(Usage note:
The correct orthographies are "Bahá'í", "Bahá'ís",
"Báb", and
"Bahá'u'lláh". In this paper the forms
"Bahai", "Bahais",
"Bab", and "Baha’u’llah" are often used.)
The gist of this paper is written to scrutinize the claim that the Bahai Faith is the religion for this age. First I will introduce the Bahai Faith, it’s history and teachings, and then attempt to show why the Bahai Faith cannot be considered as the Faith for this age. I will also include testimony from former Bahais who have left this faith. Their testimony is to be taken to heart.
I have no malice toward the Bahai’s. In fact, I was a Bahai for several years until the Holy Spirit directed me away and brought me to Christ. After many years of searching and being a practicing Buddhist, Moslem, Bahai, Taoist, etc., Christ found me and brought me to His Love. For all individuals who are a part of the Bahai Faith, I urge you to read this paper and think about what is written within these pages. And for those who are not Bahais but are attracted to their message, I also urge you to think about what is written in these pages.
Let us now turn to the Bahai Faith……….
The
Baha’i World Faith at a cursory glance appears to be the perfect model of the
postmodern universal religion. Its appeal is to the collective brotherhood of
all mankind, a “One World Order” type of creed, which includes spiritual,
social and governmental development of the individual and society. Although the
Bahai do not have any women in their highest governing body, the Universal
House of Justice, the BAHAI WORLD FAITH professes a total equality of the
genders. On the surface the BAHAI WORLD FAITH appears to be the ideal for man’s
future, but in actuality it is just another attempt to degrade the idea of a
holy and just God, who requires punishment for sin and man’s inability to
supply his own salvation from that punishment. They join the postmodern role
call of detractors, including many liberal Christians, Mormons who claim hell
is only for the “sons of perdition” and apostate former LDS, and the Jehovah’s
Witnesses who assert there is no hell, but eternal “destruction” for those who
don’t believe.
In
its attempt to appeal to Christians, the BAHAI WORLD FAITH professes an
acceptance of the divinity and role of Christ, but then “spiritualize,”
redefine and minimize them. They also redefine every term in the Christian
lexicon having to do with: the nature of God, of man, of salvation--including
sin, the devil, and hell; and the nature of heaven as a progressive state open
to all, even those who die having denied Jesus as their savior. The BAHAI WORLD
FAITH has turned the Biblical presentations and even the words of Jesus and His
disciples into nothing more than symbolic, figurative pictures. They assert
that Jesus has returned in the person of Baha’u’llah, who has now interpreted
the Scriptures the supposed way Jesus had originally intended. They claim Jesus
Christ as one of their “Manifestations” of God, no better or worse than any of
the others, but affirm that only they can truly interpret Christ’s parabolic
words and the meanings of the other Biblical Scriptures. Their postmodern,
universalistic theology is unbiblical, and totally antithetical toward
orthodox, historic Christianity.
The Bahá'í Faith is
a monotheistic religion. Although the Baha'i Faith is not
traditionally included among the Abrahamic
religions, it recognizes the same
prophets, plus its own.
In 1844 the Persian
prophet Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad, who adopted the title "the Báb", which
means "the Gate" in Arabic, established a new religion. It is
distinct from Islam but grew out of the
Islamic matrix in the same way that
Christianity grew out of Judaism or
Buddhism out of Hinduism. Followers of the
Báb were known as Bábís and their religion
as "the Bábí Faith". The Bábí Faith
has its own scriptures and religious
teachings, but its duration was short.
The Báb's primary
purpose was to prepare the way for "Him whom God shall
manifest," the One promised in the
scriptures of all of the world's great
religions.
The large numbers of people who quickly became attracted to these new religious teachings alarmed the ecclesiastical and political authorities. The Báb and his followers were persecuted relentlessly. The Báb was imprisoned and eventually executed by a firing squad in Tabriz, Persia (present-day Iran) on July 9, 1850. His mission lasted six brief years.
Bahá'u'lláh
Glory of God", was a Persian nobleman
who became one of the early, prominent
followers of the Báb. He was arrested and
imprisoned during a period of severe
persecution in 1852. While incarcerated in
the dungeon of the Siyáh-Chál in
Tehran, He received the first intimations
that He was the One anticipated by the
Báb. Nine years later, in 1863, while
exiled in Baghdad, Iraq, He formally
announced His mission to His family and a
small number of followers.
The machinations of
the Persian and Ottoman authorities took Bahá'u'lláh further and further into
exile, from Baghdad to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), then to
Adrianople (present-day Edirne), and finally, in 1868, to the penal colony of
Acre, on the edge of the Ottoman Empire.
Bahá'u'lláh remained there until His passing on May 29, 1892, after forty years
of exile and
imprisonment. Bahá'ís regard His resting
place outside the city as the holiest
spot on earth, to which they turn in prayer
each day.
Shrine of the Báb, located on the slope of
Mount Carmel in Haifa. The remains of
the Báb were brought secretly from Persia
to the Holy Land and were eventually
interred in the Shrine built for them in a
spot specifically designated by
Bahá'u'lláh.
Abdu'l-Baha
Before His passing, Bahá'u'lláh appointed His eldest son, `Abdu'l-Bahá, as His successor and the sole interpreter of His teachings. Bahá'u'lláh designated him "Center of the Covenant" and directed all Bahá'ís to turn to `Abdu'l-Bahá as the Head of their Faith. (In the Bahá'í Faith, "Covenant" refers specifically to the succession of authority from Bahá'u'lláh to `Abdu'l-Bahá, and from `Abdu'l-Bahá to the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. Those who publicly deny and rebel against this established succession of authority are known as
"Covenant-Breakers", and are
subsequently excommunicated from the Bahá'í
community. The purpose of the Covenant is
to safeguard the unity of the Bahá'í
community, protecting it from the influence
of schismatics.)
`Abdu'l-Bahá had
shared his Father's long exile and imprisonment. This
imprisonment continued until `Abdu'l-Bahá's
own release as a result of the
"Young Turk" revolution in 1908.
Shortly after his release, `Abdu'l-Bahá
traveled to Europe and America, proclaiming
the teachings of his Father and
nurturing the fledgling Bahá'í communities
that had sprung up in various centers
in Europe, the United States and Canada.
Many of his talks were recorded and
have been published in books entitled "Paris
Talks" and "The Promulgation of
Universal Peace." Another important
work of `Abdu'l-Bahá, which set the course
of the expansion and consolidation of the
Bahá'í world community, is a series of
documents called "Tablets of the
Divine Plan". He also carried on a voluminous
correspondence with Bahá'í communities and
individuals over a period of many
years, and many of these letters, or
"Tablets", have been translated and
published in various languages.
