walker@noscvax.UUCP (Janet M. Walker) (12/10/84)
>>The official national leaders of the Ba'hai have censured Jensen >>for his radically insane ideas. CORRECT. NO MATTER WHAT MR. JENSEN WOULD LIKE TO CALL HIMSELF, YOU MAY BE ASSURED HE IS NOT CONSIDERED A BAHA'I AT THIS TIME!! >>just want to point out that there is always the danger of false >>prophets rising up in any faith or creed. We must stay alert to the >>more dangerous cults so as to prevent another tragedy like Jonestown >>from happening again. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE!!! There are several proofs of prophethood which are given in the Bible and in other religion's holy books. Unless they are all fulfilled, a person claiming to be sent by God is a fraud. It is incumbent on everyone who becomes aware of such a person to examine dispassionately, objectively, and without bias that person's claim in the light of these criteria. 1) Are their moral teachings consistent with those that are generally associated with religious teachings. (i.e. - do they advocate honesty as opposed to dishonesty, love as opposed to hate, etc.) 2) Do they live in STRICT accordance with their own teachings. (NOT "do as I say, but not as I do") 3) Have the prophecies which they have made come true and when they said they would. Not only should we do this when we suspect that someone has been making false claims, but we all owe it to ourselves to investigate FOR OURSELVES any time such a claim is made. In many cases we can very quickly weed out the frauds. Unfortunately, there is a long history of power hungry people in the world. But also don't forget that Christianity was not generally accepted and 'mainstream' 1900 years ago, nor Islam 1100 years ago, nor Judiasm in its early years. Now, however, we have whole societies built upon the foundations of these religions... which leads to a 4th criterium: 4) "By their fruits ye shall know them." Does the religion appear to have the power to ACTUALLY change its adherents to better people. -- Janet M. Walker MILNET/ARPANET: walker@nosc UUCP: [ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax]!sdcsvax!noscvax!walker ---------- "O Friend! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love." ---------------------------------------------------------------------