walker@noscvax.UUCP (Janet M. Walker) (01/01/85)
Tim Maroney states: >> Here is solid proof for my claim that Baha'i is not eclectic. In fact, it >> seems to do no more than reconcile Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Any >> such statement about the "soul" is in conflict with Buddhism, which denies >> the reality of the soul. Roughly the same can be said for Taoism. >> Furthermore, I am not familiar with any Hindu scriptures which would >> suggest anything of the sort... The Baha'is are free to walk their path >> of monotheistic synthesis, but to call it "eclectic" is an absurdity. It is very astute and very true to state that the Baha'i Faith is not eclectic: [ 1) Choosing what appears to be the best from diverse sources, systems, or styles. 2) Consisting of that which has been selected from diverse sources, systems, or styles. - American Heritage Dictionary ] however, it is not a synthesis either. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith states that Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoraster, Buddha, Christ, and Muhammed were Manifestions of God and were successively sent by God to PROGRESSIVELY educate a mankind that has been slowly maturing. I feel certain that there were others as well. Certainly, among others, some of the prophets of the American Indians fulfilled the requirements of a true Manifestation of God. However, the above mentioned were founders of major religions and all of them denied polytheism. Baha'u'llah states": "The divine prophets have revealed and founded religion. They have laid down certain laws and heavenly principles for the guidance of mankind... Gradually these heavenly teachings and foundations of reality have been beclouded by human interpretations and dogmatic imitations of ancestral beliefs... The prophets of God voiced the spirit of unity and agreement. They have been the founders of divine reality. Therefore if the nations of the world forsake imitations and investigate the reality underlying the revealed Word of God they will agree and become reconciled. For reality is one and not multiple." "These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect if thou callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same attributes, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath revealed: 'No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers.' For they, one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the unity of God... They are all invested with the robe of prophethood, and are honored with the mantle of glory... These Countenances are the recipients of the Divine Command, and the Day Springs of His revelation. This Revelation is exalted above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number. Thus He saith: 'Our Cause is but One.' Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the Exponents thereof must needs be one and the same... The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfills a definite mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation... It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Well Springs of Divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of Divine wisdom, all their utterances are, in reality, but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they, therefore, feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestatons that are essentially one and the same." Abdu'l-Baha, his son, further clarifies: "In further consideration of this subject, I wish you to be fair and reasonable in your judgement, setting aside all religious prejudices... the foundations of the religions of God are one foundation. This foundation is not multiple for it is reality itself. Reality does not admit of multiplicity although each of the divine religions is separable into two divisions. One concerns the world of morality and the ethical training of human nature. It is directed to the advancement of the world of humanity in general; it reveals and inculcates the knowledge of God and makes possible the discovery of the verities of life. This is ideal and spiritual teaching, the essential quality of divine religion and not subject to change or transformation. It is the one foundation of all the religions of God. Therefore the religions are essentially one and the same. The second classification or division comprises social laws and regulations applicable to human conduct. This is not the essential spiritual quality of religion. It is subject to change and transformation according to the exigencies and requirements of time and place... The exigencies of the time of Moses justified cutting off a man's hand for theft but such a penalty is not allowable now." J.S. Esselmont states: "The religion of God is One Religion, and all the Prophets have taught it, but it is a living and growing thing, not lifeless and unchanging. In the teaching of Moses we see the Bud; in that of Christ the Flower; in that of Baha'u'llah the Fruit. The flower does not destroy the bud, nor does the fruit destroy the flower. It destroys not, but fulfills. The bud scales must fall in order that the flower may bloom, and the petals must fall that the fruit may grow and ripen. Were the bud scales and the petals wrong or useless, then, that they had to be discarded? Nay, both in their time were right and necesssary; without them there could have been no fruit. So it is with the various prophetic teachings; their externals change from age to age, but each revelation is the fulfillment of its predecessors; they are not separate or incongruous, but different stages in the life history of One Religion, which has in turn been revealed as seed, as bud and as flower, and now enters the stage of fruition." (This particular quote was directed to those familiar with Judeo-Christian religions and only for that reason does not mention the others.) Therefore, in our belief, the Baha'i Faith is a continuation of the same Religion, religion renewed; not a new religion or a man-made composite. It addresses answers to a newly matured mankind which is capable of a deeper, more complete understanding of those Eternal Truths which, in former times were couched in terms and analogies which a less mature mankind needed in order to comprehend. It also gives spiritual and social laws very much needed today such as: Oneness of God, Oneness of Religion, Oneness of Mankind, Elimination of Prejudice of All Kinds, Individual Search after Truth, Equality of Men and Women, Universal Education, Harmony of Science and Religion, Protection of Cultural Diversity.... What a beautiful time to live in!!! Janet M. Walker MILNET/ARPANET: walker@nosc UUCP: [ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax]!sdcsvax!noscvax!walker ---------- "Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden." ---------------------------------------------------------------------
walker@noscvax.UUCP (Janet M. Walker) (01/01/85)