`Abdu'l-Bahá died in Haifa on November 28, 1921.
The Administrative Order of the Bahá'í Faith
Abdu'l-Bahá's Will
and Testament is the charter of the Bahá'í administrative
order. In this document `Abdu'l-Bahá
established the twin institutions of the
Guardianship and the Universal House of
Justice, and he appointed his eldest
grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as the Guardian
of the Bahá'í Faith. Again, because of
the clear directions in the Will and
Testament, there was no question as to the
succession of leadership in the Faith.
Grandfather's passing, served as the
Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith until his
passing in 1957. For thirty-six years he
developed the Bahá'í community and its
administrative structure in order to prepare
it to support the election of the
Universal House of Justice. Because the
Bahá'í community was relatively small
and undeveloped when the Guardian assumed
the leadership of the Faith, it took
many years to strengthen it and develop it
to the point where it was capable of
supporting the administrative structure
envisioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Shoghi
Effendi pursued this goal energetically and
systematically.
As outlined in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, the roles and functions of the institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice were clearly complementary: the Guardianship's function was interpretive, while the function of the Universal House of Justice was legislative. Neither should infringe upon the role of the other. Throughout the period of the Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi exercised his interpretive function. He translated the sacred writings of the Faith; he developed global plans for the expansion of the Bahá'í community; he developed the World Center of the Bahá'í Faith in Haifa; he carried on a voluminous correspondence with communities and individuals around the world; and he built the administrative structure of the Faith, preparing the community for the election of the Universal House of Justice.
The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá clearly anticipated that there would be a succession of Guardians, but this was not to be. `Abdu'l-Bahá had indicated that the first born of the Guardian should be his successor, but if that individual
did not inherit the Guardian's spiritual qualities, then he should appoint another male descendant of Bahá'u'lláh. However, Shoghi Effendi did not have children, and through the years all of the members of his family had rebelled against the authority conferred upon him, becoming "Covenant-Breakers". Thus, it was not possible for him to appoint a successor as Guardian. It was also clear from `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament that only the Universal House of Justice had the authority to resolve questions not explicitly dealt with by either Bahá'u'lláh or `Abdu'l-Bahá, and this issue would obviously need to be taken up by that body. And so Shoghi Effendi had laid the foundations for the election of the Universal House of Justice. This nine-member body, which governs the international Bahá'í community, was first elected in 1963. That same year, it determined that there was "no way to appoint or to legislate to make it possible to appoint a second Guardian to succeed Shoghi Effendi."
Bahá'u'lláh and then carried forward by
`Abdu'l-Bahá, accepted this decision
made by what they believe is the divinely
guided central authority of their
Faith.
There is no clergy
in the Bahá'í Faith. At the grassroots level, Bahá'í
communities are governed by freely elected nine-member councils called "Local
Spiritual Assemblies". Similarly,
National Spiritual Assemblies direct and
coordinate the affairs of national Bahá'í
communities. The Bahá'í electoral
process is unique. There is no system of
candidature, electioneering or
campaigning, and the purpose is to elect
members who best possess those
spiritual qualities that enable them to
serve the community.
BASIC BELIEFS OF THE Bahái
Bahá'is
BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, they are monotheistic (who sends messengers which
the Bahá'í call “the Manifestation of God”). “He restates in every age
God's purpose and will. His teachings are a revelation from God. Abraham,
Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ, and Muhammad were Manifestations of
God. Each gave men divine teachings by which to live. Bahais believe that true religion is the real
basis of civilized life.
10 basic teachings of the Baha'i Faith:
Here
are some of the teachings given by Bahá'u'lláh more than a hundred years ago
for this new Day: The oneness of mankind, Independent investigation of truth,
The common foundation of all religions, The essential harmony of science
and religion, Equality of men and women, Elimination of prejudice of all kinds,
Universal compulsory education, A spiritual solution of the economic
problem, A universal auxiliary language. Universal peace upheld by a world
government.
“Bahá'u'lláh
is the focal center toward whom the followers of all religions may now turn for
spiritual guide through whose Teachings the high level of civilization foretold
by all the prophets will be established throughout the world. A new, divine
order has been ushered in. You can help establish it.”(Bahá'í Tract)
3 principles are Oneness of God, Oneness
of religion, Oneness of mankind
The Oneness of mankind
THE
ONENESS OF MANKIND is like a pivot around which all the teachings of
Bahá'u'lláh revolve. This means that men and women of all races are equal in
the sight of God and equal in the Baha'i community. People of different races
must have equal educational and economic opportunity, equal access to decent
living conditions and equal responsibilities. In the Bahai view there is no
superior race or nation. (Tract on Basic facts of the Bahá'í faith Bahá'í
publishing trust Wilmette Illinois)
“It
is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him
who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its
citizens” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 250)
“The
Bahá'í Faith regards the current world confusion and calamitous condition in
human affairs as a natural phase in an organic process leading ultimately and
irresistibly to the unification of the human race in a single social order
whose boundaries are those of the planet. The human race, as a distinct,
organic unit, has passed through evolutionary stages analogous to the stages of
infancy and childhood in the lives of its individual members, and is now in the
culminating period of its turbulent adolescence approaching its long-awaited
coming of age” (Universal House of Justice Bahá'í World Center Haifa,
Israel,1985).
The Oneness of religion
This
New age religion has two main teachings: First, there is only one God. However,
this God: “...is a completely unknowable essence, who is manifested through the
creation of the world itself and various prophets” (USA Today, p. 9 March 2,
1984).
“All
men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended
into one race, and become a single people. All will dwell in one common
fatherland, which is the planet itself.”(Abdu’l Baha The promised day is
Come, p.126)
“O’
ye people of the world! The religion of God is for the sake of love and union;
make it not the cause of enmity and conflict…the hope is cherished that the
people of Baha shall ever turn to the blessed word: LO: ALL ARE OF GOD” (Bahá'u'lláh
Last Will and Testament)
“The
revelation of Bahá'u'lláh should be viewed as the marking of the last and
highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man’s collective life on the
planet. (It marks) the emergence of a world community, the consciousness of
world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture” (Shogi
Effendi The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh p.163).
“Christ
was the Prophet of the Christians, Moses of the Jews - why should not the
followers of each prophet recognize and honor the other prophets also? If men
could only learn the lesson of mutual tolerance, understanding, and brotherly
love, the Unity of the world would soon be an established fact” (The Wisdom
of Abdul Baha p.43).
