SteveVH - There was nothing lacking in Christ Revelation. The Church has interpreted these following verses as being fulfilled already

Christ Said - John 16:12-13, 12"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.…

We have interpreted this verse as being fulfilled because it was fulfilled at Pentecost. This is not something for which we are still waiting. Christ sent the Holy Spirit as he promised and it still guides our Church today.

Baha’ul’llah is Saying the verse refers to His Revelation

Okay. Baha’u’llah makes a claim. Joseph Smith makes a claim. Sun Myung Moon makes a claim. How is this in any way convincing that his claim is true?

Jesus performed miracles and rose from the dead to prove that he was who he said he was. Why in the world should I believe anything Baha’u’llah has to say? What has he done to convince anyone to even listen to him?

 

[SteveVH]

Is that not left to God dear friend?

Is it not to us to live by the knowledge that God Doeth as He Willeth!

God can Change His Laws as he wishes I would say, has so in the Past!

Matthew 5:38"You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40"If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.…

God Bless and Regards Tony

And you misunderstand this verse in Matthew. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was not to urge people to take revenge. It was calling them to fairness. In other words, do not take someone’s eye because they took your tooth. But Christ goes even deeper, to the true meaning of God’s laws. He did the same with adultery, reducing it to even having lust in our heart. Rather than disposing of the law he made it even more stringent. Not only are we not allowed to murder, but we are not allowed to even curse another.

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

If you look at the Quran a little more closely you will actually see this is incorrect:

Monogamy is clearly more suitable.

Why?

Because polygamy is allowed only if you can be perfectly just to all your wives. However, this is not possible:

Let me also state that Muhammad did not recommend marriage for lustful reasons. Majority of the time, these marriages were enabled to give lawful reasoning to save a persons life.



.

You know it is impossible to be just between wives how? What makes one unjust? Muhamamd had many wives and favoured some over others, like his youngest wife Aisha who was very much favoured by him. If you have an example in Jacob he favoured one wife. If you have an example in Abraham he got rid of one of his wives at the behest of another. Now, how can you say, in the light of these men who had favoured wives and even got rid of others to prohibit the unfavoured one from sharing in the inheritance that no one can be just with their wives? Clearly sacred history is against you, unless you want to accuse the perfect manifestations of erring, manifestations whom you seem to maintain are God or gods to men.

Clearly what was “Unjust” treatment of a wife meant something totally different than what it does for you today. Don’t infuse your values on to the examples of the past who did many things you would object to (marry children, marry many wives, have favored wives, cast out wives and etc). We as Christians are not bound to their example in this regard, but you as bahai are. You maintain progressing revelation, that we are getting better. you maintain monogamy is better than Polygamy. Yet God can choose whenever or for whatever reason he desires to change the rules. Polygamy, Polygamy, Polygamy, Polygamy, Polygamy, Monogamy, Polygamy and then polygamy again? Why did Muhammad have the right to go beyond what was good?

Now if you say it was good and acceptable at the time then you run into the problem that your stance on polygamy is no more right or wrong than his. That God will Hold Muhammad more justified than you because he held to the law revealed to him (apparently).

This goes however to the deeper point. You maintain all these contradictory religions are true, in spite of being shown how they cannot. Now I maintain Christianity as preached throughout all the centuries in the Orthodox church is the one correct religion with the full truth. Can you disprove this statement? Not unless you are willing to directly deny it, but bahai have shown themselves incapable (unless pushed) of doing such a thing. Will you affirm the Orthodox church is entirely truthful and correct in its dogma, practice and teaching? hmmm? Or will you maintain that bahai is the one true religion?

Clearly both cannot be right.