.Tim Maroney states: >> Here is solid proof for my claim that Baha'i is not eclectic. In fact, >> it seems to do no more than reconcile Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. >> Any such statement about the "soul" is in conflict with Buddhism, which >> denies the reality of the soul. Roughly the same can be said for >> Taoism. Furthermore, I am not familiar with any Hindu scriptures which >> would suggest anything of the sort, nor scriptures or tales of any other >> polytheistic religion...The Baha'is are free to walk their path of >> monotheistic synthesis, but to call it "eclectic" is an absurdity. It is very astute and very true to state that the Baha'i Faith is not eclectic: [ 1) Choosing what appears to be the best from diverse sources, systems, or styles. 2) Consisting of that which has been selected from diverse sources, systems, or styles. - American Heritage Dictionary ] however, it is not a synthesis either. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, states that Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoraster, Buddha, Christ, and Muhammed were Manifestions of God and were successively sent by God to PROGRESSIVELY educate a mankind that has been slowly maturing. I feel certain that there were others as well. Certainly, among others, some of the prophets of the American Indians fulfilled the requirements of a true Manifestation of God. However, the above mentioned were founders of major religions. No religion which gives moral teachings is bad. I even wonder if polytheism, which is a more ancestral belief, didn't really often come about by splitting of God's attributes into distinct divisions. Baha'u'llah states": "The divine prophets have revealed and founded religion. They have laid down certain laws and heavenly principles for the guidance of mankind... Gradually these heavenly teachings and foundations of reality have been beclouded by human interpretations and dogmatic imitations of ancestral beliefs... The prophets of God voiced the spirit of unity and agreement. They have been the founders of divine reality. Therefore if the nations of the world forsake imitations and investigate the reality underlying the revealed Word of God they will agree and become reconciled. For reality is one and not multiple." "These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect if thou callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same attributes, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath revealed: 'No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers.' For they, one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the unity of God... They are all invested with the robe of prophethood, and are honored with the mantle of glory... These Countenances are the recipients of the Divine Command, and the Day Springs of His revelation. This Revelation is exalted above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number. Thus He saith: 'Our Cause is but One.' Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the Exponents thereof must needs be one and the same... The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfills a definite mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation... It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Well Springs of Divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of Divine wisdom, all their utterances are, in reality, but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they, therefore, feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestatons that are essentially one and the same." Abdu'l-Baha, his son, further clarifies: "In further consideration of this subject, I wish you to be fair and reasonable in your judgement, setting aside all religious prejudices... the foundations of the religions of God are one foundation. This foundation is not multiple for it is reality itself. Reality does not admit of multiplicity although each of the divine religions is separable into two divisions. One concerns the world of morality and the ethical training of human nature. It is directed to the advancement of the world of humanity in general; it reveals and inculcates the knowledge of God and makes possible the discovery of the verities of life. This is ideal and spiritual teaching, the essential quality of divine religion and not subject to change or transformation. It is the one foundation of all the religions of God. Therefore the religions are essentially one and the same. The second classification or division comprises social laws and regulations applicable to human conduct. This is not the essential spiritual quality of religion. It is subject to change and transformation according to the exigencies and requirements of time and place... The exigencies of the time of Moses justified cutting off a man's hand for theft but such a penalty is not allowable now." J.S. Esselmont states: "The religion of God is One Religion, and all the Prophets have taught it, but it is a living and growing thing, not lifeless and unchanging. In the teaching of Moses we see the Bud; in that of Christ the Flower; in that of Baha'u'llah the Fruit. The flower does not destroy the bud, nor does the fruit destroy the flower. It destroys not, but fulfills. The bud scales must fall in order that the flower may bloom, and the petals must fall that the fruit may grow and ripen. Were the bud scales and the petals wrong or useless, then, that they had to be discarded? Nay, both in their time were right and necesssary; without them there could have been no fruit. So it is with the various prophetic teachings; their externals change from age to age, but each revelation is the fulfillment of its predecessors; they are not separate or incongruous, but different stages in the life history of One Religion, which has in turn been revealed as seed, as bud and as flower, and now enters the stage of fruition." (This particular quote was directed to those familiar with Judeo-Christian religions and only for that reason does not mention the others.) Therefore, in our belief, the Baha'i Faith is a continuation of the same Religion, religion renewed; not a new religion or a man-made composite. It addresses answers to a newly matured mankind which is capable of a deeper, more complete understanding of those Eternal Truths which, in former times were couched in terms and analogies which a less mature mankind needed in order to comprehend. It also gives spiritual and social laws very much needed today such as: Oneness of God, Oneness of Religion, Oneness of Mankind, Elimination of Prejudice of All Kinds, Individual Search after Truth, Equality of Men and Women, Universal Education, Harmony of Science and Religion, Protection of Cultural Diversity.... What a beautiful time to live in!!! Janet M. Walker MILNET/ARPANET: walker@nosc UUCP: [ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax]!sdcsvax!noscvax!walker ---------- "Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden." ---------------------------------------------------------------------