“One
God has given men one Faith through progressive revelations of His Will in each
age of history and Bahá'u'lláh reveals the will of God for men and women of the
present age. This basic belief enables Bahá'í’s to unite and work together in
spite of different religious backgrounds” (Tract on Basic facts of the
Bahá'í faith Bahá'í publishing trust Wilmette Illinois).
“All
these divisions we see on all sides, all these disputes and opposition, are
caused because men cling to ritual and outward observances, and forget the
simple, underlying truth. It is the outward practices of religion that are so
different, and it is they that cause disputes and enmity -- while the reality
is always the same, and one. The Reality is the Truth, and truth has no
division. Truth is God's guidance, it is the light of the world, it is love,
and it is mercy. These attributes of truth are also human virtues inspired by
the Holy Spirit.” (`Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, pp. 120-1)
Oneness of God-To
see the Harmony between the religions, science, and reason
“Religion
and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the
heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with
one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he
would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand,
with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into
the despairing slough of materialism” (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p.143).
“In
this great dispensation, art (or a profession) is identical with an act of
worship and this is a clear text of the Blessed Perfection. Therefore, extreme effort
should be made in art and this will not prevent the teaching of the people in
that region. Nay, rather, each should assist the other in art and guidance. For
instance, when the studying of art is with the intention of obeying the command
of God this study will certainly be done easily and great progress will soon be
made therein; and when others discover this fragrance of spirituality in the
action itself, this same will cause their awakening. Likewise, managing art
with propriety will become the means of sociability and affinity,' and
sociability and affinity themselves tend to guide others to the Truth.
“Concerning
sciences, crafts and arts. Knowledge is like unto wings for the being, and is
as a ladder for ascending To acquire knowledge is incumbent on all, but of
those sciences which may profit the people of the earth, and not such sciences
as begin in mere words, and end in mere words.”
“To
study sciences and arts of all descriptions is allowable,' but such sciences as
are profitable, which lead and conduce to the elevation of mankind. Thus has
the matter been decreed on the part of God, the commander, the wise!”
“Such
arts and sciences, however, as are productive of good results, and bring forth
their fruit, and are conducive to the well being and tranquility of men have
been, and will remain, acceptable before God. Wert thou to give ear to My
voice, thou wouldst cast away all thy possessions, and wouldst set thy face
towards the Spot wherein the ocean of wisdom and of utterance hath surged, and
the sweet savors of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Compassionate, have
wafted.”
“In
the treasuries of the knowledge of God there lieth concealed a knowledge which,
when applied, will largely, though not wholly, eliminate fear. This knowledge,
however, should be taught from child-hood, as it will greatly aid in its
elimination. Whatever decreaseth fear increaseth courage. should the Will of
God assist Us, there would flow out from the Pen of the Divine Expounder a
lengthy exposition of that which hath been mentioned, and there would be
revealed, in the field of arts and sciences, what would renew the world and the
nations” (Bahá'í Scriptures tract authorized by National Spiritual assembly
of Bahá'í’s Australia).
Abolishing the extremes of wealth and
poverty, to eradicate racism and have a brotherhood of mankind
“We
see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches on the one hand, and on the
other those unfortunate ones who starve with nothing; those who possess several
stately palaces, and those who have not where to lay their head. Some we find
with numerous courses of costly and dainty food; whilst others can scarce find
sufficient crusts to keep them alive. Whilst some are clothed in velvets, furs
and fine linen, others have insufficient, poor and thin garments with which to
protect them from the cold. This condition of affairs is wrong and must be
remedied. Now the remedy must be carefully undertaken” (`Abdu'l-Baha, Paris
Talks, p.151).
Universal peace for all
“The
time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an
all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and
kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its
deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of
the world's Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great
Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquility of the peoples of the
earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms
against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done,
the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the
purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal
order within their territories” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh,
p. 249).
“World
peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the
evolution of this planet -- in the words of one great thinker, “the
planetization of mankind”… The scientific and technological advances occurring
in this unusually blessed century portend a great surge forward in the social
evolution of the planet, and indicate the means by which the practical problems
of humanity may be solved. They provide, indeed, the means for the administration of the complex
life of a united world” (Universal House of Justice Bahá'í World Center Haifa,
Israel 1985).
All
religions have spoken of or addressed the idea of a golden age of peace. Jesus
Christ made it clear it would not take place until His second coming. For
mankind would be in wars and in great turmoil. If He did not intervene the
Bible (Matthew 24) says no flesh would survive. Yet Bahá'í has this perfect
society and world planned without Jesus Christ, and they tell people they
believe in Jesus. This appears to contradict Jesus' own words.
Religious truth is progressive
“The
foundation of all the divine religions is one. All are based upon reality....
Some have been Zoroastrians, some are Buddhists, some Jews, Christians, and
Mohammedans and so on.... If we abandon these timeworn imitations and
investigate reality all of us will be unified.... The dark and gloomy clouds of
blind imitations and dogmatic variances will be scattered and dispelled; the
Sun of Reality will shine most gloriously” (Bahá'í Teachings For A World
Faith, pp. 5-6).
Bahai’s believe in continual revelations
by different messengers
“Since
there is one God these manifestations of God have each taught the same
religious faith” (Bahai tract Wilmette, Ill.) Baha’u’llah is considered a
theophany, or mirror in which the ultimately unknowable nature of God is
reflected on earth in some way. Bahá'ís believe manifestations are sent by God
to guide humanity toward a higher level of consciousness and they teach all
religions are the same at the core differing only in their time and culture.
“When
the period of decay is reached a new seed is planted in the hearts of men by a
new messenger and a new growth begins” (Bahá'í Faith p. 42). Was there
decay when Bahá'u'lláh, came on the scene in 1840's? What of the decay today?
It would seem it is much worse than the 1840's.
“The
high prophet brings always a new name of God-not only a new title but a new
attribute; that is, he admits into the human consciousness a new
attribute by which God is realized, a fuller conception of God” (Townshend,
Promise, p. 50). The Bible teaches 1840 years before Bahá'u'lláh the
fullness and complete revelation of God (Col.1:15, 19, 2:9) was found in Jesus
Christ. They ignore this revelation and diminish it to prove their own prophet
as greater.
The
Persian founder of the nineteenth-century religion of Bahai (the Bab) believed
in numerous prophets and continual manifestations of God for their time.
Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í religion, the successor of the Bab, is
the most recent manifestation, and the one we should now listen to for our
spiritual instructions. There will be no other for about 1,000 years.
Interesting that they use the number the
Bible says Jesus will be ruling as king on the earth (Rev.20:6).
“The
fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh. The followers of his faith
believe, is that religious truth is not absolute, but relative, that divine
revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great
religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in
complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same,
that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are
complimentary, and that their missions represent successive stages in the
spiritual evolution of human society.” (Call to the Nations, p.11)
“Each
takes the work from the hand of his predecessor and carries it toward at the
appointed hour he resigns his completed work to his successors.” (Bahá'í
World Faith, pg. 49)
Bahá'u'lláh
stated, “ Every age has its own problems, and every soul its own particular
aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present day afflictions can
never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require.”
“We
can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with
incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried
and disillusioned... they cannot discover the cause of the disease, nor have
they have any knowledge of the remedy.” (Bahá'u'lláh Gleanings, pg. 213)
Neither
can the Bahá'í find the remedy for they deny the only one who has it, Jesus
Christ the only Messiah.
They Welcome Independent Investigation of
Truth
“Furthermore,
know ye that God has created in man the power of reason, whereby man is enabled
to investigate reality. God has not intended man to imitate blindly his fathers
and ancestors. He has endowed him with mind, or the faculty of reasoning, by
the exercise of which he is to investigate and discover the truth, and that
which he finds real and true he must accept.” (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation
of Universal Peace, p. 291)
“Bahá'u'lláh
does not wish anyone to accept his revelation blindly. He asks each individual
to look into it himself. Use his own eyes and ears, his own faculty of
reasoning and make up his own mind” (Bahá'í Faith pg.45). (Although
this is espoused, the Bahai do not permit the reading of books “banned” by the
Universal House of Justice. You will
learn more about this further on in this paper.)
The following list
of 12 "beliefs" are frequently listed as a quick summary of
Bahá'í teachings. They are derived from a
variety of such lists extracted from
transcripts of speeches given by
Abdu'l-Bahá during his tour of Europe and
circulate.
The Oneness of God
The Oneness of religion
The Oneness of mankind
Equality of men and women
Elimination of all forms of prejudice
World peace
Harmony of religion and science
The need for universal compulsory education
Obedience to government
Non-involvement in [partisan] politics
A spiritual solution to economic problems
Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
Another Bahá'í principle is that of moderation in all things (specifically liberty, civilization, religious zeal and scriptural literalism.) Bahá'ís believe that although the current age is quite dark, the future of humanity is gloriously bright and that world peace is inevitable. To be a Bahá'í means that a person believes that Bahá'u'lláh is the manifestation of God for this time. A Bahá'í strives to follow His teachings, and observes His laws.
Rituals
The rituals in the Bahá'í Faith are simple
and few in number:
There is a specified set of marriage vows.
There are a few specified funerary practices.
Bahá'ís are enjoined to:
recite an obligatory prayer each day,
facing in the direction of the Qiblih (the
Point of Adoration)
read the sacred writings of their Faith
each morning and evening
perform a pilgrimage once in their life if
they are able to afford it
support their Faith with material
offerings.
Soliciting of funds from individuals is
strictly prohibited, and Bahá'í
institutions are forbidden from accepting
contributions from people who
are not Bahá'ís.
Laws and Ordinances
Bahá'ís in good health between the ages of 15
and 70 observe a nineteen-day
sunrise-to-sunset fast each year March 2 to
March 21.
There are no dietary restrictions, but Bahá'ís
are forbidden to drink alcohol
or to take recreational drugs, as these
interfere with an individual's spiritual
growth and progress.
Family life is, in the Bahá'í view, a
cornerstone of society. Marriage is
encouraged.
Chastity outside marriage is required.
Couples wishing to marry must obtain the
consent of all living natural
parents, as the Bahá'í teachings state that
marriage is more than a union of
individuals; it is the union of families.
Partners are expected to remain absolutely
faithful within the marriage
relationship.
Interracial and inter-religious marriages
are accepted.
Divorce is permitted, although regarded
with the utmost seriousness, and is
granted if, after a year of separation, the
couple is unable to reconcile
their differences.
The Bahá'í Calendar
The Báb
established the Bahá’í calendar. The year consists of 19 months
of 19 days,
and 4 or 5 intercalary days, to make a full solar year. The New Year
occurs on
the vernal equinox, March 21, at the end of the month of fasting.
Bahá'í
communities gather at the beginning of each month at a meeting called a
"feast"
for worship, consultation and socializing. While the name may seem to
suggest
that an elaborate meal is served, that is not necessarily the case.
Sometimes
refreshments are plentiful, but they can be as simple as bread and
water.
Bahá'ís
observe 11 Holy Days throughout the year, with work suspended on 9 of
these.
These days commemorate important anniversaries in the history of the
Faith.
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
Most Bahá'í
meetings occur in individuals' homes, local Bahá'í centers, or
rented
facilities. There are currently only seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship. The
name used
in the Bahá'í writings for Houses of Worship is Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
(Dawning-place
of the Remembrance of God). The Mashriqu'l-Adhkár forms the
center of a
complex of institutions of the Baha'i community.
Statistics
Today,
there are some six million Bahá'ís living in 236 countries and
territories
around the world. They come from more than 2,100 different ethnic
and tribal
groups and live in more than 127,000 localities. The 2002 World
Almanac
lists 133,500 Bahá'ís in the USA and 28,500 in Canada.
Involvement
in the Life of Society
Bahá'ís
actively promote issues of social justice and spirituality wherever they
are found,
holding the concept of the unity of mankind as the standard for their
actions.
Bahá'ís have also become increasingly involved in projects of social
and
economic development around the world.
Bahá'u'lláh
wrote of the need for world government in this age of humanity's
collective
life. Because of this emphasis Bahá'ís have actively supported the
United
Nations since its inception. The Bahá'í International Community has
consultative
status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and with
the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, and has undertaken joint development
programs with United Nations agencies. (See [1]
(http://www.bahai.org/article-1-6-0-6.html)
further information] on the
relationship
between the Bahá'í International Community and the United Nations.)
Brief Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith
May 23, 1844 Declaration of the Báb in
Shiraz, Iran.
July 9, 1850, Martyrdom of the Báb in Tabriz,
Iran.
1852, While imprisoned for four months in an
underground dungeon in Tehran,
Bahá'u'lláh receives the first intimations
that He is the One foretold by the
Báb.
January 12, 1853, Exile of Bahá'u'lláh from
Tehran to Baghdad.
April 23, 1863, Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh in
Garden of Ridván in Baghdad on
the eve of his exile to Constantinople.
August 31, 1868, arrival of Bahá'u'lláh into
the Prison-city of Acre in the
Holy Land.
May 29, 1892, Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh.
1893 First newspaper mention of the Bahá'í
Faith in United States.
1898 First pilgrimage by Western believers,
including Phoebe Hearst and the
first African-American believer, Robert Turner,
to the Holy Land where they
visited with 'Abdu'l-Bahá in prison.
September 1908, 'Abdu'l-Bahá is released from
a lifetime of exile and
imprisonment at 64 years of age.
April 1912 – December 1912, Travels of
'Abdu'l-Bahá in North America.
1914-1918, World War I. 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes
the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
April 27, 1920, 'Abdu'l-Bahá is knighted by
the British Empire in recognition
of His humanitarian work during WWI.
November 28, 1921, Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
in Haifa
(This date marks the close of the
"Heroic Age of the Baha'i Faith" and the
opening of the "Formative Age.")
1937, Shoghi Effendi launches the
"Divine Plan" for the diffusion of the
fragrance of the Cause.
1944, Publication of "God Passes
By" by Shoghi Effendi.
1951, eleven functioning National Spiritual
Assemblies.
1951-1957, appointment of 32 additional
"Hands of the Cause of God" by
Shoghi Effendi.
November 1957, passing of Shoghi Effendi.
1957 – April, 1963. 27 remaining Hands of the
Cause guide faith.
April 1963, Election of first Universal House
of Justice by representatives of
56 National Spiritual Assemblies gathered in
Haifa.
Even
as He saith: “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but He is the
Messenger of God.” Viewed in this light, they are all but Messengers of that
ideal King, that unchangeable Essence. And were they all to proclaim, “I
am the Seal of the Prophets,” they, verily, utter but the truth, beyond the
faintest shadow of doubt. For they are all but one person, one soul, one
spirit, one being, one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the
“Beginning” and the “End,” the “First” and the “Last,” the “Seen” and
“Hidden”-all of which pertain to Him Who is the Innermost Spirit of Spirits and
Eternal Essence of Essences. And were they to say, “We are the Servants of
God,” this also is a manifest and indisputable fact. … “Thus in moments in
which these Essences of Being were deep immersed beneath the oceans of ancient
and everlasting holiness, or when they soared to the loftiest summits of Divine
mysteries, they claimed their utterances to be the Voice of Divinity, the Call
of God Himself.” (Gleanings from The Writings of Bahá'u'lláh p.54-55)
One
would hear no difference from a New Age speaker communicating revelation from
the ascended masters. In this explanation we have them all being as part of the
one, as part of one person. However Bahá'ís will deny Mohammad is the seal of
the prophets, for they claim it is Baha’u’llah for this age, which will last
for one thousand years. At the end of
one thousand years another manifestation will appear.
Bahá'ís
consider Baha’u’llah a theophany, or mirror in which the ultimately unknowable
nature of God is reflected on earth in some way. He is no greater or lesser
than any that have gone before him. Bahá'ís believe manifestations are sent by
God to guide humanity toward a higher level of consciousness, and they teach
all religions are the same at the core differing only in their time and
culture. These manifestations are endowed with
the Holy Spirit (who is the Christ, the anointing spirit, though not the Holy
Spirit of which Christians are familiar) so that God could work through them.
Each one has a religion named after them. Despite that none of the religions
use this term (Christ) except those who came after Jesus, they insist this to
be true. Some even claim Jesus referred to Baha’u’llah as “Father.” So now we have the Father coming a man who
died on earth, not for sin, but died from persecutors. Even though Jesus said
no man has seen the Father.
“Wherefore,
should one of these Manifestations of Holiness proclaim saying: “I am the
return of all the Prophets,” He, verify, speaketh the truth. In like manner, in
every subsequent Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact, the
truth of which is firmly established...”(Gleanings from the writings of
Bahá'u'lláh p.52)
With
a succession of Revelator's there stems a confusion of terminology about God's
nature. And why not! When you believe anyone who was famous in history had a
religion or spiritual thoughts they must have come from God.
Not
only that, they can't agree on how many manifestations there are. In 1908 Abdul
Baha said there was Abraham, Moses, Christ, Mohammed, the Bab, and Bahá'u'lláh,
That is six. In October, 1912 Abdul Baha said there was to be included
Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, and Confucius, which makes nine. Why the sudden
change? We have a man deciding who the
manifestations of God were; the list changes.
The
Bab, who is included in this list, said Adam was a manifestation. Bahá'u'lláh
who came after the Bab said, “there was Noah, and Hud and Salih from the Koran.
Also Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed and his predecessor the Bab.
There
are four different lists with 14 manifestations; all of them must be
accepted. One cannot add another to this
list after Bahá'u'lláh because he said that there would be no new manifestation
for at least one-thousand years. Bahá'u'lláh states that these manifestations
will continue throughout the life of the world “ God has sent down his
messengers to succeed Moses and Jesus, and he will continue to do so till the
end of the world.“ (World Order pg.116) {Source used Francis Beckwith's
book, Bahá'í, p.12}
“These
attributes of God are not and have never been vouchsafed specially unto certain
Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of God, His well
favored, His holy and chosen Messengers, are, without exception, the bearers of
His names, and the embodiments of His attributes. They only differ in the
intensity of their revelation, and the comparative potency of their light ....
(Book of Certitude pp.99-100)
We
are told that “each time a manifestation appears on earth it is as if the
spirit of all the former manifestations return with him.” This sounds like some
type of unified reincarnation.
“The
Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as
the Exponents of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new Message. Inasmuch as
these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of
the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith,
they, therefore, are regarded as one soul and the same person” (Gleanings from
the writings of Bahá'u'lláh p.50).
“Each
takes the work from the hand of his predecessor and carries it toward at the
appointed hour he resigns his completed work to his successors” (Bahá'í
World Faith pg. 49).
This
concept is foreign to the Bible which states Jesus Christ completed God's work,
being the final revelation to man as God in the flesh. So there is no one
afterward that can add to His perfect work. While there were apostles afterward
they proclaimed what He taught, they did not come up with a new prophet or one
to follow.
Here
is a sample of their appeal from one of their tracts…”If you are of the
Christian Faith, which had its origin approximately the year 1, your prophecy
concerning the return of Christ in the glory of the Father has been
in new name In this day this new name is “The Glory of God.”
“If
you are of the Jewish Faith, which had its beginning about the thirteenth
century B.C., your prophecy of the of the coming of the Lord of Hosts has also
been fulfilled in Bahá'u'lláh.”
“If
you are a Muslim, whose Faith dates from A.D.622, you will find that your
prophecy concerning the “Great Announcement” likewise has been fulfilled with
the appearance of Bahá'u'lláh.”
“If
you are of the Buddhist Faith, which began about 560 B.C., your prophecy, too,
about the coming of the Fifth Buddha has found fulfillment in Bahá'u'lláh.”
“If
you are a Hindu, whose Faith began several thousand years B.C., your prophecy
concerning the return of Krishna has at last been fulfilled by the same new
Prophet, Bahá'u'lláh.”
“If
you are of the Zoroastrian Faith, which dates back to the sixth or seventh
century B.C., you also will find that Bahá'u'lláh fulfills your awaited coming
of the Shah Bahram.”
“After all these centuries, do you not
think it is time for God's Messenger to come again? Bahá'í's believe that He
has come, the One Who fulfills the promises of all the Prophets, and that He
has released the spiritual power which will unite all mankind in one universal
faith and establish peace and brotherhood.” (Bahá'í tract in Hawaii from
Wilmette Ill.)
(WHAT THEIR SPIRITUAL RELATIVISM BOILS DOWN
TO IS TO ACCEPT ALL AND DENY NONE. THE BAHAIS WILL FIND SOMETHING THEY CAN
ACCEPT FROM EVERY FAITH TO MAKE IT ALL FIT INTO THE BAHAI PHILOSOPHY.)
The
second of the two major works composed by Bahá'u'lláh… is The Book of
Certitude, a comprehensive exposition of the nature and purpose of
religion. In passages that draw not only on the Quran, but also with equal
facility and insight on the Old and New Testaments, the Messengers of God are
depicted as agents of a single, unbroken process, the awakening of the human
race to its spiritual and moral potentialities. (Bahá'u'lláh, p.10, 1991
by the National spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís, Canada)
If
they are all from the same God, we would then expect them to agree, but this is
not the case. While the Hebrew prophets spoke in unity concerning God, sin, and
the coming Messiah, this is not so with the major and minor religions of the
world.
Krishna - Hinduism has an impersonal God who is part of the
universe. God is part of all things, man can discover his true self through
yoga and meditation and that he is God. Unlike Hinduism, the God of the Bible
is transcendent, He is beyond creation, He existed before it, is not part of
creation but lives outside space and time. He is not dependent on anything but
is self-sufficient. Hinduism teaches there are millions of Gods. Not even the
Bahá'í's or Muslims would agree with this. Christians certainly do not. However, the Bahais want us to believe we can
incorporate Hinduism with other religions. Hinduism teaches that there is no evil, that all
reality seen is maya, an illusion. Hindus believe in reincarnation, the cycle
of death and rebirth. It is through this process of universal law that one
eventually becomes reunited with God. The Bible teaches only one life, that
each of us have, and then a resurrection. This is totally different concerning what happens to the body after
death. These are mutually exclusive. Jesus taught and practiced resurrection,
He said of Himself, “I Am the
resurrection and the life”, meaning that He gives physical life to those who
believe in Him at death.
This
religion is in conflict with Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
Zoroaster-
Was a 7th B.C Century Persian
prophet who was confused with the problem of evil. He couldn’t solve the
problem of the conflict of good and evil so he created a system of dualism. He
had Ahuru Mazda as the Supreme Being and then a literal personal devil (Angra
Mainyu, Ahriman, Spirit of evil ) as equals in the conflict of light vs.
darkness. Bahais deny a literal devil. Zoroaster was a polytheist. He spread
his faith with two Holy wars with the aid of a ruler of Iran (Hystaspes). He
also said, “ man is in god, god is in man.”
This
religion is in conflict with Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
Bahá'í
claims the manifestations are not educated “As a man, he is marked by his simplicity
and gentleness and a lack of personal ambition. Often he is born of lowly
parents, is obscure and impecunious. He is always a man of little human
learning.” (Bahá'í World Faith, p.49)
Gautama
Buddha was born into royalty (his father was king Suddhodana Gautama, they were
a family of warriors and nobility.) He grew up in luxury until he observed the
human misery around him. He then forsook it all at the young age of
twenty-nine.
Moses
was educated in the royal court of Egypt. He grew up in the Pharaoh's palace.
This can hardly considered an impoverished lifestyle.
Confucius
was a learned man. He had started a school in which he had 3,000 students .
So,
what Baha’u’llah stated, that al the manifestations are not educated, appears
not to coincide with the facts. Some
were highly educated in relation to the era in which they lived.
Buddhism- Arose as a sect of Hinduism. Gautama Buddha lived
around 560 BC. In Buddhism there is no teaching of God. At best Buddhists are
agnostic and also pantheistic. The ultimate end of the soul is to become a drop
of water in the vast cosmic ocean. There is no individuality. Buddhism believes
in transmigration of the soul, which contradicts both Islam and the Bible.
Buddha gave man the eight-fold path; a system of self-works to enter nirvana,
which is the ultimate extinguishing of self.
One uses the self to extinguish the self.
This
religion appears to be in conflict with reality, other religions, and even
itself.
Confucius-
(Master Kung) 551 B.C. was a
polytheist and practiced ancestor worship, which is forbidden in the Bible. We
have Buddha and Confucius living as two manifestation's at the same time,
teaching different philosophies, contradicting each other. Neither one was
teaching about God, so how can they be a Light for God.
Islam-
Mohammed states there is no Son of
God. Which is a denial of what the Bible states in the Old and New Testament.
The same angel that gave Mohammed his revelation also said to Mary Jesus will
be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35 and he will be called Emmanuel- God with us
(Mt. 1:23).
The
Islamic God is capricious, unknowable and far away. God is a singular person,
no triune nature. Mohammed is the last and greatest Prophet, and there are no
more after him. To call Mohammed a manifestation of God is held by only 10% of
Islam who believe in Imam's, the Shiite sect, from which the Bahai Faith
originates. Islam is derived from some truth but mostly distortions of their
Judaic roots by way of Abraham. Bahá'í is an Islamic offshoot, which goes even
farther away from the source of authenticity than does Mohammed.
Islam
is in conflict with Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
Judaism-
Moses -Believed in one God. Jews are strictly monotheistic. God is
personal and knowable (God spoke to Moses as a man speaks to another man.). Man
is a sinner in need of redemption. Man was given the law and the sacrificial
system so that he would become aware of his sin and his need for cleansing
before approaching God. All this points
to one person- Christ and his cleansing for sin. Judaism prophesies of the one
who would come as the Messiah. The Law ended with Christ for those who have
faith in Jesus (Galatians 2-3).
Judaism
is in conflict with Islam, with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bahá'í.
Christianity-Jesus claimed to be the invisible God- to know Him
is to know God. All the Prophets spoke of Him, He is the final revelation at
the end of the age. He taught that men are sinners in need of salvation. He is
the only one who has taken care of sin; the only one who rose from the dead and
is now alive ruling from heaven.
1
John.5:20: “ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an
understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true,
in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” The true
God and eternal life. By believing in Him, we believe in the true God,
and are in possession of eternal life. John warns against any others who come
along, no matter what display of religion they may have. Jesus Christ is the
one and only express image of God's person approved for all time, the only true
manifestation of God. Any other representations that claim to be of God are
forbidden to be followed by Christ Jesus, and are no more than idols, being
mere men. This is according to the Bible.
When
Jesus asked his followers, “Who do men say I am?” they gave only names of the
Hebrew Prophets not Krishna, or Buddha or anyone else. Christ only quoted the
Bible, no other literature. But all these supposed manifestations coming after
Jesus, refer to Him.
Christianity
is in conflict with Islam, with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bahá'í and anyone who
would deny that sin exists.
SUMMARY OF THE MANIFESTATION IN THEIR
DOCTRINE OF GOD
Krishna--A Mixture of polytheism and
pantheism. The universe is eternal. The universe is God, and so are we.
Zoroaster--One good god and one evil god
(religious dualism).
Moses--One personal God. The universe is not
eternal, but was created by the eternal God; sin needs to be cleansed by a
sacrifice.
Buddha--God is not relevant; essentially
agnostic. The 8-fold path attempts to negate desiring, which, in turn, will
lead to Nirvana—the absolute extinguishing of self
Confucius--Polytheistic.
Jesus Christ--The true God who is personal
(Mark 12:29; John 4:24; 5:18-19; etc.).
Muhammad--One personal God who has no Son,
Jesus did not die or resurrect. Sin is done away by doing good.
Bahá'u'lláh --God and the universe are an
emanation of God, and are co-eternal. Jesus is only one of many manifestations.
Baha’u’llah is the last manifestation of this age. Another manifestation will arise in a
thousand years.
Jesus is not just one in a progressive line
of manifestations of truth in history that includes Buddha, Krishna and
Mohammed -- He is the Alpha and the Omega; the author and finisher of those who
embrace Christianity; the Lord of lords, the King of Kings; the Light of all
men; Savior of our souls; Counselor; Prince of Peace; the Mighty God; the Way,
the Truth, the Life; the eternal I Am. Without Him nothing would exist.
Bahá'í
teaches the manifestations are sinless- “ For these holy souls are pure from
every sin, and sanctified from faults” (Abdul Baha, Some Answered Questions pg.
195).
“He hath ordained
that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest
in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and
ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to
the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God
Himself (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pgs. 66-67).
Sinless
representatives--Moses didn’t think he was, Mohammed didn’t think he was. They
sacrificed for their sins. You do not do
this if you are sinless.
When
we look at their examples of those who are supposedly sinless as
representatives we see the truth of their teaching as not coinciding with reality.
Adam was the first sinner, he brought sin into the world and to every man. Therefore, he is disqualified. Abraham
sacrificed because he was a sinner. God, because he killed a man, sacrificed
for his sins. Mohammed admitted he was a sinner. Allah said he was a sinner,
Quran 48:1-2: “Lo, We have given thee
(Mohammed) a signal victory, that Allah may forgive thee of thy sin that which
is past and that which is to come...” In Sura 40:55 He asks for forgiveness of
his sin. The Hadith states that Muhammad had to ask forgiveness for sin more
than seventy times a day. (Bukhari vol. I, no. 711, 78; vol. V, no. 24)
So
if these prophets were sinners, then they are not a manifestation of God
according to the Bahá'í standard.
The
Bible says no man is without sin, Rom.3. Jesus, according to what is written in
the Bible, was sinless. Therefore, one can see that Jesus is more than a man.
Only God is sinless. Jesus is sinless
because of his Holy Ghost conception.
Man
is dealing with the same problems that he has had from the beginning--he's a
fallen creature, a sinner in need of repair, and only Jesus has the cure. The
Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.”
Christ is the sinless lamb sacrificed to take away the sin of the world. John announced
Him as this.
“We can well
perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable
afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and
disillusioned... they cannot discover the cause of the disease, nor have they
have any knowledge of the remedy” (Gleanings from the writings of
Bahá'u'lláh pg. 213).
Prophets of God
should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well being of the
world, and it is that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the
sickness of a divided humanity. There
is little wonder if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day
should not be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before. How
could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every
stage of his sickness a special remedy? (Book of Certitude p.99)
Jer.17:9
“The heart is deceitfully wicked” (incurably sick). God the creator is the only
one capable of fixing what is broken in man. We need a touch from a divine
agency, the great physician himself. There is only one universal remedy to
restore our alienation from God and cleanse us from guilt. God has given
mankind the blood of Christ as the cure to remove the innate problem of sin.
The Bahais have no solution for the fallen state of man.
No
other religion claims to solve the sin factor because these other religions do
not believe it exists. This includes the Bahai Faith. Only when people see
their sickness and how desperate they are in need of cleansing from their sin,
will they be willing to go to the great physician. The Bahais are no different
than anyone else. They need the Gospel
to be saved from sin and judgment, since Baha’u’llah, though a wise man, can
not save a man from sin. Only Jesus, one
who is free from the thralldom of sin, can save those who are slaves to
sin. A slave cannot free a slave. One who is free is only capable of freeing
others. It is so in this world. It is also the case in the spiritual
realm. What Jesus does is from the
inside out, what man does is from the outside which can never affect our fallen
nature inside. Religion gives us rules and regulations to live by; Jesus
reforms us from the inside and sets us free.
Those
who are sinners die. “ The wages of sin is death”. Only those without sin do not die. Jesus
stands as a beacon among all the rest of these so-called manifestations because
he alone was without sin. He didn't die for anything he did. He died as a
sacrifice for us. Only someone with no sin could die in our place as the
sinless lamb. These other men proved
they were sinners, because they all died. Jesus sacrificed His life for ours
yet death could not hold Him; He raised Himself from the grave bodily. Only God
can do such a feat.
What
Bahai has done is synthesize all the different religions into one whilst
ignoring all the differences and looking for any type of agreements found in
the principles. This is the spirit of our age, tolerance at the expense of
truth. Jesus is not just one manifestation in a progressive line in history.
No, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord of lords, the King of Kings, the
light of men, Savior of our souls, Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Mighty God;
The Way, The Truth, The Life, the Great I Am.
The coming new world religion…..
Baha'u'llah
announced to the few remaining followers of the Bab that he was the chosen
Manifestation of God for this age. He called upon people to unite;
He said that only in one common faith and one order could the world find an
enduring peace. He declared that terrible wars would sweep the face of the
earth and destroy the institutions and ideas that keep men from their rightful
unity. (Basics of Bahai faith tract)
The
Bahai religion fits perfectly with what Jesus warned of, especially in His
Sermon on the Mount. Bahais believe that we need to unite with all the
religions of the world to have a world government and peace. They also teach
that Baha'u'llah is the second coming of Christ. (Which fulfills Mt.24, where
Jesus warns many will say they are Christ and claim to represent him.)
OVER
1,800 YEARS BEFORE Baha'u'llah came Jesus not only promised this, but also did
this. The faith has been delivered to all the saints once for all. The order is
still future, as we await Christ to come back and fulfill His promise.
(Jesus
did not condone any other religion, but Baha'í says they are all from the same
God.)
“Likewise, the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one, though in name and nomenclature they differ.”… The strife between religions, nations and races arises from misunderstanding. If we investigate the religions to discover the principles underlying their foundations, we will find they agree; for the fundamental reality of them is one and not multiple. By this means the religionists of the world will reach their point of unity and reconciliation. They will ascertain the truth that the purpose of religion is the acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, the betterment of morals, the spiritual development of mankind, the real life and divine bestowals” (`Abdu'lBaha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 151-152)
Eph.
1:19-22 "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that
which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave
Him to be head over all things to the church."
The
Bible tells states that the Bahais are wrong, Christ is above all in all ages,
not just for his time.
To the Peoples of
the World: "The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout
the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for
countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age
the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at
long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is
possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad
diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but
also inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet -- in the
words of one great thinker, "the planetization of mankind". ( A
Statement by the Universal House of Justice Bahá'í World Center Haifa, Israel,
Oct. 1985 )
"The world is
in greatest need of international peace. Until it is established, mankind will
not attain composure and tranquility. It is necessary that the nations
and governments organize an international tribunal to which all their disputes
and differences shall be referred. The decision of that tribunal shall be
final." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, 1982, p. 301.)
Clearly
a one-world government is not the answer when sinful men seek their own wants.
While it is a wonderful gesture on paper, reality is quite different. Real
peace will come when the Prince of Peace rules over the earth by setting up his
kingdom.
"Bahá’u’lláh
exhorted the rulers of the earth to peace and international agreement, making
it incumbent upon them to establish a board of international arbitration; that
from all nations and governments of the world there should be delegates
selected for a congress of nations which should constitute a universal arbitral
court of justice to settle international disputes". (Abdu'l-Bahá,
Promulgation of Universal Peace, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982, p. 203.)
If
I didn't know better I would think they were referring to the UN. As they work with the UN toward their
religious agenda of unity for all people, they want to see a universal system
of education, a universal code of human rights, and a universal system of
currency, weights and measures. This all sounds like it is right out of the
Bible..Revelation 13.
Bahá'u'lláh
made the oneness of humankind the central principle and goal of His Faith. When
the organic and spiritual unity of the nations it signals the "coming of
age of the entire human race." (Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come, p. 117 1980)
"One God has
given men one Faith through progressive revelations of His Will in each age of
history and Bahá'u'lláh reveals the will of God for men and women of the
present age. This basic belief enables Baha’i’s to unite and work together in
spite of different religious backgrounds."(BAHAI PUBLISHING TRUST WILMETTE,
ILLINOIS)
“He (Bahá'u'lláh)
sets forth a new principle for this day in the announcement that religion must
be the cause of unity, harmony and agreement among mankind. If it be the cause
of discord and hostility, if it leads to separation and creates conflict, the
absence of religion would be preferable in the world."(Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í
World Faith: Selected Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1976. p. 247.)
It's
hard to take someone seriously who wants to unite all religions and then says
if there is no cooperation that the world is better off without religion of any
kind. Any one religion can be implemented as a unifying principle for mankind
and we would have that harmony the Bahai seek, even if the religion be false.
If all religions are from the same God, and there are disagreements (of which
there are many) then who is to say which one is to go. I wonder which one this
would be? Who decides? I will not leave you guessing, the only religion that
would not co-operate with this type of surrender would be Christianity. Why?
Because Christians believe there is absolute truth and there is falsehood. If
we stand to our convictions we cannot compromise what Christ taught.
The Bahai solution
is the elimination of extremes of both Wealth and Poverty. "Through the
manifestation of God's great equity the poor of the world will be rewarded and
assisted fully and there will be a readjustment in the economic conditions of
mankind so that in the future there will not be the abnormally rich nor the
abject poor. The rich will enjoy the privilege of this new economic
condition as well as the poor, for owing to certain provisions and
restrictions they will not be able to accumulate so much as to be burdened by
its management, while the poor will be relieved from the stress of want and
misery. The rich will enjoy his palace, and the poor will have his comfortable
cottage. " (Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1982, p. 132)
While
it is more than desirable to see the needs of the poor provided, to make it a
law through one world government is another story. This should be done, not through law, but
through the understanding one derives that in helping the poor one helps himself.
"They must
conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which
shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the
world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race... All the forces of
humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most
Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and
every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations
of governments towards one another definitely laid down. In like manner, the size of armaments of
every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war
and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will
arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this
solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of
its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce to utter
submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at
its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all
remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover
from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure. (Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret
of Divine Civilization, p. 64-65.National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
the USA, 1957)
This
is exactly what is written in the Daniel 9:24-26 vision of the 70 weeks (a 490
year period.) 483 years are fulfilled by the beginning of vs.26 at his first
coming; the latter portion of vs.26 the prince that shall come, is the
Antichrist not the true Messiah who is of the same lineage as those who
destroyed the Jewish temple in 70 Ad. The Tribulation begins with the signing
of the peace treaty with Israel v.27. Israel needs to be at peace for the
world to be at peace, this is the area of greatest conflict in the world.
Everyone wants to be located there, even the Bahai have a temple in Haifa.
Isa.28:14-15-This covenant is made to guarantee security to Israel and the world. God's perspective of this covenant is that he calls it a covenant of death and hell. What Israel and the world thought was best for their security turns out to be their worst nightmare.Vs.16